Trading for draft picks vs trading for players

[dolphins4life]

Let's look at the Dolphins and Texans.

The Texans traded a bunch of picks for good players, and found success.

The Dolphins traded a bunch of players for picks, and found no success

The Dolphins then traded a bunch of picks for a great player, and found success.

Doesn't this prove that rebuilding through the draft is a bad idea?

Edit:

They traded a bunch of picks to us for Stills, and I think somebody else.  They made the playoffs with those players in 2019

Miami missed the playoffs the first two years after the trade.

Then, they traded for Tyreek Hill and had two consecutive playoff berths.

[Spider-Dan]

What good players did the Texans trade for and find success with?

[Pappy13]

You're basing an entire theory on 3 relatively recent examples? So if I can find 3 more recent examples that show otherwise your theory is proven wrong? That's not a theory it's more like an opinion.

[masterfins]

It all comes down to the salary cap, you can't just constantly trade picks for players because those players are more expensive.  You have to also use the draft because those players are needed to keep you under the cap.  When you can trade picks for proven guys like Chubb and Tyreek you do it unless it's a crazy amount of picks.  For example I wouldn't have wanted to give up a bunch of #1's for Deshaun Watson.

I think Miami's done a pretty good job, they have a good roster, but now the costs are catching up to them against the cap.  Miami is going to have to use the draft to improve for the next two years.  They have to win now so guys are willing to take less pay to be able to be on a Super Bowl team - that's how the Patriots were successful for such a long run, guys would take cheaper deals with them for the opportunity to get a SB Ring.  It's why Alabama had a good run, guys wanted to go to a team with better chance of winning a National Championship.

[CF DolFan]

It all comes down to the salary cap, you can't just constantly trade picks for players because those players are more expensive.  You have to also use the draft because those players are needed to keep you under the cap. 

That is very true although with our 83 year old owner I don't think that will be our situation. Ross is "all in now" mode so it wouldn't surprise me to see some trades and new signings. He is going to pay a lot of money in bonuses to reduce the current salary cap hit because he isn't worried about the future but right now. Eventually we will have to reset, get rid of players, and start back in the draft ala the Rams but I don't see that for this year.   

[Sunstroke]

... It's why Alabama had a good run, guys wanted to go to a team with better chance of winning a National Championship.

Yeah, plus Alabama paid their athletes better.

[masterfins]

That is very true although with our 83 year old owner I don't think that will be our situation. Ross is "all in now" mode so it wouldn't surprise me to see some trades and new signings. He is going to pay a lot of money in bonuses to reduce the current salary cap hit because he isn't worried about the future but right now. Eventually we will have to reset, get rid of players, and start back in the draft ala the Rams but I don't see that for this year.   

Miami is $52 million OVER the cap, some players they want to keep are going to be leaving this off season.  They aren't going to be signing any high profile draft picks like Tyreek or Chubb, they will only be signing guys to one year contracts to replace guys that are leaving for better deals.  I'm not saying they are going to start shedding talent for draft picks, but if they don't win in the playoffs I would expect them to do it the following year.