So, you think that the Rams would have won the NFC in 2018 without Gurley?

What are you smoking?

If they're so easy to find, why the did the Chiefs running game suck ass in 2019?

If they're so easy to find, why did the Chiefs need to draft a running back in the first round this year?

If they're so easy to find, why does any team bother paying their running back after their contracts expire?

This is a really dopey narrative that's just spun out of control on Chiefsplanet. Sure, teams can hit on guys in the 2nd and 3rd rounds but there's generally a reason as to why running backs that are drafted from the 4th-7th generally don't do dick in the NFL.

And while there have been a few undrafted guys that will play well for a year or two, the reason why they went undrafted usually rears its ugly head sooner rather than later.

This is almost as bad as you saying that if Mahomes needed to sit for year, you wouldn't spend anything more than a 3rd rounder on him.

If you're in the top 15 and can draft a blue chip prospect, that's one thing. After those guys, the value of LB drops off DRAMATICALLY.

You have to look at positional value versus draft slot.

I totally understand the philosophy of not taking a RB early is the 1st.

But this idea that you can’t/shouldn’t do it late in the 1st is silly. There’s a huge difference between taking a RB in the top 15 and taking one anywhere from 20-32.

For instance, there’s no reason Najee Harris should make it out of the 1st. He’s a top 15 talent, and teams like the Dolphins and Steelers should definitely have him high on their list for those picks.

Exactly. It's the inverse of LB.

The running game was good enough to win a super bowl.

They didn’t need to draft one in the first round.

There are running backs in the 2nd and third round every single year man. Good ones. Take one there, play him for four years and find another one.

The position takes such a beating they break down quick and the value just isn’t there.

And I don’t remember saying that about Mahomes but I’ve been wrong before probably will be again

Their leading rusher in the playoffs was cj Anderson who they plucked off the street

The end of the first round is atleast tolerable in that you get 5 cheap years.

But you could get 5 cheap years of a more valuable position as well.

No, it was not. Damien Williams hasn't been healthy for a full 16 game season, EVER. And he opted out AFTER the draft.

There is absolutely no way the Chiefs would be heading to the Super Bowl without CEH.

If you're picking at #64, you're taking a huge risk that the guy that fits your system just isn't there. So then what? What until the 4th, 5th or 6th and hope that the running back drafted can stay healthy and fit the system?

That's a shitty approach to management. The best managers are PROACTIVE, not reactive, and sitting around thinking you can get a guy later is a recipe for disaster.

The value is most certainly "there". The Chiefs wouldn't be headed to the Super Bowl without CEH, the Rams wouldn't have been in the Super Bowl without Gurley, the Patriots wouldn't have been in the Super Bowl without Sony Michel and so on.

The Bills have tried the "Budget Running Back" deal for the past two years. The result? They can't run the ****ing football and they're sitting at home on February 7th.

I can pull up the post if you'd like :p

I think that's because Gurley had a bone-on-bone knee but regardless, you can't just discount 70 TD's in 5 years.

Jamal Charles had 64 in 11 years.

Ravens & Patrick Queen might disagree with you.

I'm not sure what point you think that proves, Queen has been pretty bad this year. The Ravens also needed a starting linebacker, the Chiefs don't.

They also run most of their defensive snaps out of alignments that have 3-4 LB on the field at a time.

The Chiefs run most of their snaps from nickel or dime alignments.

Chargem beat me to it but we got a similar quality of production out of Willie Gay a full round later than Queen.

He was terrible and the only advantage he has over Gay right now is that he got more snaps, which I would argue might not be a good thing. You don't just shove a raw guy out there and let him learn in a live fire situation.

Things will be changing fast in the off-season. Especially with the impending reduction in salary cap. Time will tell.