🏈 OJ Howard 4th overall in latest mock

[planomateo]

Agreed TS. I don't put a great deal of stock in McShay, or Kiper - you or I could do as well - they are Captain Obvious #1 and #2 and you, at the least, can evaluate player tape as well as they can.

Would not be surprised if Allen is #1, but would be surprised if he falls outside the top 3. OJ isn't THAT highly coveted, although he WILL do well and WILL go in the top 15. Reuben will probably not last past 14. Would NOT be surprised if Marlon isn't taken in the 1st round - and that would be sad because if he had another year he would easily be top 10. IF most teams think Cam Rob is a better guard, or more of a right tackle, he will be end of the first round. If Williams doesn't go in the first somebody gets a bargain, but it is a deep draft for defensive players.

While their mocks might not be accurate when taken literally, if you change the lens a bit and look at their mock draft with a +/- 2 or 3 position range you might be surprised with the results.

 

[JoshB]

So what you're saying is that my hope that OJ would fall to Atlanta's No. 31 pick is unlikely...

 

[bradenob]

While their mocks might not be accurate when taken literally, if you change the lens a bit and look at their mock draft with a +/- 2 or 3 position range you might be surprised with the results.

Fair point - this was interesting...

2015 NFL Draft: How accurate were the mock drafts this year? - CBSSports.com

2016 NFL Mock Draft Grades: Scoring the Experts - Bleeding Green Nation

Grading Kiper, McShay & Co: 2016 Mock Draft Judgment Day - Blogging The Boys

 

[RTB X Bot]

 

[JoshB]

This is how I feel. There have been tons of great receiving tight ends that have come in the league the last decade or so, but the majority of them are either average blockers or hideous blockers. Look at all the rosters around the league, the majority of teams use at least two tight ends regularly. One that is a good receiver and one that is essentially an extra tackle. I'll use Atlanta as the example: Levine Toilolois an excellent blocker but not a great receiver, Austin Hooper is an average blocker but an excellent receiver (tho he didnt play as much early in the season because Jacob Tamme was in his spot but you get my point).

Jimmy Graham is probably considered one of the top tight ends of the last decade but he is a terrible blocker. Gronkowski is easily the most complete but even he lined up wide as much as he did with his hand in the dirt. OJ is more in that Gronkowski mold.

 

[TUSKtimes]

In Smelley's entire time at Bama he didn't put up the same numbers as OJ did in one season (Junior.) If you want to say he was used better in our blocking schemes (IE: when he was with Michael Williams) I'll agree with that wholeheartedly.

I don't see how stats would tell the "feature" story when one TE is the most gifted athlete at the position that I've seen since Ozzie Newsome and the other a converted QB trying to fit in and get on the field with multiple players at his position. When you think about talent, and expectations and then actual opportunities, I thought McElwain "featured" what he had much better than the way Kiffin chose to "feature" OJ with his, dare I say, unlimited abilities and opportunities at the TE position.

I then used Julio as an example of that same comparison on how he was "featured." What do stats have to do with the fact that we underutilized Julio's great pass catching abilities? I thought we had made him the world's most gifted downfield blocker during the G-Mac era. Someone could argue that based on talent alone we might have done a better job of "featuring" what Kevin Norwood gave as a pass catcher compared to Julio's unlimited pass catching potential that we left on the field. Why would comparing stats between them matter?

With OJ, in his 4 years here, it feels like we left a lot more meat on the bone. But that's just how I feel.

 

[OldPlayer]

I don't see how stats would tell the "feature" story when one TE is the most gifted athlete at the position that I've seen since Ozzie Newsome and the other a converted QB trying to fit in and get on the field with multiple players at his position. When you think about talent, and expectations and then actual opportunities, I thought McElwain "featured" what he had much better than the way Kiffin chose to "feature" OJ with his, dare I say, unlimited abilities and opportunities at the TE position.

I then used Julio as an example of that same comparison on how he was "featured." What do stats have to do with the fact that we underutilized Julio's great pass catching abilities? I thought we had made him the world's most gifted downfield blocker during the G-Mac era. Someone could argue that based on talent alone we might have done a better job of "featuring" what Kevin Norwood gave as a pass catcher compared to Julio's unlimited pass catching potential that we left on the field. Why would comparing stats between them matter?

With OJ, in his 4 years here, it feels like we left a lot more meat on the bone. But that's just how I feel.

Remember the Ozzie was a split end in college (he also returned punts). He moved to TE in the pros.

 

[TUSKtimes]

Remember the Ozzie was a split end in college (he also returned punts). He moved to TE in the pros.

They split him wide in the wishbone but he would also move inside at TE. When I think about Ozzie's career I think about him as a WR, even though others have said he actually lined up in the TE position more often. I thought it to the degree I was actually shocked when Cleveland drafted him exclusively as a tight end. I thought they were nuts. I may have miscalculated.

 

[OldPlayer]

They split him wide in the wishbone but he would also move inside at TE. When I think about Ozzie's career I think about him as a WR, even though others have said he actually lined up in the TE position more often. I thought it to the degree I was actually shocked when Cleveland drafted him exclusively as a tight end. I thought they were nuts. I may have miscalculated.

He was big enough to move inside and line up as a TE, but that wasn't often. Most of the time, that was to change who was covering him. 90%+ of the time he was lined up wide.

 

[JoshB]

I don't see how stats would tell the "feature" story when one TE is the most gifted athlete at the position that I've seen since Ozzie Newsome .

Not to burst your bubble but didnt Ozzie play split end at Bama? Im not going to even pretend like I was even alive when Ozzie played but I want to say that every piece of film I've seen of him, he was lined up outside.

EDIT - Should have looked below that post because yall already talked about it lol

 

[TUSKtimes]

He was big enough to move inside and line up as a TE, but that wasn't often. Most of the time, that was to change who was covering him. 90%+ of the time he was lined up wide.

I never counted the times he lined up where but he was considered a hybrid of the 2 positions. As far as 90% WR, I doubt it. Ozzie won the 1977 SEC "lineman of the year" award.

Ozzie Newsome Jr. | Encyclopedia of Alabama

 

[UAgrad93]

Just to throw my $.02 in on Ozzie Newsome. He is listed as a SE on the official roster. Ozzie was often (don't know the percentage but I will say A LOT) split out wide to be a mismatch on smaller DBs and to open up the running lanes for the triple option run game. @Sgt. Lincoln Osiris and others can attest to this because a defense can't stack the box on you. It also improves blocking angles.

ROLLTIDE.COM - University of Alabama Official Athletics Site
This is the 1977 roster!

 

[TUSKtimes]

Not to burst your bubble but didnt Ozzie play split end at Bama? Im not going to even pretend like I was even alive when Ozzie played but I want to say that every piece of film I've seen of him, he was lined up outside.

EDIT - Should have looked below that post because yall already talked about it lol

You can youtube it and get a feel for where he lined up. But he was a Hybrid for sure and no matter how much you read about Ozzie most will talk about both positions. He was a great blocker and our wishbone was power. Down and distance had a lot to say with where he lined up during the entire game. But to me, I remember he played a lot of SE and was most effective there. I wouldn't say anywhere near 90/10 though.

 

[footballer]

Coach Bear Bryant used to say that the wishbone was the best passing offense. Back to OJ's time at Alabama, he was on a roster full of shiney toys. So who do you choose to get the most use? You try to spread it around and use them all some. Cooper was over used in my opinion but was usually always open on any given pass play which was a blessing for our two first year starting qb's.

 

[Sgt. Lincoln Osiris]

Just to throw my $.02 in on Ozzie Newsome. He is listed as a SE on the official roster. Ozzie was often (don't know the percentage but I will say A LOT) split out wide to be a mismatch on smaller DBs and to open up the running lanes for the triple option run game. @Sgt. Lincoln Osiris and others can attest to this because a defense can't stack the box on you. It also improves blocking angles.

ROLLTIDE.COM - University of Alabama Official Athletics Site
This is the 1977 roster!

Exactly.

 

[OldPlayer]

I never counted the times he lined up where but he was considered a hybrid of the 2 positions. As far as 90% WR, I doubt it. Ozzie won the 1977 SEC "lineman of the year" award.

Ozzie Newsome Jr. | Encyclopedia of Alabama

My first year at Alabama, I covered Ozzie in practice every day. He would line up outside, he would line up outside and move in, he would line up in and move outside, and he would line up inside. But, most of the time he was out wide.

 

[EasyTider]

Exactly.

You know board is going to schitt when SLO is used as a technical reference. :moon:

 

[Sgt. Lincoln Osiris]

You know board is going to schitt when SLO is used as a technical reference. :moon:

I'm an X's and O's nerd.

He referred to me because, fuck you, that's why...lol

 

[#80]

The man is fix'n to hold some serious paper.

 

[Sgt. Lincoln Osiris]

The man is fix'n to hold some serious paper.