Mean Papi Green Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Dream on NFL's free-agent frenzy about more hype than hope This was, once, the season of hope. With March's arrival, the NFL's presumed free-agent elite were let loose on a dreary sporting landscape in desperate need of a big deal. And nothing -- with apologies to pitchers and catchers everywhere -- quite did the job like NFL free agency. Let's face it: The modern NFL season started every March, with the sudden availability of a possible savior or two, supposed impact players who either had satisfied their contractual obligations or been cut by their cap-addled teams. Be they Reggie White (the best free-agent signing ever) or Scott Mitchell (the worst, courtesy of the Lions), these players inspired your teams to line up like smitten tweeners outside TRL's studios, hungry for the chance to take enormous (and usually ill-advised) gambles on big names, other teams' and their own. Your teams romanced them, wined, dined and private-jetted them, throwing crazy money at them as visions of Lombardi Trophies danced in their heads. Sure, in all but a few cases, your teams were overpaying for players who couldn't possibly fulfill their attendant hype and bloated price tags. And yes, your teams were likely detonating their caps for years to come for the false promise of immediate results -- as if one player, in this Patriots age, could be the difference-maker, the missing piece to a championship puzzle. It didn't matter that individual players simply don't equal titles; hell, in the one league more competitively balanced than any other (and it ain't even close), one guy's brilliance doesn't even bring the second wild card. From the perspective of the haplessly lovelorn, this annual emotional splurge -- despite a salary cap designed to protect goosefleshed owners from themselves -- was nothing more than ugly cheating. Not on the rules, of course. No, they were cheating on you, whose ticket prices doubled and parking prices tripled. You, who knew lavishing cap-strapping millions on, say, cornerback Larry Brown or defensive tackle Warren Sapp (sorry, Raider Nation) was a fool's errand. You, who knew the euphoria-producing headlines would be inevitably rued. Which is why, in a year with perhaps the most pedestrian free-agent class ever, most of you should be rejoicing right about now. For starters, the lack of truly big names means most teams finally have figured out what the Patriots and Eagles (to name two) did years ago: economic prudence trumps all, that inking your best players early and wisely almost always beats inking someone else's high-priced flotsam. If you think about it, a league full of healthy, smart teams should reduce free agency to its logical irrelevance -- a glorified day-after-Christmas sale, when you're flush with plenty and thus able to separate real bargains from really bad scams. So if your boys passed on the opportunity to pay wideout Plaxico Burress waaaay too much jing to underperform for you as he has for Pittsburgh for the past five years, smile. If your team declined the chance to make jettisoned cornerbacks Samari Rolle or the injured, 31-year-old Ty Law (three-time Super Bowl champ or not) the overpaid saviors they'll never be, exalt. And if you're not a fan of the Redskins -- who signed underwhelming left tackle Chris Samuels to a seven-year, $47 million deal (with a team-record $15.75 million bonus) -- hug the one you're with. Because it means your team is rational and financially sound and (best of all) honest enough to realize that headlines don't win games, solid 53-man rosters do. Make no mistake: Sometimes teams must overpay to fill glaring needs. Sometimes there's no other way. And maybe the Raiders didn't dramatically overpay the Jets' second-string tailback LaMont Jordan on Wednesday, when they gave him a five-year, $27.5 million deal (with a guaranteed $15.7 million in the first three years). Maybe he, along with splashy new arrival Randy Moss (four years remaining on his eight-year, $75 million deal), will push Al's Merry Band of Brigands deep into next January. Maybe. But for a team that already had a deep receiving corps (with newly re-signed Jerry Porter and emerging youngsters Ronald Curry and Doug Gabriel) and the No. 7 overall pick (traded, along with linebacker Napoleon Harris and a late-round 2006 pick, for Moss) in a draft steeped in quality running backs, it would appear that Oakland didn't need Moss or Jordan. Had they done neither deal, perhaps the multimillion-dollar savings might've greatly benefited a defense that ranked 30th overall in total and pass defense last year. Then, like the defending champs, maybe they might've found three, four or five reasonably priced folks to handle all that annoying tackling and covering -- you know, the stuff Brown and Sapp were supposed to do. Better yet, ask Peyton Manning (or Edgerrin James or Marvin Harrison) what it's like to play on a team that boasts only a high-powered, higher-priced offense. In the end, their collective talent guarantees nothing but hope -- a hope that is, like the quick fixes of NFL free agency, anything but cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSJ Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Nice article. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillerPaul Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 So if your boys passed on the opportunity to pay wideout Plaxico Burress waaaay too much jing to underperform for you as he has for Pittsburgh for the past five years, smile. If your team declined the chance to make jettisoned cornerbacks Samari Rolle or the injured, 31-year-old Ty Law (three-time Super Bowl champ or not) the overpaid saviors they'll never be, exalt. And if you're not a fan of the Redskins -- who signed underwhelming left tackle Chris Samuels to a seven-year, $47 million deal (with a team-record $15.75 million bonus) -- hug the one you're with. Because it means your team is rational and financially sound and (best of all) honest enough to realize that headlines don't win games, solid 53-man rosters do. Thats exactly why i don't put too much stock in FA. Although i would love it if my team landed a true impact player, it would kill me to see other positions suffer due to that. Bottom line is that if your team can draft adequately and use free agency as a tool to get 1 or 2 selected veterans (that won't mortgage your future) to help at a weak position you can compete with anyone IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFSIKH Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Good points. The Patriots have feasted in recent years on late FA addtions. Harrison and Dillon are two prime examples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillerPaul Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 They traded for Dillon, no? BTW i thought that was a good trade. Wish my team would make a trade! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFSIKH Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 They traded for Dillon, no? BTW i thought that was a good trade. Wish my team would make a trade! Yes, for a second round pick. I knew it was. Half the Patriot Nation hated it for varying reasons from his attitude to he will only get 180 or so carries. When you go out a quality back since 1998, you appreciate him that much more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillerPaul Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 Hey Pats fans, i'll ask you the same question i asked Jet fans......... How do you guys feel about Bill Cowher and Rooney's undying loyalty and faith in him? No holds barred, i really like reading other fans opinions on the matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFSIKH Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 Hey Pats fans, i'll ask you the same question i asked Jet fans......... How do you guys feel about Bill Cowher and Rooney's undying loyalty and faith in him? No holds barred, i really like reading other fans opinions on the matter. It is good and bad. IMHO it is good for the orgamization to have a good realtionship between the HC and owner. When there isn't, the messy divorce the Patriots and Par$ells had is embarassing. As long as the coach is competent, it is more often then not a good situation. The bad part of it is the team and fans are stuck with the coach if they suck or appeared to have reach their coaching ability ceiling, like with Cowher. The Chiefs have a similar situation with their GM Carl Petersen. He is unchallenged by Lamar Hunt, as Lamar Hunt seems content on the Chiefs making money and being only somewhat successful. He has drafted only 2 ProBowl players in over 15 years as a GM. IMHO a Coach or Gm has to be accountable for results. If they are not, they can stagnate and might not progress. I do not think this is a problem for Cowher as much as it is for Petersen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mavrik Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 Article makes some good points. Most Jets fans are going apesh** over losing guys that for all intensive purposes were gone anyways. Jordan was as good as gone even before the 2004 season and it was unlikely we were going to keep McKenzie or Ferguson either. They signed ridiculous contracts, so if Bradway is going to play it safe financially then fine. I'd rather him watch the budget then overspend and find outselves in cap hell. We're competing with 32 other teams for Free agents, so we're not going to be able to sign everyone just because we show interest in them. Test is going to be the draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormshadow19 Posted March 5, 2005 Share Posted March 5, 2005 Article makes some good points. Most Jets fans are going apesh** over losing guys that for all intensive purposes were gone anyways. Jordan was as good as gone even before the 2004 season and it was unlikely we were going to keep McKenzie or Ferguson either. They signed ridiculous contracts, so if Bradway is going to play it safe financially then fine. I'd rather him watch the budget then overspend and find outselves in cap hell. We're competing with 32 other teams for Free agents, so we're not going to be able to sign everyone just because we show interest in them. Test is going to be the draft. True dat my friend. Very true. And, I can add a very well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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