And don't you build that team by adding players? Trading away solid draft picks to add a receiver when that receiver or some other talented one will be available for free in a couple months is literally subtracting players. If it isn't to win a championship or to acquire real talent at a desperate need position, giving up assets this season isn't wise.
We have two 3rd-round rookies playing significant roles in our offense right now, and you're saying you can GUARANTEE me that we absolutely cannot select someone in the 3rd round in the next two seasons that might make a real impact in the next four years?
So it's inarguable that the players selected with those two picks PLUS the best receiver we can get in free agency this offseason won't equal getting Tee Higgins right now, even though there's a real chance that the receiver we could get in free agency is Tee f***ing Higgins?
I honestly don't understand that mentality either. Who said those things?
I said defense is the priority. I also said that I'm okay getting Higgins if the cost is more reasonable than what you guys were saying and Peters was confident that it's absolutely not a rental. I also said that in the specific case of Higgins, I think it makes more sense to wait and see if he hits free agency, because giving up valuable assets for him now hurts our negotiating position with him. I believe those two reasons make it unlikely that Peters makes a trade for Higgins at all.
Seems to me that we mostly agree, just not specifically on what we'd give up to do that deal now. I wouldn't do two 3rds, simply because we know there'll be real WR talent in FA this year and receivers are really going to clamor for a spot next to JD for the next few years. Let's take advantage of the deal that JD can land us AND make those picks.
Adding objectively less to make a change immediately seems shortsighted to me is all.
Of course I can't guarantee that we won't get a useful player/potential starter with a third -- but I can guarantee that the odds of those picks providing value in the current and the next year if used to acquire a proven starter are FAR higher than the odds that they will provide starters immediately.
Yes, we have 3rd rounders playing prominent roles for us right now -- but don't we have to ask why that is? Because we were so barren of talent, 3rd rounders have just been able to step in and play, but also, we've needed them to. If we had a quality LT would Coleman be out there? Of course he wouldn't.
And Sain is going to be awesome, but if we had an existing option, he wouldn't have had to walk in as STAR. Even if you think he would have earned that -- and maybe he would have -- he's also playing OCB. Why? Because our existing OCBs are trash on fire. Including a high draft pick (yes, picked by someone else, but still) who's a gameday inactive because he can't play football.
I trust AP and his FO enough to believe that we won't
need early-mid-round picks to walk onto the field opening day next year and the year after.
As for waiting for FA, I agree with earlier poster noting the home-team advantage that comes from having his rights. Especially when you've just demonstrated to him that you want him and will do what it takes to get him. Very practically speaking, it also gives you at least half a year of him working with your franchise QB. Even if you don't strike gold with a long playoff run this year, you head-off any breaking-in period next year.
Honest question (i.e. no heat), and here's where I think we figure out if we basically agree or basically disagree (which is totally cool, too): if it's a no-doubt day 1 CB starter that those 2 thirds brings back, do you do it?
I strongly consider it, and possibly do it -- consider factors like contract situation (years left, demands, production, injury status/history, etc.)
I want to make the team better now because our window has obviously moved up. I'm willing to use 3rd/4th rounders if they'll get it done just based on the odds of those picks turning into starters. Terrible analogy time: they can be 2 swings on a knuckle curve, or one swing on a center-cut fastball.
Good conversation.