Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins
Ok...
Don't sign defensive ends who mysteriously disappear to the largest contract in league history.
Don't sign defense ends who are one strike from a year suspension to the largest contract in league history
Don't try and make a move for "elite" players in free agency. There is a reason why teams let certain players go. Do you ever wonder why the Colts always locked up Wayne, Harrison, Tarik Glenn, but let Edge James, Rob Morris, and Cato June go?
Or why the Steelers let Joey Porter, Kevin Greene, Greg Lloyd, or any number of their "superstar" LBs go?
Why is it that San Fran has dumped a shit pot load into Nate Clements and Justin Smith and have gotten nothing out of them?
Do you think Cincy or Buffalo are reeling from letting go of Takeo Spikes?
The cap is so big in this league that good players simply do not leave any more. It's not 1999. Teams don't get in cap hell, there is too much padding. Why do you think Dallas can drop so much coin on marginal players?
If you want to build a good team, you do what the Colts, Giants, Chargers, Bills, and Packers have done--you build through the draft. It takes a while to get the wheels churning, but once it does, you have younger, cheaper players.
You can't get enamored to a name in the NFL. The sport is too violent and the careers are too short. It's not the NHL or MLB, where elite guys stay around for 20 years.
My personal rules:
Don't give RBs a big second contract
Don't give CBs a big second contract
Invest in impact positions with good value early in the draft:
RDE, 3-Tech, QB, #1 WR, LT
Almost never draft a G, LDE, or RT in the first round. Never draft a center in the first round.
Stay away from LBs in the top 8 unless they have ungodly grades.
Don't draft corners in the top five
You can never have too many good defensive linemen.
You don't need elite corners in a league where the pass defenders have their nuts cut off, safety is a more important position.
None of these rules are ironclad, there are always exceptions.
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