A year in review - OJ Howard

[*ochocincos*]

I just saw that OJ Howard has been placed on IR, ending his rookie season prematurely.
However, Howard had a pretty successful rookie season even though Cameron Brate was ahead of him and used more as the receiving TE.
Howard ended his rookie season with 26 receptions for 432 yards (16.6 YPC) and six TDs.
He had five games out of 14 with 50+ receiving yards, three of which came in his last five games.

Yes, Evan Engram has been the best TE from the draft class when it comes to a receiving threat, but that really wasn't surprising. He was expected to be a big receiving threat but not used much as a blocker. Engram also didn't have much competition to be the starter at TE and really got a boost in his production when OBJ and Marshall went to IR.

I bring this up because the only offensive player I wanted more at #9 than John Ross was OJ Howard. He had a rather good season given the circumstances and showed glimpses of that elite all-around TE that people believed he could be when entering the draft. While the jury is still out for Ross staying healthy and being a really good player (I believe he still will be), Howard would have been a very good selection. He would have had plenty of opportunities to both catch and block in a struggling offense that lost Eifert really early in the season and now likely will not re-sign him.

[3wt]

(12-20-2017, 03:29 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I just saw that OJ Howard has been placed on IR, ending his rookie season prematurely.
However, Howard had a pretty successful rookie season even though Cameron Brate was ahead of him and used more as the receiving TE.
Howard ended his rookie season with 26 receptions for 432 yards (16.6 YPC) and six TDs.
He had five games out of 14 with 50+ receiving yards, three of which came in his last five games.

Yes, Evan Engram has been the best TE from the draft class when it comes to a receiving threat, but that really wasn't surprising. He was expected to be a big receiving threat but not used much as a blocker. Engram also didn't have much competition to be the starter at TE and really got a boost in his production when OBJ and Marshall went to IR.

I bring this up because the only offensive player I wanted more at #9 than John Ross was OJ Howard. He had a rather good season given the circumstances and showed glimpses of that elite all-around TE that people believed he could be when entering the draft. While the jury is still out for Ross staying healthy and being a really good player (I believe he still will be), Howard would have been a very good selection. He would have had plenty of opportunities to both catch and block in a struggling offense that lost Eifert really early in the season and now likely will not re-sign him.

So there were those of us who wanted John Allen, Derrick Barnett and Reuben Foster.


How did they do?   I think I heard Barnett has been a beast

[*ochocincos*]

(12-20-2017, 03:40 PM)3wt Wrote: So there were those of us who wanted John Allen, Derrick Barnett and Reuben Foster.


How did they do?   I think I heard Barnett has been a beast

I would rather you do your own research on these players since the thread was not about them, but I'll do it this time.
Barnett - 5 sacks, 1 FF, 20 combined tackles (5 TFL). Pretty good.
Allen - Went to IR after just five games. 1 sack, 10 combined tackles in those five games. Not good.
Foster - Eight games played so far. 61 combined tackles (6 TFL), 1 PD so far. Solid from a tackle perspective, not good from a coverage or turnover perspective.

[BengalHawk62]

how did Stevie Tu'ikolovatu end up?





I was really pushing hard for him to be one of our top draft picks. 

[Yojimbo]

Should have been our pick.

[Steve]

(12-20-2017, 03:29 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I just saw that OJ Howard has been placed on IR, ending his rookie season prematurely.
However, Howard had a pretty successful rookie season even though Cameron Brate was ahead of him and used more as the receiving TE.
Howard ended his rookie season with 26 receptions for 432 yards (16.6 YPC) and six TDs.
He had five games out of 14 with 50+ receiving yards, three of which came in his last five games.

Yes, Evan Engram has been the best TE from the draft class when it comes to a receiving threat, but that really wasn't surprising. He was expected to be a big receiving threat but not used much as a blocker. Engram also didn't have much competition to be the starter at TE and really got a boost in his production when OBJ and Marshall went to IR.

I bring this up because the only offensive player I wanted more at #9 than John Ross was OJ Howard. He had a rather good season given the circumstances and showed glimpses of that elite all-around TE that people believed he could be when entering the draft. While the jury is still out for Ross staying healthy and being a really good player (I believe he still will be), Howard would have been a very good selection. He would have had plenty of opportunities to both catch and block in a struggling offense that lost Eifert really early in the season and now likely will not re-sign him.

I also wanted Howard....
too bad we can't redo the last 2 drafts....
avoid Ced & Fisher for sure....

[Okeana]

I loved OJ Howard, but a guy we coulda had but didn't take was Marshon Lattimore. I know everyone on here hates first round corners because we have drafted so many, but the one year we don't turns out to be one of the best corner classes in recent memory. I really hope however if Marvin refuses to use Ross as a receiver because he is butthurt that they convert him to corner so we can atleast salvage the pick.

[*ochocincos*]

(01-05-2018, 12:24 AM)Okeana Wrote: I loved OJ Howard, but a guy we coulda had but didn't take was Marshon Lattimore.  I know everyone on here hates first round corners because we have drafted so many, but the one year we don't turns out to be one of the best corner classes in recent memory.  I really hope however if Marvin refuses to use Ross as a receiver because he is butthurt that they convert him to corner so we can atleast salvage the pick.

WJ3 and Lattimore would have been a sick combo for sure.
But it was evident the team wasn't going that way when they re-signed DK and said they were going to exercise Dennard's fifth-year option.

[Okeana]

(01-05-2018, 10:50 AM)ochocincos Wrote: WJ3 and Lattimore would have been a sick combo for sure.
But it was evident the team wasn't going that way when they re-signed DK and said they were going to exercise Dennard's fifth-year option.

Yep that is a year in review, 2 bad off season decisions lead to another and now our team is worse off.  I still think John Ross could be special, but with Marvin resigning it pretty much ruins his career.

[Bengalpool]

(01-05-2018, 11:34 AM)Okeana Wrote: Yep that is a year in review, 2 bad off season decisions lead to another and now our team is worse off.  I still think John Ross could be special, but with Marvin resigning it pretty much ruins his career.

Pretty much... Sheep who believe anything ML has to say about Ross after discovering he didn't want him in the draft are delusional. "Doesn't look good in practice", hmm okay. Throws Ross under the bus, him being a rookie and all I found that pretty extreme with what he said.

KC motivated K. Hunt when his first carry opening night against NE was a fumble and look at him now (Pro Bowl). I know... 'Apples to oranges', 'two different players'. The point is, Marvin has some sort of vendetta against the kid and its hurting our offense from potentially having an explosive player like Ross. We just don't know cause.... Merv...

[Okeana]

(01-05-2018, 11:45 AM)Takedown Wrote: Pretty much... Sheep who believe anything ML has to say about Ross after discovering he didn't want him in the draft are delusional. "Doesn't look good in practice", hmm okay. Throws Ross under the bus, him being a rookie and all I found that pretty extreme with what he said.

KC motivated K. Hunt when his first carry opening night against NE was a fumble and look at him now (Pro Bowl). I know... 'Apples to oranges', 'two different players'. The point is, Marvin has some sort of vendetta against the kid and its hurting our offense from potentially having an explosive player like Ross. We just don't know cause.... Merv...

I was dumbfounded the kid basically got permanently sidelined after a fumble that no one could have held on to.  Been around football my entire life and Ive seen all time greats fumble balls that were knocked out just like that.  I think Ross unjustly may be the focus of Marv because of frustration during that time of the season.  Kinda like eating a good meal than getting stomach flu where you don't eat that type of food again for years because subconsciously it makes you sick.