2020 NFL Draft Discussion

[Topcat]

I was star struck last night watching Tennessee's OL basically chew up and spit out the Patriots D. Henry had holes you could drive my camper through and he romped for what, 160, 170 yards? I broke down the Titans O-line this morning for a look see.

LT - Taylor Lewan - 1st round draft pick at # 11

LG - Roger Saffold - A round 2 pick at 33rd overall. However he was a FA acquisition for the Titans in 2019

C - Ben Jones - The low man on the totem pole as a 4th round pick in 2012. BUT, he was somebody else's 4th rounder and Tennessee let somebody else groom him and grabbed him in 2016 Free Agency.

RG - Nate Davis - a 2019 third round pick by the Titans

RT - Jack Conklin - 1st round pick in 2016 @ # 8.

What I see is a skillfully crafted OL that has led to great team success. Tackles are always discussed as the MOST important part of the OL. Tennessee did not skimp by investing two number one picks on their starting tackles. And they average as a top 10 pick each. They invested wisely in these guys and took quality to get quality. LG and C are free agents. Absolute proof that good to great can be found in FA. BUT they did not get tackles there, just interior OL. As for Nate Davis, I don't really know too much on him. But you can see that they sandwiched a rookie in between two solid veterans. Help to the left and help to the right. No island here like us sticking a rook or a UDFA on our edge.

This makes me jealous as hell. This is what Rivers and our RB core needed and is our biggest need headed into 2020 uncertainty. C'mon Tom, let's get our shit together.

Great points. Rebuild our O-line with high draft picks AND FA...what I've been saying for MONTHS...

[Topcat]

LOL...stop that shit...your gonna scare the kids...

Brady looks worse than Rivers to me...except for the interceptions.

In all fairness to Brady...some of those picks or near-picks were bouncies...and a lot of drops by his receivers...having said that, it's clear TB's skills are on the downhill slope...

[Topcat]

TB12 says it's "highly unlikely" that he retires.

Get ready to stitch a new name on the back of your Stan Humphries jersey.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Raiders and Chuckie sign Brady, and throw Carr under the bus...

[Boltjolt]

Wills has started 27 games in a row
if Tua is dumb enough to go back to school with a new guy (5star whatever)
to protect his blindside then I change my mind about Tua, so it works itself out.

Can't say I agree with that. He knows who is next in line better than we do. The next RT may also be a first round talent. They always seem to be.

[Boltjolt]

The beauty about taking a QB in the top 10 these days is that it wont set you back 60M like they used to coming into the league. And if you dont have to trade up and spend 3 #1's its not the end of the world if they dont pan out. That alone makes the risk of taking Tua or Herbert less scary for me. But there are some guys like Okudah, Brown, Simmons and Thomas that could easily be stars for us for years to come. Im not opposed to risk at pick 6....but i like sure things. Safer picks. Im not a fan of these QBs at 6. Il just get that out of the way now. But im totally willing to accept one if hes the guy and will go to bat completely for his success.

But there is some prime meat at 6 in this draft with Thomas and Brown. And im fucking tired as fuck watching our trenches get dominated every week.

YOU CANT DO SHIT WITHOUT THEM

Agree with the beef but I don't have faith in our front office to do the right thing.

[dmac_bolt]

I was star struck last night watching Tennessee's OL basically chew up and spit out the Patriots D. Henry had holes you could drive my camper through and he romped for what, 160, 170 yards? I broke down the Titans O-line this morning for a look see.

LT - Taylor Lewan - 1st round draft pick at # 11

LG - Roger Saffold - A round 2 pick at 33rd overall. However he was a FA acquisition for the Titans in 2019

C - Ben Jones - The low man on the totem pole as a 4th round pick in 2012. BUT, he was somebody else's 4th rounder and Tennessee let somebody else groom him and grabbed him in 2016 Free Agency.

RG - Nate Davis - a 2019 third round pick by the Titans

RT - Jack Conklin - 1st round pick in 2016 @ # 8.

What I see is a skillfully crafted OL that has led to great team success. Tackles are always discussed as the MOST important part of the OL. Tennessee did not skimp by investing two number one picks on their starting tackles. And they average as a top 10 pick each. They invested wisely in these guys and took quality to get quality. LG and C are free agents. Absolute proof that good to great can be found in FA. BUT they did not get tackles there, just interior OL. As for Nate Davis, I don't really know too much on him. But you can see that they sandwiched a rookie in between two solid veterans. Help to the left and help to the right. No island here like us sticking a rook or a UDFA on our edge.

This makes me jealous as hell. This is what Rivers and our RB core needed and is our biggest need headed into 2020 uncertainty. C'mon Tom, let's get our shit together.

I saw a few good things. First, to agree, I saw a good OL as well and I too envied the Titan's brutal grinding of NE's defense compared to LAC's inability to gain a 3rd and 1 or stay out of 2nd and 9. I fully agree their investment in OL is 180 degrees from TT's failed approach, and it shows. The OL played well, NE didn't get alot of pressure with 4 rushers - compared LAC where 4 rushers often beat the snot out of our 5 OL plus blocking TE plus blocking RB. NE had to blitz alot, Tannehill didn't take advantage as much as he should have.

But I also a beast in Henry make alot of tough yards after contact where there wasnt anything there, LAC does not have a Henry. MG and Eke aren't getting all of those yards.

And I also saw an offense that only scored 14 points until the very unwise garbage pick6 with seconds left (that the DB should have just sat down on and won the game, McCree anyone? ok - not exactly the same as at last Titan's scored). the Titans D won that game as much as their OL. 14 points doesn't win alot of games on its own. in fairness, they only needed to grind out the clock, not score again, so game management was part of it. But that grinder game loses if NE can simply score one more time.

last, I saw a Titan QB run some key escapes at times and sneaks to add pressure to the NE defense. thats 3 of so far 4 playoff teams with a QB who can run some to alot . Tannehill is no LJ, but he's a hundred steps ahead of Phil. A QB who can run some (or more) is the future of NFL. Caveat is he MUST first and foremost be a great passer - a run-only QB will never succeed in the NFL. It must be an ADDED dimension, not a trade off from the #1 job which is to throw the ball.

[Boltgang74]

Wow everyone sees that win in their own way.Us trench munchers see an excellent o line,the Rivers nay sayers see Henry wnnin it with the help of Tanne runnin lol.Half of us here are gonna be Pissed come draft day lol (hope it aint me!)

[Boltjolt]

Wow everyone sees that win in their own way.Us trench munchers see an excellent o line,the Rivers nay sayers see Henry wnnin it with the help of Tanne runnin lol.Half of us here are gonna be Pissed come draft day lol (hope it aint me!)

Agree..you win in the trenches, you most likely win the game.

Lets not forget Tannehill also tore his ACL running the ball before as did Garopallo so this running/mobile QB has its possitives and negatives as does a pocket passer type. Everyone just wants to opposite of what we have now.

[blueman]

What QB coming out is as immobile as Rivers? And who is crying for him?

Whichever way we go, our QB will have increased mobility.

[Boltgang74]

Which will matter little with TTs high school O line

[Steve]

With the way college teams all play spread or spread-like offenses, every QB is going to have more mobility than Rivers.

The mobile QB thing is been trying to happen for the last 40 years or so. There are always a lot of college QB who are fast and cannot throw, and NFL team periodically try and find ways of using these guys, either mostly as runners, or as developmental QB who run while they learn to pass. It has never really taken off. At some point, you need QB who can read defenses and adjust to what is going on around them.

The Ravens, Chiefs and Houston have all scaled their offenses down to be able to play a game their QB can handle. Last year a lot of NFL teams followed our lead and played predominantly dime D. Then the Ravens countered with a jumbo package O that is mostly zone reads, RPO, some power runs and play action. Now the ball is back on the court of the DC who need to find a way to slow down/stop teams from playing their games. Ask Watson, Mahomes, and Jackson to throw drop back passing and move the ball in the air, those offenses won't look nearly so good.

[21&500]

I saw a few good things. First, to agree, I saw a good OL as well and I too envied the Titan's brutal grinding of NE's defense compared to LAC's inability to gain a 3rd and 1 or stay out of 2nd and 9. I fully agree their investment in OL is 180 degrees from TT's failed approach, and it shows. The OL played well, NE didn't get alot of pressure with 4 rushers - compared LAC where 4 rushers often beat the snot out of our 5 OL plus blocking TE plus blocking RB. NE had to blitz alot, Tannehill didn't take advantage as much as he should have.

But I also a beast in Henry make alot of tough yards after contact where there wasnt anything there, LAC does not have a Henry. MG and Eke aren't getting all of those yards.

And I also saw an offense that only scored 14 points until the very unwise garbage pick6 with seconds left (that the DB should have just sat down on and won the game, McCree anyone? ok - not exactly the same as at last Titan's scored). the Titans D won that game as much as their OL. 14 points doesn't win alot of games on its own. in fairness, they only needed to grind out the clock, not score again, so game management was part of it. But that grinder game loses if NE can simply score one more time.

last, I saw a Titan QB run some key escapes at times and sneaks to add pressure to the NE defense. thats 3 of so far 4 playoff teams with a QB who can run some to alot . Tannehill is no LJ, but he's a hundred steps ahead of Phil. A QB who can run some (or more) is the future of NFL. Caveat is he MUST first and foremost be a great passer - a run-only QB will never succeed in the NFL. It must be an ADDED dimension, not a trade off from the #1 job which is to throw the ball.

Spot on.
only thing I’d argue is ekeler might have done better than Henry with those holes, weird to say after however many yards Henry got, but I saw plenty of yards left on the field. Ekelers acceleration alone would have broken some of Henry’s 5 to 10 yard runs. Of course I’m not accounting for how defenses would defend an Ekeler type, but Eke might have literally done better. Great job by that Oline indeed