Sunday, April 1, 2012

West Coast Offense 101, Logic 101

West Coast wide recievers run predominantly slants and crossing patterns. Bigger, taller recievers are preferable because they can use their bodies and reach to secure the ball in traffic against safeties as well as cornerbacks, can break a tackle or two, and can block.

ALSO important is the ability to S E P A R A T E from defenders. This is why Brian Robiskie couldn't hack it here-he couldn't make a cut and gain a step or two on a man cornerback.

The three-cone, short shuttle, and other drills are used at the NFL combine for a reason. They measure quickness; suddenness-in stops and starts and changing directions. Changing directions, as in making cuts in pass patterns. Are you with me so far?

Stephen Hill was atrocious in all of these drills at the combine. He has indisputably unreal straight-line speed, but lacks the hips and athleticism to separate on bread-and-butter West Coast patterns. He will have a hard time running anything but post patterns in any NFL offense, but might be able to function in a few as an extra reciever.

Don't ignore these other drills. They're intended to measure "football" speed and separate the track athletes from the football players. Stephen Hill is NOT a prospect for this team.

(Sigh)...the Browns don't expect to contend in 2012. Quit saying they can't afford a project at number four, citing 2012's win/loss record as the reason. And quit assuming that taking Tannehill would mean a 3-13 season or something!

This is idiotic. This team is loaded with starters and heavy contributors who were rookies last season, just learning the ropes. Last season was the first in a 4-3 defense and a West Coast offense. Running back Rodney Obeneyafield did run for 100 yards a couple times, and I'm not sure why everybody keeps pretending he and Carlton Mitchell don't exist, and that players entering their second and third seasons won't improve. I repeat: Idiotic.

Keep asking "how has the team been improved?" It's improved simply because there are a TON of young players naturally, and almost inevittably IMPROVING. D U H.

Former college left tackle/prematurely starting left guard Todd Pinkston? He's being trained by LeCharles Bentley at his highly-regarded offensive line school. Dude means business. Le Charles will give him quicker feet, among other things, and I will not be surprised if he doesn't come back ready to play right tackle. At least, he'll be a much-improved guard.

Tannehill only took shotgun snaps? Who makes this stuff up? His head coach was the Philbin who is the Dolphins new offensive coordinator, and there were a lot of West Coast principles in the offense he ran. He is more prepared for the West Coast than RG or Luck! He took shotgun snaps and snaps from under center--about like the freaking new England Patriots, ok?

Who told you that Tannehill would be a day one starter? The same goober that wrote this article I read said in one line that the Browns can't afford a project, and in the next defended McCoy as the incumbent starter. Projects don't start. It's why they're called "projects". Where's the "disruption" this guy refers to? In the baseball cap, holding the clip-board?

McCoy will start, whether Tannehill is here or not. And if he tears up the league, one of the two can be traded in 2014 or so!

Please, for Pete's sake, try to grasp that this team is rebuilding, and not aiming at the Superbowl in 2012! The models are obvious: New England, Green Bay, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, the Giants. Built through the draft, for the long term. Most of their starters were drafted by them, and many didn't start until their second or third seasons.

This team is obviously not on a par with them yet, but are rebuilding following their model.

The immediate needs for the Cleveland Browns offens are one offensive lineman (maybe a right tackle), one wide reciever, and maybe one running back...and you don't think they can find them at 22, high in the second, third, and fourth? You think one draft pick is "wasted" on a future franchise quarterback? That is screws up the whole draft?

Illogical. Irrational. Stop it.

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