As I See It: Free Agency in the NFL

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The silly season has begun in the NFL. Free agency as well as the franchise salary cap has changed the landscape of professional football. Teams can shakeup their roster by adding players or having other players lured by greener pastures elsewhere. This has leveled the playing field making it possible for any team to go from worst to first. As players come and go the key word in the NFL is parity. There are some teams that have held to more traditional values, ala the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots. They build through the draft and try to take of their players that they value most, but they seldom give the lucrative contracts that are the trademarks of teams like the Washington Redskins. They rarely, if ever, make a splash with free agency. The old adage lives on, if its not broken don’t try to fix it.

I consider the changes made by the NFL are for the better, and have made the game more appealing for the fan. I do think however, it has changed the attitude of the fan of a particular team. When I was younger, there was no free agency, there were very few trades and the personality of the team was consistent over the years. Players drafted often played their entire career with a single team. The fans were able to relate to these players. They were integrated into the community.

In this day of free agency, very few players remain with the same team for their entire playing career. Players who stay with a team often reach iconic proportions and shape the attitude of their team. The team often takes on the personality of these key players. I couldn’t imagine Dan Marino in any other uniform but the Miami Dolphins. This past season the Packers seemed a little lost, without the antics of Brett Favre, the Lambeau Leaps just weren’t quite the same. In the east, Brett Favre looked completely out of character in a New York Jet uniform.

In my case, I have always been a Philadelphia Eagle fan. I guess I always will be. I have seen great players come, and great players go. At this moment, we are close to losing one of the great all time safeties in Brian Dawkins. He has been the heart and soul of the Philadelphia Eagles defense. My heart aches to think that he could become a Bronco. In my heart he is an Eagle and will always be an Eagle. He should retire an Eagle. This is what free agency has done to the NFL. He does not fit into the Eagle’s plan because of his age and he has lost a step over the past couple of years. This is now a business decision and the Eagles under Lurie have been able to put their feelings aside and make the tough decisions. In strictly a business atmosphere this move makes sense, but it sure makes the heart ache. His presence in that locker room is the pulse of the team, and his shoes will not be easily filled.