If you were calling the shots, which would you prefer First?

[hawk]

Just Curious

 

[Smashmouth]

Has to be FA before draft because teams can begin to fill out their roster needs with proven players rather than drafting unknown's . Many more options available for teams and how they approach the draft based on FA.

Also you can draft BAP much easier if you fill holes with FA . 

I'm sure both these ideas can be disputed lots of variables involved

[section314]

3 minutes ago, Smashmouth said:

Has to be FA before draft because teams can begin to fill out their roster needs with proven players rather than drafting unknown's . Many more options available for teams and how they approach the draft based on FA.

Also you can draft BAP much easier if you fill holes with FA . 

I'm sure both these ideas can be disputed lots of variables involved

Ditto. Thank you for saving me having to type basically the same thing.😎

[Paradis]

Has to be FA... You can at least make some kind of projection of your teams efficacy after spending the cap... but making decisions on FA based on who you drafted? Recipe for disaster. 

A competent GM shouldn't be making a decision contingent on the other, at all.  Draft the best talent, and sign FA for needs. 

[FootballLove]

To me, FA after the draft might be better.

Teams have their draft strategy of players they hope to draft, and which positions they hope to shore up. So let the draft play out first....then any player/position we missed out on, grab a FA for that spot, and try again next year.

The draft is team's main source of new talent, so let the draft playout first. Then, turn to FA to fill out the roster.

[Greenseed4]

Free Agency exists before and after the draft, allowing GMs to sign FAs whenever they choose to, every year. 

[Beerfish]

I voted FA first because most teams are sane, however if we are talking about the Jets we might have saved our self a lot of utter pain with craptacular FA that ended up shaping our draft.

If Douglas does not go out and get Cobb, Lazard and Hardman, the terrible trio, we might have had a puka nacua or jayden reed or JSN or Addison or Flowers some promising wrs going into this year.   If he does not assume 300 year old Duane Brown would be the answer at LT he might have done things differently.

[Fantasy Island]

FA 1 week after the Superbowl.

[Alka]

9 hours ago, hawk said:

Just Curious

 

Free agency before draft.  My reasoning is as follows:  If you draft before free agency, then the free agents will carry more leverage in their negotiations, and teams might have to pay more for certain players than if free agency went before the draft.  Why you say?  Because if you desperately need an Offensive Tackle, and the draft is over, and you didn't get one, then the free agent's representatives and everyone will know that you are desperate, and must pay a premium for that player.  If you go through free agency first, and you are desperate to get an Offensive Tackle, and you didn't get that spot taken care of in free agency, then you still have the draft to fill in that spot.  

Very simple.  I believe that this is exactly the reasoning that the NFL has free agency first.

[TuscanyTile2]

The Jets keep winning the offseason so leave things the way they are.

It's all we've got!!!

[JetPotato]

Before both free agency and the draft, I'd like to see the league shuffle around which owners own which teams.

[bicketybam]

The Jets keep winning the offseason so leave things the way they are.
It's all we've got!!!

The knockout blow will be when they trade Zach Wilson for a 7th! Champions!

[hawk]

13 hours ago, Smashmouth said:

Has to be FA before draft because teams can begin to fill out their roster needs with proven players rather than drafting unknown's . Many more options available for teams and how they approach the draft based on FA.

Also you can draft BAP much easier if you fill holes with FA . 

I'm sure both these ideas can be disputed lots of variables involved

I would argue there is a better chance of taking best player available if Draft was first.  

As a GM, I am sure they have their "needs" as High Priority, and if you don't get that player(s) in free agency to address those needs, wouldn't it seem that a GM will reach for that need over BPA?

If the draft was first, I am sure the mindset would shift more to "we can address that in free agency", albeit may need to overpay, "Let's take this kid because he is BPA?"

[hawk]

13 hours ago, Paradis said:

Has to be FA... You can at least make some kind of projection of your teams efficacy after spending the cap... but making decisions on FA based on who you drafted? Recipe for disaster. 

A competent GM shouldn't be making a decision contingent on the other, at all.  Draft the best talent, and sign FA for needs. 

I agree with the first part of the bolded, and the second part of the bolded should be the way it is done in either case.

We as Fans have the mind set (most anyway), we didn't get the players in free agency we need to draft player x over the more talented player y, because x fills a hole today, correct?

[hawk]

13 hours ago, Greenseed4 said:

Free Agency exists before and after the draft, allowing GMs to sign FAs whenever they choose to, every year. 

Yes it does.

The first wave of Free Agency is prior to the draft, and is when their plans are implemented.

[hawk]

3 hours ago, Alka said:

Free agency before draft.  My reasoning is as follows:  If you draft before free agency, then the free agents will carry more leverage in their negotiations, and teams might have to pay more for certain players than if free agency went before the draft.  Why you say?  Because if you desperately need an Offensive Tackle, and the draft is over, and you didn't get one, then the free agent's representatives and everyone will know that you are desperate, and must pay a premium for that player.  If you go through free agency first, and you are desperate to get an Offensive Tackle, and you didn't get that spot taken care of in free agency, then you still have the draft to fill in that spot.  

Very simple.  I believe that this is exactly the reasoning that the NFL has free agency first.

Would they though?  History has shown us that most free agent transactions have 2 suitors when it comes down to it.

Team X and Team Y

What happens if Team Y drafted the Offensive Tackle in the draft?  Does Team X pay more because the free agents says I'd rather not play than not get the contract I want? (It certainly has happened, but not as a normal precedent.)

 

[NYJCAP2]

FA first, drafted salaries are easily predicted based on draft slot. You’re just plugging in a name and position.

[Alka]

1 hour ago, hawk said:

Would they though?  History has shown us that most free agent transactions have 2 suitors when it comes down to it.

Team X and Team Y

What happens if Team Y drafted the Offensive Tackle in the draft?  Does Team X pay more because the free agents says I'd rather not play than not get the contract I want? (It certainly has happened, but not as a normal precedent.)

 

It comes down to supply and demand.  In your scenario, if there is only 2 suiters, and one team drafts that position, why are they trying to get the free agent?  As a backup, or is there another spot for that player as a starter?  

The more desperate team will pay more, period!  If that team that didn't get that position filled in the draft, they will be more desperate to get that free agent.  If the player is a premium player, then more than 2 teams will be vying for that player.  But the team that has a hole at that position will always be the most desperate team.  If it's a left offensive tackle, and it's the Jets, and we didn't fill that hole, then the Jets will pay whatever they have to pay, regardless of whether the other teams are desperate or not.  

And, if the Jets need 2 offensive tackles, then they must draft both tackle spots in the draft, so that they are not in the desperate position that I just outlined.   By having free agency ahead of the draft, if they fill some of their open spots, then their draft strategy won't be so desperate, having to be at the mercy of a free agent who knows that they must have that player.

[Claymation]

Option 3, both the same week.

That way every other team would be just as bad as the Jets at Free Agency and Drafting.

Plus the sheer chaos would be entertaining as hell.

[Bobby816]

Was just talking to a coworker about this the other day.

I would love the draft to be 1st. Go get the best player available at places you value and need. Then what you can’t get in the draft attack in FA.

 

Take this for an example. Let’s say we this year go get 2 vet starting OTs and a starting vet OG. Likely we aren’t going OT at 10 then. When in reality our OTs in FA are bandaids. Where if the draft was 1st we’d likely go OT at 10 for sure. Getting a hopeful long term guy there rather than a bandaid.

[rangerous]

Assuming contracts begin and end with league years free agency has to come before the draft.  It wouldn’t be fair to have players not knowing who their next teams are. Of course the draft could be held earlier but that would probably increase the size of the front offices since there wouldn’t be as many people to consult with during the season.