Building a winner getting harder and harder

[vmax]

Good points from Clayton...

 

 

 

It happens every year.

A team has a bad season. Fans want the head coach fired. They call talk shows demanding the benching or trading of the starting quarterback. More than anything else, the fans want losing teams to blow up the roster and make major changes.

Based on what we've seen over the past couple of years, there aren't simple solutions. The Washington Redskins, Tennessee Titans and Tampa Bay Buccaneers changed coaches, revamped their rosters and spent money, and all are sitting among the top five slots for next year's draft.

I contend the collective bargaining agreement of 2011 has made the rebuilding process more difficult. Good teams have a shorter shelf life, and bad teams need a lot more time to rebuild. The four-year contracts of rookies create a four-year window for teams.

As great as it is for teams to be able to lock up draft choices for lower salaries with four-year contracts and freeze first-round picks for a fifth year with an option bonus, it has put extra pressure on teams to draft well -- particularly in the first three rounds.

If a team doesn't get three or four starters out of a draft, major problems lie ahead. Free agency is less of an answer. Not many impact players get to free agency, and the cost is often prohibitive. Trades are tougher because teams are more determined to keep picks in the first three rounds. Of all the trades in 2014, not one veteran player netted anything better than a fourth-round pick in return.

If a team keeps only one out of every four or five draft choices beyond the first contract, which is the norm, where do the bad teams find the starters to fill in for the bad picks? The Bucs spent $143 million on contracts for unrestricted free agents, yet they are 2-12 and at the top of the draft order. Anthony Collins hasn't worked out well at left tackle. Defensive end Michael Johnson has only three sacks. Josh McCown wasn't the answer at quarterback.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been trying to rebuild through the draft and free agency, yet they are still among the worst teams in the league. The Oakland Raiders signed a lot of older veterans and are 2-12.

Another byproduct of the CBA is the impact on college underclassmen. Each year, more than 100 underclassmen declare for the draft. They leave school early to gain a year toward getting that contract extension in the fifth year of their pro career. This creates uneven drafts, with some bad years when a position might be thin because so many players turned pro early.

Even teams with elite quarterbacks are struggling. The Atlanta Falcons (Matt Ryan), New York Giants (Eli Manning) and New Orleans Saints (Drew Brees) all have losing records. Teams without franchise quarterbacks are doing worse.

Building a winner isn't easy. http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12039097/clayton-mailbag-building-winner-easy

 

When we're freeking out about the Ravens roster remember...there are so many variables designed to make....all teams mediocre.

You can't stay good for long. If you do, then it's because you have an outstanding organization.

[RavensFanMania]

Good points from Clayton...

 

 

When we're freeking out about the Ravens roster remember...there are so many variables designed to make....all teams mediocre.

You can't stay good for long. If you do, then it's because you have an outstanding organization.

From the top down owner gm asst gm scouting department coaching staff and players I feel the Ravens have a really strong organization. Stronger than most. Sure we have weaknesses but what team doesn't.

 

Go Ravens and Hail Ozzie!

[thesteelhurtin]

Somehow the Pats stay good but I want to see what happens when Brady declines. Every team is going to have ups and downs. You draft your players they get too you win the super bowl they want more money. The teams that stay good are the teams that stay the coarse and don't make knee jerk decisions. You have to keep your core and the core of a team is different from team to team. The Steelers and Ravens core has always been the front 7. I think the Steelers may be shifting to more of a playmaker core but we will see as the lbers are very young.

[cravnravn]

Somehow the Pats stay good but I want to see what happens when Brady declines. Every team is going to have ups and downs. You draft your players they get too you win the super bowl they want more money. The teams that stay good are the teams that stay the coarse and don't make knee jerk decisions. You have to keep your core and the core of a team is different from team to team. The Steelers and Ravens core has always been the front 7. I think the Steelers may be shifting to more of a playmaker core but we will see as the lbers are very young.

Pats stay good caus they play in a shitty division, just like the Colts.

[papasmurfbell]

The thing is you don't have to throw good money into has beens. That has been an issue for the Ravens for yrs. Send them on their way and keep getting fresh talent that hungers for wins and their payday.