zeeshan2 said:
Paul Kuharsky on Twitter: ".@gregcosell on @Midday180: Imagine Lewis will be more of the primary ballcarrier for the #Titans in the style of offense that Matt LaFleur is going to run, and Henry would be the complimentary guy."
https://twitter.com/PaulKuharskyNFL/status/973969100199342080?s=19
I'm a bit obsessed with Cosell and listen to him any chance I can get. He's so knowledgeable and great at explaining.
I didn't hear this one but his common phrase is "I don't know but I imagine" and he doesn't really use the word imagine otherwise.
He's a weekly guest and has pointed out how the Falcons and Rams do things versus the Pats and Patriots AND Titans under Mularkey.
One thing he has pointed out often is that Mularkey didn't do a bad job tailoring the offense to his players. We all disliked Robiske's play calls last season but 2016 is a good example of Mularkey getting it right. He'll go on and say they need some different players to do XYZ and discuss that. One point he's made a few times is (almost like I said above) that he can't imagine Vrabel watching tape and NOT taking some stuff from Lebeau or Mularkey. I see in PK's tweets that Cosell mentioned Ryan playing a safety role against some opponents. In 2016, the Titans played three safeties not two. The Titans run this beautiful screen to Henry where Kline and/or Conklin and Jonnu are out there to lead him up the sideline. It worked great in preseason and maybe 5-6 times in the regular season- not often but it was one great play. IIRC Belichick even mentioned it and joked he was gonna steal it.
Conklin and Lewan are very good, Lewan might be great. Lewan has a fire ya gotta feed. He's gotta hit someone and get his hands dirty. He's athletic enough to do anything but the new offense better have a play here N there where they get Lewan's motor going. The Titans averaged 8-10 (I forget) yards per carry behind Lewan, tops in the NFL. They have all these blocking TEs and scoured the league for them. Vrabel isn't just gonna discard them. They wouldn't be used much by the Rams but BB and Cowher would. Matthews is "money" on third down, one of the best in the NFL. He can't match amendola or edelman's quickness and burst. He's not the tall athlete the Rams had and he's not anywhere near as fast as Cooks. You don't discard a guy leading the league (or near the top) in 3rd down conversions. Walker is outstanding with his body and shielding defenders like a hoops player boxes out. He's very good at setting up the deep pass with some underneath moves. He's one of the best TEs but he's not the brute and man amongst boys that Gronk is and he's eons better than anyone on the Falcons or Rams. Davis we don't know about but the Titans clearly think he wins most one on one battles and tried to set that up. When he ran Taywan Taylor's slants from the slot, he looked great. Taylor is the fastest thing ya ever saw, faster than Kendall was. He's outstanding at running fast and then somehow kicking it into 5th gear.He has had no trouble getting open in the NFL but he had drops issue and ran to the wrong spot at times. It almost doesn't matter what the offense is, ya gotta get him some space to use his wow quickness and speed. It appears they're going to be dopes and let Spain leave in free agency and prefer a more athletic guard. That's a big mistake IMO as guards that only allow 6.5 sacks in three years don't grow on trees.
When Cosell talks about Vrabel the player and some things he saw in Houston and Ohio state, it is still the LB liking the big hit; he likes the overpowering plays and the FB smashing someone. Pees (and both Steelers and Pats) likes a CB blitz and he mentioned that the Titans almost never did this and could use another corner because Adoree has the speed and skills to be real effective at it. Insert Butler who also blitzes well from the corner. Cosell mentions how the Titans finished fifth in sacks but lack the big name. Lebeau created sacks with his scheme and Vrabel probably knows this and will have to do the same or get the players to get it done.
Jalston Fowler was Henry's BFF since college. He was the top rated FB in 2016 and the Titans released him mid 2017 claiming they don't need a FB. There were efforts to get him back and like I said Vrabel has said he wants a FB. There is no FB in the Rams offense on most plays. The Pats and Steelers use them though
Athletically, Mariota is eons more athletic than most of the prior QBs he's seen. Ya gotta think of Kordell or Watson last year, Vrabel has spent a lot of time around the immobile pocket guys. I am in no way insulting the best ever Tom Brady, just that he's very different from Mariota. Mariota is highly intelligent. Goff made stupid throws and part of his success was in not letting him think but snap N throw. This would take away Mariota's gift. Remember how we counted when he'd throw an INT as a rookie? He's very different than Goff.
The Titans wish they had a WR like Julio.
As you can see, Mularkey enlisted some tough guys that win on brute strength and effort. This suits Vrabel's personality and what he talks about. The Shanahan O (I don't think it's McVay) suits his intellectual side. Vrabel is curiously a fan of Parcells and BP would call some of his linemen street fighters. Like Gibbs and Cowher, Parcells liked to call the same play over n over and dare the D to stop it because it greatly feeds egos and gets guys going. This was not pretty but about execution and overpowering.
The Rams were a quick turnaround and a great story. The Falcons went to the Supe and lost with a shockingly big lead. I get that LaFleur has everyone's attention because he was the Falcons QB coach and the Rams OC. He didn't call plays with the Rams and he didn't even script many. He didn't do either in Atlanta. This is NOT Mike Martz coming in and installing his offense he's run for a decade.
Cosell has said at least four times that we don't know what a LaFleur offense is, we only know his background. We don't know what a Vrabel offense is, we only know his background. This is what I'm trying to convey here. They don't even have the right horses to do what some are suggesting. A pretty offense is fine. A (Mike) Shanahan offense with the linemen's shoulders being at angles is fine too. A (Kyle) Shanahan offense with SOME quick passes is fine too. But don't forget Vrabel was a FB and LB and loves to hit. Don't forget the Bus or Blount or what kind of back Henry is or how Lewan gets fired up. Ya really gotta be open to some mishmash of offensive styles and wait N see what a Vrabel offense is.
