No doubt the team missed Cullen after he left, but he has quickly declined also. We could have used him that first year, so he may not be the best example, but my basic point(s) are what Zero said.
FAs are a two way street, not a draft pick. Just because they didn't sign with GB doesn't mean there was no attempt made, and furthermore, for every Cliff Avril and Ryan Pickett, there's an Albert Haynesworth and Joe Johnson. It's easy to look back and see how those moves worked out, but Pickett and Woodson very easily could have tanked as well. The team was fortunate that they both blossomed here in GB.
Originally Posted by: musccy
Yeah, thanks musccy and QCHuskerFan… I agree with both of you on these points. There are no guarantees, and the signings and trades are difficult to vet and close. Those processes (finding the player, finding the trading partner, adjusting money under the cap, closing the deals, etc.) are tough to pull off, for any GM. Especially, to do so successfully. That is why there are so few trades made, but trades are made.
I just wish we could pull off a couple of good ones, trades or signings that would help improve one or two positions on our team. It would mean all the difference, having a super solid Safety group, or a set of stud ILBs, bookend OTs that are pretty much shut down players to protect Rodgers, etc.
I believe Ted drafts pretty well, and if he applied the same passion for searching out key veteran FAs or trades, and massaged his cap accordingly, maybe we might get another SB win or two while Aaron is still our QB. I question whether that can really happen by drafting alone. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. For me, as a fan, I would prefer he took a few more risks and had a more balanced approach to talent acquisition.