Quote:
Originally Posted by firstdown
Here is just a tought. Zorn comes here and has to build a playbook and also teach it to our players. He spends most of his time concerned with our starters learning the plays first and then sometime with back ups and rookies (remember no one knows the play book). We start the season and things look pretty good so they keep working with the starters and getting them ready for the games and adding new plays. While things are working great the time is spent with the starters and not the back ups and/or rookies (remember players are still learning the play book). So we are now 8 games into the season and it seems everything is going better than planned but things then start to go wrong. We are also now limited to who we can start or play because all the time was needed to get the starters up to speed in Zorns O. So now when teams have figured out how to stop the Skins we really did not have a plan B because we never had a chance to get them into the system.
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This makes some sense, but I would guess that the rooks got some time w/the 1st unit, especially in 3 & 4 wr sets. Your point also is that the players need hands on training, which I'm sure they do in a new system. However, that doesn't mean everyone's not expected to come to practice prepared, i.e. in shape & knowing the plays (from a knowledge standpoint of the playbook at least). Zorn said these guys weren't in shape & if what JLC says is true, they didn't have a good grasp of the offense throughout the year as well.
Thomas got plenty of playing time as the season went on. That last pick in the Pitt game, JLC said was Thomas' fault for running the route poorly. Don't know if that's true, but regardless, he either wasn't getting open on most plays, JC didn't see him often, or JC didn't look his way much for lack of trust. Whatever the conclusion, at this point I don't see how anyone could say he had a good rookie year. Let's hope he comes to ota's & camp ready to work & takes ARE's starting spot.