kungfoodude

Yeah, I didn't want to do that at the time and very sadly I was 100% correct in the reasons why we shouldn't have done it. It would have been nice to be very wrong and watch him have a Frank Gore-like career here but the data just showed how rarely that happens. It is what it is. So, no to spending a 1st round pick on Robinson. I love him as a player but I have zero desire to fall into that trap again.

And how did that work once he didn't have a QB in SF? Did he drag them to victory? No he didn't. Because that isn't how winning in the NFL works.

It's not really about his best or not his best. Even at his best, it didn't have a dramatic impact on wins and losses. I posted the article here a few seasons ago(around the time we were talking about extending him) and it was a detailed statistical analysis that specifically resulted in win shares for RB's being one of the lowest positions on any NFL offense. And that has always been the big problem with paying money like that to a RB. This isn't the 70's or 80's or even 90's. It isn't "featured" backs anymore that have 400+ carries a year until they are ground to dust because that is what wins. That's not modern NFL football. RB's are complimentary players and the decline in overall top paid players at the position very much reflects the league recognizing that this has been the trend. That's the problem a lot of the irrational CMC fanboys have with this argument. It literally has NOTHING to do with CMC the player. It's about the position and how it has evolved into something that doesn't need a $8+ mil/year player. Much less one double that cost.

CMC's return was legitimately terrible. That's very little his fault but the return was insanely bad. We are 24-34 when he starts games in his career here(for reference we are 15-24 when he doesn't start/play, including after he was traded in 2022). His stats were great, but the missed games were nuts and I think it's also kind of clear that he isn't quite as explosive as he once was. Will always be in the discussion for best RB in franchise history but he is also a case study in why you don't spend money on the position anymore. Unfortunately for us, it was about case file 25 or so. It isn't like there aren't ample examples of why not to pay big money for RB's over the past 20 years.

We can sign a FA RB or draft a later round guy....or both.

Yeah but I can't think of any trade scenario where we aren't giving up next years first or multiple picks(2nd and 3rd/4th or whatever). I would rather have a cheaper running back in the 2nd-5th round that I can get away with because we might have a pretty good OL. We gotta get away from this strategy of having an elite RB. It really doesn't matter anymore. Doesn't mean it isn't nice to have but it just doesn't win games in the modern NFL. If we can get an elite talent at a not 1st round price, all in.

Honestly, it's hard for me to think of a reasonable price that would be accepted in that scenario. Robinson is arguably the best player in the draft regardless of position but there is absolutely no way I would take another RB in the top 15 unless it was literally the only thing lacking on my football team. It's just such an insanely devalued position. Just look at the playoff teams.

But this is literally NFL players, free agents specifically, we are talking about. That's what this whole sidebar was about.

I have been around enough people of all ages across the entire country to know that income tax rate is pretty low on almost everyone's list of reasons to move to a state. It matters to some but to make it out like free agents are going to avoid us as a franchise is laughably stupid. Especially considering how low NC's state income tax is anyway.

You are assuming this matters to the bulk of people. If that were the case, the population of each state would be dramatically different.

I would say I wouldn't see him retiring until late 30's. That is typical for someone of his level. Depending on health and decline, obviously.

Agreed. If it is a scenario that the Bears are shopping him, then you don't spend what he was worth a couple of years ago on him. He's now worth less. I believe this will be a moot point and they will stand pat on Fields.

We will see. I don't blame him for leaving the McDaniels situation but I don't want to see us end up in some bidding war. If we sign him to some big deal, it's going to make us have to make some tough decisions in the near future.

https://www.thescore.com/nfl/news/2574010 The New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, and Carolina Panthers will be among the teams interested in signing Derek Carr once he's released Tuesday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. That is an interesting group. Of them, we probably have the best coaching situation for a QB. I wonder if this will come down to money or the best situation to win.

Just look at a lot of his interviews and whatnot. He isn't a very charismatic guy. He's a little weird.

IMO, Brady is going to be very cringy at this job.

1. Joe Burrow 2. Josh Allen 3. Justin Herbert 4. Lamar Jackson 5. Jalen Hurts 6. Trevor Lawrence 7. Bryce Young 8. Tua Tagovaiola 9. CJ Stroud

I love Lamar but this is an exceptionally strange argument to be making for a guy with a 1-3 playoff record.

I swear we have some of the dumbest fans.

I 100% disagree with calling a rookie that.

Yeah, the improvement question is valid. That's always valid when you are an older player. It's also the classic thing that tanks draft stock on older players. Not stepping up and getting better.

@ellis talked about the trade on a previous edition of The Roar and they basically said there is no one on thr current roster they likely wouldn't trade at that value. I think fans really don't have a realistic idea of how big of a trade offer that was, nor how rare it is to see. I doubt there are more than 10 successful trades with that value in the past 20 years. I would be willing to bet the bulk(if not all) are for QB's.

I sincerely hope no one here actually hates Brian Burns. He has done absolutely nothing to generate hate much less even casual dislike. He is probably the best player on our roster at the moment.

The age think is easily the most overplayed thing in the draft game, especially for QB's. All of these guys are young enough to navigate a learning curve and that position has extreme longevity unless you are a bruising runner. I think the question is if he is actually raw or he has some fundamental flaw in processing.