Another Negative Edge Article

[sportznutt]

But it's the same guy who hated him in the first place, Prisco, from Sports Illustrated:

Memo to Colts fans: Letting James walk was the right call

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March 20, 2006
By Pete Prisco
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Pete your opinion!

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[/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian spent much of last week on the west coast of Florida, dealing with the Competition Committee as the league prepares for next week's winter meetings. [/FONT]
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Bill Polian must avoid the quick-fix option in free-agency. (Getty Images) [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] It was probably a good thing he wasn't in Indianapolis, the soothing waves and warm weather a nice respite from what he would be facing back home: spoken and written abuse. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Polian has been blistered on Indianapolis radio shows and message boards after running back Edgerrin James left to sign a contract with the Arizona Cardinals. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Fans saw a name player, a key player in the Colts push to a Super Bowl, allowed to leave without even a fight. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "I know some fans see me as public enemy No. 1 right now," Polian said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] They should see him as one of the NFL's wise men in a league full of wasteful spending. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Unlike many of his league brethren, Polian doesn't fall for this get-right-fast scheme of free-agency spending. Part of that is economics; the Colts play in a small market in a stadium that doesn't provide the revenues of a team like the Washington Redskins. But part of it is a belief that quick-fix, high-priced players aren't the way to go. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "In free-agency in any sport, you always overpay more than the real value of the player," Polian said. "It's the nature of the market. You create market scarcity each year with only so many players coming available. That drives the price up. There aren't a lot of quality players available, so with only 16, 18, 20 teams doing the bidding, the price goes higher than it should." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] As one team's cap specialist said early in the free-agent period, guys with journeymen tags were asking for deals averaging $2 million per season. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] That's not the type of market Polian or the Colts want to enter. Not with cash issues that some other teams don't have. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Owner Jimmy Irsay has admitted he had to go into his own pocket to pay part of the bonus money he gave to Peyton Manning on his new contract a few years back. That makes diving in head first into the free-agent frenzy almost impossible for the Colts. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Redskins owner Dan Snyder has no such worries. His revenues are nearly $100 million more than teams like the Colts and other small-market teams. Even with the additional $7.2 million in cap room created with the new collective-bargaining agreement, the Colts simply don't have the cash to pay out. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "It's all about the cash you have," Polian said. "We're mindful of the cash over cap, and there are a lot of teams in the same situations. You can't sign everyone." [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] When Polian first came to the Colts in 1998, he did take part in free-agency. The Colts signed cornerback Jeff Burris the first year and then the next year brought in defensive end Chad Bratzke, safety Chad Cota and a handful of others. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "We had zero talent," Polian said. "We had to get some people to help." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The past two years, Polian has not signed one player in the early part of the free-agency period. The Colts did sign defensive tackle Corey Simon last summer after the Eagles allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "We're just not big believers in free-agency," Polian said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The Colts made re-signing receiver Reggie Wayne before he became a free agent a priority this year. That move says the passing game is more important than the running game and that the younger Wayne has more good years left than does James -- which is probably right on both counts. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "You make value judgments on how you want your team structured and how much cash you have to spend," Polian said. "It breaks your heart to have players come through the system and then have them leave. But that's the system we have now. It's what we have to deal with." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Polian is a big believer in building through the draft. The problem comes when you draft well, those players become good players and even stars, and then they hit the market. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "It's a vicious cycle," Polian said. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] James is a perfect example. They drafted him seven years ago ahead of Ricky Williams after trading away Marshall Faulk. Those moves left Polian open to plenty of criticism. In the end, they worked out well. But after seven years of wear-and-tear, James' best football might be behind him. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] That's not the time to give out a big-money deal. The Colts would have loved to have James back. But after re-signing Wayne, defensive end Raheem Brock and middle linebacker Gary Brackett, they couldn't afford the four-year, $30 million deal the Cardinals gave to James. There was some talk that Polian simply was ready to move on to a younger back. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] "I think that would be the case if Edgerrin's contributions were not up to par or he was running out of gas," Polian said. "But he conditions himself magnificently. I do not have enough positive things to say about Edgerrin James. We're not going to find another Edgerrin James. But it is still possible for us to be efficient." [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The Colts will turn to Dominic Rhodes, who rushed for 1,104 yards and nine touchdowns in 2001 when James missed the last 10 games with a knee injury. The Colts will also likely use a high pick on a back, with players like Minnesota's Laurence Maroney and UCLA's Maurice Drew possibilities. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] As long as Manning is throwing to Wayne and Marvin Harrison, the offense should be OK. The offensive line does have to play better, and the improving defense has to take it up another notch for this group to finally get to a Super Bowl. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] But the Colts are still an elite team. They're considered the favorites in Vegas to win it all this season. That type of hype would make some other football personnel panic, the carrot of the Super Bowl dangling in their faces making them make knee-jerk decisions on free agents for big-money deals. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Polian won't bite. And for that, he is to be saluted, not ripped. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Yes, it hurt to see James walk. Polian says it hurts every time one of his guys leaves. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] But Polian was in the right this time, and he's right about free-agency. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] It really isn't all it's cracked up to be. [/FONT]

 

[Doc Cardinal]

The Colts would have loved to have James back. But after re-signing Wayne, defensive end Raheem Brock and middle linebacker Gary Brackett, they couldn't afford the four-year, $30 million deal the Cardinals gave to James. There was some talk that Polian simply was ready to move on to a younger back.
"I think that would be the case if Edgerrin's contributions were not up to par or he was running out of gas," Polian said. "But he conditions himself magnificently. I do not have enough positive things to say about Edgerrin James. We're not going to find another Edgerrin James.

Actually I think that's a positive article about Edge.

The negative part may be the ticked off Colt fans.

The above Polian statement has nothing but good things to say about Edge.

 

[blindseyed]

Actually I think that's a positive article about Edge.

The negative part may be the ticked off Colt fans.

The above Polian statement has nothing but good things to say about Edge.

Polian wasn't the one trying to spin it, Prisco was trying and REACHING for anything to maker it look like a great move to let Edge get away.
Just another biased hack...

 

[Redrage]

Yeah, Polian is a genius. Like Reggie Wayne is more valuable than Edge. You can't tell me for a second that they couldn't stick any servicable #2 or even #3 in there and get comparable numbers.

They gave Wayne #1 cash, and that's pretty funny.

 

[CARDCORE FAN]

So True

Yeah, Polian is a genius. Like Reggie Wayne is more valuable than Edge. You can't tell me for a second that they couldn't stick any servicable #2 or even #3 in there and get comparable numbers.

They gave Wayne #1 cash, and that's pretty funny.

Redrage I'm with you..... Reggie Wayne over Edge WTF? Anyone trying to spin that Reggie Wayne is better for a team than Edge is on crack.

 

[Duckjake]

That's not the type of market Polian or the Colts want to enter. Not with cash issues that some other teams don't have.
Owner Jimmy Irsay has admitted he had to go into his own pocket to pay part of the bonus money he gave to Peyton Manning on his new contract a few years back. That makes diving in head first into the free-agent frenzy almost impossible for the Colts.
Redskins owner Dan Snyder has no such worries. His revenues are nearly $100 million more than teams like the Colts and other small-market teams. Even with the additional $7.2 million in cap room created with the new collective-bargaining agreement, the Colts simply don't have the cash to pay out.
"It's all about the cash you have," Polian said. "We're mindful of the cash over cap, and there are a lot of teams in the same situations. You can't sign everyone."

More fuel for my theory that the Bidwill's have had problems signing players in the past, even though they had the cap room, because of cash problems.

 

[Second Deck]

I think the article is correct when they said you have to overpay when you deal in free agency. I hope after this year the Cards are in the position where they are solid enough they can mainly build through the draft. This seems to be the way New England, Pittsburgh have built solid programs.

 

[Krangodnzr]

Yeah, Polian is a genius. Like Reggie Wayne is more valuable than Edge. You can't tell me for a second that they couldn't stick any servicable #2 or even #3 in there and get comparable numbers.

They gave Wayne #1 cash, and that's pretty funny.

Totally agree bro...why not draft a receiver and resign Edge?

If you look at Wayne's career numbers versus James', it's not even close.

 

[Duckjake]

I think the article is correct when they said you have to overpay when you deal in free agency. I hope after this year the Cards are in the position where they are solid enough they can mainly build through the draft. This seems to be the way New England, Pittsburgh have built solid programs.

NE and Pittsburgh built solid programs by having excellent coaching.

 

[Pariah]

This isn't a negative Edge article.

 

[phillycard]

Nice spin dude. Try saying might and probably a few more times will ya?

 

[Diamondback Jay]

I don't know about the Colt brass, but I'd rather have James and Brandon Stokley than Wayne and Dominick Rhodes.

Prisco can try to put whatever spin on this he wants, James was a perfect fit for that offense, and the Colts are going to have a hard time replacing him.