Howard v Davis -- Draft Wars Semi-Final

Discussion in 'NFL Draft' started by The Hammer, Apr 21, 2017.

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Who would you rather the Titans draft?

Poll closed Apr 24, 2017.
  1. OJ Howard

    51.1%
  2. Corey Davis

    48.9%
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  1. 8isGreat

    8isGreat Starter Tip Jar Donor

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    The more interviews I see/hear of Davis, the more I like the guy...which is similar to how I feel about Mariota. Would absolutely love to see that connection for years to come!

    As I've stated before, Davis would be my first choice among the big 3 WRs and I believe he'll have the best NFL career out of the 3...unless of course, he goes to a team like the Browns or the Jets in which all bets are off. :anon:
     
  2. Fry

    Fry Welcome to the land of tomorrow!

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    **** you.
     
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  3. Ontario Titan

    Ontario Titan Pro Bowler

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    Why didn't you vote for him then??
     
  4. titantrusince82

    titantrusince82 I'm down with the Titans for better or worse

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    RECOUNT 2017!!!!!!

    I did't get a chance to vote! Corey Davis!
     
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  5. 8isGreat

    8isGreat Starter Tip Jar Donor

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    Because, as much as I love Davis, I love Howard more, especially for our Team! If any team in the league could use Howard, it's us!

    Not sure if you are into the Xs and Os, schemes or inner workings of football like I am, but as I mentioned earlier, we run a lot 12 and 22 personnel packages; matter of fact we run more two-tight end sets than most teams in the league. (Not sure of the exact number or percentage, but it's a lot!...I wouldn't be surprised if we lead the league in that category). Plain and simple, Mularkey loves and lives by a two-tight end approach. This makes having two really good tight ends critically important.

    Like it or not, Mularkey's Exotic Smashmouth is a variation of an antiquated offense that relies heavily on the TE position and doesn't spread things out like most other offenses in the NFL.

    Furthermore, in the modern era of football, more and more teams have been turning to a 3-4 defense in order to confuse QBs and a two-tight end scheme is a great equalizer to this.

    Finally, there are a lot of similarities between Howard's skill-set and Gronk's and we all know what Gronk can do. I'd imagine Howard could pose a similar problem for opposing defenses as Gronk, especially in a tight end-friendly offense such as ours.

    If we ran an offense that spread things out more and relied more heavily on wide receiver, Davis would have won out, but that's just not the reality of the Exotic Smashmouth offense we run. We can get away with receivers that are average, but average tight ends = we're toast!

    Having said all that, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing if our offense sputtered because then we might be forced to switch to an offense that is better suited for Mariota's talents. He's far better statistically in a spread formation!
     
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  6. TitansWrath

    TitansWrath Pro Bowler

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    I believe we can run a two tight end spread formation. By which I mean the tes can act just as the slot receivers would in a spread. Only difference is the power run game remains a viable threat.

    I think if done well, it could be very effective. No, whether our staff can do that, is a question.
     
  7. Ontario Titan

    Ontario Titan Pro Bowler

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    No I'm not into that much, just enjoy watching the games lol ..thanks for the explanation.
    Why didn't we take Hunter Henry last year then instead of the 6 duds we had at TE?
    I do agree though, as much as Id like Davis, Howard would be a great addition to the offense. Just not sure at 5 but we'll see in 3 days :)
     
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  8. 8isGreat

    8isGreat Starter Tip Jar Donor

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    Not sure, but more than likely because JRob and Mularkey felt there were bigger needs to address in the draft and both were content with Fasano and felt he was sufficient as a TE2 for the time being. Fasano is an exceptional run blocker.

    If we don't get someone like Howard to replace him, Fasano might be a bigger free agent loss than most people realize.
     
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  9. Ontario Titan

    Ontario Titan Pro Bowler

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    Some concerns about OJ, not sure how legit they are but same thing said about Hooker.

    From NFL draft profile....
    ANALYSIS
    Weaknesses
    Will need more muscle and mass to be an in-line blocker as a pro. Appears passive. Doesn't have the field demeanor of most Alabama players. Needs better hand strength to sustain his blocks. Can do better job of working feet into position after contact. Needs urgency in his routes to tilt defenders and get them guessing. Needs to show more elusiveness after the catch. Saw playing time diminish from junior to senior season. Explosive talent who doesn't make enough explosive plays. Scheme creates some wide-open deep-ball catches at time. Scouts question his competitive nature.

    Draft Projection
    Round 1

    Sources Tell Us
    "Alabama recruited a shiny toy but (Lane) Kiffin never really knew what to do with it. I don't worry about the talent at all. He could be an all-pro. I just need to know if he loves football." -- NFC general manager

    NFL Comparison
    Julius Thomas

    Bottom Line
    Howard has struggled to live up to hype that has come with his play-making ability while at Alabama, but some scouts put the blame on the staff and scheme. He has elite athletic traits and raw talent, but must add polish to go along with those attributes. Should become substantially more productive as a pro, but the difference between "potential weapon" and "elite tight end" will likely be tied to his desire and overall football character
     
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  10. Gut

    Gut Pro Bowler

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    Kiffen definitely kept him in to block a lot more than you'd expect on passing downs for a guy of his size and athleticism...especially when they had inexperience at QB. A big running game and a great TE are a young qb's best friends! I think Bama's philosophy tends to be smash mouth and take deep shots or make people pay for how they are trying to contain the run game (singling up outside wr's).

    We can nitpick his game a bit, but he has Greg Olson ability in the passing game and is by far the best current run blocker of any of the TE's coming out than have a high ability level in the passing game. This is why he's by far, the best overall TE prospect. He's also a clean prospect in terms of character, off the field stuff, medical, blah blah blah and we could truly have a scary TE combo that creates match up and personell problems for opposing defenses.

    I think a lot of the technical things he will get coached up with NFL coaching as will all of these guys, but he has no glaring flaws other than he wasn't used like you would expect in college in the passing game. He was quite effective as a run blocker though every prospect coming out needs to improve strength, hands, blah blah blah.

    I have no concerns about Howard though I think the only thing we can't measure is how much he loves football. On the flip side, super talented guys that are asked to play a secondary role (outside of the championship games) usually transfer or complain about not being used. We heard none of that from him and the fact that he was willing to work so hard on his run blocking and do it quite a bit gives me the feeling he's a team first guy.

    A JRob kind of guy. Doesn't mean we'll take him, but we certainly could.
     
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