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Tajae Sharpe WR Titans (1 Viewer)

Biabreakable

Footballguy
As Tajae Sharpe has been impressing the Titans coaches and running with the 1st team currently. I figured we needed a thread about him. Anyone who has more details in these areas of college performance, combine or other athletic measurements (such as pro day) please IT us up in this thread.

College stats

Sharpe put up some pretty good numbers his last two seasons in College. 

Combine measurements

Sharpe appears to have decent speed with the high end being just below 4.4 but official time being 4.55.

He has weak jump numbers and did not do the 3 cone drill.

Draft Breakdown cut ups.

2 games from 2015 and one from 2014.

In the 2016 draft the Titan's selected Sharpe in the 5th round pick 140 overall. He was the 15th WR selected.

So far during OTAs Sharpe has been getting consistent positive reviews. He is running with the 1st team ahead of Hunter and DGB. The Titans WR coach said Sharpe is competing for both the X and Z WR positions. He has been playing more Z from my understanding, but the coach is thinking about him as an X WR as well. His statement means none of the incumbants are safe, and he says Sharpe has been the most consistent WR and he is playing at a higher level than the other two.

 
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PFF SCOUTING REPORT: TAJAE SHARPE, WR, MASSACHUSETTS

WR TAJAE SHARPE

This tall, lean receiver presents problems for defenses on short, intermediate, and deep routes. The two-time first-team All-MAC pick caught 85 passes for 1,281 yards and seven touchdowns in his junior year, setting up big expectations for 2015. He exceeded those expectations, winning second team All-American honors from the Walter Camp Foundation by leading the nation with 9.3 receptions per game (total of 111) and ranking sixth in yards per game (109.9-yard average). Sharpe also finished his career catching a pass in every game he played for the Minutemen.

ANALYSIS

STRENGTHS

 Has staccato footwork that works in his favor. Able to shake press coverage and get into routes quickly. Gets to top speed quickly. Plus route-­runner with athleticism to sink hips and break routes off sharply. Can stutter, shift and sell complex routes to create doubt in cornerbacks. Worked outside and from slot and hit on almost the entire route tree. Reliable target who drew double teams. Scouts love his humble personality and eagerness to take coaching and get better. Supple hands are automatic when he has room to catch it. Has improved football IQ under current head coach and former NFL coach, Mark Whipple.

WEAKNESSES

 Narrow frame needs more muscle and overall play strength. Without a clean release, can be slowed or completely redirected by press. Average in contested catch situations. Needs to get better at using body effectively to shield the catch and create space. Long speed not overly threatening. Can't break tackles to maximize run after catch potential.

DRAFT PROJECTION

 Rounds 5 or 6

SOURCES TELL US

 "I'll bet he steals the show in Shrine Game practices because he's got such great hands and he's so meticulous with his routes. He'll win one-­on-­one battles all day long in those settings." --­ NFC East area scout

NFL COMPARISON

 Devin Street

BOTTOM LINE

 Sharpe is the most productive receiver to come out of UMass, and as a receiver who turned 21 in December, it is conceivable that he could still be filling out his long frame. Sharpe has the athleticism, hands and feel for space to work from the slot and the size and route acumen to work outside. It might take a year, but he has the talent and football character to become a productive NFL receiver.

 
Fifth-round WR Tajae Sharpe running with Titans' first team

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Fifth-round receiver Tajae Sharpe continues to impress the Tennessee Titans, and worked as a first-teamer during their opening minicamp practice Tuesday.

Rishard Matthews and Kendall Wright appear likely to be in the top three for the Titans. Dorial Green-Beckham, a second-rounder from Oklahoma, andJustin Hunter are split-end types, as is Sharpe.

“He’s right there right now, he could be our starter, he could be the starting X,” receiver coach Bob Bratkowski said. “... He’s competing for it, nothing’s given to him at this point. But he’s performing at a level as high, or higher, than any of the guys in the group.

“It’s a good start. Obviously there are a lot of things down the road here that we’re going to have to deal with. But he’s very intelligent; he’s an extremely hard worker. He spends more time studying, getting extra help than anyone we have. He’s just in here constantly, on football. Plus he’s very well skilled. He plays fast, he is a crisp route-runner and with the intangibles of the studying and all the work that he puts in in the side, that’s giving him a chance to start.”

It a great sign that Sharpe is drawing such raves. But that he can outrank Green-Beckham and Hunter so quickly says a lot about those two players as well.

Mike Mularkey said the Titans are not trying to send a message by putting Sharpe at the head of the line. They are rewarding the best play with the top spots. But any competitor seeing it unfold in front of him should regard such a development as a push, Mularkey said.

Whether it’s getting the attention of Green-Beckham or Hunter or not, the secondary is seeing it.

“He’s a really good route-runner, us as the cornerbacks and DBs have been very impressed with what he’s come in and done so far,” Jason McCourty said. “And he’s a Jersey guy so I’m not really surprised at all by the talent he has, the poise to come in and learn his plays and go out there and execute it while running with the ones.”

 
Yeah, I like him a lot for the Titans but wouldn't count on much for fantasy, at first anyway. 
As always it depends on the league. I am sure this guy is rostered in deeper leagues.

The main drawbacks for Sharpe mentioned pretty often are his low weight for how tall he is and that he needs to get stronger.

Right now they are playing without pads and he isn't being played physical. 

I haven't seen any comments about his blocking. As it seems logical the Titan's will try to run the ball more this season, 3WR sets become less likely. The 2 WR they do have on the field need to be able to block.

So those two things could have Sharpe heading back to the second team after the pads come on if he isn't effective enough in these areas (Blocking and beating the jam).

 
It seems there is always a rookie being hyped in mini camp/OTAs, and this year Tajae is it.

I'd not be the least surprised to see Sharpe end on the PS and Harry Douglas being kept (but then again I like neither Mularkey nor Douglas so...)

 
He led FBS in receptions.

Granted this is as good an indicator of NFL success as is the heisman trophy, but when a player does well at the NFL level "led FBS in receptions" will also be the reason why. It'll cut both ways.

Lebeau tried to throw every possible look at Mariota last summer to get him ready. If Sharpe does well in the summer, I wouldn't do the "let's see how he does" thing with him. The Titans were a top 5 pass D for much of last year and finished top ten. He has a good test to evaluate him with this summer.

Most of all, and I can't stress this enough for FF, Mariota doesn't have his guy yet. Whatever WR is his favorite, I'll take in FF. This guy(whomever it is) might be the only WR to have in FF

 
Seems the big knock on him is his weight. I drafted sharpe based on his size, route running, and production, weight is the easiest thing to teach. The staff really doesn't owe anything to the higher drafted young players, new regime. So it's a pretty wide open chart, on a team that may like to run first, whose defense may not allow them to stick with that gameplan. Worth a roster stash IMO, and while I'm not expecting big numbers this year it's certainly encouraging news. 

Mariota had a few monster games last year, walker has said he expects less targets this year, and they hired a bunch of wr coaches. I think they are going to make an effort to work the wrs in, and if sharpe gets the no 2 job there and could get 70 rec he could be useful early.

 
He went undrafted in one of my three dynasty leagues, so I would like to pick him up; however I am concerned all this talk is just a ploy to motivate T. Bell, I mean, DGB.  Ultimately, I'm not sure how much FAAB allocation is warranted given this.

 
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Do you even dynasty?
exactly, its not like HC and OCs are always the same from year to year either

schemes change, players improve with time

Sharpe is worth a flier for sure, especially in deeper leagues or taxi squad leagues. Even if the kid is running with the 1's and gets beat out by DGB and Co. Wright is a FA next year I believe, McBride sucks, Hunter sucks, mathews is average, i see what could be a path to seeing some snaps next year

 
exactly, its not like HC and OCs are always the same from year to year either

schemes change, players improve with time

Sharpe is worth a flier for sure, especially in deeper leagues or taxi squad leagues. Even if the kid is running with the 1's and gets beat out by DGB and Co. Wright is a FA next year I believe, McBride sucks, Hunter sucks, mathews is average, i see what could be a path to seeing some snaps next year
So give me a percentage of my FAAB I should spend on this kid.  This is where I suck with FAAB. :(

 
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So give me a percentage of my FAAB I should spend on this kid.  This is where I suck with FAAB. :(
assuming 12 team, and 25+rosters, standard starting reqs..... I agree w Dez, the off season is too unpredictable, and the season is too long to invest a ton right now

I think much more than a min bid is too much atm. 5% even sounds too big. Mainly because I honestly dont know how relevant he will be this year. So youre giving up FAAB now, for someone who likely isnt going to be a contributing factor this season or maybe next.

Can you TS him?

Less than 5%, I would put in the smallest increment over the minimum bid.

 
assuming 12 team, and 25+rosters, standard starting reqs..... I agree w Dez, the off season is too unpredictable, and the season is too long to invest a ton right now

I think much more than a min bid is too much atm. 5% even sounds too big. Mainly because I honestly dont know how relevant he will be this year. So youre giving up FAAB now, for someone who likely isnt going to be a contributing factor this season or maybe next.

Can you TS him?
Yeah, I could TS him.  My TS is full though.  I do have a couple of rosters spots to burn.

I appreciate both of your input and will stick with an under 5% FAAB bid.

 
Yeah, I could TS him.  My TS is full though.  I do have a couple of rosters spots to burn.

I appreciate both of your input and will stick with an under 5% FAAB bid.
if $0 is an option, try that. And if someone else grabs him, dont worry, just keep an eye on him. The training camp hype will wear off and when he isnt immediately putting up numbers, he will be right back on the wire

 
Interesting perspective on the number of go routes that Sharpe ran in college Bri.

Is 33% deep routes too infrequent? 

Sharpe was utilized in a variety of ways, outside and in the slot. It seems to me this versatility should be considered a strength, however your perspective seems to be that Sharpe and Matthews are similar players. That they are limited to possession roles in the offense.

To me one out of 3 routes is frequent enough that defensive backs have to respect that, and running a few of those successfully will help the receiver use that to set up other routes, such as the hitch and comeback routes which are counters to the deep routes. Sharpe can move inside or outside after the snap, which can help with his release and to isolate defenders the offense wants to match up against.

I don't know if Sharpe can block well enough to hold off the other WR. I think that is going to be important. I also think there will be 2TE or 1TE 1FB more frequently this season than last. So fewer instances of having 3 WR on the field. Those outside WR need to be able to block, especially on the early downs.

In that instance I kind of see what you are saying. That Matthews and Sharpe are not likely the best blocking WR the Titans have on the team.

From what I saw Hunter has developed that area of his game and he does ok as blocker. What is your opinion about that?

I watched DGBs routes. I did not see any throws to him over his shoulder. All of the throws he is coming back to the ball. It makes me wonder if the coaches trust him to be able to get the deep ball? I didn't see any targets on deep routes to him like this. How is DGBs blocking? Is it as raw as his route running? He seems like a player still learning how to play the game.

 
Interesting perspective on the number of go routes that Sharpe ran in college Bri.

Is 33% deep routes too infrequent? 

Sharpe was utilized in a variety of ways, outside and in the slot. It seems to me this versatility should be considered a strength, however your perspective seems to be that Sharpe and Matthews are similar players. That they are limited to possession roles in the offense.

To me one out of 3 routes is frequent enough that defensive backs have to respect that, and running a few of those successfully will help the receiver use that to set up other routes, such as the hitch and comeback routes which are counters to the deep routes. Sharpe can move inside or outside after the snap, which can help with his release and to isolate defenders the offense wants to match up against.

I don't know if Sharpe can block well enough to hold off the other WR. I think that is going to be important. I also think there will be 2TE or 1TE 1FB more frequently this season than last. So fewer instances of having 3 WR on the field. Those outside WR need to be able to block, especially on the early downs.

In that instance I kind of see what you are saying. That Matthews and Sharpe are not likely the best blocking WR the Titans have on the team.

From what I saw Hunter has developed that area of his game and he does ok as blocker. What is your opinion about that?

I watched DGBs routes. I did not see any throws to him over his shoulder. All of the throws he is coming back to the ball. It makes me wonder if the coaches trust him to be able to get the deep ball? I didn't see any targets on deep routes to him like this. How is DGBs blocking? Is it as raw as his route running? He seems like a player still learning how to play the game.
He only caught 33% of his go routes. In every other regard his stats are nice.

Hunter had to block under Munchak and then he had to learn all three spots. He did both. I'm OK with any player that met Munchak's requirements on blocking. DGB has plays where he destroys someone like Mike Evans and then the next play he whiffs. He does an excellent job getting low, especially for a 6-5 6-6 guy, and then the times he misses is just such a stark contrast. I expect he could become one of the better NFL blockers at receiver. It's just not normal to blow people up the way he does. 

I don't like how they say they're coaching the deep ball and think it's about the individual. They want everyone to stop and go up and get it. Some of the fast guys need to be hit in stride or allowed to run under it. Bratkowski has coached a million years. It is entirely possible this is a coaching point today and the more timing/speed based deep options will still be utilized once everyone commits to leaping if necessary. They had some ugly deep balls the last couple years and it would make total sense if this was like step one of his teaching.

It's worth noting that while Mularkey is extremely positive, Bratkowski has a much more negative tone. I generally listen a second time to his interviews and it's not so much negative but honest. There is a "yeah yeah, you haven't accomplished squat" vibe from him that I like. Hunter and DGB (and probably Wright and Douglas too) need to hear this from someone that truly believes they are capable. Whis had a meanness to him. I'm very much OK with some sort of tough love for them. This is also where I have this whole coach speak conflict from Mularkey. It's very tricky to listen to one or two quotes from them and real important to drink it all in as a whole. 

It's been very positive of Hunter and then oh by the way he messed this up. It sounds much more like there's no way they're giving him the keys today than that he is struggling. I found the Matthews starting over him announcement surprising. 

Many writers write "he and DGB" and carry on. They're two different people. I don't get why they're doing that. 

 
Oh I misunderstood your point about the go routes. Your criticism of Sharpe is that he only caught 33% of go routes, not the number of go routes run. Thanks for clarifying that Bri. 

 
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I have a question. What is the average conversion rate for a college WR on go routes?

I honestly don't know. That would be helpful to put this 33% number in context.

 
I was trying to look for this data and I remembered I had college target data charted by Bill C going back to 2005. Unfortunately he didn't break this out by the kind of routes run, but here is that information.

2013 Massachusetts    SO    Tajae Sharpe    101 targets    61 receptions    680 yards    60.4% catch rate    6.7 ypt    33.1% team targets    11.1 ypr    
2014 Massachusetts    JR    Tajae Sharpe    135 targets    85 receptions    1281 yards    63.0% catch rate    9.5 ypt    29.3% team targets    15.1 ypr
2015 Massachusetts    SR    Tajae Sharpe    176 targets    111 receptions    1319 yards    63.1% catch rate    7.5 ypt    37.4% team targets    11.9 ypr

This shows that Sharpe had a steady progression as a WR each season starting as a sophomore. The yards per target are lower than a lot of other WR but I am not sure if this is below average or above. He did have 15.1 yards per reception in 2014 on 85 receptions, which shows he is more than just a possession guy.

I did find this interesting from PFF.

3. Tajae Sharpe, WR, Massachusetts: Sharpe was picked on a bit on Twitter Tuesday after his hands measured just eight inches — far below what you typically see from top wide receiver prospects.

But here’s what our data tells us: Sharpe hardly ever dropped a pass this season. On 114 catchable targets, Sharpe had 111 receptions and just three drops, giving him a drop rate of 2.6 that is third-lowest among draft-eligible receivers. And on deep balls thrown 20 or more yards downfield, he had zero drops, hauling in all 12 catchable targets.

He also stood out for his all-around play, earning our fifth-best receiving grade among draft-eligible WRs.

He’ll have to overcome questions of competition level during the draft process, but he did very well in Tuesday’s practices against better cornerbacks than he’s faced all year, making a couple of impressive catches. That’s after a very good showing at the East-West Shrine Game, making him a potential sleeper moving forward

 
watch some at youtube Bia, let me know what you think?

To me he is definitely a possession WR

I'm not buying only 114 catchable passes, that's like a third were not.

Like that guy's chart thanks for sharing

 
If you look at the heat map of Bill C's chart your see Sharpe was in light red in the yards per reception and yards per target categories. So below average in 2015.

In 2014 he had 9.5 yards per target and 15.1 yards per reception. So those numbers are above average.

As far as PFF judgement on what is a catchable target and what isn't I cannot say.

According to Bill C's numbers Sharpe had 176 targets. So if only 114 were catchable, that means 62 of them were really off target. That is 35% of the total targets. One out of 3 was a off target throw? 

I have only watched the cuts ups of Sharpe on draft breakdown once, so I only have some general impressions at this point. I like that he has been consistent and shows he knows how to run routes and use techniques to get a clean release and get open.

 
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Fox Scream said:
Haven't researched this player much. Keep seeing this thread. Will look into it.
Finally got around to looking up some game tape and all I can say is WOW!

This guy is awesome. Lots of tape of him making contested catches in airtight coverages, tape of him turning on the jets, running smooths routes, bailing his QB out of bad throws.

He actually reminds me of a taller Jeremy Maclin. Everything he does just looks so fluid. Shows a little bit of everything on tape, actually looks like he could be a WR1 for a team if he puts on some more muscle.

Good heads up here.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b4dMwyeVLLI

 
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The Titans' website reports fifth-round WR Tajae Sharpe has already "established himself as one of the better route runners on the team."
It's one of the reasons he's humorously listed as a starter heading into training camp. Sharpe impressed all spring in shorts and t-shirts, so much so that longtime reporter/current team employee Jim Wyatt considers him a lock for the 53-man roster. Despite his impressive offseason, it would be stunning were Sharpe to open the season as a starter.

 
 
Source: titansonline.com 
Jul 21 - 1:59 PM

 
Bumping for Bracie.

This guy likely should be added to the player index considering he keeps being listed as the starter.

 
If you were to guess what the leading TEN WR was going to produce what would that be? And then if you had to guess what the odds of any of these six guys was going to actually be the most productive WR what would that be?

Green-Beckham was WR #55 last year(right in between Cole Beasley and Seth Roberts) with a lot less competition for targets and a much worse running game than the team should have this year. Does ANY TEN WR break the top 60 this season? 70? There are only 32 teams so how many #3 WR's eclipse the TEN WR #1 may be the question. 

 
Is it me or does Tennessee have a power problem with their head coaches....  They need to stop hiring power hungry ###*oles and hire people that will let the talent play...  Plus - I'm sick of hearing BRI do unimportant color commentary on "how the coach's face looked" when describing a player...  Hire a coach that will play and recognize talent - not a power hungry #####!

 
CheeseCurds said:
Is it me or does Tennessee have a power problem with their head coaches....  They need to stop hiring power hungry ###*oles and hire people that will let the talent play...  Plus - I'm sick of hearing BRI do unimportant color commentary on "how the coach's face looked" when describing a player...  Hire a coach that will play and recognize talent - not a power hungry #####!
Salty DGB owner?

Plus - The shark pool is more tuned in to the Titans than basically any other team because of Bri giving great updates almost daily. I know for a fact many posters (myself included) find them quite valuable not only for team wide expectations, but also player specific forecasts. 

 
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CheeseCurds said:
Is it me or does Tennessee have a power problem with their head coaches....  They need to stop hiring power hungry ###*oles and hire people that will let the talent play...  Plus - I'm sick of hearing BRI do unimportant color commentary on "how the coach's face looked" when describing a player...  Hire a coach that will play and recognize talent - not a power hungry #####!
This whole post is off base.

When's the last time I stated that?

Mularkey hasn't done anything power hungry. There isn't a coach in the NFL that defers so much to their DC as he does. They signed Bobby April so he could be about the same with special teams too. That's 2/3rds of the team that he doesn't even deal with all that much. Trust and/or faith is the very reason he hired all these old friends of his to be assistant coaches.

New GM Jon Robinson has had more of a say in player moves than he has, so again where's the power hungry issue?

The time is coming. He's going to work to get to 53 and we'll see how he and Robinson handle that, but it's part of his job not a power trip. 

 
Sharpe is very thin and I had posted earlier that i had the same sentiment as many others- is he too frail, light, weak, wirey, "toothpick" to be a star NFL WR?

I know some hate this notion, but when you see him standing next to Andre and DGB, the guy is puny.

I'm pretty sure that defender gets a fine for a helmet to helmet hit and that anyone would have got a concussion in that circumstance. Still, it is one week one injury. Let's see how preseason continues and hopefully we can blow this off. 

 
Sharpe is very thin and I had posted earlier that i had the same sentiment as many others- is he too frail, light, weak, wirey, "toothpick" to be a star NFL WR?
Well, he is already concussed, so he's not off to a great start in that regard.

 

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