Building through the draft.

[AKPantherFan]

If you look at last offseason and what DG did with the salary cap situation you can expect much of the same.

DG will look for value players with upside who are cheap, build around our core through the draft while disappointing most of you who want us to sign any and everyone.

Consider Hardy our big FA signing.

DG is at heart a talent scout, he will get us help.

Just like a new coach/QB, DG has 3 years to prove his worth. Not too bad in year 1 but now it's time to follow it up with another playoff appearance.

[jarhead]

With the depth in this draft we could possibly get 3 starters.

[MHS831]

I think we will sign an OL and a WR (if Smitty is released), along with Mitchell and Ginn.  The rest will be bargain-bin players and rookies.  Gettlemen has a good eye for talent, so it is not as bad as it sounds.

[philp]

With the depth in this draft we could possibly get 3 starters.

 

which makes having up to 6 rookies on the field last year even more important.  that was great experience for those young guys.  we could definitely see plenty of rookies on the field this year as well. 

 

and considering mikel and mitchell may be gone, who knows?  we really need to get mitchell back.  

[Frizzy350]

With the depth in this draft we could possibly get 3 starters.

 

Last year we were down a pick and got more than 3 starters.

 

Star, Short and Klein are all viable starters.  White and Lester are quality guys, with a little development could also be considered legitimate starts.  Kugbila might also pan out.

 

Getting quality UDFAs is extremely important and luckily I think DG and Rivera have an eye for talent that can translate the professional level.

[LinvilleGorge]

The only exception I can see is if we have a chance to bring in a young, established LT.  If that chance is there, I think that's the one spot we may splurge on.  The OL was already a big question mark before Gross retired.  Now it's a huge question mark.

[t96]

G-man and Riverboat could easily get 5+ starters out of this draft with all the depth and a 3rd rounder that we didn't have last year. 

[Snake]

Some may be very surprised when we bring LaFell back and let Ginn walk. LaFell will more than likely come back at a discount.

[Pejorative Miscreant]

Getting quality UDFAs is extremely important and luckily I think DG and Rivera have an eye for talent that can translate the professional level.

 

Well said.

 

The problem is we are now spoiled because of White and Lester.  I don't think this is something you hit on every year consistently. 

 

[rodeo]

I thought Gettleman showed very clearly last year that he doesn't believe in the strict 'build through the draft' philosophy that Hurney followed. We signed far more free agents than i recall ever with Hurney. Ginn, Mitchell, Mikell, Hixon, Wharton, and so on.

 

What he did was fill most of our holes in free agency to give us the luxury of BPA in the draft. I would expect another active year in free agency. Not big names, but he'll make his splash.

[EightyNine]

Some may be very surprised when we bring LaFell back and let Ginn walk. LaFell will more than likely come back at a discount.

 

I would definitely be one of those very surprised people.. That would suck.. I'm pretty over him.

[AceBoogie]

I think we will sign an OL and a WR (if Smitty is released), along with Mitchell and Ginn. The rest will be bargain-bin players and rookies. Gettlemen has a good eye for talent, so it is not as bad as it sounds.

There isn't a player in this draft or free agency that can match Smitty's impact on this team, outside of maybe Sammy and possibly Mike Evans. I wish we had a gm(past or present) that would be smart enough to move Smitty into the slot and finally get him some fuging help. He can still play, but they're putting too much on him. Is it really his fault that teams can double him and ignore Lafell? Nope that's Hurney's fault and now Gettleman's. Don't release him get him some fuging help and he might just be worth that 7 mil.

[Frizzy350]

Well said.

 

The problem is we are now spoiled because of White and Lester.  I don't think this is something you hit on every year consistently. 

 

 

When your GM isn't a sports journalist and your Coach actually promotes competition in camp (Foxy ran kangaroo camps where the vets always came out on top, regardless of ability or potential), it actually can.

 

White and Lester aren't great players, heck they are questionable as starting material.  But they essentially came for free, have some upside, and aren't a complete liability to put on the field (Nick Hayden, Joe Adams, Armanti, etc, etc).

 

Point is we don't need to hit diamonds as UDFAs, you just need to find a couple people who can compete and contribute in some way.

[MHS831]

There isn't a player in this draft or free agency that can match Smitty's impact on this team, outside of maybe Sammy and possibly Mike Evans. I wish we had a gm(past or present) that would be smart enough to move Smitty into the slot and finally get him some fuging help. He can still play, but they're putting too much on him. Is it really his fault that teams can double him and ignore Lafell? Nope that's Hurney's fault and now Gettleman's. Don't release him get him some fuging help and he might just be worth that 7 mil.

 

True.  Had we not gone 13 years without bringing in another solid WR, then Smitty would already be where he should be.  Smitty makes everyone better--he should get his salary plus 1% of everyone else's.