You can't just dismiss free agency. If the right defensive player is available, you have to give him a look. A team cannot limit itself by only building through the draft.
The Texans added four defensive starters last offseason, two via free agency (CB Jonathan Joseph and FS Daniel Manning) and two via the draft (DE JJ Watt and OLB Brooks Reed). This is a perfect example of a team building through the draft and free agency. The result, as you said, was the the best defense in franchise history.
Javon Walker wasn't a free agent. Walker was traded by Green Bay to Denver. He got all messed up after his friend (Williams) got shot and died in his arms and was robbed and beaten at gun point a few months later.
Joseph was a really good addition and underrated in the offseason. Manning was egh imo. they drafted great and most importantly to turn their D around they hired a great D cord
Improving the pass rush is not always a guarantee in the draft either. I mean there is this team I know of called the Colts. They thought they had a guy in the mold of Freeney/Mathis and his name is Jerry Hughes. BUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On the flip side a team like the Giants seems to be like a pass rush factory via the draft. Lucky bastards. I actually thought JPP was going to be a bust too and Jerry Hughes would be a stud. So, don't ask me for advice I guess.
People still think Ted will change his ways? We heard when Brett was here, that he wouldnt do FA because he wanted to force Brett out....Well 4 years later we are still debating his methods. I thought that AFTER the loss to the Cards in the playoffs, we would see Ted dabble in FA...Was wrong.. I dont think he will sign your typical FA this year either..We just dont have the people on the DL to fix what we need and not sure the draft will give us the people we need
Why not last 3 years? I mean, if we dont', I can use Reggie White, Sean Jones, Santana Dotson, Don Beebe (basically a bunch of players from the 1996 Championship team). Are the free agent contracts of these plays relevant? Is this entire "laundry list" idea relevant?
Did you bother to fully read my post? When Pickett signed with the Packers the defense for the Packers ranked 23rd in the league the previous year and when Woodson signed the following year it ranked 19th and had allowed 21.5 points per game. If you go back and check what was being said at the time it was that the Packer defense needed to be upgraded similar to now. I don't know what you consider gaping holes but that 2005 defense wasn't very good.
While Reggie White was a home run, were all the other players considered great pick ups? Fast forward to now, where does Howard Green land? He was very important to the SB last season in a couple games but has been for the most part, useless this season
Not trying to speak for anyone else but Walker was one of the worst Free Agent signings in history (Oakland)
^^ I was waiting for somebody to say Cullen Jenkins or I was going to do it. We can all moan about TT do this, TT do that all we want, but I don't think there is a better draft manager (genius) in the league aside from maybe Bill Belichick. TT is just not big on FA's, when he does go for one, it's a shocker. When he starts trading picks up and down and signing FA's left and right , I think I will go under my sofa and hide for half the season in an utter state of terror.
Packers have too many of there own young players who will need to be resigned in the next 2 years. TT will not pursue any notable FA's this year. He needs to hit some home runs in the draft this year. The pass rush HAS to be improved.
didnt their defense get much worse in 2011? I mean you might as well list Babin as well. But if the product on the field is a disaster what difference does it make?
exactly, I would rather not gamble on a FA in exchange for a young up and coming packer that needs to be paid.
