anyone selling? I am considering asking for 1.10 and a 2020 1st... not sure if that is reasonable. I feel like it is as his potential is still there but
@Bri reporting that he was making the same rookie mistakes in year 2 has me very concerned. That and the fact that I have several budding wrs (Sutton, Gallup, Miller, Washington, Godwin plus picks 1-3, 7) makes him possible trade bait, but also doesnt because I'm not terribly deep with established talent
I expect them to trade a WR possibly before they sign one. Most people talk pretty highly about Taylor and Davis relative to their actual stats and that's the perfect time to trade.
One of the things about taking over a team and coaching/teaching, is that year two is generally far better than year one. Rob doesn't look good that Amari did better in Dallas but I don't think he has detractors in TEN. That one scout but...that's one and there are so many writers and reporters nowadays.
The common sentiments are to blame LaFleur, think Vrabel was a fool for how he treated Rishard, and then how Marcus oh so sorely missed Delanie and Rishard, so the Titans will add a veteran with sure hands. There are a good number of slot WRs available so many jump to them signing one. They did make an offer for Tate so him too.
I've watched the Titans a lot on gamepass since the season closed. A lot of times, rewatching and being able to pause and...I wind up changing my opinion of players or seeing something I didn't before.
Taylor isn't looked at much by Mariota. Unless it's like peripheral vision, his head is not looking that way oh so many times. LaFleur's apology really makes me angry now. It looks like he had Marcus only using half the field. Taylor is so quick. I mean maybe even Tyreek Hill quick or some 3rd down back. He's like a ping pong ball or pinball. I don't know how the he can change direction and not lose speed. At the snap, he's working and good luck keeping up with him. He still uses that speed like AB, you think he's running as fast as he can, then the ball is in the air and somehow he has a fifth gear to go get it and the CB is totally caught off guard by that fifth gear. He does it against name CBs and the guy just does his thing with no fear. If the play, the timing, is a little off, he won't catch it- ever! He doesn't use his body well, the S or CB always gets to the ball. Against a zone, he doesn't run and sit. He looks like a fourth grader you told to stand still. He's there but he's kind of moving around. He does this fake where he puts both hands to one side and runs the other. Everyone falls for it and he never once got a pass off it. He slows at the QB to take reverses and loses that speed he generated.
Davis became a mean blocker this year and kudos to him for that. However, if a CB stepped up and out of his path, he didn't go get him. He didn't go get a safety or backer or "make himself useful" and that was real annoying because the back will be coming his way and he's about doing nothing. If he had a target near him though, whewwww he's as good as any WR blocking now. I mean it's just fierce. In his routes, he has no concept of where the DB is. If the CB is on his right, he'll bump into him when he goes right. Everyone else either steps one early or later so they can continue on smoothly. He always bumps them. Maybe that's from college when he was the man amongst boys but it's stupid and slows him down. He pushes when he's tired and is probably going to get PIs next year or coached out of that habit. He's not fast off the line, shows no burst unless it's straight. After a few steps, he gets going and yep he's got speed. He uses his body well IF the CB is in a good spot. He doesn't find him and use his body well (like a hoops player would to box out). The CB has to be in the right spot for Corey to box him. Every now and then he leaps and it's holy cow high. When he has to go deep, he smiles (which probably tells the D something but whatever) and it's a thing of beauty. He shows way more speed than normally, if he bumps someone it's minimally and doesn't slow him down. He turns his head nice keeping his speed, it's all wonderful. If he has two cuts, he dogs it on the first, then explodes for the second. I don't know if this is good or bad. He gets separation and maybe he's setting his guy up. He smiles on no cut slants too. Just run diagonal. After a while, it seemed clear he either likes a route or he doesn't. It's not that he has a lack of effort on the routes when he doesn't smile. It's there. It just leads me back to LaFleur not using him well at all. Maybe he knew "this isn't gonna work" but did his best because it's his job? Marcus likes to throw the low purposeful dive like Brady, Brees, and Rodgers. Corey is no good at this. Marcus will sometimes throw to the wrong shoulder to get it away from the CB and Corey changes up beautifully. More often than not I come back to the story how Marcus was allowed to change plays at the LOS and did so well they took it away from him. When the D was blitzing (which was often, probably due to the Titans OL struggles) Corey was never open quick. He's busy messing with his CB or running a two cut route as Marcus is scrambling for his life or hanging on in the pocket for one more second. They weren't in sync at all. Now I know this is mostly negative, but if Marcus has time, Corey is gonna get open. He's excellent at how he finishes most routes. It just takes too long and I come back to LaFleur.
Tajae is the same as always. He only needs maybe a foot of separation and looks like he has the biggest mitts on the field. He can catch anything near him. His routes are all nicely done but as a slot, they're predictable one cut routes. When Marcus is comfy, he'll throw it even if Tajae only has a smidge of separation. If Marcus has been harassed all day, he isn't risking it. Maybe this means Tajae has to come out during certain times. When Tajae is outside, it's much of the same. He always gets a little separation and will catch anything, but you're left wondering if it's enough separation. If he was Rishard or Delanie, maybe he'd have Marcus' confidence and a bunch more catches, but I don't blame Marcus for not chucking it. He looks almost covered every time.
Batson pauses when he turns the other way. He's a normal person unlike Taylor's freakish ability. He's so quick too. He should have had more receptions this year even as a fourth or fifth WR. Marcus missed him too many times. This nobody might be a player. Maybe he gets cut because he can't return punts or maybe he works on that. He's really got some jets to him though.
Jennings looks like a Belichick WR to me. He's so smart and knows exactly what to do. I know he's played S, CB, RB, WR, PR, and KR in the NFL and that lends to his intelligence but...he's something. I don't know why they didn't use him against zones more. Against man, his cuts aren't very good and he does have trouble getting separation. He is clearly a last WR to return kicks, but....he's smart. He's probably locked into his spot after leading the NFL in KR. When we talk of the Titans cutting a WR and who makes the team, it's probably not that someone bumps him. He does his role well and there's just no reason for change. As a RB or reverse WR, he's got vision and a hop to his run. I didn't see it live but it's pretty cool to see. Reverses are well defensed and then boop a little hop and he gets five yards or so because the defenders gotta turn to even get him. He makes the other WRs running reverses look pretty ordinary.
I think there are pieces here but I also don't think anyone isn't replaceable. No one did so good (maybe Jennings) that a GM should be all confident that he's got his spot down and...I really think they could trade. I still think this is the team for AB. Maybe Taylor and Davis can become special but as is, they'd be awesome complimentary guys. THe whole unit is made well to surround a real #1. Sadly it'll probably be old Delanie that returns and is the main guy, but maybe that's enough. Someone has to eat up the attention so these guys have some freedom to run.
Also, FWIW I would run a million times if I were Marcus. The plays are too darn long and I just don't see many QBs sticking as long as he does.
