Why Did We Draft Fred Davis?

[SouperMeister]

So let's see if I have this right - Dallas trusts their backup TE drafted in the 2nd round to make a game winning catch in the 4th quarter of a key division game, but our TE drafted in the 2nd round can't get on the field for the Skins, who have scored a grand total of 16 points and one TD at home the past two weeks? We hear what a stud Davis looks like in practice, but Zorn can't find a place for him to impact the game on Sunday? I was vehemently against the Davis pick when there were more pressing depth issues on the O and D lines. But now that we have him, at least let the guy make an impact on Sunday. This is a completely wasted pick for this season if Zorn continues to leave Davis rotting on the pine. For that matter, is Devin Thomas only capable of running 5 yard curls? Until this offense gets something in the passing game from somebody not named Cooley or Moss, it is a very predictable passing attack to gameplan against.

[Beemnseven]

At the time, I thought it was a good pick for depth behind Chris Cooley if we ever lost him to injury.

But that's a steep price to pay for a backup tight end. Especially when your O-line has gotten old in the span of about 3 weeks.

[JWsleep]

Prediction: he's going to take Yoder's place next season.

Zorn has been slow to bring the rookies along. But that's fine, IMO. In this offense, they need to be very precise and they aren't there yet. Plus, all three have been hurt, delaying there progress. Don't give up on them yet!

[JWsleep]

On Devin Thomas: according to Zorn in his presser, on a play where JC threw to Cooley underneath after getting flushed from the pocket, DT was wide open for a TD if the pocket holds. So Devin is going deep. You set that up by running curls and outs. Then you play action and run a double move. And we did that. And the CB bit on the fake and Devin was open. But the protection broke down. JC scrambled and hit Cooley. But that shows how weak pass pro can make EVERYTHING look bad.

[Ruhskins]

Why did we draft Malcolm Kelly for him to be hurt all season? Who knows. I wonder if any rookie o-lineman would have worked out. I do know that I was wrong in thinking that we needed a free agent WR. We needed a free agent lineman, since that seems to be the cause of a lot of our troubles lately.

[drew54]

2009 #1 pick should be OLine.

[DynamiteRave]

Originally Posted by JWsleep

Prediction: he's going to take Yoder's place next season.

Zorn has been slow to bring the rookies along. But that's fine, IMO. In this offense, they need to be very precise and they aren't there yet. Plus, all three have been hurt, delaying there progress. Don't give up on them yet!

Sad. I like Yoder. The guy is money down on the goal line.

[JWsleep]

Originally Posted by DynamiteRave

Sad. I like Yoder. The guy is money down on the goal line.

Wait until you see Davis unleashed!!!! (I really hope!)

[SmootSmack]

We had threads like this on Rogers, Campbell, and I think McIntosh as well.

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

We had threads like this on Rogers, Campbell, and I think McIntosh as well.

My point is that sometimes you should veer from your draft board and go for positional needs. We had already locked Cooley up long term, so TE wasn't a great need. Cooley has never missed a game due to injury, so you're effectively drafting a #2 TE with a 2nd round pick. If you're not going to even try to get Davis on the field in 2 TE packages, then it's pretty clear that drafting for other positional needs would be helping the team more at this point.

[JWsleep]

Originally Posted by SouperMeister

My point is that sometimes you should veer from your draft board and go for positional needs. We had already locked Cooley up long term, so TE wasn't a great need. Cooley has never missed a game due to injury, so you're effectively drafting a #2 TE with a 2nd round pick. If you're not going to even try to get Davis on the field in 2 TE packages, then it's pretty clear that drafting for other positional needs would be helping the team more at this point.

I agree we should have drafted more for the lines, but my guess is Davis will be the #2 TE and a serious receiving threat next year.

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by JWsleep

I agree we should have drafted more for the lines, but my guess is Davis will be the #2 TE and a serious receiving threat next year.

But why can't Davis be a receiving threat now? Is Yoder really that much better as the #2 TE today?

[GTripp0012]

Well, if we're talking Bennett vs. Fred Davis strictly, I thought Bennett was the better prospect. I was surprised we passed over him for Davis. Luckily, we had just taken Devin Thomas over Jordy Nelson and DeSean Jackson, so my ire was directed elsewhere.

But unlike DT, I have no reason to doubt that Fred Davis will be a quality WR/TE hybrid in this league. I want to say we haven't needed him yet, but that's just not true. We have needed him, and we're just digging in all the wrong places for help at WR.

[sportscurmudgeon]

Watching Davis play in college, it is pretty obvious that he can run and he can catch the football. That is what got him drafted.

As to why he isn't on the field over Yoder - who is a decent TE but nothing more - it really has to be one of two reasons. And you will never get an NFL coach to tell you which one:

1. He isn't smart enough to understand his responsibilities on a wide enough spectrum of plays that they don't dare put him out there for much of anything lest he make a big mistake.


2. He can't block at all and putting him there could place Jason Campbell and/or any of the running backs in serious danger.


It pretty much has to be something along the lines of one of those two things...

[GTripp0012]

As a slot receiver, I think the argument can be made that he doesn't provide any abilities in a spread-em-out throw it around type situation that James Thrash doesn't have.

However, the argument that can not be made is that Todd Yoder is somehow better than Fred Davis because of his veteran presence or something. Davis>Yoder and it's really not even close. Yoder blocks like a WR and receives like a lineman.