Draft vs FA - new era?

[DBOY3141]

I hear alot of comments about the way to win a superbowl is through the draft and that you shouldn't spend alot in FA to try and win one. I think those days are slowly coming to an end if they haven't ended already. The draft will always be a very important part in building a team but FA and trades have to be done in order to win. I think this years Steelers are the exception rather than the rule (no way they win the AFC if Brady is healthy).

Giants - two of their biggest players are Plax and Pierce, neither were drafted by the Giants. Both are FA pickups. They do have alot of good players that were drafted, but you saw what they were without Plax. No way do they win a SB without these two.

Patriots - Moss/Welker were trades. Vrabel/A. Thomas/Harrison were FA's.

Steelers - Harrison and their starting center were FA's.

As I stated, the draft is important and builds the core but you have to add FA's to put you over the top.

 

[Hostile]

I completely disagree with you. I would take a Draft pick over a Free Agent at every position every day of the week. The one thing I hate about Free Agents is that because they get paid so much they think it entitles them to special treatment. Draft picks earn their jobs.

 

[TheCount]

I completely disagree with you. I would take a Draft pick over a Free Agent at every position every day of the week. The one thing I hate about Free Agents is that because they get paid so much they think it entitles them to special treatment. Draft picks earn their jobs.

Well if I've worked 10 years at a job and I get let go, I'm probably thinking I'm entitled to more than some kid fresh out of college and I'm not expecting to start there making copies and getting people coffee.

They say the best way to get a large raise is to quit your job and get the same job elsewhere, I don't see why it wouldn't apply in football.

 

[Hostile]

Well if I've worked 10 years at a job and I get let go, I'm probably thinking I'm entitled to more than some kid fresh out of college and I'm not expecting to start there making copies and getting people coffee.

They say the best way to get a large raise is to quit your job and get the same job elsewhere, I don't see why it wouldn't apply in football.

It does apply. I didn't say it doesn't. I am saying entitlement feelings are a big part of the problem on our football team and I would rather avoid them.

Besides if you draft well enough to stock every position it usually means you're doing a fantastic job drafting. Why is that bad?

Oh, and last point. One team in recent years tried to avoid the Draft and build through Free Agency with players who had already put skins on the wall. The Commanders. Remind me what their spendthrift ways earned them besides a lack of depth and a high payroll.

 

[Biggems]

you build through the draft for your depth, youth, and athleticism. you add a handful of finishing touches via FA.

IMO, you do not trade away draft picks for players already in the league...especially RBs, who are a dime a dozen, and WRs, who only touch the ball a handful of times a game.

Twice this decade Jerry has gone off the deep end for a WR. Both times, that WR did basically nothing the year we got him. Both times, that WR was injured during the season. I like Roy, he is my fave WR. However, I really do wish we had the draft picks instead. Heck, we could have possibly gotten Roy as a FA this offseason and still kept our draft picks. Or we could have merely drafted Percy Harvin and another WR, maybe a Brian Robiskie, and allowed them to grow behind TO, Crayton, and Austin.

Give me the draft picks almost every single time....now when saying this, you have to make sure you draft smart. Do not draft like the Cowboys of the late 90s were drafting.....then, relying on the draft will kill you.

However, in the last handful of years, Dallas has done a very nice job of drafting. So I would rely heavily on the draft to build my roster. It is also a lot more cost effective to use the draft to fill your needs, as opposed to FA.

 

[Disturbed]

Wow, I am shocked that anyone thinks building through FA is the way to go. If you just look at what the Cowboys have done over the past 12 years it is a case study on why you should use the draft, not FA.

Always draft, never FA. And let guys walk, don't resign your average players.

 

[Switz]

Steelers - Harrison and their starting center were FA's.

Harrison was a undrafted FA he did not come from another team. Infact he was cut several times by the steelers. Steelers dont have many key players that came from a big FA signing.

That said the core base of players needs to come from the draft.

 

[sonnyboy]

Draft picks are tools.
FA signings are tools.

It's not the tools, it's how you use them.

No current team, good or bad is currently comprised of only draft picks or only FA signings.

There's no magic formula. Good teams make good draft selections and good FA signings. Bad teams do one or both poorly.

Don't know where this theory of "draft picks good, FA bad" comes from or the rational behind it.

A draft pick can blow up as quick as a FA signing. How many times do we see top 10 picks come in, get a huge contract and signing bonus and never crack the starting lineup.

 

[sonnyboy]

you build through the draft for your depth, youth, and athleticism. you add a handful of finishing touches via FA.

IMO, you do not trade away draft picks for players already in the league...especially RBs, who are a dime a dozen, and WRs, who only touch the ball a handful of times a game.

Twice this decade Jerry has gone off the deep end for a WR. Both times, that WR did basically nothing the year we got him. Both times, that WR was injured during the season. I like Roy, he is my fave WR. However, I really do wish we had the draft picks instead. Heck, we could have possibly gotten Roy as a FA this offseason and still kept our draft picks. Or we could have merely drafted Percy Harvin and another WR, maybe a Brian Robiskie, and allowed them to grow behind TO, Crayton, and Austin.

Give me the draft picks almost every single time....now when saying this, you have to make sure you draft smart. Do not draft like the Cowboys of the late 90s were drafting.....then, relying on the draft will kill you.

However, in the last handful of years, Dallas has done a very nice job of drafting. So I would rely heavily on the draft to build my roster. It is also a lot more cost effective to use the draft to fill your needs, as opposed to FA.

Agree with a lot of what your saying here, but sometimes trades work as well. Especially when your getting a guy under a good contract.

Example of this was a deal between GB and Philly for Al Harris. At the time Philly had a load of good CB's and GB was hurting for them. Harris was under contract for 4 more yrs at the time of the trade for a very reasonable salary.

Great deal for both sides. GB gives up a 2nd rd pick, pretty steep. But they get a good player at a great cap number who filled a huge hole. GB could've used that pick on a CB and paid a little less money in a four year deal to the rookie. But they wouldn't be as certain he could fill the hole. Harris had a 3 year track record in the NFL.

Point I'm making is good player acquisitions are just that. Makes little difference if its a FA signing, draft pick or trade.

 

[bigE79]

Harrison was a undrafted FA he did not come from another team. Infact he was cut several times by the steelers. Steelers dont have many key players that came from a big FA signing.

That said the core base of players needs to come from the draft.

wasnt he with the ravens?

 

[YosemiteSam]

I hear alot of comments about the way to win a superbowl is through the draft and that you shouldn't spend alot in FA to try and win one. I think those days are slowly coming to an end if they haven't ended already. The draft will always be a very important part in building a team but FA and trades have to be done in order to win. I think this years Steelers are the exception rather than the rule (no way they win the AFC if Brady is healthy).

Giants - two of their biggest players are Plax and Pierce, neither were drafted by the Giants. Both are FA pickups. They do have alot of good players that were drafted, but you saw what they were without Plax. No way do they win a SB without these two.

Patriots - Moss/Welker were trades. Vrabel/A. Thomas/Harrison were FA's.

Steelers - Harrison and their starting center were FA's.

As I stated, the draft is important and builds the core but you have to add FA's to put you over the top.

You are way off. You can pick up a player to help you get over the hump, but you can never sign a bunch of high priced free agents and expect to win. This is a team game and the salary cap says you aren't going to sign every high priced FA that exists. There just isn't enough money to go around to sign nothing but FAs. You HAVE to draft real talent.

btw, the James Harrison was a Steeler first. He sent to the practice squad I believe when the Ravens picked him up. Not only that, when he resigned with the Steelers later on in 2004, the only reason he made the team was due to injury. He was no high priced FA that they signed so they could win it all.

also btw, Plax was drafted by the Steelers.

 

[Biggems]

Agree with a lot of what your saying here, but sometimes trades work as well. Especially when your getting a guy under a good contract.

Example of this was a deal between GB and Philly for Al Harris. At the time Philly had a load of good CB's and GB was hurting for them. Harris was under contract for 4 more yrs at the time of the trade for a very reasonable salary.

Great deal for both sides. GB gives up a 2nd rd pick, pretty steep. But they get a good player at a great cap number who filled a huge hole. GB could've used that pick on a CB and paid a little less money in a four year deal to the rookie. But they wouldn't be as certain he could fill the hole. Harris had a 3 year track record in the NFL.

Point I'm making is good player acquisitions are just that. Makes little difference if its a FA signing, draft pick or trade.

I was meaning mostly RB and WR.......I can see trading for QB, Defense, and OL.....But RBs get too much wear and tear and can easily be replaced on a yearly basis. WRs hardly touch the ball and are prima donna drama queens. I see no reason to trade for a WR....draft em or sign em as a FA.

 

[Switz]

wasnt he with the ravens?

he was signed as a URFA by the steelers in 02

let go

signed by Ravens sent to Europe.. then relased by Baltimore again signed by Pittsburgh.

 

[yimyammer]

I completely disagree with you. I would take a Draft pick over a Free Agent at every position every day of the week. The one thing I hate about Free Agents is that because they get paid so much they think it entitles them to special treatment. Draft picks earn their jobs.

I'm with you Hos, I dream of having a strong personel department capable of identifying, developing and acquiring players and in the process creating a revolving door of players so when one player leaves to get big bucks in free agency, he is replaced by an up and coming, hungry & well coached talent drafted by and developed within our system.

Save the big contracts for the best of the best with the highest of character, but let your foundation be built through the draft with players that are hungry and want to prove themselves.

Competition and reasonable turnover is a good thing in my opinion