[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by SC Skins Fan

Yet he apparently wants to be the highest paid defensive player in the league (or very close). As we all know by now, the problem with trading for players are that you end up with someone another team didn't want, presumably for some reason (I've heard some things about attitude and desire being an issue for Peppers in Carolina, but I'm not in the locker room); you give up picks that can turn into productive players (when the Skins trade picks people say 'why did they trade that pick', when they don't trade picks then we have threads saying 'why aren't they trading their picks'?); draft picks are cheaper than giving older players big contracts; if you miss on a 2nd round pick you can get rid of that player with pretty minimal cap implications, if you give Julius Peppers $30 million guaranteed and he doesn't work out you are in a bind.

Plus, just look at some 2nd and 3rd round picks in previous years. I know it is hard to fathom now that anyone outside of the top 10 on Mel Kiper's Big Board will ever be a productive player, but every year guys from these rounds turn into some of the better players in the NFL.


2006

• Demeco Ryans (2nd Round; 2006 DROY; 2007 Pro Bowl)
• Marcus McNeill (2nd Round)
• Greg Jennings (2nd Round)
• Maurice Jones-Drew (2nd Round)
• Brandon Marshall (4th Round; with one of Washington's picks)

2005

• Lofa Tatupu (2nd Round)
• Frank Gore (3rd Round)
• Justin Tuck (3rd Round)
• Marion Barber (4th Round)
• Brandon Jacobs (4th Round)
• Trent Cole (5th Round; with one of Washington's picks)

2004

• Karlos Dansby (2nd Round)
• Bob Sanders (2nd Round)
• Darnell Dockett (3rd Round)
• Bernard Berrian (3rd Round)
• Chris Cooley (3rd Round)
• Matt Schaub (3rd Round)
• Jared Allen (4th Round)
• D.J. Hackett (5th Round)

2003

• Rashean Mathis (2nd Round)
• Anquan Boldin (2nd Round)
• Osi Umenyiora (2nd Round)
• Lance Briggs (3rd Round)
• Jason Witten (3rd Round)
• Asante Samuel (4th Round)

Obviously there are often more hits than misses, but let's give the draft a chance rather than abandoning this strategy and throwing picks and tons of money at guys before we even try to build through the draft. Come on.

Brandon Marshall looks like he's on the cusp of becoming a superstar. Reminds me of a young TO w/out the drama. I'd sure like to have him wearing b&g.