Armstrong bad choice?

[GusFrerotte]

Originally Posted by SirClintonPortis

Four years is ample time to grab talent steadily through the draft and develop them. In fact, the litmus test for WRs is only three years at most and there should be flashes of talent within the first and second years. You look at the Saints roster, and there's a whole load of players they groomed from the time they drafted them or picked up as UDFA.
Draft well to build the team and draft well to keep the team good. Use FA and trades to fill up any remaining holes or snatch unexpected windfalls. I doubt you'll any team who does NOT follow this mantra and actually make it to the Super Bowl.

Amen to that!!!!! We have been using draft picks as bargaining chips to get high priced FAs that usually don't deliver the rate of return on our "investment". For over a decade we have been in this win now mode using draft picks to secure free agent skilled players or linemen instead of using the picks to actually get young talent that can be developed. How the hell can you develop talent, always changing coaching staffs and schemes? Using FAs should be used to fill remaining gaps like you have said, that the draft couldn't cover. We have only been fully utilizing Free agency and have hampered our drafts significantly, thus any rebuilding effort is stymied.