Building Football Teams Through Free Agency
Benefits and Limitations of Free Agents
Bryan Curtin
Free agency came hard and fast this year for some teams, who were able to fortify perceived weaknesses in their roster for possible playoff runs next year. Other teams had to let go of beloved veterans who had become just a little too old or a little too expensive to keep around. Still other teams decided to, more or less, sit out free agency and wait for the ultimate lottery in April, the NFL draft.
The biggest mover and shaker in free agency was a familiar organization, the Washington Redskins. After playing it close to the vest last year, the ‘Skins decided to break the bank this year signing free agent Albert Haynesworth to a 100$ million dollar contract. In reality, the contract is only viable for 4 years, but it represents a landmark in defensive player salaries that next year’s top performers will attempt to emulate. The Redskins also signed DeAngelo Hall back to their team after he had an above-average showing during the later half of the regular season, in addition to reinforcing offensive line depth with prodigal son Derrick Dockery, who should infuse some much needed youth into an offensive line that started to look quite decrepit during the stretch last year.
The Chiefs also made a splash, trading for Matt Cassel, hoping the new kid on the quarterback block can lead the young, but improving team back to the playoffs in a relatively weak division. The Giants upgraded their line with Chris Canty, and the Broncos retooled nearly a third of their roster in a free agency purge.
These moves during the past month beg the question: does building or augmenting your team through free agency pay off in the long run? The Redskins certainly think so, as they seem to make big sweeping roster changes nearly every year. Evidence of their lack of playoff wins during the Daniel Snyder tenure would seem to undermine this strategy, but you can’t say that Danny Boy doesn’t know how to sell a product, as the Redskins are one of the most profitable organizations in all of sports. The team has been oscillating around average for most of those years. Meanwhile, a team like the New England Patriots adds a player like Randy Moss and turn into a nearly unstoppable juggernaut overnight. What’s the difference between these moves?
It helps when the team pursuing free agents targets players that fit their system and their needs. While the Redskins seem to go after the most overhyped players available, smarter teams like the Patriots target their specific needs. The Patriots offense was already working with gusto a few years ago with a relatively modest wide receiving core, and the addition of a big WR like Moss really helped them excel at an unprecedented level. A similar thing happened when the Eagles added Terrell Owens a few years back.
The Redskins may be pleased with their new signing of Haynesworth, who should continue to be a dominant force on their defense. But his motivation is now in question. Will he put in the extra effort needed to take the Redskins defense, already impressively ranked in the NFL at fourth, to the next level? Especially on a team with which he currently has no chemistry? This concept of team chemistry is something that can never be reflected on a stat sheet, but frequently rears its head on teams like the Pittsburg Steelers, who are yearly contenders. With the Redskins having so much off-season turnover, how can they build a cohesive TEAM that will feed off itself? Haynesworth will earn his money, but does he really care for the success of the team or his teammates? Only time will tell.
The Redskins would do well to look at their hockey counterparts in
It’s been proven time and again by each team that wins the Super Bowl, from Ben Roethlisberger to the Manning Brothers, that the core of a team usually must consist of drafted and homegrown players. While a free agency addition may temporarily fill a need, it can never be the main attraction for successful teams (see the Cowboys of last year). Until teams, like the Redskins, can put this into perspective and show a little discipline in the off-season, and a little patience in building their team, they will never be champions.