You Just Bought an NFL Team

[mcnabb7542]

Lets say you just bought an NFL team that hasn't been relevant since the early 2000's.
The town that you purchased this team in is so desperate for a winner that you have two serious options:
Cap space of $90 million, and the 3rd pick in each round of that years draft with 8 picks total. ( two picks in the 4th round)
Offense was 22nd last year, passing was ranked 24th with a QB over 33 years of age and and oline that averages the age of 31 years old.
Defense was ranked 25th with a passing ranking of 30th in the league.

Two options listed in the poll, tell us your option and tell us how you would turn the team around?

 

[Clayton]

The 3rd Overall pick needs to be a QB, LT, generational RT, or generational pass rusher. If that doesn't exist in the draft then I think maybe its time to f some picks. So the first major variable, imo, is who are the top 3 picks in the draft.

 

[fknhippie]

I'm drafting and using FA to build the best trenches on both sides of the ball that I can.

 

[ANGELAKERAMS]

Looking at the draft first to see what possibilities are there.

If there is no franchise QB available in the draft, I am trading the pick for more picks and using FA for a bridge QB and build the trenches via FA and the draft.

Get my QB the following draft.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

I mean if you're in rebuild mode, everything potentially good is going to come from the draft. You're going to have to overpay for free agency because your team sucks and then you prob. get someone who is going to mail it in because you overpaid.

This draft sadly is not good at QB or OL, and the DLs are questionable.

As an owner I'd prob. come in, try to trade back, and mail in 2025. Pick up some free agency picks, but make sure I'm banking some cap going into 2026.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Also this free agency is not that great. Tee Higgins? lol. Whoever pays that guy $30M a year btw is getting an auto F grade from me - if he signs for $15M per (5 years/$75M) I'll give it an A - Higgins is Tyler Lockett 2.0, he's a good solid receiver, not an elite #1...

Anyway, there's some decent guards/interior IOL this FA (good for Seattle) but not what I'd want as a completely bottom feeder team.

 

[Judge Fudge]

Drafting

 

[Clayton]

I guess to add to the drafting idea, a volume of picks is the way to go. Rams 2023 draft is a good example. You can often find WRs late, CB late, developmental OL late, TE late, DT late, and sometimes pass rushers late but that's extremely rare.

 

[BigKen]

Also this free agency is not that great. Tee Higgins? lol. Whoever pays that guy $30M a year btw is getting an auto F grade from me - if he signs for $15M per (5 years/$75M) I'll give it an A - Higgins is Tyler Lockett 2.0, he's a good solid receiver, not an elite #1...

Anyway, there's some decent guards/interior IOL this FA (good for Seattle) but not what I'd want as a completely bottom feeder team.

Free agency pricing is reliant on who is available and what team needs are.

You can give an F for anything. The Patriots have such severe needs at OT and WR that they will be paying whatever is necessary to get those needs fixed.

WR Tee Higgins $35M would not cause an eye to blink in NE
LT Ronnie Stanley $25M in a heartbeat

Patriots have $120M cap space. They can't stand around until day four of free agency looking for bargains.

 

[Clayton]

Free agency pricing is reliant on who is available and what team needs are.

You can give an F for anything. The Patriots have such severe needs at OT and WR that they will be paying whatever is necessary to get those needs fixed.

WR Tee Higgins $35M would not cause an eye to blink in NE
LT Ronnie Stanley $25M in a heartbeat

Patriots have $120M cap space. They can't stand around until day four of free agency looking for bargains.

Yeah, it's basically GM 101 to draft a franchise QB and then go big in FA because of the money saved on the rookie contract. Spend away.

 

[BigKen]

Yeah, it's basically GM 101 to draft a franchise QB and then go big in FA because of the money saved on the rookie contract. Spend away.

We all know that teams must spend at least 85% of the cap and very few ever have 15% laying around after Halloween in any season. Patriots were extremely lucky to be at the top of the pile for twenty years and have been at the bottom for the past five. The only way that they can get out of the pit is to spend in free agency and draft well. If they do things correctly this year, they could move up from 3-14 to 9-8 or even 10-7. Look at the Commanders......

 

[Black Adam]

I'm drafting and using FA to build the best trenches on both sides of the ball that I can.

Actually I think I'd start with the trenches first, then get my playmakers, especially QB. As a Chiefs fan after seeing that last Superbowl I can honestly say protecting your crown jewel must be priority number 1...

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Actually I think I'd start with the trenches first, then get my playmakers, especially QB. As a Chiefs fan after seeing that last Superbowl I can honestly say protecting your crown jewel must be priority number 1...

The old tried and true, "Get a QB, get to the other QB, protect your QB" still holds true IMO.

We see wide receivers, tight ends, runningbacks, defensive backs, linebackers traded time and time again... but you hardly ever see good OTs, QBs, or DL traded. And if they are, it's because they demand it. But organizations usually don't want to part with those positions and if they do it's because they're getting ridiculous compensation for it or know their QB is getting inappropriate rubdowns.

 

[GoldRusher]

If there is a clear franchise QB1 in the draft OR FA then I get that franchise QB1 ASAP because of the rules favoring the offenses. Either way, after the QB position is filled and I’m satisfied with it I balance FA & draft picks to build:

A: good/experienced linemen to help my franchise and/or current QB1 and skill players to try and increase production and

B: As many athletic front 5-7 defensive players as I can get to try and help my offense get as many opportunities as possible. Good DBs are important but a good pass rush makes an average DB a lot better and every defense needs to contain the run game so..

Also, serious evaluation of my kickers/punters as they can both win a few games per year when they are legit.

 

[sonnyblack65]

Lets say you just bought an NFL team that hasn't been relevant since the early 2000's.
The town that you purchased this team in is so desperate for a winner that you have two serious options:
Cap space of $90 million, and the 3rd pick in each round of that years draft with 8 picks total. ( two picks in the 4th round)
Offense was 22nd last year, passing was ranked 24th with a QB over 33 years of age and and oline that averages the age of 31 years old.
Defense was ranked 25th with a passing ranking of 30th in the league.

Two options listed in the poll, tell us your option and tell us how you would turn the team around?

So lets say I bought the Eagles, first move would be an Irsay, bail out of town during the night.

Hey McNabb been a long minute, hope all is well. But seriously congrats on the dominant SB win!!!

 

[Southieinnc]

I bought the Dolphins so I am just concentrating on flashy offense and high, unreallized expectations.
Get asses in the seats and don't worry about winning!

 

[Southieinnc]

Wha

Looking at the draft first to see what possibilities are there.

If there is no franchise QB available in the draft, I am trading the pick for more picks and using FA for a bridge QB and build the trenches via FA and the draft.

Get my QB the following draft.

What happens if every team wants to trade back?

 

[Clayton]

The old tried and true, "Get a QB, get to the other QB, protect your QB" still holds true IMO.

We see wide receivers, tight ends, runningbacks, defensive backs, linebackers traded time and time again... but you hardly ever see good OTs, QBs, or DL traded. And if they are, it's because they demand it. But organizations usually don't want to part with those positions and if they do it's because they're getting ridiculous compensation for it or know their QB is getting inappropriate rubdowns.

I do think the actual player evaluation matters. Titans chose to invest in pass rushers instead of AJ Brown. Eagles wisely jumped on that.

 

[The Q]

The 3rd Overall pick needs to be a QB, LT, generational RT, or generational pass rusher. If that doesn't exist in the draft then I think maybe its time to f some picks. So the first major variable, imo, is who are the top 3 picks in the draft.

This is the way

 

[The Q]

I do think the actual player evaluation matters. Titans chose to invest in pass rushers instead of AJ Brown. Eagles wisely jumped on that.

Formal request we never talk about this trade ever again