Building a Strong Team - Your Priorities

[Rain Man]

If you were building a team from scratch and could invest 100 total points in the following areas, how would you invest those points?


Quarterback Ability/Talent
Running Back Ability/Talent
WRs/TE Ability/Talent
Offensive Line Ability/Talent
Kicker/Punter/Returner Ability/Talent
Kick Blocking/Coverage Ability/Talent
Defensive Line Ability/Talent
Linebackers Ability/Talent
Defensive Backs Ability/Talent
Salary Cap Management Ability/Talent
Scouting/Player Evaluation Ability/Talent
Position Coaching/Player Development Ability/Talent
Game Planning/Coordinator Ability/Talent


Here's mine:

Quarterback Ability/Talent - 12
Running Back Ability/Talent - 8
WRs/TE Ability/Talent - 6
Offensive Line Ability/Talent - 10
Kicker/Punter/Returner Ability/Talent - 5
Kick Blocking/Coverage Ability/Talent - 3
Defensive Line Ability/Talent - 11
Linebackers Ability/Talent - 5
Defensive Backs Ability/Talent - 8
Salary Cap Management Ability/Talent - 1
Scouting/Player Evaluation Ability/Talent - 8
Position Coaching/Player Development Ability/Talent - 5
Game Planning/Coordinator Ability/Talent - 18

[Mecca]

That RB sure made the Lions champions.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

Well good for you, you wouldn't pick the most impactful running back in the past 20 years.

Over 2 of the best 10 quarterbacks to ever play the game who coincidentally have won 4 Super Bowls while Barry's teams made it to one NFC Ch. game?

***** no.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Willie Parker: Undrafted
Brandon Jacobs: 4th Rounder
Brian Westbrook: 3rd rounder
Timmy Smith (holds the Super Bowl record): 5th rounder.

All of those guys had first-round pick QBs that led their teams. No one's arguing that a high-round quarterback can lead a team to a Super Bowl with a running back of moderate skills.

I don't remember Timmy Smith's QB - Rypien or Williams? I never figured out why the Redskins were so dominant.

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

This is so reeruned, I can't even believe I'm having this conversation. Please, by all means take Laurence Maroney or Joseph Addai over Peyton Manning because they were 1st round picks.

Again, no one's saying that a franchise quarterback isn't more valuable than a franchise running back. The argument is whether 1st-round running backs are a waste of time. They aren't.

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

You know what's not mentioned?

OJ Simpson spent the best years of his career toiling for a terrible team because even he couldn't help them. Did he ever even win a playoff game?

Dan Marino. Jim Plunkett. Archie Manning. Donovan McNabb. And so on.

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Walter Payton only won a Super Bowl long after his prime as a runner was over.

He won a Super Bowl.

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Do you think it's a coincidence that the players with the two highest draft grades in the last two classes, Peterson and McFadden, didn't go #1 overall? Or perhaps, it's because teams realize that talent at positions aside from running back is much harder to find, and you aren't going to pick up pro bowl D-Tackles in the third round but once every five-ten years.

Based on your argument, why didn't they go in the 5th round?

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Funny enough, Gore, Barber, Westbrook are all pro bowl running backs...all third rounders.

No one's arguing that good running backs can't come from later rounds. The odds are way better that you'll get a franchise back in the first round.

['Hamas' Jenkins]

It's almost like the knowledge of the posters on this board has mirrored the ability of the football team.

[Mecca]

Take the RB and not the QB, you can be this years Vikings.

[Tribal Warfare]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

Over 2 of the best 10 quarterbacks to ever play the game who coincidentally have won 4 Super Bowls while Barry's teams made it to one NFC Ch. game?

***** no.

Look at the organizations too,and what they had around them. The Colts and Patriots have all the pieces in place look at what the Lions had nothing Barry did that shit all by himself. Hell when Brady stepped in when Bledsoe was injuredthey were already SB contenders to begin with.

[Mecca]

Example, want Larry Johnson or Troy Polamalu, I think that Polamalu is the easy call there.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

Look at the organizations too,and what they had around them. The Colts and Patriots have all the pieces in place look at what the Lions had nothing Barry did that shit all by himself. Hell when Brady stepped in when Bledsoe was hurt they were already SB contenders to begin with.

Yea Herman Moore what a scrub that guy was.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

That is true except for running back. It's a completely different animal. McFadden and Peterson had the highest grades, and several teams passed on both, and it was the right decision.

Running back is the easiest position on the field to play and it's one that is the most easily replaced. There's a reason why every year Ryan Grants and Earnest Grahams explode out of nowhere and are great RBs...the tools required to be one are far more available than for any other position.

Then why weren't McFadden and Peterson selected in the fifth round?

[Tribal Warfare]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Yea Herman Moore what a scrub that guy was.

who else?

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Tribal Warfare

who else?

Brett Perriman and Johnny Morton?

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Mecca

Example, want Larry Johnson or Troy Polamalu, I think that Polamalu is the easy call there.

You have to be kidding me. A safety over a running back?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

All of those guys had first-round pick QBs that led their teams. No one's arguing that a high-round quarterback can lead a team to a Super Bowl with a running back of moderate skills.



Again, no one's saying that a franchise quarterback isn't more valuable than a franchise running back. The argument is whether 1st-round running backs are a waste of time. They aren't.



Dan Marino. Jim Plunkett. Archie Manning. Donovan McNabb. And so on.



He won a Super Bowl.



Based on your argument, why didn't they go in the 5th round?



No one's arguing that good running backs can't come from later rounds. The odds are way better that you'll get a franchise back in the first round.

While you're spending that first round pick on a RB who has a grade of 98 and I'm picking behind you and there's a QB with a grade of 96, I'll gladly allow for you to take the BPA.

It's not that a franchise QB is worth more than a franchise RB. It's that impact DE's, DT's, corners, safeties, and tackles are ALL worth more than a franchise running back.

Jim Plunkett won a Super Bowl. Marino and McNabb carried their teams to Super Bowls.

It's quite simple: you win with good play on the lines and from the quarterback position. It's a passing league, and your ideas are outdated, much like Herm's.

You can't shut down a great QB unless you have a great pass rush.

You can't shut down a great DE unless you have a great tackle.

You can't shut down a great DT unless you double team him, and then he opens things up for every other member of the line.

You can't shut down a great CB...he shuts off half the field.

All you have to do to shut down a great RB is put 8 or 9 guys in the box.

Ultimately, you win with playmakers. Playmakers from every other position come in the early rounds. You can find playmaking RBs in the later rounds.

Furthermore, it is a position with the shortest lifespan of any in the NFL.

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

You have to be kidding me. A safety over a running back?

Troy Polamalu is still an all pro and will be for many more years while LJ is nothing more than a shell of his former self.

[Rain Man]

I too would take a 96 QB over a 98 RB. QB is a huge position.

I would take a 96 RB over a 98 player at any other position except maybe LT and possibly even RDE.