FA Wins Championships

[HarveyWallbangers]

2006 INDIANAPOLIS

21 of the 22 starters were drafted by the Colts, or were signed as a rookie or street FA. One starter was acquired by trade. There were no FA starters on the Colts.

Reggie Wayne - draft
Tarik Glenn - draft
Ryan Lilja - rookie FA
Jeff Saturday - rookie FA
Jake Scott - draft
Ryan Diem - draft
Dallas Clark - draft
Marvin Harrison - draft
Peyton Manning - draft
Joseph Addai - draft
Ben Utecht - rookie FA

Robert Mathis - draft
Anthony McFarland - trade
Raheem Brock - street FA
Dwight Freeney - draft
Cato June - draft
Gary Brackett - rookie FA
Rob Morris - draft
Nick Harper - rookie FA
Jason David - draft
Antoine Bethea - draft
Bob Sanders - draft


2005 PITTSBURGH

19 of 22 starters were drafted by Pittsburgh or was a rookie FA. Two big name FAs. One other FA.

Antwaan Randle El - draft
Marvel Smith - draft
Alan Faneca - draft
Jeff Hartings - FA
Kendall Simmons - draft
Max Starks - draft
Heath Miller - draft
Hines Ward - draft
Ben Roethlisberger - draft
Willie Parker - draft
Dan Kreider - rookie FA

Aaron Smith - draft
Casey Hampton - draft
Kimo von Oelhoffen - FA
Clark Haggans - draft
James Farrior - FA
Larry Foote - draft
Joey Porter - draft
Ike Taylor - draft
Chris Hope - draft
Troy Polamalu - draft
Deshea Townsend - draft

2004 NEW ENGLAND

17 of their 22 starters were drafted by them or were signed as rookie or street FAs. One was traded for. Three were non-high profile FAs. Rodney Harrison was the only high profile FA on that team.

David Givens - draft
Matt Light - draft
Joe Andruzzi - no name FA
Dan Koppen - draft
Steve Neal - rookie FA
Brandon Gorin - street FA
Daniel Graham - draft
Deion Branch - draft
Tom Brady - draft
Corey Dillon - trade
Patrick Pass - rookie FA

Richard Seymour - draft
Vince Wilfork - draft
Ty Warren - draft
Willie McGinest - draft
Tedy Bruschi - draft
Roman Phifer - no name FA
Mike Vrabel - no name FA
Randall Gay - draft
Asante Samuel - draft
Rodney Harrison - FA
Eugene Wilson - draft

[Zool]

No more facts out of you mister.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Bids are in. Yours finalized?

[Zool]

Ugg...yeah pretty much. Im such a rook to the bidding process that I'm going to spiral down the toilet in this first season.

Zool in 08!

[Bretsky]

Stop ruining our free agency frenzy feeding fun :wink:

Hey, how many FA's did GB have in it's last Super Bowl ?

I know; different system and rule set up.

Cheers,
B

[falco]

Stop ruining our free agency frenzy feeding fun :wink:

Hey, how many FA's did GB have in it's last Super Bowl ?

I know; different system and rule set up.

Cheers,
B

I was going to say the same thing; very little of that team was drafted if I remember (although I'm sure someone will prove me wrong).

I think the general consensus nowadays is that successful teams need to build through the draft. The teams you typically see making big FA splashes are the ones so close to putting it together; although one has to wonder what the niners think they are doing.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Actually, outside of the DL the only other big name FA would be Eugene Robinson. I don't count Andre Rison because he was cut during the season. The big name FAs we acquired during the FA period were Sean Jones, Reggie White, Santana Dotson, and Robinson.

12 starters were drafted. Two were street FAs. Three were no name FAs. Four were big name FAs. Brett was acquired in a trade.

Frank Winters - no name FA
Aaron Taylor - draft
Adam Timmerman - draft
Earl Dotson - draft
Bruce Wilkerson - no name FA
Mark Chmura - draft
Antonio Freeman - draft
Andre Rison - street FA
Edgar Bennett - draft
William Henderson - draft
Brett Favre - trade

Gilbert Brown - street FA
Santana Dotson - FA
Reggie White - FA
Sean Jones - FA
Wayne Simmons - draft
Brian Williams - draft
Ron Cox - no name FA
Doug Evans - draft
Craig Newsome - draft
LeRoy Butler - draft
Eugene Robinson - FA

[b bulldog]

hARV, GREAT post!!! Best post that has been posted in weeks by anyone.

[Fritz]

I think your lists are a little misleading. Only six players from those three teams are of the type so many rats posters are clamoring for: unrestricted, veteran free agents. Rookie FA's are not what we've been debating when arguing about whether TT should pay mega bucks for someone like Ken Hamlin.

Still, it makes a point that rookie FA's are the real pot of gold.

[BallHawk]

Ugg...yeah pretty much. Im such a rook to the bidding process that I'm going to spiral down the toilet in this first season.

Zool in 08!

Don't worry Zool, you and me can spiral down the toilet together. :D

[RashanGary]

hARV, GREAT post!!! Best post that has been posted in weeks by anyone.

I'll second that. I was going to say it but I noticed you beat me to it.

[RashanGary]

Another good point about the rookie FA's fritz. A Cullen Jenkins is like getting a free 2nd round pick.

[red]

ok, one thing needs to be said here

some teams Know how to draft talent, and some don't

every team every year brings in around 7 rookies, not including undrafted guys. everyone drafts those guys with the thought that they will be part of the team. some players just end up sucking

i think i've run some numbers on all those teams, and they all have a high number of drafties still on their team and in starting roles

we went for a half decade with horrible drafts, and the jury is still out on if we've gotten much better.

if you can't draft your future starters, then you need to go find them somewhere

[imscott72]

hARV, GREAT post!!! Best post that has been posted in weeks by anyone.

I agree, which once again shows that freaking out during the first weekend of free agency and spending all your cash doesn't guarantee you anything. Ask the Queens...Wow Landry with the flush!!!!

[pbmax]

Harvey ::genuflect::, well said. The toughest task T2 has is actually drafting the playmakers/difference makers that Cleft Crusty Cristl is always yammering about. Then FAs will make more much more sense.

[RashanGary]

if you can't draft your future starters, then you need to go find them somewhere

The problem with not drafting well is that the other mean that you speak of, FA, get's so expensive that before you're built, you're broke and you never really get there.

The ulternative to drafting well is sucking. Nothing else.

[Brohm]

To this day, I still can't believe Bruce Wilkerson held down the fort at LT the way he did.

Talk about an unsung singing.

[Brohm]

As far as rookie FA's, indeed that is a pot of gold for those willing to take the time to look.

The NFL draft used to be 12 rounds and a lot of good/great players came out of them.

[BooHoo]

Thanks, this was very interesting reading. It puts the importance of the draft in proper prespective. Let's have a good draft year in 08.

[pbmax]

Couldn't agree more. Best job of plucking a body off the street, performance and coaching (they had to give him some help, right?) that I have seen watching the Pack.

He should get his own Where Are They Now writeup.


To this day, I still can't believe Bruce Wilkerson held down the fort at LT the way he did.

Talk about an unsung singing.