8m per year is basically a top 5 pick.
8m is the entire 4 year contract of a 2nd round pick
8m is double what the average 4th rounders entire contract is.
8m is also double what the chiefs salary cap hit was for their top 3 RBs this year.
Yes but you're using picks that you don't know if they're going to work. When you get a RB from FA you know what you're getting in an NFL back. You can draft a QB/OT/DT and potentially get a solid starter with that same amount of money.
A top 20 OT is costing you a lot more in FA and is very rarely in FA in the first place. You need those draft picks for those positions. Using one of those picks for RB can be very costly indirectly.
An established good RB is helpful with a young QB. If you have an established solid QB then an average RB is perfectly fine.
Is NFL the only sport you can't create a team from free agency?