5 reasons why the Buccaneers shouldn’t draft Jonathan Taylor
By Rob Leeds
Some people have started to call for the Buccaneers to use one of their draft picks on standout running back Jonathan Taylor. Here is why that is a mistake.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have no business using a higher round draft pick on a position like running back, even if the pick is to be used on a player as talented as Jonathan Taylor. There are numerous reasons why this is the case but here is the top five.
1. NFL teams that spend resources on running backs hamstring themselves.
It should be no secret that a team that invests too much in a running back is automatically putting themselves in an extremely precarious position financially.
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Running back is a fickle position, one that is not nearly as relevant as it was even 10 years ago and giving a running back a massive payday takes the funds away from positions that play a far bigger role for the team.
Take the Dallas Cowboys for instance. The Cowboys drafted Ezekiel Elliot fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft and are likely regretting that decision right now. Elliot held out until he got a substantial contract for a six-year extension that now has the Cowboys reeling financially.
The Cowboys want to keep players like quarterback Dak Prescott and corner Byron Jones on the roster but now they may be unable to keep both because of Elliot’s massive contract.
The Cowboys would have been far better off signing a veteran running back for cheaper, letting Elliot walk, and signing their franchise quarterback and a franchise corner to longer deals.
The Cowboys are now stuck with Zeke on their roster and will continually have to pour money into their run game rather than their pass rush or secondary.
Elliot now has all the power and could opt for more of the Todd Gurley load management that L.A. is still recovering from, or get injured and leave the Cowboys without one of their highest-paid players.