03-04-2016, 03:19 AM
(03-04-2016, 02:27 AM)Bilbo Saggins Wrote: I want to see the team do some major front loading this year and spend like...99% up to the cap when all is said and done. They have an emergency need to sign some dudes off the street? OK...restructure and move some of that money to next year. I thought that I was wrong about how this works, but if they really let the bulk of their dudes leave and don't make an aggressive play on another dude who is really good I'm going to have to just see it for what it is. A team that has had some hits on drafts but has absolutely no idea how to work the cap. Iloka and at least one of the corners should have been signed already. A tag for Iloka would have been very reasonable this year. I have a bad feeling about this FA period rather suddenly.
I wouldn't say they don't know how to work the cap, they're one of the few teams that have bad contracts and typically keep the right guys. I can't be mad at them for losing MJ or Collins and look they kept Dunlap and Whit instead (both Pro Bowlers). They have AJ, Geno and Andy all signed long term and nothing close to a messy holdout or player holding the team hostage. I wish Iloka or Jones were signed, but FA works both ways. Maybe Iloka wants to hit the open market and see if there really is a team desperate enough to offer him a 8.5-9M/yr offer, especially if some see FA and the draft thin at safety. If they transitioned him like I wanted, they at least get the chance to match, but they're calling his bluff I guess and hoping for an 11th hour agreement. Going back to your orignial point, I'm all for spending more this offseason, but the right way. Hobspin's numbers are off, I should have saw more specific numbers they'd set aside for signing their own and I would have actually made it through without the annual eye-roll. You and me both would rather have Iloka signed, lets say he prices himself out. You move on and retain Nelson even by front loading (as you mention) and lets pay some of these guys today. I fear that Zeitler may see himself in a similar situation, and we know Cincy pays CBs and T's big money before S's and G's. I'm not saying they'll lose everyone though. Maybe Eifert sees his injury history and takes the money this offseason, maybe Gio sees his role and takes like 4M/yr, maybe Dre comes off his high horse and the team sees the lack of groomed corners and finds a match. There is potential to get needed deals done to know positions you'll need to focus on long term.
I think we have to remove ourselves from who the player was and understand they're now a free agent. I trust their system but inside I feel like they're losing ground when the two big late round finds could very well be moving on as the best player at their position on the market. If the price is right, it will happen. In comparing late round gems, I'm not willing to pay Marvin Jones Houshmandzadeh money and be Seattle's one and done (hate that phrase anymore) version of Houshmandzadeh. I agree that they draft well, but there have been some whiffs lately, specifically on the DL and we're still hopeful yet undecided in terms of consistency of some of the young DBs. One thing that might make Iloka look so great is he's the best long term DB in terms of actually proving himself vs potential. So of coarse draft well, but keep the standard high because the trust is missing on high picks sets you back some even if you hit some later, and you combine that with the quantity they have hitting the market this year and we get a bit uneasy. The window is fine, the core is intact but a lot of us understand we were VERY healthy (besides the QB late) and want to be even more loaded to actually win a ring but not at the cost of mortgaging the future (not that they'd actually do that). So if they have issues with losing solid FA's and not being able to wrap up needed players like Eifert, then we really need to be optimistic they get a few ring chasers looking for a two year deal as an actual two year deal with actual money and believe in an actual shot at a ring. It's even more important they get the right couple vets when you consider how many rookies they end up redshirting anyway. The "model" does work, we're just hitting a lul that's going to make things look worse than they actually are even a week from now.
