The Draft is simply Overrated

[JoeGibbsThickandthin]

Example.

The Redskins do the generic thing every sportswriters says. Find a guy with potential in the third round and groom him to be a starter.

Dockery becomes solid. But he was still developing the 4 years we had him. So we try to sign him for his prime years. He leaves for almost 50 million dollars.

There was no hometown discount for drafting him. We developed him for another team.

Same with the Thomas for the Ravens.

To bring back every guy you drafted would make no sense either since you have to improve a team every year and adjust.

So drafting is overrated. Its important to get a few good players for depth. But there is no more building dynastys.

You find a player anyway you can.

And do not to bring you draft for depth crap. If you are bringing rookies and second year players without expirence off your bench the team is not going to be good.

[NewAgeSkins]

except it cost much less to draft a player in the 3rd round than sign him for $30 mil.... (see Lloyd, Brandon).

[fdarugar]

except it cost much less to draft a player in the 3rd round than sign him for $30 mil.... (see Lloyd, Brandon).

at the same time last year Brandon produced like a 3rd round rookie and the book definately is not written on b lloyd...this offense needs to really get in synch recieving wise.

[JoeGibbsThickandthin]

except it cost much less to draft a player in the 3rd round than sign him for $30 mil.... (see Lloyd, Brandon).

Does not matter. When you draft a guy they will not usually be good for the first 2 years. So you getting them at a bargin rate 1-2 years max.

These guys are going to get paid regardless. And there is no hometown discount.

You can tender them like we did to Dockery for a year. They are going to end up leaving or getting paid crazy money.

[Skin Deep]

If we used more foresight at times and signed guys a year or two before they were UFA's, we could get some core people at what's considered a bargain. That's how you can use the draft to try and build a foundation to build upon.

That's the idea, anyhow.

[kevin11]

its not overrated. Did the pats get BRady through FA? Dynasty are built through Depth not just their starters.

[dachozenone]

Example.

The Redskins do the generic thing every sportswriters says. Find a guy with potential in the third round and groom him to be a starter.

Dockery becomes solid. But he was still developing the 4 years we had him. So we try to sign him for his prime years. He leaves for almost 50 million dollars.

There was no hometown discount for drafting him. We developed him for another team.

Same with the Thomas for the Ravens.

To bring back every guy you drafted would make no sense either since you have to improve a team every year and adjust.

So drafting is overrated. Its important to get a few good players for depth. But there is no more building dynastys.

You find a player anyway you can.

And do not to bring you draft for depth crap. If you are bringing rookies and second year players without expirence off your bench the team is not going to be good.

You can lock your core players up early. You cant blame Dock or Thomas for taking the money that was thrown at them, if the Ravens or Skins had decided to lock these guys up DURING THE SEASON then you would have not made this pointless thread. They should have taken a page from the Eagles and not even let them get a taste of free agency.

[HEavyJumbo85]

Well it is a cheaper alternative to free agency, but I know what you're saying. It's not necessarily over rated but it shouldn't be treated as more important or less important than free agency or trades. They're all basically the same principle, acquire players. In the draft there are just more opportunites to get players and instead of bidding with a team you just have to pick a certain player you want before someone else does. It's simply a cheaper alternative to free agency, it's not more important or less important, they're both equal in my mind.

[skinfan2k]

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

TOTAL PICKS 6 10 8 7 10

STARTERS 1 5 2 4 1

BACKUPS 1 0 1 1 7

OTHER TEAMS 2 2 4 0 2

OUT OF LEAGUE 2 3 1 2 0

The table shows the current state of the Patriots last five drafts. For instance, David Givens is listed under "Other Teams," even though he started for New England in the past.

The Patriots have been one of the NFL’s best drafting teams over the past five years. The 2002 draft produced three starters in Daniel Graham, Deion Branch and David Givens, as well key reserve Jarvis Green. The Patriots 2003 draft may go down as one of the best in team history. Ty Warren and Eugene Wilson were New England’s first two picks that year but New England found gems Asante Samuel (4th round), Dan Koppen (5th round) and Tully Banta-Cain (7th round) later on.

Second-round selection Bethel Johnson never lived up to expectations and was released before the start of the 2006 season. The 2004 draft wasn’t great by Patriots standards. It landed starters Vince Wilfork and Benjamin Watson early, but the rest of the draft was filled with busts like Marquise Hill and Guss Scott. Four starters - Logan Mankins, Ellis Hobbs, Nick Kaczur and James Sanders – came out of the 2005 draft, along with backup quarterback Matt Cassel. Mankins is on his way to becoming a Pro Bowl guard, while Hobbs and Sanders have shown signs of becoming future leaders in the Patriots secondary. The latest draft is still up in the air. Other than Laurence Maroney and Stephen Gostkowski, no one really made a big splash in their first season with the team, although tight end David Thomas looks like he’s a keeper.

[JoeGibbsThickandthin]

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

TOTAL PICKS 6 10 8 7 10

STARTERS 1 5 2 4 1

BACKUPS 1 0 1 1 7

OTHER TEAMS 2 2 4 0 2

OUT OF LEAGUE 2 3 1 2 0

The table shows the current state of the Patriots last five drafts. For instance, David Givens is listed under "Other Teams," even though he started for New England in the past.

The Patriots have been one of the NFL’s best drafting teams over the past five years. The 2002 draft produced three starters in Daniel Graham, Deion Branch and David Givens, as well key reserve Jarvis Green. The Patriots 2003 draft may go down as one of the best in team history. Ty Warren and Eugene Wilson were New England’s first two picks that year but New England found gems Asante Samuel (4th round), Dan Koppen (5th round) and Tully Banta-Cain (7th round) later on.

Second-round selection Bethel Johnson never lived up to expectations and was released before the start of the 2006 season. The 2004 draft wasn’t great by Patriots standards. It landed starters Vince Wilfork and Benjamin Watson early, but the rest of the draft was filled with busts like Marquise Hill and Guss Scott. Four starters - Logan Mankins, Ellis Hobbs, Nick Kaczur and James Sanders – came out of the 2005 draft, along with backup quarterback Matt Cassel. Mankins is on his way to becoming a Pro Bowl guard, while Hobbs and Sanders have shown signs of becoming future leaders in the Patriots secondary. The latest draft is still up in the air. Other than Laurence Maroney and Stephen Gostkowski, no one really made a big splash in their first season with the team, although tight end David Thomas looks like he’s a keeper.

Good post 2k. The Steelers have also cut the most picks of any team the past 7 years.

[Fifty Gut]

the thing is, if we had draft picks, we could of had Dockery's replacement waiting on the bench, already groomed for the system.

[JoeGibbsThickandthin]

the thing is, if we had draft picks, we could of had Dockery's replacement waiting on the bench, already groomed for the system.

Nope. That guy would be in no better position than a Todd Wade to play.

He will probaly be worst. We did draft linemen in the lower rounds. They have turned out to be be bust. The draft is a crap shoot.

And if u do find a guy thats good. It does not give you a hometown discount once they develop.

[RDSKNfaithfull]

"Says the Redskin fan" :laugh:

Somebody could easily say Free Agency is Overrated and post our track record :doh:

Both are important

[JoeGibbsThickandthin]

"Says the Redskin fan" :laugh:

Somebody could easily say Free Agency is Overrated and post our track record :doh:

Both are important

You have to pick the right free agents.

[skinfan2k]

Both go hand in hand i believe. The redskins dont like to put rookies on the field and get them playing experience meanwhile, you saw in NE where many rookies make an immediate impact and the FO believe in cutting their high price veterans

[Tulane Skins Fan]

the problem with your post is not realizing that dockery sucked the whole time he was here

[JoeGibbsThickandthin]

The Ravens drafted Thomas. As soon as he hit the open market he is gone.

Do they get a cookie for drafting him? Do they get a draft pick for their lost like baseball does? Nope

I am not saing trade away all your picks. Anyway to get a player is fine. But to say build through the draft is just something a no nothing sports radio host would say.

Building through the draft expired in the 80s.

[dfbovey]

You have to pick the right free agents.

Same could be said for draft picks.

Our way of doing things leaves us paper thin depth wise, because we have too much dead cap space from free agent flunkies and too much of our cap space eaten up by just a few players.

A team should build through the draft as much as possible and suppliment that with free agents and trades when needed. Doing it the otherway around gets you 5-11 with the largest payroll in the NFL.

[PCRoughrider]

The draft is mostly, after the first two rounds, to get cheap backups.

Veteran backups cost more.

[JoeGibbsThickandthin]

the problem with your post is not realizing that dockery sucked the whole time he was here

That is MY POINT. He sucked while he was. But he was young. And people still think he has potential to be good.

If he becomes good in the coming years the Redskins will not get anything out of it.

I am not saying to trade your first round picks. I think those picks can get a guy that will help u right away.

[dfbovey]

Building through the draft expired in the 80s.

Tell that to the Patriots, Colts, Steelers, Eagles, Ravens and Chargers. Then be laughed out of the room.

[JoeGibbsThickandthin]

The draft is mostly, after the first two rounds, to get cheap backups.

Veteran backups cost more.

LOL. So you want your back ups to be rookies? Without expirence? Without veteran back ups a team is worthless.

And when those cheap backs up develop and show potential they will hit the market and get good money.

No one with talent stays cheap for long.

[JoeGibbsThickandthin]

Tell that to the Patriots, Colts, Steelers, Eagles, Ravens and Chargers. Then be laughed out of the room.

The Ravens had the highest pay roll when they won the super bowl.

The Steelers have cut more draft picks than any other team.

The Eagles have no rings. And the team is on the downside.

Example the Ravens drafted Thomas. Lost him. And there was nothing they could do about it.

[PCRoughrider]

LOL. So you want your back ups to be rookies? Without expirence? Without veteran back ups a team is worthless.

And when those cheap backs up develop and show potential they will hit the market and get good money.

No one with talent stays cheap for long.

If you're depending on backups to win games, your season is likely already shot. Backups are backups for a reason.

You spend less on backups and hope for health from your starters.

And inexperienced doesn't mean untalented.

[dfbovey]

And when those cheap backs up develop and show potential they will hit the market and get good money.

No one with talent stays cheap for long.

If the players you draft are worth it, you keep them for the long term. If they aren't... let them go.

At least a guy you draft has time in the system and will be much further ahead of the curve than any free agent you bring in, unless they are a superstar.

Look at Free agency this year. Guys like Dockery and Davis, who aren't even top ten players at their position, are now the richest offensive linemen in the league. That's what free agency gets you in today's climate. And anyone who wants to build their team this way, is out of their mind.