Some questions about Ballard's strategy of building through the draft:
- How many players are actually long term difference makers from each draft?
- How many areas of concern are there currently?
- How many areas of concern were there going into this past offseason?
- How many holes were created by letting players walk who weren't too bad, all things considered?
To me, the math doesn't add up to anything other than always being several players short of a well-stocked roster. It's a long-con to fall back on saying "be patient, we have a plan" since instead of dabbling in free agency a GM can buy an additional 2+ years because in order to evaluate his work, the youth has to properly grow into their envisioned roles on the team.