Teams who are ready to win the championship and need the final piece of a RB. The idea that you can build around a back is idiotic. Additionally, teams picking in the top 10 generally are poor quality, and the coaches running them have an incentive to run that RB into the ground in order to save their jobs. Incongruous motives between the coach and the health of the franchise.
The average career length of an NFL player is three years
http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Retirementandwills/Escapetheratrace/P100986.asp
Again, according to your stupid logic unless a team is one player away from winning the championship, they shouldn't draft anyone
I will say Yes, Minnesota did make a poor choice. They won't have their qb situation fixed in Peterson's prime. Guys, google the rule of 370. When you do it, get back to me. They will run AP into the ground by the time they are ready to contend.
Edit: he will help ticket sales and will help them win in the short term.
Let these mouth breathers try to build their team around a back and let me know how it works out. Left Tackles, QB's, Linebackers, Corners, there ya go. Good wideouts also have long careers and are worth the investment. The colts get it. The Pats get it. The Chiefs' contract with LJ shows they don't. The Seahawks contract for Shuan and not Hutchinson shows they didn't, but might now.
While Adrian Peterson was stellar last season, let's remember that we don't know if he can hold up yet and that even if he does he is the exception to the rule.
How so? Take a look at the RBs drafted in the Top 15 since 1990:
Blair Thomas (MEGA BUST)
Leonard Russell (terrible)
Garrison Hearst (decent career, not worthy of a third overall pick in a deep draft however)
Jerome Bettis (first worthy pick, but let's remember that Pittsburgh saved his career)
Marshall Faulk (definitely a worthy pick)
Ki-Jana Carter (bust by injury but still a bust)
Note: The 1995 draft was especially funny because the first round saw Carter, Rashaan Salaam, James Stewart, Tyrone Wheatley, and Napoleon Kaufman selected while Curtis Martin was taken in the third round and Terrell Davis was taken in the sixth)
Lawrence Phillips (Mega Bust)
Tshminga Biakabutuka (Bust by injury)
Eddie George (the third worthy selection)
Warrick Dunn (never great, but worthy enough)
Curtis Enis (Mega bust by injury)
Fred Taylor (worthy selection)
Edgerrin James (very talented back)
Ricky Williams (Though he had good years, I have to put him in the bust list)
Jamal Lewis (good career)
Thomas Jones (bust)
Ron Dayne (bust)
Ladainian Tomlinson (might go down as the best RB ever)
Ronnie Brown (jury still out)
Cedric Benson (will be a bust)
Cadillac Williams (will be a bust)
I am not going to include Bush, Peterson, or Lynch because they haven't been in the league long enough.
So you have eight worthy picks, two middler guys in Ronnie Brown (right now) and Garrison Hearst and eleven busts. If you include all first round backs, the numbers get even worse.
How so? Take a look at the RBs drafted in the Top 15 since 1990:
Blair Thomas (MEGA BUST)
Leonard Russell (terrible)
Garrison Hearst (decent career, not worthy of a third overall pick in a deep draft however)
Jerome Bettis (first worthy pick, but let's remember that Pittsburgh saved his career)
Marshall Faulk (definitely a worthy pick)
Ki-Jana Carter (bust by injury but still a bust)
Note: The 1995 draft was especially funny because the first round saw Carter, Rashaan Salaam, James Stewart, Tyrone Wheatley, and Napoleon Kaufman selected while Curtis Martin was taken in the third round and Terrell Davis was taken in the sixth)
Lawrence Phillips (Mega Bust)
Tshminga Biakabutuka (Bust by injury)
Eddie George (the third worthy selection)
Warrick Dunn (never great, but worthy enough)
Curtis Enis (Mega bust by injury)
Fred Taylor (worthy selection)
Edgerrin James (very talented back)
Ricky Williams (Though he had good years, I have to put him in the bust list)
Jamal Lewis (good career)
Thomas Jones (bust)
Ron Dayne (bust)
Ladainian Tomlinson (might go down as the best RB ever)
Ronnie Brown (jury still out)
Cedric Benson (will be a bust)
Cadillac Williams (will be a bust)
I am not going to include Bush, Peterson, or Lynch because they haven't been in the league long enough.
So you have eight worthy picks, two middler guys in Ronnie Brown (right now) and Garrison Hearst and eleven busts. If you include all first round backs, the numbers get even worse.
And they are only truly great for 2-3 years, yet you're sinking a ton of money into them at a time when your franchise is not ready to contend. Combine that with a coach who runs them into the ground, good night. Spend the money on QB or Oline.
My argument isn't that they will bust, but that they don't last long enough for you to win a championship, and that teams in that position to take them (top 5-15 type picks), your money is better spend elsewhere.
It is actually over six good seasons that they average. I would still be interested in seeing a similar analysis for other positions
Looking over drafts from eight to 12 years ago, as someone else mentioned, does show OL to far exceed RB. But OL drafted in the top 15 exceed every other position as well, QB, WR, DL, LB, DB. . .
