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Originally Posted by Daseal
Shane - I wouldn't be so sure we don't let the market drive our price. We need a CB and we may as well retain Smoot. Lucas got a big deal and he's not even as good as Smoot.
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I think teams are most successful when they have a strong sense of their principles and their boundaries and are willing to risk being a little poorer in talent for awhile rather than to bend themselves out of shape and go against those principles for short term gain and, let's say, overpay for a free agent.
I like to see a team with a strong identity and a strong sense of togetherness, cooperation and collective aspiration. If you are bending yourself out of shape to sign free agents and if you are afraid to promote players from within and have faith in them and do the hard work of teaching them adequately, then you don't have a strong identity of what your team is about - you are always looking where the grass is greener somewhere else, at some sparkling free agent, etc.
You want players to want to come to you because you are so attractive to them, like Rabach or Patten, rather than you falling over yourself to sign someone out of fear you lack something.
The Atlanta Falcons signed someone last year I was reading, paying way over market price for Jason Webster, because they had cut everyone at that position and were desperate. That wasn't a great way to manage things. Then he got injured.
To be willing to promote from within really motivates all the players because they know they will get a chance if they play themselves into the role. Lemar Marshall no doubt sensed he would be given opportunity on this team and he played his heart out in place of Arrington, and now will be our starting middle linebacker.
We have players on our roster right now who could be super players at cornerback, or do a very good job. To re-sign Smoot is a good move at the right price because Smoot has earned that. But if it throws out our salary structure, to me it means we are prostrating ourselves out of fear and I don't think that helps us.