Free Agency before the draft

[MightyGiants]

Do you think teams are best served having free agency before the draft? This often leaves teams hoping to fill needs via the draft.   The alternative would be to have the draft first and then allow teams to fill needs via free agency.

Which way do you think would be best?

Does it even matter?

[MrGap92]

Do you think teams are best served having free agency before the draft? This often leaves teams hoping to fill needs via the draft.   The alternative would be to have the draft first and then allow teams to fill needs via free agency.

Which way do you think would be best?

Does it even matter?

Ideally, the FA period, would be for plugging holes, maybe fill a need or two if the situation presents itself. Whereas the draft afterward, should be about getting the BPs available.

Ideally, not always realistic.

[MightyGiants]

Ideally, the FA period, would be for plugging holes, maybe fill a need or two if the situation presents itself. Whereas the draft afterward, should be about getting the BPs available.

Ideally, not always realistic.

I agree, but I think it would work better if they reversed things.  That way, you draft almost purely on BPA, and then when you are done drafting, you would use free agency to fill any remaining holes.


Consider the Giants QB dilemma.  Ideally, they would like to draft one, but they can't be sure they will be able to.  That may force them to try and solve the problem in free agency.

If it were reversed, the Giants could take chances but still try and get their QB in the draft.  If their luck is bad and they don't land their QB then they could consider trading for Stafford or signing a higher-end veteran QB.

[Doc16LT56]

I agree, from a team's point of view it would work much better to have the draft before free agency. Im not sure what the implications would be of moving the draft up to before free agency. I don't think moving free agency back is viable as players have to figure out moving families before camps start.

[MightyGiants]

I agree, from a team's point of view it would work much better to have the draft before free agency. Im not sure what the implications would be of moving the draft up to before free agency. I don't think moving free agency back is viable as players have to figure out moving families before camps start.

You raise a fair point. Logistically, it makes more sense to have free agency first.  Not only for the reasons you mention but because it's quicker to evaluate veteran free agents than it is for college free agents.  Plus, now, with the college playoffs, some prospects are finishing up even later.

[files58]

The league(owners) would want to keep it this way. If you have the draft first any holes would give the free agent crop more leverage in compensation negotiations. In addition free agency first allows GM's to play the misinformation game more easily. If you have glaring holes at draft time the other teams know where you are going to target in the draft. It's all about leverage, and the owners want most if not all of it for themselves. Then again you have Gettleman who broadcasted his intentions on a highway billboard. The last major opportunity to fill holes gives the advantage to the player. Since the $ paid to draftees is slotted, and predetermined that gives the advantage to the teams.

[MightyGiants]

I will say this thread is what I really enjoy about BBH.  There have been some intelligent and really well-thought-out answers.   This is what makes BBH special: all the new insights and ideas.   

[President Rick]

great discussion.  with no evidence for the 'draft first' scenario, it's hard to say.   BUT the reality is this...we need to KNOW if we have a decent QB from FA prior to the draft, before we speculate on whether the Giants will take a qb at #3, [AAUGH!!!} or [IMO, wisely!!] wait until round two when [I hope] we take Will Howard [my 2nd choice here is Dart].

[DaveBrown74]

In a perfect world it would clearly be much better to have the draft first, since most front offices aspire to a BPA approach in the draft, whereas free agency is about addressing position-specific need. So clearly you will know more about the degree to which you are in need at various positions after the draft than before.

In practical terms though, I believe doing it that way would cause too many problems, as others have noted:

(1) Shortening the amount of prep time a team has after the end of the season to get ready for the draft would be sub-optimal.

(2) Free agents, who are older and therefore have more complexity to their personal lives (wives, kids, schools, higher priced homes, etc) need more time to move to new cities and get their families set up than rookies just coming out of college.

[andrew_nyGiants]

I like FA before the draft. The percentages are you're not shopping hungry come draft day, if you make the proper decisions in FA.

[EDjohnst1981]

I prefer FA before draft. You can plug temporary holes via FA and then seek long term productivity via the draft.

What I do wish would change is the leaks around the legal tampering period. I much preferred tuning into NFL Network on the day and finding out who's gone where without any confirmation.