do you need elite talent at runningback? its nice but id take an average-solid lineman over an elite runningback. i mean its like say the best punter of the last 5 years was there, do you take him over a guy who cans tart for you at gaurd?
???? You're offended that I quoted an old post? lol ok. You can't worry about injuries? That makes absolutely zero sense. That what depth is all about. Of course you have to worry about injuries. We have nothing behind our top 3 WRs. And to make it worse, our 3rd WR isn't someone you want playing on the outside. We absolutely need to protect against injury to one of the starters.
i didn't mean it sarcastically or anything, just realizing it was an old post and how i had changed my stance over the last month. if you draft cooper, you have marshall, decker, cooper, and kerley, which imo would be the best wr corps in the nfl. without drafting cooper, i think its still top 10. to me, its a luxury to have that many talented wr on a team. most teams don't have that type of talent. all teams have depth, which is essential since injuries always happen. we could still have solid depth with young players like tj graham, chris owusu, shaq evans and quincy enuwa. you can't go into the season saying you need 3 #1 wide receivers because if you only go into the season with 2, their is a chance 1 can get injured, and then you only have 1. the best team doesn't always win the superbowl, luck comes into play, and you need to plan to be the most balanced team, and hope the injury bug doesn't bite.
i get your point, but an elite running back can mask weaknesses on your o-line. elite running back in the 2nd or 3rd, or average lineman in the same rounds, who may be a vlad ducasse, brian winters, etc. regarding punters, i'd rather spend a 4th/5th round pick on an elite punter than a wr, o-line, etc. who may not make the team or have little contribution.
This is a deep draft at a position (rb) that isn't a high cost pick, drafting a rb in the second round when you are not a contender doesn't make sense to me. You can find plenty of value in round 3 and 4. Look at the Cowboys, they wasted a 1st round pick on Felix Jones who is currently it of football at age 27, then smartly decided to concentrate on OL early and spent a 3rd round pick on Demarco Murray who led the league last season and broke Emmitt Smith's Cowboys single season rushing record. Its not a position you spend a high pick on unless it's a luxury Look at the Vikings, they spent 7 overall on the best RB we've seen in 20 years and the only time they ever sniffed a SB was when an aging HOF QB finagled his way into their team after trying for 3 years
With the depth at both WR and RB, a 4th round pick this year could bring a very good WR or RB. No way I'd opt for a punter that high. I don't have a problem with using a 6th or 7th round pick on a P or K, but wouldn't use a 4th or 5th unless my team was set at every position and my P or K had been awful and it was a big need.
you know what else masks a weak oline? drafting an offensive lineman. your point about vlad or winters is kind of irrelevant. as the hb you draft could just as easily turn into joe mcknight. and even if they dont id still rather have the lineman. i can get a runningback off someones practice squad or someone who is cut.
my point is that you can get one of the top 5 running backs usually in rounds 2-4. if you draft o-lineman, the top 5 are in rounds 1-2. therefore, in round 3, i'd rather draft (hypothetically) the #3 best running back in the draft, as opposed to the #13 offensive lineman in the draft.
the point is that the difference between the #13 lineman and a UDFA type is astronomical whereas teams find serviceable backs from the scrap heap every year.
agree to disagree. jason peters, jeff saturday, brian waters, brandon moore, to name a few running backs: priest holmes and arian foster, all i can really think of
How about Justin Forsett last year. 3rd stringer signed for nothing gets a chance to start and puts in a top 5 performance for his position. But I'm not talking about UDFA who become perennial pro bowlers, it's about value. There's practice squad level rb's that can step in and be effective, CJ Anderson, Brandon Oliver, zurlon Tipton off top of my head from last year.
id rather take the #20 lineman over the #1 runningback. if you take the runningback line is still an issue. you can fill the HB psiiton with training camp cuts or undrafted rookies. no need to waste a second round pick on one. the NFL is loaded with starting offensive lineman taken in round 2. you dont need to get one in round 1 for it to be a guy who can be a long time starter.
I don't think an elite RB can mask a weak offensive line. Not one bit. How many times did Winters getting pile driven cause interceptions? Colon penalties kill drives? You think DeMarco Murray would have his success running behind our offensive line? The defensive lines in our division are getting stout. Miami added Suh, Bills have a good defensive line too. Brick was getting beat one on one last year.
IMO the bolded is only true if the RB can create on his own like Barry Sanders. Most RBs need a hole.
