Randy Orton Is Being Wasted in Current Feud with the Wyatts

Monday on Raw, Randy Orton joined Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose to battle the Wyatts in a never-ending brawl that suited a never-ending feud.

WWE has a strong nucleus of young talent with prominent positions on television, but most seem to be running in place. Randy Orton, the elder statesman of the group, especially seems like he is being wasted.

Orton's talents will never truly be appreciated until he is long gone. Perhaps it's Orton's endless talent that makes us take him for granted. Maybe he just makes it look too easy.

Throughout his career, he has had good matches with a wide variety of wrestlers. Even in his 13th year with WWE, he scored yet another top-six ranking in the annual Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500 (h/t WrestlingInc.com).

Still, Orton finds himself trapped in a six-man tag team feud in need of an expiration date. The Wyatt Family's pivotal feud with The Shield in 2014 was as high-octane as it was brief. With one original member of each faction now absent, the current spin-off seems more like a cheap replacement.

Orton deserves better than to be Seth Rollins' stand-in. WWE's sudden emphasis on secondary championships makes either the Intercontinental or United States Championship division a perfect landing spot for Orton.

Fans may groan at another potential feud between Cena and Orton, but with both men currently babyfaces, this matchup would make for an elite back-and-forth match on television.

After feuding with Seth Rollins, Cena suddenly finds himself without a logical subsequent opponent. The current U.S. champion has just about cleared out the division through a mixture of open challenges and long-term feuds. At this point, most opponents would be just as repetitive as Orton.

Rehashing a feud with Kevin Owens could also be an option. Orton had a short-lived feud with Owens that never had the opportunity to reach its potentially grand heights. Having a future Hall of Famer like Orton challenge for the Intercontinental Championship will only help the perception of that title.

Orton will not be around forever, and it's in WWE's best interest to get the most out of his once-in-a-generation talents. Although he's still in his prime, one must wonder how much longer it will last.

Alfred Konuwa is a featured columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter@ThisIsNasty and subscribe to his weekly wrestling podcast.