Thoughts after minicamp?

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

I also noticed Don Breux in the backround in one of the pictures. Does anyone know what the hell he does?

He's a scout for the team now. Advance scout to be more specific

[skinsfan69]

Just from reading all the reports, it sounds like the offense has a long long way to go. I was listening to JC on one of the local radio stations a few weeks back and he said that he was at the point of mastering Al's system. I know it's too early to be saying this but I'm just wondering if changing the offense again was really worth it. Imagine how much further along JC would be if he wasn't learning yet another offense.

[Stuck in TX]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

Just from reading all the reports, it sounds like the offense has a long long way to go. I was listening to JC on one of the local radio stations a few weeks back and he said that he was at the point of mastering Al's system. I know it's too early to be saying this but I'm just wondering if changing the offense again was really worth it. Imagine how much further along JC would be if he wasn't learning yet another offense.

The offense that is being installed is pretty much what JC ran at Auburn. He isnt really learning a new offense, just adding to what he already knew. As far as mini camp goes, Zorn gave his offense an abbreviated version. They only had a few plays to run and practice. They werent really there to master the offense, but to be evaluated by the coaches based on skill and fundemental awareness. Not only that, but the defense has been pretty much the same with Blache from the previous years, so I do not think the offense was bad, just that the defense was really, really good.

[skinsfan69]

[quote=Stuck in TX;447605]The offense that is being installed is pretty much what JC ran at Auburn. He isnt really learning a new offense, just adding to what he already knew. As far as mini camp goes, Zorn gave his offense an abbreviated version. They only had a few plays to run and practice. They werent really there to master the offense, but to be evaluated by the coaches based on skill and fundemental awareness. Not only that, but the defense has been pretty much the same with Blache from the previous years, so I do not think the offense was bad, just that the defense was really, really good.[/quote

The bottom line is these guys are learning Zorn's version of the offense and it's new to everybody. All the players are studying and learning and starting over. Some of them said they feel like rookies. There are going to be growing pains. My point is was it worth changing everything around again? Especially in the toughest division in football. I guess time will tell. But it's only May. We've got all summer to work things out.

[Stuck in TX]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

The bottom line is these guys are learning Zorn's version of the offense and it's new to everybody. All the players are studying and learning and starting over. Some of them said they feel like rookies. There are going to be growing pains. My point is was it worth changing everything around again? Especially in the toughest division in football. I guess time will tell. But it's only May. We've got all summer to work things out.

IMO the answer is yes, but only because it is at worst vaguely familiar to our field general. He can dig deep, find what he already has, and expand it. Its like JC has this rugged little crap rock imbedded deep in his skull, and Zorn is going to dig it out, and turn it into a million dollar diamond, one that cheesy enough as it sounds, will end up on our Super Bowl ring.

[pstylee]

Its not hard to imagine that the skins should atleast go .500 for the season. When Reid made the same transition with the Eagles he didn't have the weapons that we have. He had none productive WR's, but with McNabb, and Westbrooke it was enough to win games. With that in mind, the game at times will be slower with not as many deep balls, just due to the scheme. But it should also be known that when CP was in Denver ( a similar system) he flourished. I would expect him to be used more in the passing games, also with Betts. That could be a dangerous combo.

Over all I am not expecting much as they learn the system. But once they got it, it could be very good.

[freddyg12]

transitions are tough to call, in additon to the NO example w/Brees & Peyton, there was last year's Dallas example w/Wade P. & Garret taking over. There are a lot of parallels to dallas last year & us this year, old legend coach leaves, new o-coordinator who's a former qb. I'd be thrilled if we have that kind of success in year 1.

It is obviously more than possible as we've seen nfl teams adjust quickly & positively to new coaches & systems, however the opposite is true as well. I feel good about the O, but I'm actually worried about the D this year. No major improvements were made on that side of the ball, some crucial players are getting older & they've got to deal w/last year's injuries to Rogers & McIntosh.

Despite Blache being the in house guy, it's still a transition for everybody w/him as the head guy, and we don't know that he's nearly as good as GW,who did an incredible job IMO w/what he had.

[NYCskinfan82]

it is what it is, all we can do is get behind i team and support them i beleive the D will as good if not better, the O will start slow but finish strong, HAIL TO THE SKINS!

[backrow]

[QUOTE=skinsfan69;447619]

Originally Posted by Stuck in TX

The offense that is being installed is pretty much what JC ran at Auburn. He isnt really learning a new offense, just adding to what he already knew. As far as mini camp goes, Zorn gave his offense an abbreviated version. They only had a few plays to run and practice. They werent really there to master the offense, but to be evaluated by the coaches based on skill and fundemental awareness. Not only that, but the defense has been pretty much the same with Blache from the previous years, so I do not think the offense was bad, just that the defense was really, really good.[/quote

The bottom line is these guys are learning Zorn's version of the offense and it's new to everybody. All the players are studying and learning and starting over. Some of them said they feel like rookies. There are going to be growing pains. My point is was it worth changing everything around again? Especially in the toughest division in football. I guess time will tell. But it's only May. We've got all summer to work things out.

Mods, please pardon the below. I looked for a couple of pages to find an appropriate thread in order to post this.
I pulled the following from the Redskin Insider Blog. I thought it was an excellent and interesting comment about the See-haux offense, and we may be able to expect the same or near similar. Now, if I can just get it to paste!

"What Seattle ran

Redskins 360
POSTED 3:49 PM BY Ryan O'Halloran

A question posed on a recent Redskins message board wondered what Seattle ran offensively against the Redskins in the teams' January playoff game, won by the Seahawks 35-14. This is obviously asked to start predicting what kind of formations Jim Zorn will use as the Redskins' coach.

You asked for it, here it is.

Total snaps: 54

4WR-1RB: 14 times. ... Seattle ran this formation on four of its first five snaps. The big plays out of this set was a 17-yard touchdown run and a 20-yard touchdown pass. The pass-run breakdown is 10-4.

3WR-2RB: 10 times. ... The Seahawks connected for a 35-yard pass but also threw an interception. The four running plays gained nine yards.

3WR-1RB: 17 times. ... This ended up being the most common formation. Seattle passed 11 times (plus one sack) from this set.

2WR-2RB: 8 times. ... Four passes (including one INT) and four runs.

1WR-2RB: 4 times. ... Three of these plays came after Seattle assumed a 28-14 lead.

5WR: 1 time. ... Mike Holmgren lined up Shaun Alexander as a receiver and Shawn Springs snuffed out the play for a 1-yard loss.

Expect this to change with Zorn because of the presence of Chris Cooley and the expectation to get rookie Fred Davis on the field. Since Cooley is an every snap player, whenever Davis is on the field, he'll have to be moved around.

[Longtimefan]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

It's a minor point, and probably not one that many people care about, but I noticed that Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas were wearing jersey numbers 11 and 12. Maybe those are strictly mini-camp numbers, and will change to a number in the eighties once the season begins. But I also saw that Fred Davis had #86.

I've never been a fan of wideouts who choose a jersey number outside of 80-89. Weird, I know. I guess I have OCD with that kind of thing. The NFL did make an official change recently to allow WRs to wear numbers between 11-19 if all the eighties numbers were taken up. With more and more tight ends on rosters these days, that was apparently becoming a problem enough for the league to change its policy. I just wish they moved the tight ends out and put them in the 40's or something, like Cooley.

Oh well. Guess I'll have to get over it. Because it doesn't look like that's going to change anytime soon.

Malcolm Kelly, in an interview witrh Larry Michael on Redskins Radio last week made reference to the fact he did not like numbers in the 80's, so it could be he will continue to wear #12. Personally I dont care what number he wears, long as he's productive.

Was great to see the attendance for OTA's was good, the guys apeared to be excited and enthused about getting their work in. The team has worked hard this off-season, and hope their efforts will pay off when the season starts. The good part about the new offense is that they're all on the same level at this point learning together.

[skinsfan69]

It looks like the offense is going to need some time. From all the comments it seems that they're not picking it up very fast. The defense is going to have to carry us and I'm not sure it's good enough to carry us. Plus all the teams in our division have stability. I'm not sure 08 is going to be a good year for us.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by skinsfan69

It looks like the offense is going to need some time. From all the comments it seems that they're not picking it up very fast. The defense is going to have to carry us and I'm not sure it's good enough to carry us. Plus all the teams in our division have stability. I'm not sure 08 is going to be a good year for us.

"all the comments"?? Which ones? I admittedly haven't been paying that much attention to the Skins minicamp

[skinsfan69]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

"all the comments"?? Which ones? I admittedly haven't been paying that much attention to the Skins minicamp

Comments from Zorn and JC. It just doesn't seem they're picking up that quickly. They're going into training camp still not knowing the offense. That's not a good thing.

[MTK]

Can we get a link to these comments? I haven't heard of any major struggles with the offense. Last I read from Zorn I thought he was pleased with the progress so far.

Zorn said he was pleased with what his team accomplished this offseason and is eagerly awaiting the start of his first season as an NFL head coach. He'll back away from the game for the next few weeks -- "I want to relax a bit with my family because I know what's coming," he said -- but will have his mind on the game as Redskins Park goes quiet for the next four weeks.

Zorn, who is instituting the West Coast offense, said the running game has been fully installed, as well as "a really good portion of the passing game." Zorn praised the effort of his players, saying there has been "no complaining" and "no moaning," and urged them to act professionally while away from the team these next few weeks, asking them to "be careful."

link: washingtonpost.com