The great team building debate (revisited)

[Mr. Scot]

Returning to an old debate, but one that's apropos to our current circumstance...

The central question: What's the best way to build a perennial contender?

For teams like the Steelers, it's all about the system. Run-oriented offense, aggressive 3-4 defense, passing game that's good enough to keep defenses honest. the "Steeler way" has been established for quite some time now, and the team makes all it's draft and free agency decisions based on finding players that fit the system. Who cares if it's a pass happy league? What everyone else does is immaterial. Let others follow the changing winds. This is the way we do it, and it works.

Other teams, take the Patriots for example, choose a less hard-line approach. Get smart, athletic, versatile players, and you've got the flexibility to do anything. The most important thing of all though is to get good players, and then adapt the system to their strengths. Got a Corey Dillon in the backfield? Power running it is. No big back, but a Randy Moss and a Wes Welker out on the edges? Switch to a pass-oriented attack. Play to your strengths, know your opponent's weaknesses, and have guys that are versatile enough to do whatever works. Those teams that only know one way to do things will never be able to keep up with you because just when they think they've got your number, you adapt.

So which way is the right way?

There are some common factors you absolutely have to have, regardless of which approach you prefer. Good scouting and smart management are crucial. Whether you find your guys mainly through the draft, free agency or a mix, you need to hit more times than you miss. And for those times when you do miss, you need to have a plan to fix it quickly so it doesn't cripple you. Setting aside the argument as to whether the Panthers have those things now, answer this question:

Do you want a team that has a set identity and acquires only those players that fit their method, or would you rather have a team that goes out and gets the best players possible and adapts the gameplan to their strengths?

Fit the players to the system or the system to the players? What's your call?

[PantherFan52]

The first step towards rebuilding. Take Patrick Peterson with whatever pick we get... We will strand opposing receivers on Peterson island.

[drkmay]

Im not opposed to putting Smitty on the block as long as we can get great value for him... We need to do something because the fact of the matter is that we are not a contender at all this year. why trade our best player on offense u may ask? well he dont deserve the frustration of what he's going through. Im just frustrated with the panther's front office period. Its like there set out to make us the "bungles"... I think we should focus on the line in the draft or at least look into getting a top notch defensive player. The draft pool this year is relatively "ok" considering our need WR.... I remember the good ole days when our d-line was considered the best in the league. We need to get back to that....

[weyco2000]

The first step towards rebuilding. Take Patrick Peterson with whatever pick we get... We will strand opposing receivers on Peterson island.

Not on "Tampa 2" island, maybe if we played "press coverage".

[PantherFan52]

Not on "Tampa 2" island, maybe if we played "press coverage".

This is true. I forgot about the scheme we ran lol

[Zaximus]

I would take either approach, honestly. I hate the whole "rebuilding" thing when teams like Steelers and Patriots can continue to be competitive year by year.

[weyco2000]

IDK, but I know we keep "crappy" players and let talent walk. Why the f*#k is Jarrett still here and we let Moore and Ivy go. Our OL is in shambles and we carry 3 kickers? Anyone noticed that Bengals kicker, Nugent kicked the sh*t out of the ball, on KO's and FG's and Kasay saw the field once for a PAK and Llyod twice. Find a kicker that can do both and save a roster spot. We just hold out hope on untalented players because they were drafted on the first or second day, while winning organizations let these guys go and replace them with low cost veteran FA's. Face it our FO has drafted pretty good, but knowing when to trade or waive players has been a downfall.

[realdeal]

Im not opposed to putting Smitty on the block as long as we can get great value for him... We need to do something because the fact of the matter is that we are not a contender at all this year. why trade our best player on offense u may ask? well he dont deserve the frustration of what he's going through. Im just frustrated with the panther's front office period. Its like there set out to make us the "bungles"... I think we should focus on the line in the draft or at least look into getting a top notch defensive player. The draft pool this year is relatively "ok" considering our need WR.... I remember the good ole days when our d-line was considered the best in the league. We need to get back to that....

Man you are as crazy as the fool that started this rumor. We use about half of our 2010 draft to find another reciever so we could have a passing game but that hasn't pan out yet. Hell if we get rid of anyone in a trade it would be williams. Stewart showed last year that he can do the job and goodson is a very nice back up and also a better fit once he get more balls. Now I not saying goodson is better then willams but he does have the whole brian westbrook thing going on where stewart and go get all the tough yard and goodson can get the rest. Thats what a good coach would do. before you would trade the only down field threat we have.

[realdeal]

sorry about the spelling I meant to say where stewart can get and yards with a S and should have put . " and ' but you can get what I am trying to say

[Carolinator]

IDK, but I know we keep "crappy" players and let talent walk. Why the f*#k is Jarrett still here and we let Moore and Ivy go. Our OL is in shambles and we carry 3 kickers? Anyone noticed that Bengals kicker, Nugent kicked the sh*t out of the ball, on KO's and FG's and Kasay saw the field once for a PAK and Llyod twice. Find a kicker that can do both and save a roster spot. We just hold out hope on untalented players because they were drafted on the first or second day, while winning organizations let these guys go and replace them with low cost veteran FA's. Face it our FO has drafted pretty good, but knowing when to trade or waive players has been a downfall.

Cut the original Panther? I don't think so sir.

[Debil]

Steelers' "system" didn't seem to fare too well without Troy Palmolive

[Squirrel]

The only system I believe in is you build a strong offensive and defensive lines. That is the center piece for a team. After that QB then the rest is gravy. Going by you example you fit the player to the system.

[panthers55]

I think it depends what side of the ball you are talking about. Most of the time it is difficult for example to change defensive schemes that much to fit personnel upgrades and changes. For example going from a 3-4 to a 4-3 or vice versa isn't something easily done and requires adjustments all over the board and a learning curve. Going from a cover 1 man under to a cover 3 zone as your base shell for example requires that you have a number of guys who can run that formation. So almost by nature you have to develop a scheme and bring in players that fit. Is that a hard fast rule? No because teams like GreenBay showed last year that you could change a 4-3 to a 3-4 with most of the same personnel that ran the other scheme. And there is the whole discussion about mutiple looks and hybrids which are combination and situational defenses anyway which are beyond the scope of a single post.

On offense you have more flexibility since both approaches will work and teams have been successful using either one. What might be a good question is to ask which one are we? The natural quick response is that we are a running team and we ignore the pass or at least aren't very good at it. So we are a system team that brings in guys who fit that system. Even our WRs better be good blockers.

On the other hand, Davidison said when he came here that he would take the guys we had and build around them essentially fitting the system to who we have. The 2008 draft was heavy on first rounders who helped the run game. This year we loaded up on guys who could help the pass. And guys like Gettis and Edwards would hardly qualify as good run blockers while LaFell surely would.

And on defense it would be hard to argue we are anything but a system team built like meeks has done everywhere he has gone with smaller faster guys who run to the ball and swarm the defender.

So what system are we, what should we be, and are Davidson and Meeks running their systems or playing Fox's system.

[thefuzz]

IMO you have to build through the draft. It's the only way to have enough cheap talent so that you can pay the few superstars that you need to compete in this league.

Personally it all starts at the QB position for me. If we think that Jimmy is the man, lets get him some targets and some protection. If we don't think that he is the man, get someone else in here.

The teams that have the best QB's in the league are in the playoffs much more often than the teams with average talent in that position.

Also the "reaching" that the FO has done the past few years in the draft is very detrimental to the long term stability of the team. The only teams that can afford to reach in the draft are year in and year out contenders who think they are missing one piece to cap off a season with a ring. We have never been a team that is consistant enough to reach for a "special" player.