Official Raiders studs and duds

[Curly Calhoun]

OMG, dude. There's no one you can sign now. The point is this off season. Don't sit back and say we're fine at WR because Jordy will be back. Don't stand pat at TE because your 'high ' on Rodgers potential. Don't draft some OT from Southeast Nowhere ST. in the 5th round and consider your issues at T solved. Don't say well, Barrington's coming back, so we'll just let him , Ryan and Palmer fight it out at ILB and consider that's all that's needed there. Don't just bring in 1 or 2 undrafted punters for a cup of coffee as 'competition ' for Masthay and then just hand him the job anyway.
Where and when you can be aggressive in going after better players. Use the free agent market; doesn't have to be a mega dollar guy; look for vets who can step right in and play well and provide you with better depth.
And be aggressive in the draft. Trade up if you can and get a guy that can step in anf be a playmaker rather than hang on to those extra late round picks who likely end up on the practice squad if not cut outright.
Don't sit on your ***, bring back pretty much the same team with basically the same issues while everyone arounds you makes moves and then sit back and yell "Super Bowl" 2000 times.

I agree there is a great deal that can be done in the draft, and Ted has always relied on that. I'm not as enthusiastic about free agency, where teams often overspend for players who quite often have already had the most productive season they will ever have. Last year's "winners" in free agency were the Miami Dolphins (Suh) and the Eagles (Murray). How'd that work out?

 

[Half Empty]

Any room for middle ground? Very few, even on Packer boards, clamor for moves like those you mentioned. As has come much too often, the Patriot approach, or at least TRYING to fill a particular slot with a guy who's shown he might help, would be appreciated.

 

[TJV]

Last year's "winners" in free agency were the Miami Dolphins (Suh) and the Eagles (Murray). How'd that work out?

I’ve been among the group of Packers fans advocating for Thompson to pursue second-tier free agents to fill gaps on the roster but if you look at the free agent signings Thompson has done, it looks to me like there’s a direct correlation between money spent and performance. Without looking at their contracts my guess is Woodson was the most expensive FA he’s signed, followed by Peppers and then by Pickett. How did those signings work out? Of course those signings were separated by 8 years so they’re few and far between.

 

[Poppa San]

How about we take the discussion about Thompson to it's own thread and off last weeks game debate? Better yet...