Mega-Merge: 2010 Free Agency Rumors and Reports Thread

[freddyg12]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

I actually agree here. I've hated the Skins approach in the past, but this season was a year where I would have liked to have thrown some money at Rolle to have him HERE. We can do the measured approach thing when there IS a cap. I mean maybe it's more than just money, like maybe how the players feel in the locker room based on contracts, but overall I think we could have been just a little more aggressive.

I'm not ready to say there's a new approach yet.

This year's approach is really only surprising or different because the cap is different. Those vets wouldn't have all been cut if the cap were in place, and we wouldn't be talking about Snyder spending a lot if the cap were in place. Likely because he wouldn't be even if they'd cleared a lot of cap space.

Take a look back & you'll see that it wasn't EVERY year that we signed big FAs. Gibbs' big class in 04 was followed by a quiet 05 in which D. Patton & C. Rabach were signed to fairly modest deals. The distrous 06 (Arch, Loyd, etc.) was followed by a fairly quiet 07; Smoot came back, Fletcher was signed, and I can't think of anyone else significant. 2008 wasn't very big either, other than Zorn being hired I'd have to go back & look at the roster to see who was signed.

2009 of course was the big payday for AH & I think that is still in everyone's mind. Even w/that signing, agree w/them or not (I didn't like it), Danny & Vinny said they targeted the top player in FA that they thought could make a difference. i.e., they have shown restraint when they had to or when they didn't like the players available.

I think this year isn't a good gauge of how the new mgmt. spends in free agency, because I realy don't think this fa class was much. Definitely don't think we need Rolle, we have good safeties. Dansby is the only guy that was worth a lot IMO, and I can see why they didn't feel the need to bid high for him.

The real test to see if things have changed is when a trade is made. Will they value picks & will they drive a hard bargain?