Thoughts of trade up?

[SteelerOfDeVille]

Free agency will be key to what we do in the draft. Not a popular position, but I think DL and ILB are bigger priorities than OL. Our OL got better as the season went on...our DL and ILB got worse.

FA is always the key. They try to fill holes with "adequate" players, such that they can actually draft BPA.

I also agree on positional need, but am not certain that there are guys in that area that effectively fill the roles. For example, most mocks I see have a couple DL going in the top 10, then not another until the 2nd round.

I tend to think that the first picks will contain one each OL/DL/LB/DB, but unsure what order that happens in - again, all dependent upon FA.

[WindyCitySteel]

FA is always the key. They try to fill holes with "adequate" players, such that they can actually draft BPA.

This is how you end up with an average roster.

[SteelerOfDeVille]

This is how you end up with an average roster.

IDEALLY, those guys end up as backups.
You sign Mitch, then draft a 1st round QB. You sign Gunner, then draft Pickens.
The guys they spend bigger money on, (Daniels, Cole, Miles Jack) they are less likely to fill those positions in that draft.
They pretty much tip their hands every year.

[Steel Maniac]

This is how you end up with an average roster.

We've been doing it this way for decades now. It's what we do. We've historically don't go after top end guys.

[Northern_Blitz]

This is how you end up with an average roster.

How do you think you end up with an above average roster? I think having the main focus be buying UFAs (most expensive way to acquire talent) is the worst way to try.

To me, you get to above average talent by drafting well. Because you want as many good players on 1st contracts as possible because that's how you get great cap value.

Signing good UFAs is nice, but the best case scenario is generally that they live up to their cap value. It's the most expensive way to acquire talent.

And to have an above average team, you need to get great value for your cap dollar. In the NFL, you do that by exploiting 1st contracts. I think that's the case for every league with a cap, but I don't follow the NBA so maybe that's different.

NFL teams don't get to operate like the Yankees or Real Madrid (just picked a soccer team I'd heard of that I assume just buys the best possible talent with no real concern about total money spent).

[whisper]

This is how you end up with an average roster.

It's a model that hasn't been working in how many years now? You end up with a bunch of ham and eggers and are left wondering with "what went wrong?"

[Steel Maniac]

It's a model that hasn't been working in how many years now? You end up with a bunch of ham and eggers and are left wondering with "what went wrong?"

Stop questioning our model!! It's what we've been doing for decades now. You see how much success it's brought us the last 12 years?? Let's not tamper with success.

[whisper]

Lot of free time here!

Would you trade up using the 17, 32 to select the best DT ( Carter) in the draft?

I think I would love to make this move and have this D... (My splash FA move in Green)

base 3 safety set

Carter-Adams-Heyward
Watt- Edumunds-Highsmith (3-4 would be Spillane-Robinson)
Sutton-Levi/Witherspoon
Fitz-Edmunds-Kazee

We've got too many needs to give up draft picks in a move up, period. Trade down? Maybe.

[steeler_george]

IDEALLY, those guys end up as backups.
You sign Mitch, then draft a 1st round QB. You sign Gunner, then draft Pickens.
The guys they spend bigger money on, (Daniels, Cole, Miles Jack) they are less likely to fill those positions in that draft.
They pretty much tip their hands every year.

It was the Colbert way, bring in FA, penciled in as starters, then draft the position.
I always used that as a sign on what position/player we want.

some examples:
Barron>Edmunds
Ebron>Claypool ( big Receiver)

there are more but I am brain dead.