Youth is an asset since you potentially get more years out of a player. I tend to focus on Goff's age for example, how he had a few years in the NFL developing before he reached Wentz's drafted age. This advantage could pay off dividends in the long run, but there is a different side to the equation. The money.
Drafting a young gun with potential and up side is fun, but what happens when you develop them for three years and they finally break out? You get one good year out of them before you have to pay or let them walk. Compare Reynolds with Kupp. Kupp has given us production out the gate, Reynolds took time and has shown flashes. If both play lights out this year and due to Ramsey and JJ etc we cannot afford to keep either, we got way more out of Kupp than Reynolds over their rookie contracts.
With the premium on cheap starters that contribute, the strategy of drafting more developed seniors may be a strategy to get production from day one. You sacrifice the ceiling to get a higher floor. If you get some players ready to start day one and contribute for the next four years then it frees you up to pay guys like Donald and Ramsey etc. I wonder if the salary cap was a factor in any of our picks yesterday. Seems like Jefferson and Burgess might be prime examples,
