Originally posted by mug0mug:
I don't think anyone says don't utilize FA, but there's a time, a place, and a limit. I do believe that the draft is where you really build your team as, barring the very rare FA steal, it is really the only way you can get and develop longterm contributers for a better than market price.
We actually have made FA moves recently, and for the most part, they've been pretty good moves, but people are upset that we overpaid for Clements (often not understanding his contract), or upset that we overpaid for B. Jones (maybe, but he did look nice until his injury).
At the same time people seem to forget that we traded Rashaun Woods for Walt Harris, two underperformers, but we ended up with a pro-bowler and they ended up with nothing. We brought on Justin Smith, a pro-bowler who has been awesome for us. We brought on Takeo Spikes who has been nice for us as well. Abrayou Franklin, Isaac Bruce, Larry Allen, among others, have also been instrumental.
But you also have the likes of Dontarrious Thomas, Jonas Jennings, Deshaun Foster, Tully-Banta-Cain (who wasn't so bad and is a quality player that didn't fit), and others, who don't catch on. That's a pretty good list as far as recent failed FA acquisitions go...which might be part of the problem here where it can appear that if you sign FA's, they do well. In that regard, most will agree that we've done well in FA. But if you look at other teams who did sign the big names, it's not nearly the same story. Every year players flow from team to team, and the success rate is not high. We've made some moves, less than some others, but they need to be the right moves if you want constant improvement. Desperation rarely provides for a wise decision.
I'm not saying the F.O. has been perfect, but free agency is a complicated animal and what seems like an no-brainer is often I horribly waste of not only money, but time. Some FA moves we have, or haven't, made may have been the wrong ones, but by simply upping the ante to just make more moves, we we invariably get some more good players (at a high price), but will get loads of players who don't catch on, and every time we do so we use up more money and, more importantly as fans, more time, rather than draft someone who suits us well and can be developed, form a dedication to our team, and play for us for longer and less.
There is nothing here to disagree with. I just think that some on this board misrepresent the views of others by presenting an extreme version of the actual position.