Steelers: Draft, Not Free Agency, the Key to Victory

Ben Roethlisberger, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Heath Miller, Willie Parker, James Harrison, Lamarr Woodley, Larry Foote, Casey Hampton, Aaron Smith, Brett Keisel, Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor, Max Starks, Willie Colon, Chris Kemoeatu, Darnell Stapleton, and Bryant McFadden.

All of the players connected with those names will be receiving a Super Bowl ring within the next couple of months. 

They also were all drafted by the team that just won that Super Bowl with the exception of Parker and Harrison, who were signed as undrafted rookies after the end of the regular draft.

They represent 19 of 22 starters from that Super Bowl winning team. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers never make a splash in Free Agency.  The signing of James Farrior after the 2001 season is probably the closest they've come in this century.

Yet, for a team that refuses to spend money on guys like Albert Haynesworth and Terrell Owens, the Steelers sure do win a lot of games.

They have figured it out.  Other teams are starting to copy it too. 

You have to draft well.  If the New York Yankees in baseball and the Washington Redskins in football have proved anything to us, it's that you can't buy a championship. 

Let's take a look at the teams that have won championships since 2001.

New England Patriots: three

Pittsburgh Steelers: two

Indianapolis Colts: one

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: one

New York Giants: one

All five of those teams drafted significant parts of the lineups that won them those championships.  Four of them drafted the quarterbacks that ran those offenses. 

It all starts with the draft. 

But why is Pittsburgh even more different than the other four champions?

New England, Indianapolis, Tampa Bay, and New York all dabble in free agency and the trade market.  Pittsburgh doesn't usually get involved.

I know everyone was clamouring for the Steelers to go grab Julius Peppers or Jordan Gross or one of the other big linemen from this crop of available players.  They'd also, I'm sure, like the Steelers to go out and sign a big name corner.

The Steelers response?  We already have Kemoeatu, Starks, Keisel, and William Gay right here.  Why go pay someone else when we drafted these players to do those jobs?

Exactly.

Teams that buy players often get sucked into that uncomfortable situation in which the players get their fat contract and then they rest on their laurels. 

Do you really think Albert Haynesworth is going to put up $100 million worth of sacks, tackles, forced fumbles, interceptions, etc?

I don't see it.  He's a great player, don't confuse that.  But exactly when did he establish himself enough to be worthy of that contract?

Conversely, I think most Steelers' fans think that Ben Roethlisberger's contract is worth it after two Super Bowl victories.  Ben doesn't win pretty, but he wins.

James Harrison has established himself in two years as a starter as one of the premier linebackers in the NFL.  He'll get his due. 

Troy Polamalu, with Ed Reed, is the best safety in the NFL.  He earned his money too.

The Steelers have a formula for winning that is unmatched.  They draft the best players available, sign them for what their fair market value is, and then give the best ones contract extensions to stay with the team.

The ones who don't stay, they replace with an equally talented draftee or the rare free agent signing.

They've won six Super Bowls with this formula.  They've never really been players in the markets.  They just finish the season and prepare for the draft. 

It's a simple plan really, but boy is it successful.

Back to those champions of this decade.  Because they also follow a version of this plan, any one of them is considered a favorite to win the next championship.

The message?  In a down economy or a good one, don't spend money to buy happiness.  Draft the talent, groom it, and then find a way to keep it.

You've probably heard of the teams that do the opposite of this.  The Detroit Lions, Washington Redskins, Oakland Raiders, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals among others.

They always seem to pick really early in the draft.  You know what that means.