Running backs

[HaroldSeattle]

You often hear how RBs aren't worthy of a first round pick, but the tide is a changing this year. Two RBs in the top 15. Think the Seahawks success has any thing to do with this? I do. The Seahawks play old school football and have shown it works, despite the new rules.
I think the Rams just made themselves more dangerous, well.....unless Hurley doesn't recover .However all reports say he's looking good.

 

[blstoker]

RBs have been drafted lower than their skill levels for a few years, so it's nice to see teams need to actually respect that the guy may not be there now that teams have started taking them earlier.

 

[Logicallylethal]

I think both rbs picked were a major reach. Most had 2nd round grades on these two and I did as well. I'm glad the Rams made Gurley their pick. Thought the 10th pick was going to yield them another stud or a Kevin White, but Gurley I'm okay with that high.

 

[dude82]

Gurley's selection was interesting. If you ignore the injuries and just look at the talent he has, he's top 10 material. It's the injury history that makes his going #10 overall surprising. Also, I thought going into the draft that the Rams were reasonably well setup at running back. To take a guy coming off of a major knee injury that high tells me that they thought otherwise.

 

[JMR]

Guys are returning from ACL injuries quicker and stronger than ever before. We did an in-office competition to pick the top 10, and I had Gurley at #8 to Atlanta. A couple guys made fun of me for it, but I wasn't far off. Just like the OP says, I figured Dan Quinn would look at him like the next Lynch, and Atlanta has pretty much zip at RB.

 

[seattlefan75]

I dont believe in the whole RBs arent 1st round worthy your telling me that if a back is capable of being an adrian peterson or marshawn lynch you need to draft him tre mason is a good back that was drafted i believe in the 2nd round but there is no way the rams are going to win with a 5'8'' back as the featured back.

also someone said that it was a reach how? if your the rams and you know gurly wont be available in the 2nd round when your up to pick him then you need to draft him in the first. people said the hawks reached for irvin but after the draft it revealed that there were a few teams getting ready to pick him with their 1st pick as well. if you draft a 3rd round caliber player in the 1st thats a reach

 

[JMR]

Well, I do think the position in general is not as valuable or imperative as it was 20 years ago. Behavior of teams in the draft is indicative of that the last handful of years. I also think it could be indicative of weaker available talent. Gurley is called "the best RB prospect since Adrian Peterson" and he was drafted accordingly IMO, when you factor in the current overall value of the position. Shoot, I remember when FBs could be taken in the 2nd round and even every now and then you have a guy like John L. Williams go in the 1st. These days a lot of teams don't even use fullbacks hardly at all in games, let alone consider drafting them in the first few rounds. The game has definitely changed.

 

[gowazzu02]

Gurley had the injury and then the suspension..... id call that at 10 a reach. and Please beast mode he is not!

 

[JMR]

Gurley had the injury and then the suspension..... id call that at 10 a reach. and Please beast mode he is not!

I think he has the potential to be a workhorse, stud RB like Lynch is. That was the nature of the comparison. It's not "he is as good as Lynch" but I certainly think he has the potential to be a top NFL RB.

 

[dude82]

Gurley had the injury and then the suspension..... id call that at 10 a reach. and Please beast mode he is not!

I forgot about the suspension. That's another reason why I was surprised he went top 10. He missed almost all of last season with those two things looming over him. Clearly the Rams thought that his talent was great enough to overlook all that. Under the old CBA/rookie wage scale, I don't think he goes top 10 coming off of that injury/suspension filled season. It would have cost the Rams too much to risk it. The new CBA/wage scale was probably a big factor in their decision to take him that high despite how his last college season played out. It was still a little surprising to see him go that high.

 

[Southieinnc]

Gurley had the injury and then the suspension..... id call that at 10 a reach. and Please beast mode he is not!

He'll be beast mode after he heals and until he runs out of knees.
I'm thinking 2 half-seasons.....

 

[RegentDenali]

Teams are learning the hard way, especially when they face the Seahawks with defenses built entirely to defend the pass.

The NFL has gone so overboard with the protecting the QB, defensive foul flag fests, and pushing the rules to jack up the fantasy scores, most teams have considered the run game to be not something you pour your primary resources into.

The constant tweaking of the rules to boost the stats of their golden calfs of revenue Brady, Manning, Rodgers, etc...

Then Carroll arrives back in the NFL and proceeds to build one of the best defenses in NFL history and acquires the talent to pound the rock down the rest of the NFLs throats. He built a SB champ using contrarian methods compared to the recent winners and on most days, the majority of the NFL can't defend against it.

It was only a matter of time others tried to emulate some of it, including pouring more into defensive backfields and the run game.

It may not be the best for the fantasy football money makers and ESPN, but it's got the attention of a lot of other teams fans who learning to appreciate good D again and workhorse RBs.

 

[droider]

I dont believe in the whole RBs arent 1st round worthy your telling me that if a back is capable of being an adrian peterson or marshawn lynch you need to draft him tre mason is a good back that was drafted i believe in the 2nd round but there is no way the rams are going to win with a 5'8'' back as the featured back.

also someone said that it was a reach how? if your the rams and you know gurly wont be available in the 2nd round when your up to pick him then you need to draft him in the first. people said the hawks reached for irvin but after the draft it revealed that there were a few teams getting ready to pick him with their 1st pick as well. if you draft a 3rd round caliber player in the 1st thats a reach

tre mason is very solid. rams had many other needs to address at this spot considering where they already stood at the position. (they also still had zack stacy as well)

 

[SonnyCID]

tre mason is very solid. rams had many other needs to address at this spot considering where they already stood at the position. (they also still had zack stacy as well)

Neither of those guys are bellcows. An every down back (potentially) is exactly what the Rams needed.

 

[HaroldSeattle]

Neither of those guys are bellcows. An every down back (potentially) is exactly what the Rams needed.

Also not just a bellcow, but someone folks feel could be special. The thing is no other position offered the value of a RB that is considered top of the RB selection this draft.

 

[SonnyCID]

Also not just a bellcow, but someone folks feel could be special. The thing is no other position offered the value of a RB that is considered top of the RB selection this draft.

The only concern is if he can take care of the ball. Like any young back.

 

[Uhsplit]

The only concern is if he can take care of the ball. Like any young back.

Simple. Merely reduce the PSI level a couple of pounds and that should do the trick.