(11-19-2024, 12:51 AM)The_Franchise_QB Wrote: Regardless of the cap situation, can't keep trying to build through free agency. Organization has been running on that hamster wheel for decades, expecting different results, only to fall on it's face countless times. Need to actually draft good players. I know that sounds crazy, but it's literally what all the good organizations do. Good organizations aren't constantly in reset mode every 3 years. How many times has this organization "won" the offseason?
Look at the team that just won 52-6 against this dumpster fire. A team that was right there with us as a dumpster fire back in 2021. St.Brown, Jamo, Laporta, Gibbs , 4/5 on the O-line- Decker, Glasgow, Ragnow, Sewell. Glasgow resigned back with the team, but was a hit by the FO regardless, and came back. A bona-fide core built through the draft, built also with a trade that acquired them Goff and multiple first round picks (which they hit on). Defensively - Hutchinson, Branch, Joseph, Arnold, McNeil, Pascal, Cambell, Onwuzurike, Rodriguez. All starters. A legit core of players built through the draft, coupled with good FA pick ups- Anzalone, Davis, Montgomery, Zeitler, and Reader. We are so far from being competitive it's not even funny, and people just want to keep up this "Nah, just a few FA pick ups away" BS. I don't have any hope that Khan will understand this, and continue to trust the process with Baalke and horrendous drafts coupled with moronic FA pick ups.
I think everyone agrees that we need to find players in the draft that are our building blocks. We have so many high picks and may be adding a 3rd #1 pick to the roster soon so there's no reason we can't find those guys. The problem we have is developing those players to become elite, game changing and game winning players. We can argue it's the coaching, schemes, players not taking those steps but we have a long list of guys that should have been stars but haven't. That's the biggest thing this franchise needs to improve on going forwards.
Now you list a lot of Lions players and they've done a great job. They've identified guys that fit the system but also the culture they are building. That's the magic formula. The problem is that's a multi year approach. You can't fix all your problems in one draft and not every pick will work out. Will fans accept a 3-4 year rebuild through the draft at this point?
I agree FA isn't the answer to all our problems but it does give you a second avenue to improve your roster. I'm not saying we go on a spending spree but to just ignore as we've got our fingers burnt seems a route that makes your life harder (and we have had some FA successes)
