Will Leitch, founder and editor emeritus of the famed sports blog Deadspin, is a writer for New York Magazine and one of the most prominent Cardinals fans out there. Leitch said the moves to acquire Smith, Starks and Jackson were inherently flawed.
"I think those moves were doomed from the start, frankly," he said. "They were trying to patch huge holes with old, mouldy band-aids. They were reactionary, responding to circumstances rather than being proactive. And they were just lazy."
The Cardinals' fortunes have changed in recent years, though. Once the league's designated punchline, they advanced to Super Bowl XLIII last season and lost by less than a touchdown against the heavily favoured Pittsburgh Steelers. They've gone from ill-advised free agent signings to patching necessary holes, and have had much more success as a result. Leitch ascribes the change in fortunes to the team's new management, headed by head coach Ken Wisenhunt and general manager Rod Graves.
"The new regime isn't lazy," Leitch said. "They might make mistakes, but they're good faith, educated mistakes. That makes a big difference."
Coincidentally, the aforementioned Steelers take a very atypical approach to free agency. The team rarely makes a big splash in the free agent market, and often even elects to let their own talented players walk in free agency rather than overpaying. A key example is guard Alan Faneca, a regular All-Pro selection who was an essential part of the Steelers' victory in Super Bowl XL.
Faneca had been a Steeler for his entire career and was regarded as one of the league's top linemen, but the Steelers allowed him to leave for the New York Jets in free agency after the 2007 season, where he became the league's highest-paid lineman. The team replaced him with inexperienced guard Chris Kemoeatu and went on to win the Super Bowl again. They made a similar move with outside linebacker Joey Porter, a frequent Pro Bowler who left to sign a five-year, $32-million deal with the Miami Dolphins in 2007. Both players have had successful seasons since their departure, but the team has excelled without them.
Michael Bean, site founder and editor of the popular Steelers' blog Behind the Steel Curtain, perhaps better known as his alias Blitzburgh, said the team's front office has demonstrated time and time again that it can put a successful team on the field without blowing big dollars in free agency or retaining players. He said the key is to locate which players offer the most value for money.
"The Steelers' front office has a nearly impeccable track record of deciding when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em," he said. "In the case of Alan Faneca, there's just no way to match an offer that made him the highest paid guard in the league. Doesn't make sense any way you carve it up. Same with a guy like Joey Porter, who certainly has proven he has a thing or two left in the tank. But there were James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley ready to step in his place, and at a very, very small fraction of the cost."
Bean said the team is still active in the free-agent market, but their front office focuses on cheap, under-utilized players who can fill a need for the Steelers.
"The Steelers' philosophy with regards to signing other teams' free agents is one of caution and prudence," he said. "You'll rarely see the Steelers compete in high-priced bidding wars for high-profile free agents like Albert Haynesworth, particularly if the FAs are over 30 years of age or past their peak window physically. What you will see the Steelers do is go after undervalued guys coming off their first contract: guys like Mewelde Moore, Keyaron Fox, et cetera. In many instances, the Steelers' scouting department simply sees something in other guys that other teams do not, and in others (instances), there's simply situations with other teams' rosters that account for why they're available in the first place."
Recently, though, the Steelers did make a big play to resign defensive player of the year James Harrison to a six-year, $51.75 million contract extension. Harrison was an undrafted free agent out of college who became a special-teams threat for the Steelers before stepping into a starting role after Porter's departure. He went on to set a team record with 16 sacks this season while still playing on special teams and recorded a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown in the Super Bowl, the longest play in Super Bowl history. There assuredly would have been plenty of suitors for Harrison, who was entering the final year of his contract, but the Steelers elected to make him the second-highest paid player in franchise history (behind quarterback Ben Roethlisberger). To some, this might seem like a change in organizational philosophy given Harrison's age of 30, but Bean doesn't see it that way.
"In Harrison's case, he's just been the best value in the league the past two years... period," he said. "And I think that part of this contract represents some 're-payment' of sorts for being so amazing at such a small cost. And I think that his unparalleled work ethic makes him a safer bet to stay healthy and productive in the coming years than most guys his age. (He) was apparently back in the weight room two days after the Super Bowl and was ticked off that none of his teammates were joining him there. Translation? This guy eats, drinks and sleeps football - and from what has been relayed on to me from sources closer to the team than me - that's the number-one thing the front office looks for in their determination of who to draft and invest in long term."
Bean thinks the team will continue their low-key philosophy in the free-agent market in the coming years, and he's fine with that.
"I'd sum up the team's overall approach to free agents in one sentence - if you feel you have the best scouting department in the National Football League and are capable of finding talent year in and year out with more consistency than the rest of the league - why dabble too aggressively in a system that's designed for the players' financial benefit rather than trusting in one's ability to fill personnel needs with younger, cheaper guys whenever possible?"
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