For Bucs, it's more about being smart than cheap Last season, the people who run the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to be shamed into using the word "rebuilding" even though everyone in town knew that was exactly what the team was doing. It was a little silly. I mention this because of what General Manager Mark Dominik said this week to reporters covering the Senior Bowl. Dominik had been talking about building through the draft, saying basically any quick-fix scheme with a bunch of free agents isn't a good idea. He was asked if that would require a lot of patience from fans. He could have said, "Why, no! We expect to be among the elite teams next season!" But he didn't. Instead, he responded, "It will require some (patience), because it's going to be somewhat of a process." You don't need a translation guide to know what that means. Asking for patience is another way of cushioning fans for more lost Sundays and asking for their trust that it eventually will be better. You could hear the tears and wailing almost immediately from the Bucs' marketing department. They're already having trouble selling tickets, and it just got harder, especially since a lot of people are sure to note the Bucs will remain far under the salary cap (read: cheap). Hand 'em some Kleenex and get back to the draft boards. It's not the time to wildly throw around wads of cash so they can tell fans they're "committed." It's the time to be smart. By the way, we all know the NFL is headed into a labor storm that may shut the game down in 2011. People see that and assume that decisions on whether to pursue free agents are being made now with an eye toward impending chaos. I'm not buying that - not yet. Any team making personnel decisions today based on something in the future that may never happen is making a mistake. When a team is in the Bucs' situation, it takes a real plan to get better. You get a system in place and then draft players who can make it work. If you can find a free agent or two who can speed that along, fine, but you most definitely do not take the Washington Redskins' approach. They spend lots of money every year. They lose lots of games. "I'm a firm believer that we're going to build this thing through the draft," Dominik said. He went on to mention the Steelers, Patriots, Ravens and Colts. If you're going to copy somebody, those are pretty good models. They're good just about every year, and they share a common approach. They scout well. They draft well. They let that talent mature and develop. There was one other team he could have mentioned, because that's how the Bucs did it back in the day. They built a Super Bowl champion largely through the draft, supplementing with free agency once the foundation was in place. Dominik was part of all that. For those who have forgotten, the Bucs actually opened up the checkbook last year. They spent big money to bring in running back Derrick Ward, who promptly became the invisible man. They signed linebacker Angelo Crowell and got nothing. They traded for Kellen Winslow and gave him a long-term deal upon arrival. That worked out fine. They offered Albert Haynesworth a contract that was actually larger than the monster deal he signed with the Redskins. Still feel bad about losing that one? If they keep the third pick in the first round of this year's draft, they'll get a terrific player. They should get high-impact players with their two second-round picks. As of now, they have 10 overall picks to supplement some of the building blocks already in place. That's just it, though. The building is a long way from done, and taking a long-range approach is a bit of a personal risk for Dominik. Most fans, I suspect, are fresh out of patience. There were many times last fall when it looked like no one at One Buc had a clue. By asking people to understand that this may take a while, the Bucs are also asking for trust. That's asking a lot. The Bucs need to ask for it anyway. Come to think of it, Dominik just did. It beat the smoke screen of a year ago. Joe Henderson, The Tampa Tribune 31 January 2010