How did you get reluctance to spend money out of the above. Not overpaying on "depth pieces" is not a reluctance to spend money. People talk as if we are one or two elite players from being a playoff team. They cite USC doing just that as an example of what we should be doing. Reality check, we are not in the same position as USC.
Last year, at the start of the season, the narrative was we have a serviceable OL but no depth, we were in trouble if we had to rely on backups. This year we have a better front line but still no depth (or at least depth we are comfortable with). You can't get all the bodies needed if you overpay for depth pieces. And they will be needed maybe not to the extent of last year, but nagging injuries of various degree always happen particularly in the trenches.
The staff needs to show results this season. If anything, the thinking seems to be to raise the floor on next season rather than raise the ceiling. We can't afford an implosion like last year, if we have to get down to the second level.
It seems like the focus is split and everything is being done close to the vest. Everyone's anxious because they see the few elite guys being signed elsewhere (where preexisting terms have already been worked out), while we're bringing in depth. Has any noticed that whenever word gets out about someone we think is more than just depth, a bag school suddenly becomes involved.
We just need to get the ones we targeted to commit, as well as the freshman coming in the summer and those that sat out the spring injured. The increased depth would be a sizable improvement. The types that people want aren't likely to commit until they see it on the field. We've waited 20 years; we can wait one more. Rome wasn't built in one day.