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TE O.J. Howard, Raiders (4 Viewers)

It purely depends on what team drafts him.  If he goes to Atlanta or NE, a team that has had success through the TE position in the past, then he's definitely a top 8 pick next year. But if he goes to a team that hasn't shown the ability to use a talented TE, like the Dolphins, Rams, Arizona, etc. Then I think he's worth a 12-14 pick, and some of the other TEs would leap-frog him.

 
buck naked said:
For all of you who salivate over measureables......

"At 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Howard ran the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds last spring while also posting a 425-pound bench press and one of the top broad jumps on the team (9'11"). The broad jump tests lower body strength and explosiveness."
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Good news, pretty close to Jimmy Graham and slightly less but good news but still good he is also pretty similar to Olsen. Bad news, NFLN did player most similar due to just measureables and they spit out Fleener which makes sense because one of reasons I was always got steered down wrong path of believing Fleener could be something was I thought his measurables were similar to Graham and Olsen.

 
steelers1080 said:
It purely depends on what team drafts him.  If he goes to Atlanta or NE, a team that has had success through the TE position in the past, then he's definitely a top 8 pick next year. But if he goes to a team that hasn't shown the ability to use a talented TE, like the Dolphins, Rams, Arizona, etc. Then I think he's worth a 12-14 pick, and some of the other TEs would leap-frog him.
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Miami tried to use their TE but cam can't stay healthy. 

Really don't see the Falcons taking another TE high with hooper.  Bpa and all at pick 32, maybe. 

While I don't like the team, if he eye selected to replace Witten, he's probably a top 5 pick.

 
FUBAR said:
Miami tried to use their TE but cam can't stay healthy. 

Really don't see the Falcons taking another TE high with hooper.  Bpa and all at pick 32, maybe. 

While I don't like the team, if he eye selected to replace Witten, he's probably a top 5 pick.
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I keep hearing this from people, that the Cowboys could draft him which they could but I don't see it for two reasons.

First, he won't be there when they pick.

Second, they like Escobar.

To clarify Escobar is not a blocker he's a catching TE. The Cowboys use other TEs to block including Witten.

They most certainly might draft a TE but I believe they wait later in the draft to grab him.

Tex

 
I'd love to see him fall to the Giants. He'd easily be a mid first rookie pick in that scenario. 

 
BigTex said:
I keep hearing this from people, that the Cowboys could draft him which they could but I don't see it for two reasons.

First, he won't be there when they pick.

Second, they like Escobar.

To clarify Escobar is not a blocker he's a catching TE. The Cowboys use other TEs to block including Witten.

They most certainly might draft a TE but I believe they wait later in the draft to grab him.

Tex
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Not that it means anything but Bleacher report  has him going after the Cowboys pick, to the packers.  That would be good too of course. 

I don't know about Escobar, but you might be right. 

 
steelers1080 said:
It purely depends on what team drafts him.  If he goes to Atlanta or NE, a team that has had success through the TE position in the past, then he's definitely a top 8 pick next year. But if he goes to a team that hasn't shown the ability to use a talented TE, like the Dolphins, Rams, Arizona, etc. Then I think he's worth a 12-14 pick, and some of the other TEs would leap-frog him.
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Gase did wonders with Thomas in Denver and Bennett in Chicago and McVey did the same with Jordan Reed.  Only one year of Manning provided anything beyond average-ish QB play too.  Situation means a lot less for TE's than it does for RB's.

 
Grahamburn said:
He certainly looks the part.  If I'm drafting for Tampa he's on the radar at #19 assuming Mike Williams and Corey Davis are gone.  I doubt he makes it out of the top 20.
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I thought Tampa was pretty happy with Brate. Seems they have more pressing needs.

 
Gandalf said:
Howard is definitely a 1st and maybe top 5 rookie pick at this point depending on landing spot for everyone.
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I like the guy a lot, but I see almost no way he's a top five rookie pick.

 
back end of the first when it all shakes out I would bet. Not thinking he would get into the top 5 with the rb's and wr coming out.

 
petekrum said:
I thought Tampa was pretty happy with Brate. Seems they have more pressing needs.
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Brate is an undrafted free agent.  He's an excellent receiver but didn't offer much from a blocking aspect.  Tampa's offense became pretty predictable based on the TE personnel they had in the game, and if it wasn't predictable the plays weren't very effective.  That is to say, when they would run it with Brate in the game they would struggle.  When they tried to throw it with Myers or Stocker in the game they would struggle as Evans was the only threat.  Adding a player like Howard would give them another receiving weapon on offense and also give the defense something else to think about from a blocking standpoint.  They also lost Brate to a back injury late in the season and have no depth at the position.  Jameis loves the TE and his struggles with basically just Mike Evans in the last two games of the year were glaring. 

I also see this as a weapon heavy draft and Tampa is a weapon needy team.  If Fournette, Cook, Williams, and Davis are all gone Howard is likely the best weapon left available at #19 and they can look for speedy outside weapons and RBs later.  I personally think Ross, who is constantly getting mocked to the Bucs, would be a reach and he looks like a player who is likely to end up easily neutralized by bigger corners in the NFL. 

Howard looks like that matchup nightmare kind of player that isn't so easily neutralized.  If things continue on like this and he kills the combine too Tampa won't have the opportunity to get him at #19 anyway.  I saw pictures of Howard weighing in at the Senior Bowl and had to stop myself from awkwardly drooling too much.  I'm having serious man crush problems about this dude.

Sorry for the Bucs hijack, but that's all I really care about. 

 
mozzy84 said:
back end of the first when it all shakes out I would bet. Not thinking he would get into the top 5 with the rb's and wr coming out.
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Probably in most systems but with TE enhanced scoring and multiple flex, the right team would push him high imo. 

 
FUBAR said:
Not that it means anything but Bleacher report  has him going after the Cowboys pick, to the packers.  That would be good too of course. 

I don't know about Escobar, but you might be right. 
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To clarify they like him but that doesn't mean he's the answer. I can see them drafting a TE but with this class being so deep it's likely later in the draft that they draft one IMHO.

Tex

 
Grahamburn said:
Brate is an undrafted free agent.  He's an excellent receiver but didn't offer much from a blocking aspect.  Tampa's offense became pretty predictable based on the TE personnel they had in the game, and if it wasn't predictable the plays weren't very effective.  That is to say, when they would run it with Brate in the game they would struggle.  When they tried to throw it with Myers or Stocker in the game they would struggle as Evans was the only threat.  Adding a player like Howard would give them another receiving weapon on offense and also give the defense something else to think about from a blocking standpoint.  They also lost Brate to a back injury late in the season and have no depth at the position.  Jameis loves the TE and his struggles with basically just Mike Evans in the last two games of the year were glaring. 

I also see this as a weapon heavy draft and Tampa is a weapon needy team.  If Fournette, Cook, Williams, and Davis are all gone Howard is likely the best weapon left available at #19 and they can look for speedy outside weapons and RBs later.  I personally think Ross, who is constantly getting mocked to the Bucs, would be a reach and he looks like a player who is likely to end up easily neutralized by bigger corners in the NFL. 

Howard looks like that matchup nightmare kind of player that isn't so easily neutralized.  If things continue on like this and he kills the combine too Tampa won't have the opportunity to get him at #19 anyway.  I saw pictures of Howard weighing in at the Senior Bowl and had to stop myself from awkwardly drooling too much.  I'm having serious man crush problems about this dude.

Sorry for the Bucs hijack, but that's all I really care about. 
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Don't think this is a hijack, I think TBB is a strong candidate for him or another of the other TE's.  And it's a great landing spot for one.

 
Rhythmdoctor said:
Do the Cowboys really like Escobar? You certainly can't  tell from his production. 
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They have a HOFer name Witten who is still performing even in his twilight years. Again, Escobar can't block he's too tall and awkward but he can catch where as Witten can do it all therefore making it harder for opposing defenses to know the play.

Tex

 
There are two ways to look at this:

1. The Cowboys have had underwhelming secondary receivers behind Dez for a while, they would run more 2TE sets if they really felt Escobar's receiving ability was a mismatch and needed to be on the field. Especially with Witten blocking more.

Or

2. The Cowboys had Bennett under their noses behind Witten for his entire rookie contract I believe and could never figure out a way to get him involved, so maybe they just don't like utilizing multiple TE sets. That's a little unfair though because Bennett was a bit of a headache early on, didn't have a great work ethic, and really transformed his body and his game once he left DAL.

 
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BigTex said:
They have a HOFer name Witten who is still performing even in his twilight years. Again, Escobar can't block he's too tall and awkward but he can catch where as Witten can do it all therefore making it harder for opposing defenses to know the play.

Tex
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I appreciate the insight about Witten  :cool:  but I'm not sure I'm fully buying that angle as an explanation for Escobar's lack of production.  I was leaning toward ConnSkins' 1st point.  I know I won't be buying in dynasty.  Most TEs do take a few years to pop, so it will be interesting to see what happens in the next couple of years.  I'll be watching from the sidelines though.

 
Rhythmdoctor said:
I appreciate the insight about Witten  :cool:  but I'm not sure I'm fully buying that angle as an explanation for Escobar's lack of production.  I was leaning toward ConnSkins' 1st point.  I know I won't be buying in dynasty.  Most TEs do take a few years to pop, so it will be interesting to see what happens in the next couple of years.  I'll be watching from the sidelines though.
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No problem, my guess is no better than anyone else's there's only one fact. There hasn't been a TE better than Witten to unseat him. They drafted Escobar in the 2nd round which speacks volume about how they felt about him coming out of college. Witten holds several Cowboy records that will stand for a long time. Trying to unseat Mr. Reliable hasn't been done yet and we've seen the fits he can cause on opposing defenses. The Cowboys want to continue to pound the ball, Zeke is the offense and defense and this team literally run through him everyone else is secondary. There's no need for them to grab a TE in the 1st with Witten and Escobar still under contract.

Either way I'm buying if he falls to me late in the 1st. I am stacked at that position so I don't mind if he sits a year or two.

Tex

 
ConnSKINS26 said:
There are two ways to look at this:

1. The Cowboys have had underwhelming secondary receivers behind Dez for a while, they would run more 2TE sets if they really felt Escobar's receiving ability was a mismatch and needed to be on the field. Especially with Witten blocking more.

Or

2. The Cowboys had Bennett under their noses behind Witten for his entire rookie contract I believe and could never figure out a way to get him involved, so maybe they just don't like utilizing multiple TE sets. That's a little unfair though because Bennett was a bit of a headache early on, didn't have a great work ethic, and really transformed his body and his game once he left DAL.
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I'm buying option #2. Marty was unhappy and maybe a malcontent in Dallas because he never got a valid shot and  he is a much more versatile player than Escobar and they still never could figure out a way to utilize both of them properly. Horrible or uncreative coaching.

But I have no idea if Escobar is any good. Maybe he's not but I do feel strongly even if is secretly a pretty decent starting caliber player Dallas would not have known how to maximize him with Witten so he's a big mystery to me. I did pick him up in a lot of leagues on last week of waivers, likely end up cutting him, but it was free and I'd like to see where he lands in FA.

I'd keep an eye on Atlanta. I know it's been a while but when Pioli got canned by the Chiefs he wrote an article for SI and listed his top 10 players as he'd been scouting of course already. He may have limited that list to only players who were seniors, can't recall, but I do recall he had Esobar in this top 10 overall players. Now that was before the combine and 4 years of virtual nothing ago so likely means nothing today but we'll see.

 
lod001 said:
Escobar blows. He's been around long enough to become relevant and he hasn't.
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Lol, he's not that bad just dealt with a lot of injuries which could cause his exit. Hannah is better and probably the one to grab if it came down to it. IIRC Hannah ran a 4.46 40! I could be run but I believe he has some crazy numbers for a TE.

Tex

 
Waldman's Senior bowl article under caught my eye - negative category wasn't over-the-top for OJ Howard. 

Were all these people evaluating the same guy?

TE O.J. Howard, Alabama: A false start penalty, multiple dropped passes, poor effort on a catch able target, and lining up with a stance that you’d think would have been addressed at Alabama were among the things that confirmed my concerns about Howard on tape. Howard is the most impressive athlete at the position in Mobile, but his approach to the game is a detriment to his ability.

 
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gunther said:
Waldman's Senior bowl article under caught my eye - negative category wasn't over-the-top for OJ Howard. 

Were all these people evaluating the same guy?

TE O.J. Howard, Alabama: A false start penalty, multiple dropped passes, poor effort on a catch able target, and lining up with a stance that you’d think would have been addressed at Alabama were among the things that confirmed my concerns about Howard on tape. Howard is the most impressive athlete at the position in Mobile, but his approach to the game is a detriment to his ability.
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Wasn't Austin-Seferian Jenkins supposed to have all this talent but a poor work ethic?

 
I wouldn't be surprised if Denver took him at 20 if he's still there. Their biggest need is far and away OT. However, given that this is the weakest OT class in  long time and Denver's tendency under Elway to go BP particularly in the first round, the pick would make a lot of sense. They've been missing a play making TE since Julius Thomas and Howard would fill that need plus bring with him the added benefit of being a willing and adequate blocker. My pteference at 20 is Christian McCaffrey (assuming Dalvin Cook is off the board), but Howard would be a fine consolation prize. 

 
thatguy said:
I wouldn't be surprised if Denver took him at 20 if he's still there. Their biggest need is far and away OT. However, given that this is the weakest OT class in  long time and Denver's tendency under Elway to go BP particularly in the first round, the pick would make a lot of sense. They've been missing a play making TE since Julius Thomas and Howard would fill that need plus bring with him the added benefit of being a willing and adequate blocker. My pteference at 20 is Christian McCaffrey (assuming Dalvin Cook is off the board), but Howard would be a fine consolation prize. 
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You've got Anderson and Booker and you want McCaffrey?

 
JohnnyU said:
Wasn't Austin-Seferian Jenkins supposed to have all this talent but a poor work ethic?
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Yep. I stay away from those type of guys.

gunther said:
Waldman's Senior bowl article under caught my eye - negative category wasn't over-the-top for OJ Howard. 

Were all these people evaluating the same guy?

TE O.J. Howard, Alabama: A false start penalty, multiple dropped passes, poor effort on a catch able target, and lining up with a stance that you’d think would have been addressed at Alabama were among the things that confirmed my concerns about Howard on tape. Howard is the most impressive athlete at the position in Mobile, but his approach to the game is a detriment to his ability.
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All the talent in the world doesn't make you great unless you want to be great. That's why I have Njoku ahead of Howard. Of course, it still depends where they go. All the talent and drive can be cancelled out by a crappy OC....Seattle.

Now if OJ goes to Dallas like a recent mock draft, then it's hard to not consider him the #1 TE.

 
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petekrum said:
Well, if your not excited by either Anderson or Booker, I beg you grab Fournette or Cook, or Foreman or Kamara, or Mixon,.....
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You REALLY don't like McCaffrey. I'm eager to see where he gets drafted but he's still my favorite RB in this class. 

 
Rhythmdoctor said:
You REALLY don't like McCaffrey. I'm eager to see where he gets drafted but he's still my favorite RB in this class. 
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Agreed. From everything I've heard he will probably be the third RB off the board, but I have him outside my top five. Time will tell.

 
petekrum said:
Well, if your not excited by either Anderson or Booker, I beg you grab Fournette or Cook, or Foreman or Kamara, or Mixon,.....
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I love Anderson minus his durability issues.  Booker showed much better down the stretch, but McCaffrey brings things neither of those backs do.  He excels as a receiver out of the backfield, can be lined up in the slot,  is an excellent punt returner. In a word, he's dynamic. Anderson/McCaffrey could be like Freeman/Coleman but possible better (at least McCaffrey V Coleman)

 
petekrum said:
Well, if your not excited by either Anderson or Booker, I beg you grab Fournette or Cook, or Foreman or Kamara, or Mixon,.....
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Also,  I'd love Cook too, but I doubt he'll fall to 20. Mixon is an interesting option if he falls far enough.  Not sure denver would want to deal with the ensuing PR nightmare though. 

Anyway,  end hijack. 

 
ESPN's Todd McShay writes that Alabama TE O.J. Howard "should thrive in a more pass-heavy NFL system."
No arguments from us. Howard was criminally underutilized at Alabama. McShay would like to see him tighten up his routes, but is otherwise supremely high on the athletically gifted tight end. The analyst checks him into his latest Big Board at a lofty No. 10, writing that the 6-foot-6, 251-pounder "has a lot of upside as a big-play threat in the NFL." Howard and Miami TE David Njoku figure to be the first two tight ends off the board in some order. For reference's sake, McShay slots Njoku onto his Big Board at No. 16.

 
 
Source: ESPN Insider 
Feb 14 - 8:54 PM
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Just curious, in a TE premium league, where would you take Howard?  Is 5 too high (after LF/Cook/MW/CD)?  How does he rate against Njoku?

 
Sitch said:
Just curious, in a TE premium league, where would you take Howard?  Is 5 too high (after LF/Cook/MW/CD)?  How does he rate against Njoku?
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I'd say somewhere around that 6-8 range.

Howard vs Njoku flip a coin. Njoku is going to blowup the Combine he's probably the most athletic. Howard has more experience. They both will be great in their own right.

It may come down to where they are drafted.

If both are available when my time come I plan to draft both. I currently have Kelce, Fleener, Walker and Eifert as my rotating starters. (Start 2 in a TE premium league)

I have Engram right there with both but Engram could be drafted as a WR if so it changes things a little.

Tex

 
BigTex said:
I'd say somewhere around that 6-8 range.

Howard vs Njoku flip a coin. Njoku is going to blowup the Combine he's probably the most athletic. Howard has more experience. They both will be great in their own right.

It may come down to where they are drafted.

If both are available when my time come I plan to draft both. I currently have Kelce, Fleener, Walker and Eifert as my rotating starters. (Start 2 in a TE premium league)

I have Engram right there with both but Engram could be drafted as a WR if so it changes things a little.

Tex
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Ha, now I know the two TEs you wouldn't tell me yesterday.

-Not Tex

 
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