Very interesting take on this years free agent "non-signings" by Vic Carruci....
http://www.nfl.com/draft/story;jsessionid=08BD3D39ADB04362A1BD07FEC4712D1D?id=09000d5d807363b7&template=with-video&confirm=true There is no attempt here to suggest that there has been a dramatic change in the way NFL teams go about the business of acquiring players, but there is reason to believe that a philosophical shift is taking hold.
More and more, clubs are arriving at the conclusion that the draft is a far more reliable player source and the very best way to build a consistent winner.
Some of that is because, with a steady evaporation of the free-agent talent pool, they have no choice. The number of premier free agents continues to drop as teams increasingly use franchise and transition tags on those types of players before they hit the open market. Eleven of the league's 32 clubs did so this year.
It's one thing for the Steelers, who traditionally hit the snooze button when free agency begins, to recognize that. It's quite another when clubs such as the Washington Redskins, notorious for liberal free-agent spending, remain on the sidelines while others dole out the cash. Since Feb. 29, when free agency began, the Redskins' only moves have been to re-sign quarterback Todd Collins and running back Rock Cartwright.
Granted, the Redskins' cap space is limited because of their previous free-agent aggressiveness, but they understand that shopping in the current marketplace only increases the risk of spending too much for too little return.
