The RB Position in Today's NFL

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I think Seatlle has hurt itself by signing S. Alexander to an eight-year $62 M contract. It's going to weaken their ability to fill other positions on the team.

Running the football is an innate talent, it isn't something to be learned from experience. Consequently, the RB position is one that smart football GMs fill out of the draft in order to reduce the hit on their salary cap.

The best move: Pick a good back with a number one or number two pick, pound his young legs for four or five years, then trade him or cut him loose and plug another one in.

Any thoughts?

I agree to a certain extent. Seattle did already have a pretty dominant team on both sides of the ball. They most certainly need some help on the defensive side and they may lose Bernard to FA. I think they're sticking with a proven commodity since Hutchinson may be gone.

While I agree with most of your statements, you have to remember this 8 year deal is probably for 3, 4 max and only $15 million is guaranteed. Although he is 28 years old, he is still in awesome shape and can be productive for the next 3 or 4 years with the type of game they play out there. They pass a very high percentage of the time on 1st down when alot of teams crowd the line expecting run. He doesn't get beat up alot, plus he goes out of bounds when he can, he doesnt enjoy the down field contact.

Or any contact at all.

Seattle couldn't afford to let the league MVP walk away. They're likely to make another run at the Super Bowl again next year.

While running may be an innate talent, good backs are plentiful....great ones are scarce. I would have to say Alexander falls in the latter category.

Would you put him in the great backs category? The good backs you are talking about would become "great" behind that line. Arguably the best offensive line in football (at least the left side is).

I agree to a certain extent. Seattle did already have a pretty dominant team on both sides of the ball. They most certainly need some help on the defensive side and they may lose Bernard to FA. I think they're sticking with a proven commodity since Hutchinson may be gone.

You probably have their thinking right: "sticking with a proven commodity." But, picking RBs in the draft isn't nearly as risky as say picking a QB.

Would you put him in the great backs category? The good backs you are talking about would become "great" behind that line. Arguably the best offensive line in football (at least the left side is).

Possibly, but I think all of the truly great ones ran behind dominant lines. The only exception I can think of would be Barry Sanders. But I would put Alexander in the "great backs" category as far as present day, active runners are concerned. Of all time?? Maybe not, but I think history will ultimately put Alexander in that category when it's all said and done.

To me he just lacks something, but who can argue with his stats.

While I agree with most of your statements, you have to remember this 8 year deal is probably for 3, 4 max and only $15 million is guaranteed. Although he is 28 years old, he is still in awesome shape and can be productive for the next 3 or 4 years with the type of game they play out there.

He has been durable, but he has five years of hard mileage on him.

We saw two backs drafted out of Auburn last year who probably could have produced as well in Seattle's system for less money.