As they prepared for the MLS SuperDraft last year at this time, Real Salt Lake GM Garth Lagerwey and coach Jason Kreis were in the midst of completely overhauling RSL's roster.

At that point, Real Salt Lake was coming off its third season as an MLS franchise, a season that saw the team again miss out on the MLS playoffs and struggle mightily.

Accordingly, Lagerwey and Kreis completely blew apart RSL's roster last winter and brought in as many fresh faces as possible. Once the carnage had finished, Real had turned over 12 of 28 roster spots during the offseason.

To the credit of Lagerwey and Kreis, the results were incredibly positive — evidenced by last season's appearance in the Western Conference Finals — and heading into next week's MLS Draft, this much seems crystal clear: RSL won't be blowing up its roster this time around.

"Our message is — we already like our team," said Lagerwey, who will get his final look at this year's draft prospects during the four-day MLS Combine, which begins today in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

RSL has three picks in next Thursday's MLS SuperDraft — 12th overall, 54th overall and 57th overall — and has the luxury of using those selections to try and augment its squad, as opposed to using them as part of a massive overhaul.

Lagerwey and Co. have been evaluating the 71 players that will be on display this weekend in the MLS Combine for well over a year, and the next four days represent the opportunity for RSL's staff to get a final look at those players, to interview them and to make final decisions about which direction it will go on Thursday.

There are many throughout MLS that question the importance of the MLS Combine and MLS SuperDraft compared to other means of acquiring players, but Lagerwey noted he feels there's certainly value in the combine and draft.

"It's definitely important," Lagerwey said. "It's worth the effort because you have some talent out there that's for free, but you're not gonna get guys that are gonna come in here and play immediately."

Asked to size up this year's draft pool, Lagerwey said he believes it's better than last year and that there are a handful of extremely talented players at the very top.

According to Lagerwey, RSL would consider trying to move up — depending on "the player, the pick and the price."

"We've got a core to build off, and we're not going to trade away someone needlessly," he said.

ENDLINES: Lagerwey revealed Friday that RSL is trying to determine what to do with striker Kenny Deuchar, who signed a two-year deal with Salt Lake a season ago. Deuchar scored just three times in 29 appearances in 2008, and RSL may buy out the rest of his contract ... RSL would like to add a left-sided player and "possibly" a striker before next season, according to Lagerwey ... RSL will stay in the United States during the upcoming preseason, as opposed to last year when the squad went to Argentina.

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E-mail: drasmussen@desnews.com