By Derek Arnold
On Sunday, the Ravens lost.
They lost to a very good football team.
They lost to a very good football team with a Hall-of-Fame head coach.
They lost to a very good football team with a Hall-of-Fame head coach and a Hall-of-Fame quarterback.
They lost to a very good football team with a Hall-of-Fame head coach and a Hall-of-Fame quarterback, who had two weeks to rest and prepare.
They lost to a very good football team with a Hall-of-Fame head coach and a Hall-of-Fame quarterback, who had two weeks to rest and prepare, on the road.
All of that, I can deal with.
What makes this loss so difficult to stomach is what I neglected to mention above…
On Sunday, the Ravens lost to a very good football team with a Hall-of-Fame head coach and quarterback, who had two weeks to rest and prepare, on the road…in a game in which they held a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
Yeah. That last point is the inexcusable part. For the first 45 minutes of the game, the Ravens beat the Patriots up and down the field, building a 20-10 lead with 14:57 remaining. What was unfortunate, and what ultimately proved to be the difference in the game, was that in the four plays prior to Billy Cundiff’s 25-yard field goal gave the Ravens what would be their final points for the day, Ravens’ receivers dropped two potential touchdown passes. On the first, Anquan Boldin was separated from the ball by a New England safety after a perfect strike from Joe Flacco from 20 yards out. On the second, Derrick Mason heard footsteps and couldn’t haul in what should have been a seven-yard score.
Sure, both plays would have required impressive, if not spectacular, catches. But both Boldin and Mason got two hands on the ball, and in the NFL, those passes should have been caught – especially by veterans like those two. If they are, this recap likely has a much different tone.
Compounding the problem was that, after that series, the Ravens offense (both playcalling and execution) seemed to climb aboard the plane back to Baltimore. With the exception of an 18-yard pass from Flacco to Boldin on the opening play of their next drive, the Ravens offense went 3-and-out, 3-and-out, 3-and-out on their next three possessions of regulation and overtime. The aforementioned Boldin completion came with 10:24 left in the fourth. The Ravens would not pick up another first down until the 10:17 mark of overtime – over a full quarter of play.
Three plays after that 10:24 first down, a sequence that could likely be pointed to as the pivotal one of the game unfolded.
On 3rd-and-1 from their own 47, leading 20-17, Cam Cameron called for a quarterback sneak. A play which, for anyone watching, was obviously doomed from the start. Flacco attempted to go through Pats’ defensive linemen Vince Wilfork and Greg Warren, and didn’t have a prayer.
The talk radio lines will no doubt be lighting up this week with people blaming Cameron for the odd call, and Flacco for not recognizing the defense and audibling out of the play. What is likely to be an even greater point of contention this week in B’More, though, is what happened next.
Facing 4th-and-the length of the football, Coach John “you have to put teams away when you have the chance” Harbaugh elected to punt. To punt the ball back to Tom Brady and the Patriots offense, who were fresh off an 8-play, 60-yard drive where they faced only a single first down, in that situation…puzzling, to say that least. To say a bit more, it was the kind of decision that we just aren’t used to seeing from Harbaugh, who has proven during his 2+ years as the head coach, that he has plenty of “balls” in those type of situations. This time, though, he went timid, and the Ravens paid dearly.
It wasn’t just Harbaugh that went into a shell in the fourth quarter and overtime though. He took the entire Baltimore coaching staff with him.
Cam Cameron stopped picking on the Patriots’ secondary.
Greg Mattison gave Brady the short underneath stuff in the passing game, and Brady took it eagerly.
Now, give New England credit. As mentioned, they have a great coaching staff of their own, and those guys made the necessary adjustments. They took away Flacco’s passing lanes. They threw quick screen after quick screen on offense. They did what was necessary to win the game. What the Ravens’ coaches were up to is anybody’s guess.
Flacco played very well all day, going 27/35 for 285 yards and two touchdowns. I don’t know if the Ravens’ coaches’ tentative mentality was preached to Joe on the sideline during the fourth quarter or what, but he wasn’t the same after those two dropped touchdown passes. He seemed much more willing to check down to Ray Rice, even though Rice was routinely swarmed by New England linebackers.
That’s another area where New England must be commended – they were not going to let Rice destroy them like he did in the two 2009 meetings. Although there seemed to be some nice holes on the Ravens’ opening drive, ultimately Rice ran the ball 28 times for just 88 yards, and his long of the day was just eight. He added eight receptions for 38 yards, but really wasn’t a major factor in the game.
Which brings us to the next puzzling thing about the gameplan of the Ravens’ staff…
Where the hell was Willis McGahee???
McGahee did not see a single touch in Foxborough, and I’m not even positive he was at the stadium. Sure, I was calling for Rice to take over goalline duties from Willis, but to just leave #23 on the sideline all afternoon? Especially considering the relative lack of success that Rice was having? It just makes absolutely no sense to me that McGahee was never even inserted as a sort of change-of-pace, and I’ll be anticipating how Cameron and Harbaugh explain that fact this week.
Before we wrap up, we can’t excuse the Ravens’ defense or special teams here either. While it’s commendable to hold New England to just 23 points, after they had put up 38 in each of their prior two home games, there were some disturbing signs from the “D.”
First off, what the hell is it with the Ravens’ inability to stop white running backs? We all remember Peyton Hillis running roughshod over them in week 2, and in Foxborough, Danny Freakin’ Woodhead had 63 yards and 5.7 per carry. They also had a hell of a time tackling Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, and Deion Branch, allowing the Pats to rack up an incredible amount of YAC, after doing such a great job against the Denver Broncos last week.
Next, Mattison’s insistence to only rush three men so often is starting to cost the team. By now we know not to expect the kind of blitzes that we saw when Rex Ryan was in town, but giving Tom Brady 5 or 6 seconds to find a receiver down near the end zone isn’t a recipe for success in any universe. I don’t care if the Ravens emptied the bench and put 12 guys in the end zone covering Pats’ receivers, if Brady can basically take his helmet off back there and stand flat footed, he’s going to find someone. And that’s exactly what he did to get New England to within 20-17. With the exception of Haloti Ngata, the Ravens’ pass rush was disturbingly non-existent, especially considering the past success they have had against the Patriots.
Finally, we come to special teams. While they never came up with the huge game-breaker that we feared, and that they used to beat Miami in week 4, New England was clearly the superior unit on Sunday.
Jalen Parmele needs to be out of a job. His indecision/terrible decisions cost the Ravens a good bit of field position on at least two occasions.
Neither Chris Carr nor Tom Zbikowski can generate anything on punt returns. And when it seems like they just MIGHT, it’s always because someone else is illegally blocking or holding. On top of that, their refusal to come up and field punts that aren’t hit directly to them cost the team additional field position several times. It’s a sad state of affairs for the Ravens’ return games.
Even Billy Cundiff, despite his three touchbacks, had a costly gaffe. After going up 20-10, Cundiff’s ensuing kickoff squirted out of bounds at about the two yard line…two yards too soon, which resulted in the Patriots starting at their own 40-yard line.
The Ravens outplayed the Patriots for three quarters Sunday. Despite the Pats having two weeks to prepare, the Ravens appeared ready to take their best shot and bring a 5-1 record back to B’More.
Unfortunately, they were outplayed and (thoroughly) outcoached during the final quarter and the overtime period, and 4-2 is the result.
Still not a terrible place to be, after four tough road games, and with only a home game against Buffalo standing between us and the bye week.
Oh, and a certain guy who wears #20 is rumored to be coming back this week.
Things could be worse.
http://www.bmorebirdsnest.com/
Ricky Stanzi Scout
Quarterback
Iowa
6-4 223
Draft Board Overall Prospect Rank: #83
Draft Board Overall Quarterback Rank: #6
Rating: 71 (mid 3rd)
40 time: 4.93
3/23/11: Stanzi once again didn’t look great throwing, this time at his Pro Day. He’s still a solid mid round prospect, but I’m moving him down a bit.
2/17/11: Ricky Stanzi isn’t going to amaze you with physical tools, but he has experience in a Pro Style offense and statistically had a very good year last year. He completed 64% of his passes for an average of 8.7 YPA as a season and 25 touchdowns to 6 picks. He did this, however, with a lot of his help from his running game and defense.
Iowa frequently would run the I formation, with two running backs. This is a Pro Style offense and Stanzi has the experience taking snaps under center, dropping back, he’s got very refined footwork, a smart decision maker who makes good reads, but he didn’t ever prove he could carry a team. He has an above average arm when he does throw, but he rarely needs to throw far downfield because he’s frequently operating out of 2nd and 3rd and shorts, with the defense keying in on the running game.
That being said, his above average arm, mature decision making, refined footwork, and Pro Style experience are going to be intriguing to a team in the 3rd round range. He doesn’t need as much work as a lot of the quarterbacks in this class and he’s a relatively safe pick at quarterback. He’s not a huge upside guy. I don’t think he’ll end up a franchise quarterback. He’s got the arm strength, but I don’t think he was tested enough in college and he did show some inconsistencies.
He threw 15 picks to 17 touchdowns in 2009. He improved his decision making from 2009 to 2010, but he still played fairly inconsistently. He was very inconsistent at the Senior Bowl as well, though many note the strong leadership skills he displayed in the game, leading a touchdown drive down 17 points.
NFL Comparison: Chad Henne
Safeties 2012
Updated 4/4/12
QB RB FB WR TE OT G C DE RLB DT NT 3-4 DE OLB MLB CB S K P
Scoring System
100 Once in a decade prospect
95-99 Elite talent
90-95 Solid top 10 pick
85-90 Solid first round pick
80-85 Late 1st-early 2nd
75-80 Solid 2nd round pick
70-75 Solid 3rd round pick
65-70 3rd-4th round pick
60-65 4th-5th round pick
55-60 5th round pick
50-55 6th round pick
45-50 7th round pick
40-45 Undrafted, invite to training camp
<40 No NFL Future
1. Mark Barron (Alabama) 83
2. Harrison Smith (Notre Dame) 79
3. Brandon Taylor (LSU) 72
4. Antonio Allen (South Carolina) 67
5. Trumaine Johnson (Montana) 65
6. Markelle Martin (Oklahoma State) 64
7. George Iloka (Boise State) 63
8. Tramain Thomas (Arkansas) 62
9. Aaron Henry (Wisconsin) 57
10. Christian Thompson (South Carolina State) 57
11. Trenton Robinson (Michigan State) 54
12. Phillip Thomas (Syracuse) 53
13. Sean Richardson (Vanderbilt) 52
14. Janzen Jackson (McNesse State) 51
15. Blake Gideon (Texas) 50
16. Winston Guy (Kentucky) 50
18. Justin Bethel (Presbyterian) 46
19. RJ Blanton (Notre Dame) 46
Seahawks/Bears
By Ryan Glab
Bears offense vs. Seahawks defense
Jay Cutler will return to action this week after sitting out last game due to lingering effects from the concussion he suffered against the Giants two weeks ago. That should immediately open up the passing game from what we saw last week when Todd Collins had a disastrous outing. What also will help is the return of Chris Williams, who has been moved inside to left guard to replace Roberto Garza, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery this week. Some are skeptical whether the move will work based on Frank Omiyale’s poor performance at guard last year after being moved inside from tackle, but at this point it makes sense to at least try. The difference between Williams and Omiyale is that Omiyale is a more natural fit at tackle whereas many scouts felt Williams would make a better NFL guard than tackle. We’ll see how that goes, but a more healthy and young Williams is an upgrade over a hobbled Garza. Last week, out of necessity, the Bears got the run game going and they stuck with it even when it started to stall in the middle of the game. Against the Seahawks, however, they’re probably not going to attempt to run the ball too much against Seattle’s No. 2 run defense. And why bother trying? The Seahawks have the second-worst pass defense in the league and Cutler should be able to pick apart the secondary with the help of a good game plan by Mike Martz. The past two weeks the Bears receivers have not been involved in the game plan much due to the beating Cutler took in the Giants game and the focus on the run game against Carolina. I expect Devin Hester, Johnny Knox, and Greg Olsen to have a more active role this week. Matt Forte will be included in the passing game as well.
Advantage: Bears
Bears defense vs. Seahawks offense
The Bears defense has inched its way up the rankings to No. 17 overall in pass defense, and following another solid outing against a good Panthers running attack, they’re back up to the third-best run defense in the NFL. Of course, the pass defense is always going to be deceivingly low because the rankings are based on yards and Lovie Smith’s defense will always give up large chunks of yards throughout a game. The two key stats to keep an eye on are rushing yards and points scored, and the Bears have the No. 6 defense in points allowed. Seattle, meanwhile, has scored the fifth-fewest points in the league through the first five weeks of the season, which means if the Bears can put a few touchdowns on the board, they’ll be in good shape. Twenty points seems to be the barometer for success. The Seahawks are woefully bad at running the football which is why they acquired running back Marshawn Lynch from the Bills last week. Lynch is a physical runner and the Bears no doubt will be hurting from the loss of Lance Briggs — if indeed Briggs does not play due to his ankle injury. Much like on the first drive of the Panthers game, you may see the Seahawks have some early success running the football as the Bears defense gets its feet wet. Over the course of the game, though, unless there is a big broken play, I don’t expect much success on the ground from Seattle. If Martz’s offense scores quickly and gets out to a comfortable lead, the Seahawks are going to have to throw to play catchup and they haven’t been very good in the passing game, either. Matt Hasselbeck is No. 22 in the league in passing yards and has thrown just four touchdowns to six interceptions. He also has a 70.7 quarterback rating, ranking him No. 29 in the league. Hasselbeck’s top targets are tight end John Carlson and former USC standout/Detroit Lions-Oakland Raiders-Tennessee Titans bust, Mike Williams. If Briggs does not play, I think it’ll help the Seahawks keep the game close as they should be able to move the ball more effectively, but the edge rests with the Bears defense.
Advantage: Bears
Special Teams
This is one of the few weeks where I can say the Bears are not clearly better than their counterpart on special teams. In fact, Seattle appears to have the edge. It’s most prevalent in the return game where former Jets running back Leon Washington leads the NFL with an average of 40.4 yards per return. He’s returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. In punt returns, rookie wide receiver Golden Tate is No. 4 in the league — among those returners with at least 4 punt returns — with an average of 18 yards per punt return. The Bears’ coverage teams haven’t been all that great this season, as evident by the punt return touchdown they allowed against Dallas. I still believe Danieal Manning is the best kick returner in the league, though, and Hester is one of the best punt returners of all time, so the Bears keep this one close. Seattle kicker Olindo Mare has converted all four of his field goal attempts this year whereas Robbie Gould has made 10 of 11. Seattle punter Jon Ryan has a better net average than Brad Maynard. Maynard, of course, has the directional punting advantage as he is No. 2 in the league with 12 punts downed inside the 20. It’s my belief that the Seahawks have the slight edge overall in this department.
Advantage: Seahawks
Intangibles
The Bears continue to be one of the least heralded teams in the league despite their 4-1 record. Most of this has to do with them not passing the “eye test,” whatever that’s worth. Frankly, I’d rather root for a team that looks bad winning than one that looks good losing. In the NFL, there are no multiple-game series like in the NBA, MLB, and NHL. All it takes is one win over one opponent at a time and as long as the Bears’ defense continues to play like it is — and as long as Cutler doesn’t get knocked out of any more games — the Bears have as good a shot as any to win a championship in this parity-driven league. This week against the Seahawks, they get Cutler back and that will clearly help them run a more balanced offense, or at least give the illusion of that if they’re not able to run the ball. We’ll get a firsthand look at the Jeremy Bates-led Seahawks offense. Bates, of course, was Cutler’s preferred choice for Bears offensive coordinator because the two worked together in Denver, but Bates ultimately spurned the Bears and joined Pete Carroll in Seattle. The Seahawks just don’t appear to have enough pieces on offense for Bates to excel, though. Having a home game this week after two straight road games will be a breath of fresh air, and with or without Briggs in the lineup, I think the Bears take care of business and advance to 5-1.
Advantage: Bears
Final Score: Chicago 23, Seattle 17
Should Round 3
Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7
St. Louis Rams- RB Joe McKnight (USC)
Detroit Lions- RB Anthony Dixon (Mississippi State)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- WR Jeremy Williams (Tulane)
Kansas City Chiefs- RLB Sergio Kindle (Texas)
Oakland Raiders- CB Domonique Franks (Oklahoma)
Philadelphia Eagles- G John Jerry (Mississippi)
Cleveland Browns- WR Arrelious Benn (Illinois)
Buffalo Bills- RLB Ricky Sapp (Clemson)
Miami Dolphins- WR Marshawn Gilyard (Cincinnati)
Jacksonville Jaguars- DE Greg Hardy (Mississippi)
Chicago Bears- CB Devin McCourty (Rutgers)
New York Giants- G Vladimir Ducasse (Massachusetts)
Tennessee Titans- CB Perrish Cox (Oklahoma State)
Carolina Panthers- OLB Perry Riley (LSU)
San Francisco 49ers- RB Dexter McCluster (Mississippi)
Denver Broncos- C JD Walton (Baylor)
Houston Texans- DT Arthur Jones (Syracuse)
Pittsburgh Steelers- CB Syd’Quan Thompson (California)
Atlanta Falcons- TE Aaron Hernandez (Florida)
Cincinnati Bengals- S Darrell Stuckey (Kansas)
Cleveland Browns- 3-4 DE Alex Carrington (Arkansas State)
Green Bay Packers- S Myron Rolle (Florida State)
Philadelphia Eagles- CB Walter Thurmond (Oregon)
Arizona Cardinals- TE Ed Dickson (Oregon)
Arizona Cardinals- MLB Pat Angerer (Iowa)
Dallas Cowboys- OT Adam Ulatoski (Texas)
San Diego Chargers- WR Danario Alexander (Missouri)
Cleveland Browns- QB Tony Pike (Cincinnati)
Minnesota Vikings- OLB Navarro Bowman (Penn State)
Indianapolis Colts- DT Vince Oghobaase (Duke)
New Orleans Saints- OLB Dekoda Watson (Florida State)
Cincinnati Bengals- CB Patrick Robinson (Florida State)
Tennessee Titans- DE Corey Wootton (Northwestern)
Atlanta Falcons- OLB AJ Edds (Iowa)
Go on to Round 4
Or go back to the “Will” Mock Draft
Or check out other mock drafts
Or make your own
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Steelers vs. Bengals
By Sean Geddes
Tonight we square off with last year’s division champions, the Cincinnati Bengals. What a difference a year can make, as the Bengals team that swept the division last season look like a shell of their former selves, currently sitting at 2-5 on the young season. With a weaker ground game than they boasted last year and an inconsistent passing game, this Bengals team might not seem as intimidating as many analysts thought they might this year, but they’ll be a tough matchup for the Steelers, as they always are.
Who to Keep a Closer Eye On:
Troy Polamalu
The college roommate of Bengals signal caller Carson Palmer, Troy has had success against him in the past, including a great interception and return TD on which he bowled over Palmer en route to the end zone a few years back. Troy, by his own admission hasn’t played up to the level he expects of himself recently, and this just might be the match up he needs to get back to the other worldly level of play that he and fans have come to expect from the great safety.
What is the Key to Victory:
The Offenses Ability to Maintain a Balanced Attack
While the Bengals employ two of the better cover corners in the game in Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall, their pass defense hasn’t been as good as advertised. Currently ranking 18th overall in yards allowed, they have shown weakness that can be taken advantage of. What would really allow us to set the tone in the passing department would be Rashard Mendenhall and the ground game attacking the 22nd ranked rush defense. One sets up the other, and if we can do both effectively, we should win this game.
Where the Best Battles Are:
Our OLB’s Versus Their Game Plan
I’m going to be watching LaMarr Woodley and James Harrison going after RT Andre Smith, LT Andrew Whitworth, and how each of our guys handles TE Jermaine Gresham. Whitworth is the kind of tackle Harrison can really get after. At 6’7” the 6’0” Harrison can get lower and use his strength and leverage to get by the larger Whitworth. Woodley versus Smith is a matchup of two players whose strengths play into each other’s well. Smith is a strength tackle, and Woodley is a bull rusher. I expect a good one there. The wildcard is TE Jermaine Gresham. This will be the Steelers first crack at Gresham, the highly athletic and physically talented rookie TE out of Oklahoma. At 6’5” 260 lbs., Jermaine has the size to try and assist on our OLB’s while having the speed to stretch the field and create a mismatch in the passing game. We’ll be seeing him a lot, and he is still a work in progress for Cincy, but he can test us in a way no other TE in our division can.
When We Need To Be More Successful:
Third Downs
(And late in the game, but I’m not going to beat that poor horse any more right now)
The Steelers were successful on 3 of their 10 third downs last week, and have converted 34% of those opportunities on the year. The Bengals have allowed a conversion on 41% of their attempts to end drives this year. With more success on third downs, perhaps the defense can get a little more rest and be fresher for those drives later in the game (okay, one spur to the side).
Why We Will Win The Game:
Making an Inconsistent Offense One Dimensional, and Limiting Mistakes
The Bengals are 9-1 when Cedric Benson rushes for 100 yards. The Steelers defense hasn’t allowed a RB to reach 100 yards yet this year, and no one has come that close really. The most yards we’ve allowed to one player is the 48 we gave up to Ricky Williams two weeks ago. The Bengals have thrown at a higher rate this year to boot.
Making them one dimensional and forcing Palmer’s hand can be a dual edged sword, as they have solid receivers of which to throw to. TO, Chad Ochocinco (Who I will always refer to as Johnson, and am only placating his attention getting activity for records sake in this situation) and Jordan Shipley have developed into a decent crew, as Shipley’s workload continues to increase and TO is on pace for 1400 yards this year. Chad Johnson has been the man who has been somewhat left out of this. Maybe working with your QB instead of working on your TV shows might make you a better player. Just a thought Chad.
At the same time we cannot continue to make the little mistakes that have cost us in the long term in games this year. Ben Roethlisberger will have to make smart throws, and not allow their defense to cause turnovers that give them more opportunities to score points. Knowing when to tuck it and take the sack, or when to throw it away to avoid the loss. These are two things that Ben has shown the ability to do this year, but are not things Ben does historically. I don’t want to change the way Ben plays, because it’s those extended plays that pay off from time to time, but knowing when the smart play is to lose a few, or lose a down can make the difference on drives. Knowing where you are on the field in relation to this choice is the one area I would like to see Ben improve on as this year goes on.
The Bengals have not had much success getting after the quarterback this year, and giving Ben more time in the pocket should allow him to get through his reads and make good decisions with the ball.
Go back to Steelers Fan Spot
http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/
Tennessee Titans
Debate the Titans offseason possibilities in the The Football Fan Forum
2010 Preview:
The Titans might be some people’s sleeper picks for this year, given their 8-2 record in games which Vince Young started last year. I’m not going that far, but I think they’ll be better than the 8-8 they finished last year. Their defense should be a little better. However, they’ll still struggle to defend the pass. Cortland Finnegan is a great cornerback, but his value is minimized because whoever they tried opposite him last year really struggled. Having a top #1 cornerback is great, but if the opposing quarterback can just pick on the opposing corner, then he doesn’t have to throw on that top corner. That’s what happened last year. Unless rookie Alterraun Verner steps up, unlikely since he’s a 4th round pick and cornerbacks take a while to develop, that’s going to happen again.
Adding Derrick Morgan to the mix at defensive end helps. I said back in April that he was the most NFL ready pass rusher in this draft class and I stand by that. I think he’ll lead all rookies, and probably his team, in sacks. Their pass rush will be solid, but not great. Having Tony Brown in the middle certainly helps. Overall, I don’t think this defensive unit will be anywhere near what we’ve come to expect from Titan defenses in the past, but better than last year’s.
The offense has its share of question marks too. Vince Young is not a top 15 NFL quarterback. His receiving corps is average at best. Their line is good, but Chris Johnson is probably not going to have as good of a year as he had last year. He led the league in carries last year. That’s a lot of work for a 200 pound running back, however young he is.
All that being said, this unit as a whole seems to find ways to win football games. You saw that 8-2 record in games Vince Young started last year. That’s no fluke. Statistically Vince Young hasn’t been a great quarterback in his career, but his win-loss record is remarkable for his career, 27-13. They’ll find a way to win more games than the paper suggests they’ll win and I think they’ll compete for a playoff spot.
Projection: 9-7 2nd in AFC South
Power Ranking: 14
Last season: 8-8
Draft:
#16 DE Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech)
Wow. Really. The Titans get the best pass rusher in the draft class at 16 and fill their biggest need in the process. Morgan lived in the backfield last year with 12.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. He has a great size, speed combination and he doesn’t need a lot of work, which is good because defensive linemen tend to not try as hard to improve once the get to the NFL, especially if they are first round picks. Morgan doesn’t need a lot of work and he has a great motor and work ethic. He had no business still being available at 16 and the Titans would have been stupid to pass on him.
Grade: A
#77 WR Damian Williams (USC)
Wide receiver wasn’t a huge need going into the draft, but they needed a compliment to Kenny Britt, to move Nate Washington back into the slot where he belongs and Damian Williams absolutely had no business still being available at 77. He was my 13th ranked prospect and my top receiver. He was future #1 receiver written all over him, and, even in the Titans’ run heavy offense, I expect multiple Pro Bowls from him.
Grade: A
#97 OLB Rennie Curran (Georgia)
Cornerback was a bigger need, but this is a deep cornerback class and they can still get a decent upgrade in the 4th. Curran fits the draft range, also fills a need, and he is a perfect fit for their scheme.
Grade: B+
#104 CB Alterraun Verner (UCLA)
I would have rather had Walter Thurmond, who, ironically enough, was drafted by the Seahawks, who moved down from 104 to 111 in the LenDale White trade, at 111. However, Verner fills a need and is a decent pick in terms of value.
Grade: B
#148 S Robert Johnson (Utah)
Not a huge need, but they could bring in some depth and competition for Chris Hope at strong safety and Johnson fits the draft range. With most of their other needs filled, and all of their major needs filled, they could afford to make this pick.
Grade: B
#176 QB Rusty Smith (Florida Atlantic)
Smith doesn’t appear to have an NFL arm, but the Titans needed a backup quarterback for Vince Young and got one, though not the one I would have taken if I were them, at all.
Grade: C
#207 S Myron Rolle (Florida State)
This is a major upside pick for the Titans. If Rolle continues to get back into football shape after taking a year off and if he commits full time to football, he could be a starting caliber strong safety for them which is good because Chris Hope is a marginal player. If he doesn’t pan out, he’s good depth and special team help and a cool PR boost.
Grade: A
#222 WR Mark Mariani (Montana)
Mariani had a very productive college receiver, but he’s a bit undersized. The Titans have a bunch of mediocre receivers and didn’t need another one, but they could have done a lot worse with this pick and, with no other major needs, its hard to bash it. They may have something with him.
Grade: B
#241 DT David Howard (Brown)
Howard is the undersized, high motor defensive tackle that Jeff Fisher loves to put into his defensive tackle rotation.
Grade: B+
Overall:
This was one of the better drafts. I only would have done a couple minor things differently, taking Thurmond over Verner, drafting a running back late to compliment Chris Johnson, I know LenDale White had to go, but Chris Johnson can’t do it all by himself, and I wouldn’t have drafted Rusty Smith. However, they got 2 of my top 13 prospects despite not having a 2nd rounder and filled almost all of their needs. This is what a good draft looks like.
Grade: A
Key undrafted free agents:
RB LeGarrette Blount (Oregon)
C Kevin Matthews (Texas A&M)
FB Willie Rose (Florida Atlantic)
RB Stafon Johnson (USC)
Positions of need:
Defensive End:
Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jevon Kearse were the starters penciled in to start the season, but they only combined for 4 sacks and the team only had 32 sacks on the season. Without Albert Haynesworth, their defensive ends were no longer able to get one-on-one matchups. Kearse was even benched early in the season and to make things worse, both Vanden Bosch and Kearse are free agents this offseason. I don’t think they are going to be able to find another Albert Haynesworth this offseason, but they shouldn’t have any issues finding an upgrade at defensive end, most likely through the draft. Jacob Ford led the team with 5.5 sacks, but he’s only a nickel rusher. There’s a good chance they target either Jason Pierre Paul or Everson Griffen if they fall in love with one of their upsides. If not, they won’t reach and they’ll target someone like Austin Lane or Brandon Lang in the 3rd.
Drafted Derrick Morgan (#16)
Cornerback:
Nick Harper is done as a productive starter in this league at age 35. Opposing quarterbacks targeted Harper’s man 87 times this year and got 63 completions, a 72.4% completion percentage against. Finnegan is a good shutdown corner and, despite injuries, only allowed a 57.7% completion percentage against, but if opposing quarterbacks can just pick on Harper, what’s the point of having Finnegan. To maximize Finnegan’s cover skills, they need a good cornerback opposite him. They drafted Ryan Mouton and Jason McCourty last year, but both were late round picks so I wouldn’t be too confident in them. Donovan Warren and Kyle Wilson could be options at 16. If not, I could see them using their 3rd rounder or maybe a 4th rounder on a cornerback.
Drafted Alterraun Verner (#104)
Defensive Tackle:
I can’t see Dan Williams falling past them at 16. They have a decent set of undersized pass rushing defensive tackle, led by Tony Brown and his 5 sacks, but they don’t have any large over 300 pound defensive tackles to eat up blockers and take the pressure off of the edge like they had with Albert Haynesworth. I’m not saying Williams is the next Albert Haynesworth. He doesn’t have his pass rushing moves, but guys like Williams, with excellent size and strength that can move well and have experience succeeding in a zone style scheme like the Titans use don’t come around often. Williams had his best college season in Monte Kiffin’s cover 2 scheme last year and the Titans run one that is very similar. The cherry on top, he’s in state from the university of Tennessee.
Drafted David Howard (#241)
Outside Linebacker:
Both starting linebackers, David Thornton and Keith Bulluck, ended last year on IR. Bulluck is now a free agent this offseason and contemplating retirement and Thornton is a free agent next offseason. Outside linebacker doesn’t have a huge positional value, but I would not be surprised if they used two mid round selections on outside linebacker. They will at least use one.
Signed Will Witherspoon, Drafted Rennie Curran (#97)
Quarterback:
Vince Young had a good year this year, but he hasn’t exactly been a model of consistency in the past and with Kerry Collins likely to retire, they need a solid backup for Young. They could use a round 5-7 pick on one.
Signed Chris Simms, Drafted Rusty Smith (#176)
Wide Receiver:
Kenny Britt had a great rookie year and Nate Washington is a good #2, but they don’t have much depth behind either. Their team leader in receptions was their running back, Chris Johnson, last year. They need a speed slot guy to stretch the defense, preferably one who can also return kicks because they had trouble in that area as well this year with Chris Carr signing in Baltimore this offseason.
Drafted Damian Williams (#77), Drafted Mark Mariani (#222)
Middle Linebacker:
They have other needs, but Stephen Tulloch could be upgraded. They could have upgraded him for the last few offseason and I don’t expect them to do so this offseason either unless a middle linebacker falls into their laps.
Free agents:
QB Patrick Ramsey- signed with Saints
RB LenDale White (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.8 million
C Kevin Mawae
G Eugene Amano- resigned for 5 years
OT Mike Otto (restricted)- resigned
WR Mark Jones
TE Alge Crumpler- signed with Patriots
TE Bo Sciafe (restricted)- resigned 1 year 4.9 million
DE Kyle Vanden Bosch- signed with Lions 4 years 26 million
DE Jevon Kearse
DE David Ball (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.8 million
DT Tony Brown (restricted)- resigned 3 years
DT Kevin Vickerson (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.8 million
OLB Keith Bulluck- signed with Giants
OLB Colin Ellred (exclusive rights)- tendered
MLB Stephen Tulloch (restricted)- resigned 1 year 2.5 million
CB Nick Harper
CB Rod Hood- resigned
S Donnie Nickey- resigned
P Craig Hentrich- retired
Offseason moves:
Titans re-sign MLB Stephen Tulloch
Titans waive WR Mark Jones
Titans re-sign DT Tony Brown
Titans re-sign RB LenDale White
Titans re-sign DT Kevin Vickerson
Titans sign QB Chris Simms
Titans sign CB Tye Hill
Titans re-sign DE Dave Ball
Titans re-sign TE Bo Scaife
Titans re-sign CB Rod Hood
Titans sign OLB Will Witherspoon
Titans tender DE Dave Ball
Titans tender DT Tony Brown
Titans tender DT Kevin Vickerson
Titans tender RB LenDale White
Titans tender MLB Stephen Tulloch
Titans tender TE Bo Scaife
Titans re-sign S Donnie Nickey
Titans re-sign OLB Colin Allred
Titans re-sign OT Mike Otto
Titans announce retirement of P Craig Hentrich
Titans re-sign G Eugene Amano
Titans Draft Visits
WR Joe Adams (Arkansas)
S Mark Barron (Alabama)
DT Michael Brockers (LSU)
OLB Zach Brown (North Carolina)
DT Josh Chapman (Alabama)
DT Fletcher Cox (Mississippi State)
OLB Lavonte David (Nebraska)
WR Michael Floyd (Notre Dame)
DE Tim Fugger (Vanderbilt)
G Gino Gradkowski (Delaware)
CB Stephon Gilmore (Tennessee)
CB Chris Greenwood (Albion)
CB Casey Hayward (Vanderbilt)
MLB Dont’a Hightower (Alabama)
WR Stephen Hill (Georgia Tech)
DE Melvin Ingram (South Carolina)
OLB Bruce Irvin (West Virginia)
WR Alshon Jeffery (South Carolina)
WR A.J. Jenkins (Illinois)
MLB Mychal Kendricks (Tennessee)
CB Dre Kirkpatrick (Alabama)
C Peter Konz (Wisconsin)
MLB Luke Kuechly (Boston College)
DT Mike Martin (Michigan)
DE Shea McClellin (Boise State)
DE Whitney Mercilus (Illinois)
DE Ernest Owusu (California)
S Sean Richardson (Vanderbilt)
DT Devon Still (Penn State)
DE Courtney Upshaw (Alabama)
OLB Bobby Wagner (Utah State)
WR Kendall Wright (Baylor)
Trey Huguley
Born in Houston and raised by such passionate Oilers fans that they might have even worn “Luv Ya Blue” suits to work, at an early age Trey developed a deep interest in Houston football. Devastated when Bud Adams selfishly ripped the Oilers from the clutches of Houston football fans, he was born again in 2002 when the Texans came to town. (Although he tends to avoid memory of the David Carr era).
A die hard Houston Texans fan, Trey is a sports enthusiast/independent filmmaker/writer, who’s passion for writing and sports led to creating http://www.HoustonSportblog.com in 2008. Here, he and his guest writer, Garrett, express an opinionated, fun look at the Houston Texans, Astros, Rockets and more. Notably, Trey is also a very avid and successful Fantasy Football player, who is never afraid to share his strategies on how the game should be played.
Professionally Trey is the SEO/SEM, Web Marketing, Content and Video Manager for http://www.ApartmentHomeLiving.Com where he uses his writing, video production and internet marketing knowledge daily to help grow traffic and increase worldwide brand awareness.
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***All opinions on this website and on HoustonSportblog.com are my own and may not be representative of those of my employer.
Vince Fratiani
Vince is a journalist with a video production and print media background. He has two B.A.’s, one in film and digital media and the other in journalism & promotional communication from Cleveland State University (’10).
His most recently high profile positions have included executive producer and secondary host of the CSU Basketball Insider on STO and as editor-in-chief of The Cleveland Stater, CSU’s campus newspaper.
Vince is fresh off of completing a fellowship at WKYC, Channel 3 in Cleveland—working alongside several of the city’s best broadcast professionals.
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