Building a team in the Salary Cap Era: Maybe the Draft ISN'T the way to go??

[No_Pressure]

From what I notice a lot of the picks that were 3rds, 4ths, 5ths, etc. are the over looked quality players that you can get cheaply that you want to build your team with.

This year we have what a 2nd round, 3rd?, 5th, 2 6ths, and a 7th or something close enough to that. We dont have a 1st rounder but look at what we got in free agency. If one of our big signings ends up putting up great numbers, thats our first round pick right there, if 2 or 3 or 4, or whatever number of them put up great numbers, we have had that many 1st round picks.

The best part though is in free agency you know what you will get, you have seen game film and can watch what they do against NFL players and even players in your division they will have to face. With a rookie all you have to go on is how well they did against other rookies, of course you will see obvious skills, talents, etc. but hey, a lot of people saw talent in Heath Shuler, Desmond Howard, etc. That does not make them good NFL players and instead of spending a lot of money on a player unproven in the NFL that could be hit or miss whether we know they are or not, I would rather go out and spend that money on a player where what I see is what I get.

Is building a team like this bad? No. The draft building should happen in the late rounds anyways, nobody ever built a winning team out of nothing but #1 picks. Players like Thurman Thomas, Mark Rypien, Tom Brady, Rod Smith just to name a few off the top of my head were all late round picks, in fact I think Thomas was a 5th, and Rypien was taken in a round that doesnt exsist anymore, however they were/are in Brady and Smith's cases great NFL players that were taken late.

My conclusion: Gibbs built half the Hogs out of Free Agency, he got Riggins in FA, his late draft picks were players like Dexter Manley, Doug Williams, Mark Rypien, Timmy Smith, Ricky Sanders, the list is long here too. The ultimate goal seemingly of Gibbs is to find players in late rounds that can flourish in the Redskins environment, and get proven experienced players to replace the 1st round picks with someone as expensive that they know will produce.

Im tired im going to sleep now.

[jtyler42]

The key to building a team is CONTINUITY in the coaching staff...It doesnt matter how you bring in the talent, what matters is the fact that there is an established system, and leadership that doesnt change...

That's how Gibbs was able to win the first time around b/c he installed his program and just added the peices he needed to it, b/c remember we didnt build through the draft in Gibbs I either...We operated the same way we do now, as far as trading draft picks, making trades, and acquiring FA's...

[Mr. Grundle]

Good thread and good points all around. The draft is overrated in some regards. It makes me chuckle when I hear the same things from every Dallas fan:

"You can't buy a championship, it's been proven in the past."

"They won't be good this year because they have no draft picks."

Stupidity is what this sounds like to me. Can't buy a championship? When was this proven? They only time anyone has said someone was trying to "buy a championship" is when Snyder went on the 2000 spending-spree. O for 1. How is that proven? Free agency is still in it's infancy, nothing has been proven yet.

Won't be good because we have no draft picks? I don't see how that matters. Addressing needs by any means possible is what matters, and this is something the Redskins are great at.

Every offseason we identify needs and priorities. Those needs will determine where we make our splash (because we will make a splash), the draft or free agency.

This years needs? Wide receivers. Good ones, and more than one. This years draft is weak at WR, so it's off to free agency we go.

Last years needs? CB and QB of the future according to the coaching staff. Good depth at CB in the draft. No QB's of the future in free agency, so we'll trade for another 1st-round draft pick and get the guy we want.

Two years ago, free agency and trades were the way to go to get proven starting talent like Portis, Washington, Griffin. We even mixed it up with a sweet draft too.

Two first rounders used to draft Samuels and Arrington.

I like the way we do it. Any means possible to get what we need. You don't NEED to have 1st round draft picks every year. You just need to fulfill your needs by any means possible. I like how we've been active in all facets - free agency, draft, AND trades. I like that we aren't scared to make these moves.

I also agree that coaching continuity is the final key. We finally have that now, too. It's all coming together, finally, and we're already starting to see the results. I got a feeling that in the next 2 years people will realize that the Redskins are not crazy, that they do have a plan. Then they will start copying this plan.

[Grinder]

Although I am I strong proponent of using the draft over free agency to build a team, I agree that a mix of both is the fastest route to success.

My problem is that we keep not only paying premium prices for our free agent talent, but are quick to send away draft picks as well. This is our depth we are giving up, our young players to groom and mold.

We go into drafts with a bare minimum of picks (particularly in rounds 2-4) and then injuries tear us a new one as we have little talent at backup positions.

Unquestionably, Coach Joe has this franchise headed in the right direction (thank God!) but I'd still like to see an emphasis on a 'middle class' of player on this team.

Even if the draftee isn't a 'diamond in the rough, superstar in the making' under this coaching staff he should at least be worthy backup who can produce when called on.

And for a change, won't break the bank.

[TheLongshot]

We go into drafts with a bare minimum of picks (particularly in rounds 2-4) and then injuries tear us a new one as we have little talent at backup positions.

Depth is sometimes the choices that you make after training camp. We decided to go a bit shallow in WRs and CBs, and we got hurt to a certain extent by that.

I'm pretty sure CB will be addressed in the draft because it is ready made for drafted players. We are three deep there, which takes care of starters, but there is room for young players to develop, which is why I think our second rounder will probably be a CB.

I also think that coaching tenure also helps. The longer a head coach has been coaching a team, the more the personnel reflect his ideals. People here bemoan the fact that there has been a lot of turnover since Gibbs arrived, but that is only natural when you turn over a coach, and I believe that all the turnover that we had before Gibbs arrived had a lot to do with the lack of success here, because it causes turnover on the field.

Jason

[CrossWalker]

I think there's an equally strong argument that would show successful teams enjoying coaching continuity.

Exactly, this is the most overlooked issue that comes into play among the know it alls. It helps when you are simply plugging new players into a well oriented system. The draft and FA are both important in building a team. It's not like the Steelers drafted Bettis, Parker, Staley, Hartings, Von Oelehoffen, Farrier or a number of others. Both the draft and FA are essential in finding the parts to make a team's collective engine run. But isn't it really the coach that keeps everything in tune and properly running.

[IronMike]

Continuity in the front office and in the coaching staff is also key. So we have a three-legged stool: draft, free agency and coaching staff/FO.

Look at New England: continuity (until last year), strong drafts, particularly in the 4-7 rounds, BUT also wise free agent pickups: Corey Dillon and Rodney Harrison.

Skins were kicked back six years by the switches from Marty S. to Spurrier to Gibbs. Marty had a plan, and was successfully implementing it. Many of us on this board may not have liked that plan, but it was succeeding. Look at MS's success in San Diego, look at the type of team he is building. He was on track to do that here.

The constant switching does more damage to a franchise. A player who may be a solid performer in one type of offense or style of defense, will be a non-starter in another.

IF you have that coaching staff/FO continuity, then you can build thru the draft AND free agency, without busting the cap. AND you can be successful where it counts: on the field and in won-loss percentages.