Interesting Comments By Polian Just Now....

[The Peytonator]

The comments here crack me up.  Polian did some good work here and his theories on free agency are not unique.  Just saw an Andrew Brandt tweet about teams making noise in March rarely make noise in January.  Does that make Brandt a fool too?

 

 

Seahawks, Broncos, and even our own Colts made a fair bit of noise last March. It's not about throwing $100 million at the Albert Haynesworth's of the world, it's about making smart, complimentary signings (Micheal Bennett, Terrance Knighton, Gosder Cherilus). Polian didn't overpay free agents, he overpaid HIS mediocre guys....and that's half the reason he works for NFL Insiders now.

[Coffeedrinker]

Real GM's dont use free agency. They waste multiple 1st round picks on players that are never seen again after their rookie contracts. They draft corner after corner but never find a decent one, and then once they are old and begin to resemble Droopy Dog they hire their son to carry on the family tradition, thats what real GM's do.

Who are these:

 

• Manning - Nope
• James - Nope
• Morris - Nope
• Wayne - Nope
• Freeney - Nope
• Clark - Nope
• Jackson - Yup injuries
• Addai - Nope
• Gonzalez - Yup injuries
• Brown - Nope
• Hughes - Nope
• Castonzo - Doubt it but it is yet TBD.

[Superman]

Wow....I understand the fact that people dislike Bill's view of free agency but I find it funny how NE, Pitt, Bal, NYG of the world typically are very quiet in free agency and build through the draft and investing in their own players and we rave on their GMs yet what Bill is saying makes tons of sense. How many many many times we see the team that won free agency (MIA/BUF etc etc) don't even sniff the playoffs. We know Bill over paid some of our own...give Grigs 10 yrs and he will have several mistakes too...just like NE and Pitt etc make mistakes on some players but overall the have a good program. Bill built that with us and we were very successful. I mean Bill won a SB and took us to another one...and basically we won our division almost every year....Grigs is doing a good job and may do that as well....but please....he hasn't built anything but a playoff caliber team and has made his own questionable moves (Trent and some other signings). I understand some people feel you can build a team through free agency but most I've seen....are done through the draft...retaining their guys and adding a piece here or there like when we added Vinatari or Mcfarland.

New England and Baltimore aren't as quiet in free agency as people think. I linked to a site that breaks down how rosters are formed, and both of those teams, plus Denver, San Francisco and Seattle have made plenty of moves in recent free agency periods.

[Coffeedrinker]

No doubt mistakes could be made, but if you're a good GM and do your homework, FA can be an effective way to better your team.

 

The market is all-encompassing, both good and bad contracts. However, the norm is that good players earn good contracts. That's how it works. Sure there are bad contracts, as you've mentioned, but it's not the norm or else the market would change and adapt if that became the norm.

That's what Polina is saying though, in the first 2 days of FA is when good players get fantastic contracts.

[Coffeedrinker]

New England and Baltimore aren't as quiet in free agency as people think. I linked to a site that breaks down how rosters are formed, and both of those teams, plus Denver, San Francisco and Seattle have made plenty of moves in recent free agency periods.

I looked at a few of those, I checked the Ravens and Seatlle and yes both had more than 20 FAs but just glancing through only a couple were for what is would be considered top tier players, most were for reliable back-ups and/or young developmental type players.

 

And I agree the comment about making a splash in march... is not 100% true but I read it as, and perhaps a bit more accruately stated, the tema that signs a lot of high priced free agents rarely make a splash in January.

[dgambill]

I wonder what people thought of our GMs before Bill got here....the moves we made and the success we had. Hopefully Grigs leads us to some more SBs but I just wonder if like in 10 yrs we change our opinion of Bill. I sure hope we don't have to see a team poorly run and dissappointments to realize how lucky and fortunate we were during Bill's tenure. A lot could have changed during that time if he did things differently. Signing big name free agents maybe we lose a Robert Mathis/Dwight Freeney....maybe we don't have re-sign Reggie or Dallas or Jeff...players that were important to our success...we could have signed some busts and been right out of the playoffs easily. I'm glad for what I got...a wonderful brand of football that was a joy to watch and always a shot at winning it all. Sure I was dissappointed several times but so are 31 other teams every year...compared to what we had before and considering what we could have had...I'm ok with it.

[Superman]

I looked at a few of those, I checked the Ravens and Seatlle and yes both had more than 20 FAs but just glancing through only a couple were for what is would be considered top tier players, most were for reliable back-ups and/or young developmental type players.

And I agree the comment about making a splash in march... is not 100% true but I read it as, and perhaps a bit more accruately stated, the tema that signs a lot of high priced free agents rarely make a splash in January.

That's fair, and that's a much more reasonable stance than what Bill Polian has been saying the past two days.

[dgambill]

New England and Baltimore aren't as quiet in free agency as people think. I linked to a site that breaks down how rosters are formed, and both of those teams, plus Denver, San Francisco and Seattle have made plenty of moves in recent free agency periods.

I understand they have made more moves...most are quiet moves...and most are filling out spots that didn't work out in their drafting. NE more so in recent years have tried to make bigger moves and really they haven't worked out as well as what they did when they had their core guys...but FA is a place to supplement your roster...I fully agree...we obviously need free agents because we have holes to fill but the core of this team will have to be built in the draft and then re-signing those guys hopefully is all.

[SLILLINGTON10]

How so?

 

For example,  V. Davis is is a Neiman Marcus player that will receive a Neiman Marcus contract. Whereas, a lesser player will receive a lesser contract.

 

The market dictates your worth.

I think you can look at some of the FA we signed last year to big contracts, I would say outside of Landry; they were all players that needed to prove themselves and we gave them some very big contracts.

[Superman]

I understand they have made more moves...most are quiet moves...and most are filling out spots that didn't work out in their drafting. NE more so in recent years have tried to make bigger moves and really they haven't worked out as well as what they did when they had their core guys...but FA is a place to supplement your roster...I fully agree...we obviously need free agents because we have holes to fill but the core of this team will have to be built in the draft and then re-signing those guys hopefully is all.

 

You're hitting the exact point that bothers me about Polian's comments. Free agency can and should be used to supplement the draft, especially when you screw up in the draft. When your drafting has been substandard and now you have holes on your roster, free agency is a tool to help you patch some of those holes. No, you don't have to go hog wild every year in free agency, but you also shouldn't sit on the sidelines with your arms folded, kvetching about how much you hate free agency.

[Modern]

Who are these:

• Manning - Nope
• James - Nope
• Morris - Nope
• Wayne - Nope
• Freeney - Nope
• Clark - Nope
• Jackson - Yup injuries
• Addai - Nope
• Gonzalez - Yup injuries
• Brown - Nope
• Hughes - Nope
• Castonzo - Doubt it but it is yet TBD.

Please tell me about Morris, Addai, and Hughes awesome careers after they left.

[jvan1973]

Please tell me about Morris, Addai, and Hughes awesome careers after they left.

Why don't you take a look at other teams successes in the first round over that same period and get back to me

[HarassedOffTheSite]

Grigson built in three years what Polian couldn't build in a lifetime.

 

Wait, what?!!

[Modern]

We could also compare what Grigson found in his first draft compared to what Polian found in his in Indy.

He took Manning and ......... Nothing.

[jvan1973]

We could also compare what Grigson found in his first draft compared to what Polian found in his in Indy.

He took Manning and ......... Nothing.

completely irrelevant to the point you totally failed at making. Nice deflection though

[HarassedOffTheSite]

You're hitting the exact point that bothers me about Polian's comments. Free agency can and should be used to supplement the draft...free agency is a tool to help you patch some of those holes.

 

He actually said Free Agency should be used to augment your roster. Not build it. Fiscally speaking, that is a very wise approach.

 

Why he fell so in love with some of his guys that were substandard and gave them nice paydays, I don't know; loyalty, pride.

 

Regardless my only gripe(s) with him were his blind spot vis-a-vis the absolute importance of DT play (equal to DE play) and his lumping Colts' "fans" in with the brutally incompetent local media. The former was frustrating. But the latter was a fatal mistake.

 

With all of that said, we ALL make mistakes. And most make far worse mistakes. Nevertheless, Bill Polian could still run light-speed laps around the collective football i.q. of this and every other football site. *KeepItReal

[Coffeedrinker]

Please tell me about Morris, Addai, and Hughes awesome careers after they left.

Well Morris stayed with the Colts and then retired.  Addai played through his rookie contract, signed a new one and then got injured.  Hughes played very well for Buffalo last year.

[dgambill]

That's what Polina is saying though, in the first 2 days of FA is when good players get fantastic contracts.

This is exactly what he is saying. You pay a premium at the beginning of FA but if your patient there are still some quality guys left that you can work with that will see their values drop after a big portion of the money is spent. There is very few guys that hit the open market that teams are letting go that are real difference makers. I mean for every Reggie White or Joe Montana there are a ton of Mike Wallace, Albert Haynesworth, Asoumoughs(sp) lol. Key is finding those 1 or 2 guys that will supplement what your trying to do...like Seattle did last year with Anvil and Bennett did.

[Beauregarde]

His favorite safety in free agency is Antoine Bethea. That should tell you everything you need to know about Bill Polian's opinion on free agency.

Apparently the 49ers agreed with him.

[Superman]

He actually said Free Agency should be used to augment your roster. Not build it. Fiscally speaking, that is a very wise approach.

 

Why he fell so in love with some of his guys that were substandard and gave them nice paydays, I don't know; loyalty, pride.

 

Regardless my only gripe(s) with him were his blind spot vis-a-vis the absolute importance of DT play (equal to DE play) and his lumping Colts' "fans" in with the brutally incompetent local media. The former was frustrating. But the latter was a fatal mistake.

 

With all of that said, we ALL make mistakes. And most make far worse mistakes. Nevertheless, Bill Polian could still run light-speed laps around the collective football i.q. of this and every other football site. *KeepItReal

 

That's fine, just don't * on my leg and tell me it's raining. No question Bill Polian is smarter and more qualified than I am about this stuff (and that goes for pretty much everyone on message boards and blogs). But I know when I'm being sold.

[Superman]

Apparently the 49ers agreed with him.

 

Not sure what you're point is...

[Coffeedrinker]

We could also compare what Grigson found in his first draft compared to what Polian found in his in Indy.

He took Manning and ......... Nothing.

You must have long arms to still be able to type after that reach.  But sure, let's play that game.  He also found jerome Pathon, E.G. Green (who would have been the Colts #2 for years had he not shattered his leg in the playoff game against the Titans, and Steve McKinney who was a very good guard for the Colts then picked up as a FA by the Texans and was a very good center for the Texans for 4 or 5 years.

 

Strike two.

[BrentMc11]

Not sure what you're point is...

4 yrs 27 million on Bethea I believe is what he means....

[Beauregarde]

We could also compare what Grigson found in his first draft compared to what Polian found in his in Indy.

He took Manning and ......... Nothing.

Come on, he took Edgerin James, Marvin Harrison (I think he drafted him), Reggie

Wayne, Dwight Freeney, signed Robert Mathis and Jeff Saturday, Bob Sanders, many, many more.

[BrentMc11]

Come on, he took Edgerin James, Marvin Harrison (I think he drafted him), Reggie

Wayne, Dwight Freeney, signed Robert Mathis and Jeff Saturday, Bob Sanders, many, many more.

Hey...give him more credit than that...Saturday was a UFA!  

[jvan1973]

Come on, he took Edgerin James, Marvin Harrison (I think he drafted him), Reggie

Wayne, Dwight Freeney, signed Robert Mathis and Jeff Saturday, Bob Sanders, many, many more.

Bill Tobin drafted Marvin

[Superman]

4 yrs 27 million on Bethea I believe is what he means....

 

Not sure how that means the Niners think he's the best safety in free agency.

[ColtsUrUs]

Why is Bill being a Hater on ESPN? 

[Smash Mouth]

Multiple time executive of the year, multi-millionaire. If he is a loser, what does that make all of the people hating on him

I don't think that he's a loser.  I do think his time has passed as a GM.  he was at the helm during the 2-14 season. The Cupboard was bare.  Its hard to take him seriously now

[John Waylon]

He's dying to take a dump on the Davis deal. He already said it's the most surprising deal.

 

Nevermind the Sam Shields deal that is way more ludicrous than this one.

[jvan1973]

I don't think that he's a loser. I do think his time has passed as a GM. he was at the helm during the 2-14 season. The Cupboard was bare. Its hard to take him seriously now

This i can agree with

[Modern]

Morris was not good, he hung around for years and filled in when needed but he was never first round quality. Addai had 2 good seasons and then couldnt get on anywhere else, we could have had, and many wanted MJD in that draft, but Polian went with Addai and a few season later drafted Brown who was also a bust as a first round pick.

Gonzo was never great even when he was on the field , nor was Marlin Jackson.

You also forgot the great Tony Ugoh.

Polian is vastly overrated. He had one of the greatest QB's of all time and only managed to win one Superbowl. Oh but he won a bunch of executive of the year awards .....

I doubt Irsay hired him in hopes of executive of the year awards.

Nobody cares about executive of the year awards, you might get all happy when your GM wins one but if it isnt your GM then odds are you have no idea who won it. Its nothing. Meaningless.

Any GM who won 2 Superbowls is better then Polian in my opinion.

The guy still can't get over his own draft selections years later and is now calling them the best free agents.

[FanFromtheWasteland]

Why is Bill being a Hater on ESPN?

Because Irsay got tired of his crap and told him to take a hike

[Poster X]

Polian is payed to talk, but when it comes to this stuff he should probably not. He seems to be overly bitter at times.

[FanFromtheWasteland]

Come on, he took Edgerin James, Marvin Harrison (I

think he drafted him), Reggie

Wayne, Dwight Freeney, signed Robert Mathis and Jeff Saturday, Bob Sanders, many, many more.

Don't forget about Curtis Painter and also trading a future first round pick for Tony Uhgo

[Beauregarde]

Don't forget about Curtis Painter and also trading a future first round pick for Tony Uhgo

There is always good and bad. Painter is still in the league..

[Beauregarde]

Not sure how that means the Niners think he's the best safety in free agency.

They signed him, doesn't that mean they thought he was the best safety for the money available?

[Beauregarde]

Bill Tobin drafted Marvin

Thank you, like I said, I wasn't sure.

[BOTT]

Wow....I understand the fact that people dislike Bill's view of free agency but I find it funny how NE, Pitt, Bal, NYG of the world typically are very quiet in free agency and build through the draft and investing in their own players and we rave on their GMs yet what Bill is saying makes tons of sense. How many many many times we see the team that won free agency (MIA/BUF etc etc) don't even sniff the playoffs. We know Bill over paid some of our own...give Grigs 10 yrs and he will have several mistakes too...just like NE and Pitt etc make mistakes on some players but overall the have a good program. Bill built that with us and we were very successful. I mean Bill won a SB and took us to another one...and basically we won our division almost every year....Grigs is doing a good job and may do that as well....but please....he hasn't built anything but a playoff caliber team and has made his own questionable moves (Trent and some other signings). I understand some people feel you can build a team through free agency but most I've seen....are done through the draft...retaining their guys and adding a piece here or there like when we added Vinatari or Mcfarland.

I don't understand some people's view on free agency. It's like people only remember the bad signings....and most of those were obvious from the get go. I mean, who really thought the Albert Haynesworth signing was a good idea? Yet, nobody even remembers that Justin Smith, the cornerstone of the 49ers defense, was a free agent from the Bengals. Hell, teams screw up draft picks year after year, that doesn't make the draft a bad thing.

[Patagonia Chris]

His favorite safety in free agency is Antoine Bethea. That should tell you everything you need to know about Bill Polian's opinion on free agency.

 

His favorite running back in free agency is Donald Brown. That should tell you everything you need to know about Bill Polian.