Welcome Frank Smith Our New Run Game Coordinator

[Fleet]

I think people are giving Mike Williams too much credit. He is a big guy, but he was never the kind of big body guy who has physical and could block on the edge like Jackson or some of those other big WR are.

Personally, I would keep Henry. We still need an inline TE. Only a few TE caught 50-60 passes last year, and Henry catches 50-60 passes every year. He can also block, which is actually the harder thing to find a replacement for him. A guys who can do both catch and block is worth a lot. Henry will never be able to match Kelcie's production because of where he aligns. Unless we make the concious efffort to split him out most of the time, he just can't get in the routes quickly enough to be a 80-90 catch guy, and he lacks the speed/quickness/power/wiggle to get the YAC that Kelcie gets.

As far as OL go, I wouldn't spend a lot on FA. No big money guys at all. Again, if you want to piss money away, build a bonfire. You will get more out of it in the end.

If I was going to rebuild the OL by FA, I would go the Buffalo route. Keep most or all of the old OL, bring in new low price FA guys for like $2-4 mill per season (just over league min), but bring in a lot. And don't be afraid to still draft guys. Then let them all compete. Be willing to let any/all of them sit, and if none of them are playing well, sign guys off other teams cuts. It's the only way that FA works is if players know ... perform or else.

If Tevi, Feeney and Lamp don't like it, ... tough the door is over there. You improved but not enough to have a job locked down. FA won't sign without a guaranteed job ... go ahead and sign with someone else to be a backup ($2-4 mill is backup OL money anyway). High draft pick ... there is still plenty of vets and undrafted guys who will perform at the level we have been getting and will do it for NOTHING. Don't give anyone a job, make everyone earn their roster spot, let alone a starting spot.

Mike Williams is an OK WR, but he is really not showing a lot of chemistry with Herbert. He is still goodish, but not $15 mill good. If he clears waivers and all that, I am OK with letting him compete for a roster spot, but I think you have to let Johnson and Guyton compete for playing time, even if you have Williams on the roster.

Pitts is just the kind of guy that you HAVE to have the OC sign off on. Does the OC have a plan and some packages to use him? If he does, then mix in some regular plays where you use him as a traditional inline TE or traditional slot (which he does at lot of FL) as a 2nd TE and you have a plan to use him. Pitts is not the ideal classic inline TE, but if you have a plan on how to use him, he is the kind of weapon we need. We still need a true inline guy to be the guy who blocks the edge. Pitts would be our Kelcie type of guy, and they are rarely using him as the frontside inline TE on running plays anymore. Pitts can fill that same role.

To some degree, I think Pardam can do many of the same things, he is just not as advanced as Pitts is already. However, that is one thing that makes the idea of having a "Pitts plan" exciting. if Pitts were to get hurt, you can keep going with it. Maybe you par it back, because Pardam is not that guy, but you can still keep moving ahead, with Pardam as the poor man's Pitts.

Sounds good man. Really like this in depth break down. I just think of Pitts as a serious mismatch. Teams have to account for him. I like Henry a lot but even when he was out we seemed to find ways to hit our TEs. Sometimes think this offense is really TE friendly. He is really solid so im not totally opposed to Henry coming back. But he will be spendy. Maybe it makes sense to see if the tag comes way down for tight ends and then pencil him in a year. When i first brought up Pitts a while back it was with the caveat that we let MW walk and maybe even look at the draft for another later round WR. I like this draft for WRs. Its deep. Just so high on Guyton and Johnsons development. The thought of Henry and Pitts on the field at the same time makes me wet. Its certainly cheaper than MW. Wonder if there is a later round TE we could also look at to develop in that Henry roll. So after one more season maybe we have his inline/pass catching abilities covered by an up and coming developmental TE.

[northerner]

Sounds good man. Really like this in depth break down. I just think of Pitts as a serious mismatch. Teams have to account for him. I like Henry a lot but even when he was out we seemed to find ways to hit our TEs. Sometimes think this offense is really TE friendly. He is really solid so im not totally opposed to Henry coming back. But he will be spendy. Maybe it makes sense to see if the tag comes way down for tight ends and then pencil him in a year. When i first brought up Pitts a while back it was with the caveat that we let MW walk and maybe even look at the draft for another later round WR. I like this draft for WRs. Its deep. Just so high on Guyton and Johnsons development. The thought of Henry and Pitts on the field at the same time makes me wet. Its certainly cheaper than MW. Wonder if there is a later round TE we could also look at to develop in that Henry roll. So after one more season maybe we have his inline/pass catching abilities covered by an up and coming developmental TE.

Pitts could be the surprise jackpots who falls to us at 13. we'll have to see. depending on how many QB and WR picks jump in ahead of us. i am rooting for OL or DL, but if Pitts falls to us.....

[WindsorUK]

Having a Sewell or Parsons drop to 13 would be unreal! I'm not going to hold my breath though.
Am REALLY against taking offensive skill positions( RB, WR, TE) early but Pitts at 13.....I'd have to think about that one.
We should know by draft day if HH will be here in 2021 so it'll be easy- if Henry is on board, we go OL. If Hunter is gone, then......maybe....if he's there.