Not a good example. There were still WRs on the board.

That's funny.

We all know that you can get productive RBs later if you know what you're doing. We all know that many if not most of the elite RBs in the league today were taken in the first round. The question is can you afford to take an elite RB in the first. RBs have a limited shelf life. Had the Texans taken an RB with their first pick in 2003, McGahee, for example, that poor bastard would be in a wheelchair now.

Where's the value? Will the right first round RB put the team over the hump and into the playoffs? Will that RB blossom into full productivity when the rest of the team is peaking, too? Or should the team look to address other areas of weakness this year while hoping to luck into a star in the 4th (which they've done before) and thinking that they should be able to reach for a back next year?

I think it boils down to BPA at the three or four positions of desperate need once the pick rolls around.

Great post.

In busines/economics terminology that's called "opportunity cost", i.e., in this context what is the cost of forgoing the opportunity to use the very valuable first-round pick to select a player of higher positional value like CB, LT, etc. than using it on a running back ?

I think Chuck pretty well hits the nail on the head. Who is to say we don't already have our RB in Arian Foster or one of the taxi squad people from last year?

What I am beginning to come around to is that we should hope to wait and get Earl Thomas at the much needed FS spot with the 20th pick. I would even consider trading up 3 or 4 spots in order to snatch him. If that doesn't happen, I would keep my options open and possibly even trade down if the right deal came along. Flexibilty is the key.

Yep, and we got some new Offensive coordinators an OL coaches who might just make our running game better via scheme, coaching methods, fresh approach, as well. Maybe an upgraded and more experienced and healthy OL as well. Even healthy RB's returning.