As for the whole FA thing, everyone knows TT isn't a big spender there yet they love to point out the Woodson signing. This was a huge signing for us, no debating that, but what people tend to forget is that Woodson was on the market for a long time with little to no offers, everyone thought he was washed up. GB gave him a very affordable contract, one he didn't want to sign but didn't have any better offers. Just something to remember when everyone starts throwing a fit that TT isn't signing any big names.
I find it interesting the way the rose coloured glasses have tainted the Woodson signing. I couldn't agree more about Woodson being someone who sat for a very long time before he signed with us.
But that long wait made people absolutely furious with the amount we gave him to come to Green Bay.
People conveniently forget that the only three FA's that signed for bigger money that offseason, one of which was LB LaVar Arrington who took more money from the Giants because he used the Packers as leverage.
The contract, in hindsight, was cap genius- Woodson's first year salary was immense- over $12 mil, nearly a quarter of the value of the whole deal, and tons of analysts wondered what giving a guy whose play had clearly declined over his final years in Oakland that much money up front would mean about his play.
However, at the time, Woodson's deal was one of the four richest given to a FA that offseason, and the knives were out for TT for that one. It took two full years of Woodson playing at a DPOY level before TT was roundly affirmed for that signing.
I think your point is well made though. I don't know if you win a SB by winning the Dan Snyder first day of FA MVP trophy. The thing about Suggs and Ware is that they are both going to expect such massive money. The cap isn't going up by any significant amount yet until the new TV deal kicks in. I wonder if some patience, and a savvy contract structure that one of them may see the light like Woodson once did.
I know one thing for sure- I wouldn't be signing Suggs for any term longer than 5 years. Harrison got that big extension in Pittsburgh only to fall off dramatically a couple years in, leaving them with some serious dead space when they cut him.