I think I know what might be really hindering this franchise. ( I might be wrong)

[THE PISTONS]

You nailed it: Toxic Organizational Culture.

It's not the players fault though. Culture of any company is set by upper management. Look how many players from Carson Palmer to Carl Pickens to Corey Dillon wanted out because they realized management was the issue. We have guys from Georgia (a bunch), Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, etc...winning programs here.

What determines culture? Oh...well it's hard to preach accountability to the players when you have a GM who hasn't won a playoff game in 26+ years and a coach that's 0-7 in the playoffs. Or when your team melts down in a playoff game in epic fashion and you keep the coach, the LB, AND re-sign the Cornerback.

Or how do you say you're doing everything you can to win, and then also say that you can't sign free agents because it impacts compensatory picks?

I could go on and on and on. But keeping an 0-7 coach in the playoffs pretty much sets the bar really low. And bad culture infects the organization from practice to gameday.