OUch for Vernon Davis owners (1 Viewer)

[sholditch]

Vernon Davis-TE- 49ers Aug. 28 - 3:07 am et

49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz says that "the numbers for Vernon (Davis), in terms of receptions, may or may not be there this year."

"It may fluctuate during the season," Martz said. "What we expect from Vernon are big plays. He's a very, very substantial blocker." Davis has not lined up in the slot this preseason, but has run vertical routes. He's shaping up as a better pick in non-PPR leagues whose targets will be inconsistent.

Source: Sacramento Bee

from article:

RE: What about Vernon Davis, Coach? Would you like to see him get a little bit more involved?

"Well, he will. I think that the numbers for Vernon, in terms of receptions, may or may not be there this year. It may fluctuate during the season. But what we expect from Vernon are big plays. He's a very, very substantial blocker, which really allows us to a lot of good things in the running game. There's no question about that. But, when we get him the ball we'd like to get him the ball down the field or get him the ball in the shallow routes and let him take off with it, so to speak. Sometimes the defenses will dictate how much you get the ball to him. He's done a very good job out here in practice and we haven't done a whole lot with him in the preseason games but we certainly practice him a lot."

RE: Is he the guy you might move out into the slot if the receiver injuries dictate it?

"Sure. We've already done that in practice. We've moved him around a little bit. But it takes away from some of the other things that he does really well. The hard thing about Vernon is that he's a very talented guy. The more you do with him, then you have to be careful about not doing anything really well. And there's some things that he really does exceptionally well and we want to keep him grounded to that."

not sounding good

 

[Manster]

meh. he's been on my do not draft list anyway. the is the definition of risk.

 

[sdsjr3]

Meh, not sure I'd let this alter your opinion too much. Like he said in the article, VD is a talented guy. If SF wants to be competitive this year they need to get him the ball. yeah, he is a great blocker. But he's also a big target for a young inexperienced QB to throw to.

 

[sholditch]

He says in no uncertain terms that Davis will not get a lot of receptions this year. I don't think he can spell out 45-catch season any plainer. Also mentioning what a good blocker he is and how they need to keep focusing him on what he is good at. But I guess people will always hear what they want.

 

[Sinrman]

Shouldn't be a huge shock. He's never really used the TE a lot in his offenses of the past...

 

[gbill2004]

So what can we expect from Vernon this year, in terms of numbers?

I've been projecting about 700 yards (44 yards per game) and 6 TDs. Think thats still reasonable??

 

[sholditch]

I'd say that's a reasonable ceiling with a floor around 550 and 4

 

[Iwannabeacowboybaby!]

So what can we expect from Vernon this year, in terms of numbers?I've been projecting about 700 yards (44 yards per game) and 6 TDs. Think thats still reasonable??

I think that's a little high. 500 yards and 4 Td's

 

[CalBear]

Meh, not sure I'd let this alter your opinion too much. Like he said in the article, VD is a talented guy. If SF wants to be competitive this year they need to get him the ball. yeah, he is a great blocker. But he's also a big target for a young inexperienced QB to throw to.

Having a big target doesn't help much when he can't catch and he runs the wrong route.

 

[Ketamine Dreams]

meh. he's been on my do not draft list anyway. the is the definition of risk.

Agree. Davis has been a bust FF-wise. I doubt people were going to rely on him much anyway. I grabbed him late as a #2 TE in one league. I think most were gambling a bit to see what he does. If he doesn't produce after 4 or 5 games he'll be on the waiver wire.

 

[Ed Wood]

Smokescreen?

But now that I think about it, I'd take one week of 3-131-1 over two consecutive weeks of 5-60-0 (same point totals).

 

[sdsjr3]

Meh, not sure I'd let this alter your opinion too much. Like he said in the article, VD is a talented guy. If SF wants to be competitive this year they need to get him the ball. yeah, he is a great blocker. But he's also a big target for a young inexperienced QB to throw to.

Having a big target doesn't help much when he can't catch and he runs the wrong route.

My point was that if you have VD down for about 550 and 5 then I still think that's reasonable. No need to alter that much. There's still some room for upside there as well. But anybody expecting Gonzo/Gates/Witten number from him were off their rocker anyway. he was hyped a lot early on.

 

[Holy Schneikes]

Sounds to me like if Vernon wants to catch a lot of passes he needs to stop bocking so well.

The funny thing is I wouldn't put it past him. The simple fact is that offensive players get paid for numbers to some degree. Who is the last primarily blocking TE to make the pro-bowl? When it comes to contract time, it's a LOT easier to bank on a 1000 yard season than it is to bank on, "Hey, i blocked my ### off out there." All of the big-money guys at TE are big-time pass receivers.

 

[sholditch]

Smokescreen?But now that I think about it, I'd take one week of 3-131-1 over two consecutive weeks of 5-60-0 (same point totals).

Right, cause you would know that week was coming after him going for 1-7.

 

[bucsbaby]

Good news for Gore?

(Gore owner)

 

[gregjcross]

He says in no uncertain terms that Davis will not get a lot of receptions this year. I don't think he can spell out 45-catch season any plainer. Also mentioning what a good blocker he is and how they need to keep focusing him on what he is good at. But I guess people will always hear what they want.

I am not a VD owner, and Martz says a lot of things, just give him the mic. VD will be fine as a late TE pick up. I'll believe what Martz says when he finds the next Kurt Warner, Torry Holt and Marshall Faulk combo.

 

[FavreCo]

Shouldn't be a huge shock. He's never really used the TE a lot in his offenses of the past...

Yet the over-rated idiot continues ride his lucky stint with 3 HOF players and to pimp his out of date offensive model. This should be the end of Martz.As a Gore owner, I applaud Martz keeping Davis around to block. However it is probably because you need an extra 10 seconds in Martz system to complete a pass....not run the ball with Gore.

 

[gianmarco]

Shouldn't be a huge shock. He's never really used the TE a lot in his offenses of the past...

Yet the over-rated idiot continues ride his lucky stint with 3 HOF players and to pimp his out of date offensive model. This should be the end of Martz.As a Gore owner, I applaud Martz keeping Davis around to block. However it is probably because you need an extra 10 seconds in Martz system to complete a pass....not run the ball with Gore.

The same out of date offensive model that turned the Detroit passing offense from one of the worst in the league for several years running into two top 10 passing seasons in a row overnight? Or maybe it was because of the HOF caliber Kitna, McDonald, and Furrey that allowed that to happen.

 

[Bojang0301]

Wow Martz not using his TE... shocking.

 

[seahawk 17]

Shouldn't be a huge shock. He's never really used the TE a lot in his offenses of the past...

Yet the over-rated idiot continues ride his lucky stint with 3 HOF players and to pimp his out of date offensive model. This should be the end of Martz.As a Gore owner, I applaud Martz keeping Davis around to block. However it is probably because you need an extra 10 seconds in Martz system to complete a pass....not run the ball with Gore.

I don't mean to hijack the thread but you're not calling Warner a Hall of Fame QB are you?

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I've never been high on VD (nor Vernon Davis), but if this changes your opinion of him even one little bit then you must be new to this whole following football in the offseason thing.

This is the very definition of coachspeak. You know, the kind where if someone actually went back and ran a study on how this stuff played out we'd probably find out that more than 50% of the time the complete OPPOSITE of what was said is closer to the truth.

I'm starting to wonder if hearing bad news about a guy is actually a GOOD thing in the offseason. If anything, I think this story is more of an indication that Martz wants Davis to catch 80 balls than it is an indication that he wants him to catch 30 downfield and block the rest of the time.

Think about it, what reason would Martz have for telling every defensive coordinator in the leage the truth about how he wants to use the guy?

 

[Restricted]

VD was going to be the best thing since sliced bread since entering the league. This is just a speed bump.

 

[CalBear]

The same out of date offensive model that turned the Detroit passing offense from one of the worst in the league for several years running into two top 10 passing seasons in a row overnight? Or maybe it was because of the HOF caliber Kitna, McDonald, and Furrey that allowed that to happen.

The only thing Martz did for the passing offense in Detroit was give it more attempts. Kitna is not great but he's clearly an upgrade from Harrington. In Harrington's last two years the offense ranked #24 and #27; with Martz and Kitna it ranked #19 and #22. The offense went from averaging 521 pass attempts to averaging 591 (top-2 in the league); Detroit ranked #32 in rushing attempts both years Martz was there. There is fantasy relevance there, as it's clearly likely that there will be more passing attempts in San Francisco this year. But they'll still be a bottom-10 offense overall.

 

[sholditch]

Shouldn't be a huge shock. He's never really used the TE a lot in his offenses of the past...

Yet the over-rated idiot continues ride his lucky stint with 3 HOF players and to pimp his out of date offensive model. This should be the end of Martz.As a Gore owner, I applaud Martz keeping Davis around to block. However it is probably because you need an extra 10 seconds in Martz system to complete a pass....not run the ball with Gore.

The same out of date offensive model that turned the Detroit passing offense from one of the worst in the league for several years running into two top 10 passing seasons in a row overnight? Or maybe it was because of the HOF caliber Kitna, McDonald, and Furrey that allowed that to happen.

Wins count, passing yards don't. The second part I'm not going to touch.

 

[CentralPA]

Grabbed VD late for TE#2, not looking for anything spectacular from him.

 

[thatguythere]

O'sullivan is going to have about 3 or 4 seconds to drop back 7 steps and find an open receiver. Defenses are going to be all over him, so they are probably thinking about keeping Davis in to block. That way the WR's can run their 15-20 yard patterns. Good Luck SF and especially JTO...you'll need it.

 

[Ed Wood]

I watched the game against the Bears. He does seem like a heckuva blocker if that's any indication. And he WAS blocking a bunch and broke loose for about a 40-yarder (his only targer IIRC).

 

[FFdork]

He says in no uncertain terms that Davis will not get a lot of receptions this year.

Actually he says "may or may not" which is not the same thing as "will not." Still, thanks for posting the quote because it's an interesting one to ponder.I still view Vernon the same way I did before: he's a risk/reward player. He's the most talented receiver in a pass-happy offense. He's also a TE, which Martz has never made good use of (yes, I know he's never had one like Davis), on an offensive team that may or may not have a NFL caliber QB. If you plan to carry more than one TE, pairing him with a more dependable guy that can be had late (e.g. Scheffler) makes a lot of sense to me.

 

[gianmarco]

The same out of date offensive model that turned the Detroit passing offense from one of the worst in the league for several years running into two top 10 passing seasons in a row overnight? Or maybe it was because of the HOF caliber Kitna, McDonald, and Furrey that allowed that to happen.

The only thing Martz did for the passing offense in Detroit was give it more attempts. Kitna is not great but he's clearly an upgrade from Harrington. In Harrington's last two years the offense ranked #24 and #27; with Martz and Kitna it ranked #19 and #22. The offense went from averaging 521 pass attempts to averaging 591 (top-2 in the league); Detroit ranked #32 in rushing attempts both years Martz was there. There is fantasy relevance there, as it's clearly likely that there will be more passing attempts in San Francisco this year. But they'll still be a bottom-10 offense overall.

No, the passing offense ranked 7th and 9th these last 2 yrs compared to 23rd, 26th, 24th, and 25th the previous 4 yrs. That's a significant difference.

 

[sholditch]

He says in no uncertain terms that Davis will not get a lot of receptions this year.

Actually he says "may or may not" which is not the same thing as "will not." Still, thanks for posting the quote because it's an interesting one to ponder.I still view Vernon the same way I did before: he's a risk/reward player. He's the most talented receiver in a pass-happy offense. He's also a TE, which Martz has never made good use of (yes, I know he's never had one like Davis), on an offensive team that may or may not have a NFL caliber QB.

If you plan to carry more than one TE, pairing him with a more dependable guy that can be had late (e.g. Scheffler) makes a lot of sense to me.

Scheffler isn't even listed as a starter. Again, believe whatever you want, but the message is clear.

 

[the rover]

Number of TD's scored by TE in Martz offense from 2000, when he took over as head coach from Vermeil and completely lost his mind:

2000: 3

2001: 2

2002: 2

2003: 0

2004: 0

2005: 0

2006: 4

2007: 0

 

[Hemi-Colon]

Last year, I was one of the people who screamed "Buyer Beware" on VD. I had seen him over and over drop balls, miss assignments, and do stupid things like call out future hall of famers(Larry Allen). Having watched him very closely in OTA's and camp this year, I feel it is only necessary for me to revisit V.Davis again. I can honestly say that he has impressed me more than any other Niner camp attendee. I have not seen him drop more than 4-5 catchable balls in team or individual drills. I have witnessed him stay on the field after every final horn has blown to take 10yd bullets from the Juggs machine. Whereas he would be involved in at least 1-2 stupid scrums every day, he has only to my recollection been in 1 all of camp, as a third man in if I recall correctly. This turn around in work ethic, and attitude has more than impressed me, as I thought it could never possibly happen. I am not going to say that this is the "break-out" year for him, but I feel almost because I did trash him so harshly, as if I owe it to him to acknowledge his obvious hard work. I'll close with this. Non-Buyers beware of Vernon Davis, because his mentality may have finally caught up to his athleticism.

 

[CalBear]

The same out of date offensive model that turned the Detroit passing offense from one of the worst in the league for several years running into two top 10 passing seasons in a row overnight? Or maybe it was because of the HOF caliber Kitna, McDonald, and Furrey that allowed that to happen.

The only thing Martz did for the passing offense in Detroit was give it more attempts. Kitna is not great but he's clearly an upgrade from Harrington. In Harrington's last two years the offense ranked #24 and #27; with Martz and Kitna it ranked #19 and #22. The offense went from averaging 521 pass attempts to averaging 591 (top-2 in the league); Detroit ranked #32 in rushing attempts both years Martz was there. There is fantasy relevance there, as it's clearly likely that there will be more passing attempts in San Francisco this year. But they'll still be a bottom-10 offense overall.

No, the passing offense ranked 7th and 9th these last 2 yrs compared to 23rd, 26th, 24th, and 25th the previous 4 yrs. That's a significant difference.

Did you even read my post? The passing offense ranked higher only because it added 70 more passing attempts (almost 5 per game). Those passing attempts came at the expense of rushing, which went down by 90 attempts (almost 6 per game). The passing offense was only marginally better on a per-attempt basis than it was in 2004-2005, and in fact was not as good as the Kitna-led Bengals passing offenses. There will be more passing in SF this year, and less rushing. The overall offense will still stink.

 

[Mister CIA]

Let's compile a list of good blocking tight ends in pass happy offenses. I want to lower my expectations for them all.

(1) Davis

(2) Shockey

(3) ....?

 

[Hemi-Colon]

Let's compile a list of good blocking tight ends in pass happy offenses. I want to lower my expectations for them all.(1) Davis(2) Shockey(3) ....?

Daniels

 

[CentralPA]

Let's compile a list of good blocking tight ends in pass happy offenses. I want to lower my expectations for them all.(1) Davis(2) Shockey(3) ....?

Kevin Boss?

 

[Hipple Long Ware & Peete]

Vernon Davis-TE- 49ers Aug. 28 - 3:07 am et

49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz says that "the numbers for Vernon (Davis), in terms of receptions, may or may not be there this year."

"It may fluctuate during the season," Martz said. "What we expect from Vernon are big plays. He's a very, very substantial blocker." Davis has not lined up in the slot this preseason, but has run vertical routes. He's shaping up as a better pick in non-PPR leagues whose targets will be inconsistent.

Source: Sacramento Bee

from article:

RE: What about Vernon Davis, Coach? Would you like to see him get a little bit more involved?

"Well, he will. I think that the numbers for Vernon, in terms of receptions, may or may not be there this year. It may fluctuate during the season. But what we expect from Vernon are big plays. He's a very, very substantial blocker, which really allows us to a lot of good things in the running game. There's no question about that. But, when we get him the ball we'd like to get him the ball down the field or get him the ball in the shallow routes and let him take off with it, so to speak. Sometimes the defenses will dictate how much you get the ball to him. He's done a very good job out here in practice and we haven't done a whole lot with him in the preseason games but we certainly practice him a lot."

RE: Is he the guy you might move out into the slot if the receiver injuries dictate it?

"Sure. We've already done that in practice. We've moved him around a little bit. But it takes away from some of the other things that he does really well. The hard thing about Vernon is that he's a very talented guy. The more you do with him, then you have to be careful about not doing anything really well. And there's some things that he really does exceptionally well and we want to keep him grounded to that."

not sounding good

People really read what they want to out of these things.You: The sky is falling.

Me: The coach things the TE is a very capable run blocker (ie will be in at goaline, short-yardage sets) and wants to use him more in the VERTICAL passing game. This is Martz. I'd rather not have VD match up with a CB on the outside anyway. Let him thrive in martz trickeration/play action and go down the field. Look at the rec. in San Fran. Mostly smurfy dudes. That means nice red zone opps for a guy like Davis IMO. Add playing behind cuz your D blows, I see great things from Davis and could see him cracking the top 5. Then again That can be said about almost 10-15 TEs this year.

 

[FantasyFreak]

Hines Ward has always been one of the best blocking WRs, and he had always been a stud Fantasy WR as well.

I wouldn't be discouraged by this news.

Who knows, could be decoy anyway......

Gore will get the short dump offs, so don't expect that from VD anyway. He'll earn his keep when he's downfield, catching balls, then running over people to hit the endzone.......

 

[Hipple Long Ware & Peete]

Let's compile a list of good blocking tight ends in pass happy offenses. I want to lower my expectations for them all.(1) Davis(2) Shockey(3) ....?

all it takes for a TE to be top flight is a few balls, and the balls to ask for the ball. Take shockey off your list.Also note, he followed up his "good blocking" line, with how he thinks that will help in the RUNNING GAME. Pas blocking and run blocking are fairly different skills sets, for being so closely related.

 

[Hipple Long Ware & Peete]

Let's compile a list of good blocking tight ends in pass happy offenses. I want to lower my expectations for them all.(1) Davis(2) Shockey(3) ....?

Daniels

take daniels of your list too. In fact your list sucks. Boss is a ? for other reasons. In fact the only + i have heard is "the giants must love this guy or they wouldn't let shockey go" No. The giants and shockey had passed pt of no return, they dealt him b/c they had too.

 

[Gr00vus]

Also note, he followed up his "good blocking" line, with how he thinks that will help in the RUNNING GAME.

It's good to know Davis will be in on those 6 plays per game too.

 

[Saint]

Vernon Davis-TE- 49ers Aug. 28 - 3:07 am et

49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz says that "the numbers for Vernon (Davis), in terms of receptions, may or may not be there this year."

"It may fluctuate during the season," Martz said. "What we expect from Vernon are big plays. He's a very, very substantial blocker." Davis has not lined up in the slot this preseason, but has run vertical routes. He's shaping up as a better pick in non-PPR leagues whose targets will be inconsistent.

Source: Sacramento Bee

from article:

RE: What about Vernon Davis, Coach? Would you like to see him get a little bit more involved?

"Well, he will. I think that the numbers for Vernon, in terms of receptions, may or may not be there this year. It may fluctuate during the season. But what we expect from Vernon are big plays. He's a very, very substantial blocker, which really allows us to a lot of good things in the running game. There's no question about that. But, when we get him the ball we'd like to get him the ball down the field or get him the ball in the shallow routes and let him take off with it, so to speak. Sometimes the defenses will dictate how much you get the ball to him. He's done a very good job out here in practice and we haven't done a whole lot with him in the preseason games but we certainly practice him a lot."

RE: Is he the guy you might move out into the slot if the receiver injuries dictate it?

"Sure. We've already done that in practice. We've moved him around a little bit. But it takes away from some of the other things that he does really well. The hard thing about Vernon is that he's a very talented guy. The more you do with him, then you have to be careful about not doing anything really well. And there's some things that he really does exceptionally well and we want to keep him grounded to that."

not sounding good

People really read what they want to out of these things.You: The sky is falling.

Me: The coach things the TE is a very capable run blocker (ie will be in at goaline, short-yardage sets) and wants to use him more in the VERTICAL passing game. This is Martz. I'd rather not have VD match up with a CB on the outside anyway. Let him thrive in martz trickeration/play action and go down the field. Look at the rec. in San Fran. Mostly smurfy dudes. That means nice red zone opps for a guy like Davis IMO. Add playing behind cuz your D blows, I see great things from Davis and could see him cracking the top 5. Then again That can be said about almost 10-15 TEs this year.

Couldn't have said it better.... Coachspeak in full force. I am in agreement that I think Davis is one of SF's best weapons, and I believe Martz has the intelligence to know that or he wouldn't still be an offensive coach. This article tells me nothing.

 

[AnonymousBob]

I watched the game against the Bears. He does seem like a heckuva blocker if that's any indication. And he WAS blocking a bunch and broke loose for about a 40-yarder (his only targer IIRC).

He had other targets as well. It seems to me Vernon will have a couple long targets/catches per game. Even if he blocks most of the time he only needs one big play to give you lots of points...this isn't Alge Crumpler, where he'll need to catch the ball 6+ times at 10 yards a clip. Vernon will be a guy that's going to be a deep threat when he isn't blocking.

 

[sholditch]

Vernon Davis-TE- 49ers Aug. 28 - 3:07 am et

49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz says that "the numbers for Vernon (Davis), in terms of receptions, may or may not be there this year."

"It may fluctuate during the season," Martz said. "What we expect from Vernon are big plays. He's a very, very substantial blocker." Davis has not lined up in the slot this preseason, but has run vertical routes. He's shaping up as a better pick in non-PPR leagues whose targets will be inconsistent.

Source: Sacramento Bee

from article:

RE: What about Vernon Davis, Coach? Would you like to see him get a little bit more involved?

"Well, he will. I think that the numbers for Vernon, in terms of receptions, may or may not be there this year. It may fluctuate during the season. But what we expect from Vernon are big plays. He's a very, very substantial blocker, which really allows us to a lot of good things in the running game. There's no question about that. But, when we get him the ball we'd like to get him the ball down the field or get him the ball in the shallow routes and let him take off with it, so to speak. Sometimes the defenses will dictate how much you get the ball to him. He's done a very good job out here in practice and we haven't done a whole lot with him in the preseason games but we certainly practice him a lot."

RE: Is he the guy you might move out into the slot if the receiver injuries dictate it?

"Sure. We've already done that in practice. We've moved him around a little bit. But it takes away from some of the other things that he does really well. The hard thing about Vernon is that he's a very talented guy. The more you do with him, then you have to be careful about not doing anything really well. And there's some things that he really does exceptionally well and we want to keep him grounded to that."

not sounding good

People really read what they want to out of these things.You: The sky is falling.

Me: The coach things the TE is a very capable run blocker (ie will be in at goaline, short-yardage sets) and wants to use him more in the VERTICAL passing game. This is Martz. I'd rather not have VD match up with a CB on the outside anyway. Let him thrive in martz trickeration/play action and go down the field. Look at the rec. in San Fran. Mostly smurfy dudes. That means nice red zone opps for a guy like Davis IMO. Add playing behind cuz your D blows, I see great things from Davis and could see him cracking the top 5. Then again That can be said about almost 10-15 TEs this year.

Um, scuse me hippie, but point the post I made that = "the sky is falling"How bout this?

You: Making crap up to make yourself sound good

 

[blackjack23]

Hines Ward has always been one of the best blocking WRs, and he had always been a stud Fantasy WR as well.

I wouldn't be discouraged by this news.

Who knows, could be decoy anyway......

Gore will get the short dump offs, so don't expect that from VD anyway. He'll earn his keep when he's downfield, catching balls, then running over people to hit the endzone.......

Hines Ward only blocked on running plays. He never stayed in to block on passing plays like a TE would.

 

[Gr00vus]

Um, scuse me hippie, but point the post I made that = "the sky is falling"

How would you categorize the thread title: "OUch for Vernon Davis owners - bad news from Martz" ?

How bout this?You: Making crap up to make yourself sound good

For someone who's spent a fair amount of time getting on other peoples' cases about how you don't like the tone of their posting, where would this fit on the scale of "being excellent"?

 

[FantasyFreak]

Hines Ward has always been one of the best blocking WRs, and he had always been a stud Fantasy WR as well.

I wouldn't be discouraged by this news.

Who knows, could be decoy anyway......

Gore will get the short dump offs, so don't expect that from VD anyway. He'll earn his keep when he's downfield, catching balls, then running over people to hit the endzone.......

Hines Ward only blocked on running plays. He never stayed in to block on passing plays like a TE would.

My point is that if a guy is being used to block, it won't affect his numbers. If an athelte is good at his position, he'll be productive. That's it.Mr. Technical.

 

[Gr00vus]

Hines Ward has always been one of the best blocking WRs, and he had always been a stud Fantasy WR as well.

I wouldn't be discouraged by this news.

Who knows, could be decoy anyway......

Gore will get the short dump offs, so don't expect that from VD anyway. He'll earn his keep when he's downfield, catching balls, then running over people to hit the endzone.......

Hines Ward only blocked on running plays. He never stayed in to block on passing plays like a TE would.

I'm not seeing where Martz said Davis was going to be staying in to block on pass plays. Could you highlight that part for me? I see where he says he's a good run blocker though.

 

[Mookie Blaylock]

Vernon Davis-TE- 49ers Aug. 28 - 3:07 am et

49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz says that "the numbers for Vernon (Davis), in terms of receptions, may or may not be there this year."

"It may fluctuate during the season," Martz said. "What we expect from Vernon are big plays. He's a very, very substantial blocker." Davis has not lined up in the slot this preseason, but has run vertical routes. He's shaping up as a better pick in non-PPR leagues whose targets will be inconsistent.

Source: Sacramento Bee

from article:

RE: What about Vernon Davis, Coach? Would you like to see him get a little bit more involved?

"Well, he will. I think that the numbers for Vernon, in terms of receptions, may or may not be there this year. It may fluctuate during the season. But what we expect from Vernon are big plays. He's a very, very substantial blocker, which really allows us to a lot of good things in the running game. There's no question about that. But, when we get him the ball we'd like to get him the ball down the field or get him the ball in the shallow routes and let him take off with it, so to speak. Sometimes the defenses will dictate how much you get the ball to him. He's done a very good job out here in practice and we haven't done a whole lot with him in the preseason games but we certainly practice him a lot."

RE: Is he the guy you might move out into the slot if the receiver injuries dictate it?

"Sure. We've already done that in practice. We've moved him around a little bit. But it takes away from some of the other things that he does really well. The hard thing about Vernon is that he's a very talented guy. The more you do with him, then you have to be careful about not doing anything really well. And there's some things that he really does exceptionally well and we want to keep him grounded to that."

not sounding good

People really read what they want to out of these things.You: The sky is falling.

Me: The coach things the TE is a very capable run blocker (ie will be in at goaline, short-yardage sets) and wants to use him more in the VERTICAL passing game. This is Martz. I'd rather not have VD match up with a CB on the outside anyway. Let him thrive in martz trickeration/play action and go down the field. Look at the rec. in San Fran. Mostly smurfy dudes. That means nice red zone opps for a guy like Davis IMO. Add playing behind cuz your D blows, I see great things from Davis and could see him cracking the top 5. Then again That can be said about almost 10-15 TEs this year.

Couldn't have said it better.... Coachspeak in full force. I am in agreement that I think Davis is one of SF's best weapons, and I believe Martz has the intelligence to know that or he wouldn't still be an offensive coach. This article tells me nothing.

I can't remember where I read it so I don't have a link, but I could swear that I read something about how Davis said how excited he was about this year. How he liked Martz's system and that he was in for a big year. He might have even predicted that he would be the most productive TE the league this year. Not that it means anything but does anyone remember reading that or was that another one of my pre-draft dreams?

 

[baconisgood]

Hines Ward has always been one of the best blocking WRs, and he had always been a stud Fantasy WR as well.

WRs ONLY run block, that is they only block on plays when there is no chance of them getting the ball. TEs run AND pass block, the more VD stays in to pass block the fewer targets he can get. If Martz is just talking about run blocking it matters little (unless it wears VD down).