Ready for the West Coast?

Well, the WCO under San Fran right?Yeah, I got it...

So with the upcoming West Coast Offense, there's been a lot of talk about how will Campbell will adjust to playing in that system.

But I don't think that's the biggest issue really. I think where we need to be concerned is at the WR position. Our top two guys-Moss and El-seem ill prepared to be elite receivers in the WCO. Granted, they're tough and quick and have shown they can go over the middle? But on a regular basis?

I love Moss and would hate to see him go, but will he be wasted here in DC now? Will Anthony Mix suddenly become indespensible? Does Malcolm Kelly become a draft priority? Will Robin escape the clutches of The Penguin? Can Batman Save Gotham? Tune in tomorrow....

Seriously though, vote

It's def the WR's. I just don't think Moss and Randle El are top NFL wr's and we need to upgrade at that position. Look how Plaxico B. just dominated the Green Bay corners last week. We just don't have anyone that can take over a game like that. I remember the WCO at it's best when Montana ran it and he had Rice and Taylor at WR. Lots of quick reads, quick slants, misdirection bootlegs and waggles. They ran the pure version of it and it was fun to watch. But if McNabb can run it then so can JC. But it's going to take time and we are going to have growing pains.

I'm sure at some point in time there will be a presser to formally introduce Jim Zorn, and hopefully at that time he will enlighten us to some extent, as to just what type offense he intends to implement. We all seem to be under the asumption it going to be the WCO as we know it.


washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/26/AR2008012602666. html

Anyways I think it will be the receivers who struggle the most

washingtonpost. com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/26/AR2008012602666. html

Anyways I think it will be the receivers who struggle the most


If this is supposed to be a link to something, please explain!!

QB by far. then WRs. if this is round peg in square hole time, it's going to be a BAD season... hopefully the issues magically work themselves out and the offense is better than last year.

still quite possible for all this change to lead us to 6-10 though :/ we'll know better by pre-season if it's meshing or not.

Saunders ran elements of the West Coast offense, so I don't think it will be a big deal for anyone. The biggest change for everyone may be the words. The language of the West Coast offense is extremely verbose. Instead of numbered passing routes they all have names. I know Campbell ran some West Coast at Auburn, but that was probably pretty limited compared to what Zorn will be looking to implement. So, Campbell and his receivers need to get that aspect of things figured out here in the next few months.

Here's an article where West Coast guru Paul Hackett described the verbiage as "tongue twisting". Here's an excerpted quote:

''With this offense, there's so much verbiage, you've got to make it happen,'' Hackett said earlier this season, launching into an example of a typical pass play: ''Wide right, b right, scat 322, y stick, x train. That's what you've got to be able to do.''

PRO FOOTBALL; Jets Take Tongue Twisters Out of Carter's Play Calls - New York Times (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9505EEDA1E3FF932A15752C1A9629C8B 63)

My username has never been more appropriate than in this thread.

Seriously though, I'm probably the most worried about our WRs, simply because I'm was the most worried about them before. It's the whole consistency factor, which it looks like multiple folks have brought up. You can't have inconsistency when you're needing a bunch of short completions.

At this second, Campbell is the least prepared. Everyone else have routes and assignments that can be quickly learned and executed. Campbell has to know it all. And while I do not doubt that he'll pick it up and be ready to go, I still have to put him under the bus as of 30 January 2008 at 10:12am.

I voted for QB. I'm not so worried about the intelligence factor in Campbell grasping the system...I'm more concerned with his inability to get rid of the ball quickly and his inaccuracy at short/medium-range passes. If Zorn works with him all offseason, perhaps these concerns will be mitigated by training camp.

I'm going to go with JC and the QBs. ARE and Moss aren't big guys who like going over the middle and getting wailed on, but they have shown the ability to juke and run after the catching balls within 10 yards of the LOS. I'd like a new #2 WR and to put ARE in the slot and I have reservations about our WRs being able to go through a season relatively injury-free, but I don't think our WR corps is necessarily a glaring weakness even with the switch to the WCO.

I have more reservations about Campbell. Admittedly, Campbell played in a WCO in college, but I'm wondering whether that success translates into the NFL. As many others have noted, JC has a slow release and I wonder whether NFL-caliber DBs, who are both smart and fast, will be picking off JC left and right.