Rebuild: Whats it mean?

[GCD960]

To figure out if we want to rebuild, I think we need to understand what it means. Do I know what it means? I have no idea if I do.

Does it mean to cut all your veteran players?
Does it mean to cut all your high payroll players?
Does it mean that you need to have a losing record so you can get a higher place in the draft?
Does it mean not to sign FA's?
How long does it take? Is it an ongoing process? Did teams like the Colts, Pats , Chargers rebuild this year?
Does it mean leadership and a new system?
Does our love for JT and ZT hinder our answer? I know I really want them to wear a ring for all of there hard work and great play.

What does rebuilding mean to you?

 

[Jimmy James]

Rebuilding doesn't happen in the NFL these days. You either make the right moves and reload or you're fired by year 3. Rebuilding was what happened prior to the cap when a team might try to fix its woes slowly only through the draft over half a decade.

 

[Myles Fynch]

Rebuilding doesn't happen in the NFL these days. You either make the right moves and reload or you're fired by year 3. Rebuilding was what happened prior to the cap when a team might try to fix its woes slowly only through the draft over half a decade.

Good answer. If Miami didn't improve in any area except not being stupid with our play calling we would have a better record in 2007. To me, if rebuilding means that every job is up for grabs, then I'm for rebuilding. It keeps your team hungry and doesn't keep talent on your bench while some of the starters struggle. We have free agency & the draft for a talent infusion... we just have to make better decisions across the board.

 

[RoninFin4]

Rebuilding doesn't happen in the NFL these days. You either make the right moves and reload or you're fired by year 3. Rebuilding was what happened prior to the cap when a team might try to fix its woes slowly only through the draft over half a decade.

Just playing devil's advocate here, but what do you call what Green Bay, Tennessee and San Francisco have done in recent years? Granted they both, SF and Tennessee, entered salary cap hell, but is that not rebuilding from the ground up?

 

[Jimmy James]

Just playing devil's advocate here, but what do you call what Green Bay, Tennessee and San Francisco have done in recent years? Granted they both, SF and Tennessee, entered salary cap hell, but is that not rebuilding from the ground up?

Actually, I applaud you for adding this wrinkle. If the new guy convinces Wayne that rebuilding is absolutely necessary, you could see a Titans/Niners style rebuild over 5 or 6 years. Wayne is one of the very few owners that might go for it. As you mentioned, Bud Adams and the Yorks didn't have much of a choice. In the case of the Niners, the rebuild came at the expense of at least one coach's job, too.

 

[Section126]

SF and Tenn. had to rebuild by force. They were in such cap hell that their "rebuilding" process was forced upon them. Green bay has done no such thing. They have the nucleus of their last playoff team still intact..and they have sinced added vets and resigned vets to their team. they are trying to win now.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING as rebuilding int he NFL. You retool. SOmetimes the retooling is more drastic, like what Saban did in his first year here.

The facts of the day are that you can go from 4-12 to the superbowl in one year. You just need some luck in the draft, and good FA pickups.

if you have a good CAP department..(The Fins have the best in the NFL by all accounts)...you continue on this road for all eternity with the occasional more active retooling like what we did in 2005.

 

[RoninFin4]

Actually, I applaud you for adding this wrinkle. If the new guy convinces Wayne that rebuilding is absolutely necessary, you could see a Titans/Niners style rebuild over 5 or 6 years. Wayne is one of the very few owners that might go for it. As you mentioned, Bud Adams and the Yorks didn't have much of a choice. In the case of the Niners, the rebuild came at the expense of at least one coach's job, too.

Well thanks. I like your point about Wayne. He definitely seems like he could potentially go for it being that he might treat the operation more like one of his businesses, almost like a company going bankrupt.

 

[Tpaddle]

Rebuilding doesn't happen in the NFL these days. You either make the right moves and reload or you're fired by year 3. Rebuilding was what happened prior to the cap when a team might try to fix its woes slowly only through the draft over half a decade.

:yeahthat:

 

[Shouright]

It means you're willing to tolerate starting a guy like Vince Young or Alex Smith in his rookie season, which happens all the time. Obviously with guys like those starting at QB, you're not expecting to win. If you win anyway, great, but you're not expecting to.

 

[alienalias]

SF and Tenn. had to rebuild by force. They were in such cap hell that their "rebuilding" process was forced upon them. Green bay has done no such thing. They have the nucleus of their last playoff team still intact..and they have sinced added vets and resigned vets to their team. they are trying to win now.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING as rebuilding int he NFL. You retool. SOmetimes the retooling is more drastic, like what Saban did in his first year here.

The facts of the day are that you can go from 4-12 to the superbowl in one year. You just need some luck in the draft, and good FA pickups.

if you have a good CAP department..(The Fins have the best in the NFL by all accounts)...you continue on this road for all eternity with the occasional more active retooling like what we did in 2005.

You say ToMAYtoes, I say toMAHtoes... you say it's retooling, I say it's rebuilding. Tennessee got rid of most of their vets, from McNair on down. They went youth this year, and though they may be competitive in '07, 2006 was still a rebuilding year for them. In fact, they've been purging their roster the last few years, trimming the fat, and trying to add youth. They've been rebuilding for a few years now... and now, everyone is saying Jeff Fisher is brilliant because the team went 8-8 this year. It is the perfect example of rebuilding in the new times of the salary cap.
The main difference in my mind is that now you could rebuild for a single year or couple years, but still have hope to be a top seed in the next years playoffs... teams still rebuild, but the ability to make rapid turnarounds is more within the realm of possibility, than prior to the salary cap. In the 80's, rebuilding was a 4 or more year process, to become competitive again. Now, it is simply that the rebuilding process is shortened...

 

[alienalias]

It means you're willing to tolerate starting a guy like Vince Young or Alex Smith in his rookie season, which happens all the time. Obviously with guys like those starting at QB, you're not expecting to win. If you win anyway, great, but you're not expecting to.

Great point. You said in 2 sentences, what I tried to say in 3 paragraphs...

 

[Jimmy James]

I think we have demonstrated that it's a matter of perspective. In today's NFL, starting a rookie QB might be rebuilding. That's not what it meant when I started watching the game, though. Free agency and the cap changed things that much.

 

[Elliott 1]

It means trading most of our offensive skill players along with Jeno James if we can. Draft picks and lower priced players are the ticket. For example the raiders need QB,RB,WR,and their line stinks. There defense is OK. They don't want Joey Porter anymore because of the history with Shell. Porter is a good receiver with great speed and a 46 vertical; ya really. We give them any combination of offensive players they want, pretty much. Say Daunte ,Chambers, and Brown. We get Porter and a second round draft pick and either a 6 or Andrew Walter. The beauty of the second rounder from the Raiders is it's almost another first round pick, seeing how they have the first pick. We save a ton of money and use it to sign to sign Samuels or Starks, or Briggs. Just a wild hypothetical trade. Daunte might be good next year,maybe he's done. It's up to him and his knee. I don't fear going without Ronnie. He's a great back but with the return of Ricky and the fine play of Sammie and the possibiblity of hitting on RB in the middle of the draft, I think it would be woth the risk.

 

[phinphanforever]

I think we have demonstrated that it's a matter of perspective. In today's NFL, starting a rookie QB might be rebuilding. That's not what it meant when I started watching the game, though. Free agency and the cap changed things that much.

If the definiton of rebuilding is starting a rookie QB then I would suggest few teams will attempt rebuilding. I tend to agree with what some on this thread have noted regarding rebuilding: it no longer really exists in today's NFL. Teams re-tool but don't really rebuild.

Teams may invest in one player and build the team around that player but most NFL folk realise that it is more successful to build around a core/nucleaus and complement or supplement that grouping each year. The obvious position to rebuild a team around would be a QB but the reality is that most QBs take years to develop. Some may not show significant results until their fourth or fifth year, and still, even more will turn out to be grave disapoinments. If this is what is considered rebuilding , then there will be plenty of teams in perpetual rebuilding mode.

The cap dictates what rebuilding means, and if you make the wrong decisions the penalties are severe. Tennessee and San Francisco did not rebuild by choice. They were forced to rebuild. Forced rebuilds, however, do not guarantee success. In fact, I would argue the opposite, it significantly reduces your chances at success. I think some people on this site are suggesting that we just 'blow things up' by dumping all our vets and high salried players. the reality of the cap, however, is that penalties (cap penalties) affect future development by limiting a team's pace/plan for 'rebuilding', and that 'blowing a team up' would entail a longer rebuilding process. Head coaches have short life-spans. I would guess that the shellf life for the average NFL coaches is between 3-4 years. So if things don't work out -which they are unlikely to since the there would be no talent on the roster-in the first 4 years, the coach gets canned. When the new guy comes in, does he continue the plan? Unlikely.