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GM Ebenezer Thompson

Jason Wilde also reported that GM Ted Thompson wants you to know that he is not the Ebenezer Scrooge of the NFL:

"People take what I say (about), 'The best route to building a team is through the draft,' as me not wanting to be involved in free agency. We spend an inordinate amount of time studying it and trying to figure out what to do in free agency.

"I just think sometimes we can all have the attitude that the grass is greener, when in fact it might just be painted grass."

A wise man once said the green grass might just be painted that way. Thompson is wise because he has avoided signing the biggest dollar free agents and has looked for value signings like NT Ryan Pickett. If a big name guy who Thompson still believes in remains unsigned, then he signs CB Charles Woodson.

Unfortunately sometimes you get what you pay for, like S Marquand Manuel. He knew G Marco Rivera and G Mike Wahle would be coveted as free agents in 2005 and decided to pass on resigning them. Unfortunately the value signings he made in 2005 consisted of G Adrian Klemm, G Matt O'Dwyer, and TE Bubba Franks. O'Dwyer never made the team, while Klemm and Franks have either been hurt or awful.

Thompson is right when he says the draft is the best way to build a team. Resigning your own free agents are often the best free agents to sign. The best salary cap room he may use this offseason is to sign LB Nick Barnett to an extension. But not all your draft choices work out and free agency has to be used to constantly reload in the NFL. He is sure to sign some free agents and hopefully he signs players like the good sod of 2006 and avoids the green paint of 2005.