Bickley just doesn't get it. You don't build by taking long-shot chances on high draft picks. Winning is ALL-IMPORTANT, especially to a team with young upcoming talent. Winning breeds confidence, and confidence is the ALL-IMPORTANT ingredient in sustaing a winning pattern. It allows a group of young players to relax, and to play from within themselves, knowing and believing that they can attain their desired results. That is so far removed from the feeling of anxiety and hoping that they don't fail. That is how winning is achieved long term.
This is actually a real plus, because it allows us to be in a position of power in the upcoming draft,-----a position from which we can draft BPA, and trade out of an upper choosing position in order to gain additional picks. That allows us to mediate our chances of success. Instead of putting all our hopes on one high pick of need, we can have the opportunity of spreading our fortunes out by taking mulitple BPA picks, (a far better position from which to succeed in the draft). It also means far less money spent, as we would have had to do on one very high draft pick. Last year's draft is an example of how that can be achieved. It would appear that our first five draft picks all will work out well for us. Dan Williams, Daryl Washington, the receiver Roberts, John Skelton, and O'Brian Schoefield are all keepers. That is soooo much better than having placed all our money and picks on a top-five player. Now, once again, we have, (at least), the ability to trade down to gain more picks-----a really good position to be in.
I have always believed that it is better to use Free Agency to fill needs, (a much more sure method of guaranteeng success), and using the draft for gathering great athletecism and talent for the future. They won't all succeed, but by having multiple picks, you increase the odds of success. All your eggs aren't in one basket. Being able to put that young talent into a position where they can succeed, is the way to build confident future winners.
