The GM isn't one to spend money like the cowboys and redskins. Should he take a chance with one or two high priced players. or Fans should be patient another year.
I don't think it's necessarily about spending money. It's more about spending the money in a smart way and when you have enough to spend, which in our case, we do. People are very quick to judge and think that spending a lot in free agency will set us back in a few years. That is not accurate. A well thought out plan by a good GM allows for a team to spend a good amount of money in a way that will leave minimal impact in the future. Signing guys to ridiculous deals, like Tanny did, is absurd, but signing a couple big name guys to a cap friendly deal can be a HUGE plus for us.
IMO we are trying to judge Idzik with insufficient sample. Last year he didn't have enough room to do anything and had to be a little stingy. This does not mean that stingy is his style though. It was a necessity. Now he's got a large sum to play with. I think how he manages this "extra" money should be indicative of what kind of GM we got.
When you're the GM of a re-building team, you have to be cautious with every dollar and every draft pick. But as your team nears the top, the GM has to accelerate his agenda into a 'get it done now' mode. With teams so close to each other, GMs can no longer play both sides of the fence. Rebuilding is like pulling the sling shot back as far as you can, slow and steady, then on the release you load your team as much as possible for a one year run to the Lombardi.
Completely disagree with your analogy. A really good GM will view rebuilding not as a one year shot, but will aim at sustained success instead.
You do not see "cap friendly" the first week of free agency with the big name players. They want and will get contracts with huge signing bonuses that at some level choke parts of the cap for years to come. Darrell Revis' no signing bonus/huge salary deal was the exception. The "team friendly" contracts occur after the first big wave of free agency when the next level of player has to settle for less money than they expected.
I think we need to refrain from the splash 1st day signings. We should start with our own, namely Howard and Wilkerson. Would like to see signings like James Jones, Pettigrew and McCluster. Might cost around 10-12mil for all 3. Then sign a QB like Schaub should he become available. After that, some combination of Verner and Calvin Pace, or Cro and Worilds. That will be about it in terms of bigger signings. The rest will be used for draft picks, operating room, and filling out the roster with minimum type deals.
Oops, never mind on Worilds. looks like Steelers are transition tagging him. Maybe Asamoah instead.. We don't know yet what we have with Winters, and no way i'd bank on Campbell being ready. I like Colon as a fallback option, but Asamoah would upgrade the line nicely.
No way can you sign Jones, Pettigrew and McCluster for only 10-12 mil of this off-season's cap space. Only in a perfect world. James Jones himself will prob command 5-6 mil. Extend the players that have been here. Wilkerson, Kerley and Howard. From there look at some mid-tier WRs to increase the talent on the depth chart.
I would first re-sign Cumberland and Austin Howard. We finally have some homegrown talent and managements seems lackluster / indifferent towards retaining it. If you let them hit free agency, it can go either way. You may gain a little leverage if they find a lack of suitors, but you also risk the price tag going up or losing the player altogether. All it takes is for one team to fall in love with a guy. Cumberland is unsexy but effective. He has underrated / overlooked speed and athleticism and, based on what I've seen, is a solid blocker. Considering how bad the situation was with Wayne Hunter, I don't see how they could fail to appreciate the stability Austin Howard provided last year. There's no pressing need to upgrade RT. If they want to replace somebody it should be Winters @ LG. The pass protection breakdowns, which contributed to Geno's bad decisions and failed execution, were largely a result of #67's poor play.
I strongly disagree. I do not want any of those guys. James Jones is "just a guy." His fluke 14 TD season came with Jordy Nelson on the shelf. With Aaron Rodgers @ QB the TD tosses have to go to somebody. Pettitgrew is a stiff. Cumberland is unsexy but the better, younger, and most likely, cheaper option. Plus, he already knows the offense, having proven last year he can make his share of plays down the field. Compare Cumber's yards-per-catch to Pettitgrew's. I think you'd be surprised. Also consider Pettitgrew's production -- or lack thereof -- came with Matthew Stafford slinging the rock 50+ times per game. Cumber's came in a more balanced offense with Geno chucking. Pettitgrew may be a better blocker as far as the run game, but you want to break the bank for that? Mccluster is a good punt returner and not much more. As for Matt Schaub, do you really want the one guy in the league more prone to throwing picking 6's (and who has zero self-confidence right now) than Sancho and Geno?
If we cut Cromartie then are they gonna go with Milliner and Wilson? That's very risky. At least Cro is proven.
Your bolded statement about re-signing/extending our own, then getting mid-tier WR's in FA, is exactly what I'm saying. We agree completely on that notion. However, I'm considering James Jones and McCluster exactly that, mid tier WR's. I figure Jones at about 4mil per year value. With the increase in cap, that could go up a tick. No way 6mil though. if some team is crazy enough to offer him that (possible if they have to get up to the cap floor) then we walk away. 4.5 is max of what I'd offer. McCluster and Pettigrew about 4mil. Sanders i'd really like, but he's a top end FA WR. I have a feeling he winds up getting 7-8mil per, which might not be worth it as we have lots of holes to fill. Same with a guy like Byrd. If his market price is over 10mil (and i think it may be), we won't be able to sign much more after we re-sign our own. I'm looking for role players and contributors to fill out the present roster with potential starters, while building our future with the draft.
The thing is, the FA is about being in a bidding war. The price will go up on Jones, McCluster as well as other players. Unfortunately, 4 mil could happen, IF no one else is interested. I wouldn't mind adding players like Josh Morgan and Andre Roberts. Cheap options that have upside that are young. Then extend Wilkerson as well as other in-house players.
