Quote:If the biggest concern was bringing in a few more mediocre vets during the first year, I think it's safe to say DC is doing a great job!

Exactly.

 

The players they brought in via free agency in year 1 were nothing more than band aids that were there to fill a role while the team transitioned to the new philosophy of building almost exclusively through the draft.  If you look at the guys they brought in, most were signed to "show me" deals.  Of those, guys like Marks actually proved themselves to be much more than just bodies, and they were rewarded.  The team intentionally didn't go heavy into free agency in year 1 or 2 because they wanted the draft to be the primary focus.  In year 3, the team spent the 4th most money in free agency to target certain veteran players.  We're in a different place now than we were the first two years.The team showed this year that they were willing to spend the money to target guys who could help this team.  They did at least make moves in that direction last year with their pursuit of Mack, so that was when the mindset started to transition. 

 

I think Caldwell has stuck to a script, and he's not going to deviate from it at this point.  This is still a young team, but it's now completely his team. 

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