Interesting Read on West Coast Offense

[PlayAction]

I found an interesting analysis of the types of players needed at each position in the West Coast Offense at this site: http://www.freeessays.cc/db/46/sjf206.shtml. Sorry if it has been previously posted. The first quarter of the article is a history of the WCO, the remainder gets into the WRs, OL positions, FB, RBs. Zorn may not agree with all of the specifics but it's a fun read nonetheless.

I was most interested in the discussion regarding Guards and Fullbacks as Vinny identified both positions as ones they may address in the draft. Quick summary - the Guard should not be tall; needs girth but not weight; pass blocking ability is paramount. The full back is of the lighter variety rather than the massive run blocker - a pass catcher and pass blocker. There's a FB Peyton Mills from Arkasas that is very light but is a great pass catcher. He's projected as a mid round pick (unfortunately Skins don't have a 4th). Still, with Portis and Betts on the roster I have a hard time undertanding the need for a light FB, i.e., what does it give you that you don't already have?

[Aston]

I found an interesting analysis of the types of players needed at each position in the West Coast Offense at this site: http://www.freeessays.cc/db/46/sjf206.shtml. Sorry if it has been previously posted. The first quarter of the article is a history of the WCO, the remainder gets into the WRs, OL positions, FB, RBs. Zorn may not agree with all of the specifics but it's a fun read nonetheless.

I was most interested in the discussion regarding Guards and Fullbacks as Vinny identified both positions as ones they may address in the draft. Quick summary - the Guard should not be tall; needs girth but not weight; pass blocking ability is paramount. The full back is of the lighter variety rather than the massive run blocker - a pass catcher and pass blocker. There's a FB Peyton Mills from Arkasas that is very light but is a great pass catcher. He's projected as a mid round pick (unfortunately Skins don't have a 4th). Still, with Portis and Betts on the roster I have a hard time undertanding the need for a light FB, i.e., what does it give you that you don't already have?

Ugh. I wanted to read it. I really did. However, the author ruined it by not using paragraphs. No thanks.

Thanks for the recap. Well, we got one of the tallest guards in the NFL, so I guess we'll see. Seller's will do fine the WCO, and I'm excited to see Portis used more a pass-catcher.

EDIT - My bad, thinking of 6'7" Fabini was a guard, he's a tackle. Both our guards are 6'5".

[[S.S.F. | Nero]]

I took the time to annotate this and pulled the football parts out.

Alot of the article was a history on Walsh and it didn't seem relevant, also the format of that article is TERRIBLE to try to read.

Enjoy

........

The standards that Walsh set coaching the West Coast offense were miraculous. His primary goal was to get players that fit the system.

Therefore, I will give an idea on what type of players by position that Walsh wanted.

Wide Receivers

The wide receiver position is probably the second most important position in this offense only because of the passing. The ideal size of a wide receiver should be at least 6 foot 3 inches, and weigh about 210 pounds. To play effectively, a wide receiver must posses several traits and characteristics.

For example, a wide receiver should have a high level of agility. The agility to change his body position is essential if a wide receiver is to be able to get his hips turned and his hands in position to catch a ball that is not perfectly thrown. Body control is particularly critical for a wide receiver who wants to get to the highest tier of play.

Wide receivers in this offense must also be relatively strong. Strength can help wide receivers in several ways. For example, strength plays a role in a wide receiver being able to maintain his balance after a collision with his defenders. Strength also affects a receiver’s ability to go up for the ball and his ability to maintain his performance level as the game progresses . All factors considered the stronger a player is, the less likely he is to be injured. Soft hands are also vital. It’s a given that to have a legitimate chance to play, a receiver must have outstanding hands.

The key is to be able to catch the ball in a crowded situation, while on the move. Almost all potential receivers can run under the ball and catch it in the open. In reality, however, most catches must be made with the ball and the defender closing at the same instant. In such a situation, the receiver must get his body in position to catch the ball, actually the ball and be hit all at the same moment. Wide receivers must also have the ability to focus.

They must be able to find the ball, focus on it, and isolate it from everything else that is happening around them. When a coach is evaluating videotapes on a particular wide receiver, he looks for and evaluates those plays that demonstrate situations where the player must be focused. Speed also plays a role. While pure (track) speed may be desirable, the ability to increase his foot speed as needed (i.e., explosiveness) and his full stride speed are more important factors for a wide receiver.

Acceleration has a number of obvious applications for a wide receiver. Full-stride speed enables a receiver who has the ball in the open field to be able to keep the separation with the closing defenders until he crosses the goal line . He doesn't have to out-run the defenders or gain ground on them just get to the goal line before the defenders do. This situation requires full-stride speed, rather than track speed. The NFL has also had a few wide receivers with Olympic-level sprinting speed who lacked full-stride speed.

As a result, they weren't able to score whenever they got tangled up with a defender and weren't able to get back into full stride quickly enough. Coachability is another factor that is important that wide receivers have (as it is for all players). Coaching can help enhance a receiver's ability to evade a defender at the line of scrimmage, to read the form of coverage, and to change a pattern accordingly.

Wide receivers must also be durable. Durability is a factor because receivers get hit a lot. Often, they're hit when they're in a vulnerable position (i.e., being hit by a much larger opponent after running a hooking pattern against a linebacker). Wide receivers are finely tuned athletes who need to be in top condition to perform well. If they are hurt or injured, it can be very difficult for them to function at a high level. Unlike a few other positions (e.g., offensive lineman), wide receivers must be almost totally injury free to perform well. ....

Tight End

Another important position in the West Coast offense is the tight end position. The ideal size for a tight end in this offense is about six foot, four and one half inches, weighing about 245 pounds.

The requirements for playing tight end depend primarily on the system a team deploys. Accordingly, a West Coast offense team must find the athlete who best fits the team's approach to the offense. Some teams want a tight end who has girth, ballast and strength.

For these teams, the tight end is one of the primary keys to their offensive system because he has the size and physical tools to secure the point of attack. If the tight end is able to block a defensive lineman who is positioned on the edge of the offense, then a team automatically has an increased likelihood of having a running game with just that single feature. In many of the defensive alignments of the 1990s, defensive linemen are lining up adjacent to or across from the tight end, whereas years ago they probably were not.

If the tight end can block those defensive linemen, then this entire offense has a focal point from which to work. This type of tight end can be a dominating factor. He is bigger and stronger, though less quick and agile, than the other type of tight end. Teams tend to fashion their passing game with him in the vicinity of the linebackers. Accordingly, he must have both the ability to absorb a ball as he is being hit and soft hands. On virtually every pass thrown to him, he is going to be hit almost simultaneously with the catch.

This type of tight end also does not need to possess great speed; a 5.0 time on the 40-yard dash will get the job done.

The major shortcoming attendant to his lack of extraordinary speed is the fact that he is not going to be able to clear defenders on certain pass patterns to help other receivers. All in all, that limitation is not that significant compared to all the blocking capabilities he provides. The other extreme would be a Brent Jones type tight end, who can be a major factor all over the field. This type of tight end is a dream come true for the West Coast offense.

He should have the ability and the foot speed to go anywhere on the field quickly across the field, to the outside, down the field, etc. In the process, he will be able to either bring defenders with him or find openings in the defenses. This kind of tight end needs the body control, the great hands and a lot of the skills of wide receiver, although more girth (size) than a wide receiver because many of the passes he catches will be in the vicinity of linebackers and even defensive linemen. The quicker and faster type of tight end will utilize an all-technique (rather than bulk) approach when blocking. It is essential that he learns and develops those blocking techniques that he can use with a reasonable level of effectiveness against defensive linemen and linebackers.

Unlike the stranger, bigger type of tight end, he will not be able to use amass-against mass approach to blocking. Also, this type of tight end is considered the great all-around type. This type of tight end is so gifted (athletically) that he can do all of the things both of the other types of tight ends would normally be expected to do. A multi-talented, all around tight end who is both a great blocker and a great receiver gives his team multiple offensive options.

Offensive Line

The next tool in the West Coast offense has to be the offensive lineman. Like most offenses offensive linemen make the offenses great.

The offensive tackle should be the tallest on the offensive line, especially in the West Coast offense because so many of the passing plays are across the middle. The ideal size for an offensive tackle has to be at least six foot, six inches, and 310 pounds.

The National Football League (NFL) has a number of highly skilled offensive tackles who weigh 330 pounds or so. In reality, these athletes play well in spite of weighing 330 pounds, not because of it. The only apparent benefit of weighing that much is to attract the attention of the television crew. While most of them might enhance their playing skills and performance if they lost a substantial amount of weight, the fact is they play pretty well at their current weight.

The one absolute essential trait for offensive linemen in the West Coast offense is natural body girth. In addition to girth, offensive tackles in this offense must be very strong and a have a high level of agility. Agility by the linemen in this offense is needed because of the quick three and five step passing game. An offensive tackle should also have strong, long arms to facilitate those blocking tasks involving tasks involving leverage. From a blocking perceptive, however, the timing of the block itself is the critical factor. In addition, the offensive tackle must have intuitive sense of feeling or knowing where to intersect defenders.

In this offense the offensive tackle must be able to adapt to a situation where a linebacker blitzes from the outside and the defender he was expecting to block drops back into pass coverage. This happens often within the offense, again because of the short controlled passing game. As a result, the offensive tackle must be sharp enough to quickly identify the scenario and be able to move and adjust to the circumstances as needed. He must also be extremely well versed and prepared in the skills and the techniques required to handle a variety of situations.

The nature of the position of the offensive tackle also requires that athletes who play this position possess a level of inner confidence and natural self control that enables them to deal with frustration and, on some occasions in a football sense, disaster. Regardless of the circumstances, the offensive tackle in this offense must be able to regain his focus and function at a high level of performance within 30-40 seconds or less. In reality, some athletes appear to have a better disposition to deal with potentially disruptive elements than others.

The next position of similar importance on the offensive line in the West Coast offense is the offensive guard. The ideal size for the offensive guard is about six foot three inches, and the should weigh about 300 pounds. Similar to some of the other positions on the offensive line the requirements for playing guard in the West Coast offense depend to a great extent on the type of passing and running the team will do.

In this regard, two obvious options exist, either the offensive guard has to be selected based on his capacity to contribute to a team's existing system of offense. Another idea is a team has to style its offense according to who its guards are. Typically, the latter option prevails. A team adapts its offensive style to the abilities of its guards. An example of how a team adapts its offensive system to its guards occurs when a particular offensive guard can or cannot do something to his right or left. If the left guard can pull and trap, then the team is more likely to run plays to the right with the left guard pulling (and vice versa).

The guard positions are personalized according to what they can do. Typically, one or the other offensive guard on a team is stronger or weaker in a particular technique or the ability to get the job done. As a rule, great offensive guards possess several traits, including quickness, agility, explosiveness, the ability to pull and trap, and the ability to go inside-out on a linebacker. ...

In the West Coast offense more than anything, offensive guards must be able to pass block. Generally speaking, girth, stability and body balance are essential factors in this skill. Because the offensive guard can usually get help as a pass protector, he just has to have enough power to avoid being knocked back. Just the sheer number of people inside will help the guard pass block. As a result, the guard can have some limitations as a pass blocker as long as he has enough girth to keep the defensive tackle from picking him up and moving him. The offensive guard position requires less technique for pass protecting than is essential for an offensive tackle. On the other hand, the offensive guard position requires more blocking and movement skills.

For example, in the West Coast offense the guard is used on numerous blocking combinations where he must get from point A to point B, pulling through a hole, trapping, pulling on sweeps, coming inside-out on a blitzing linebacker, etc. Collectively, this capability requires that the offensive guard has agility, mobility, and a refined level of techniques. The last but, most important position on the offensive line in the West Coast offense is the center. The ideal size for the center should be about six foot two inches and weigh about 290 pounds. The offensive center has a critical role in the West Coast offense.

Not only must he start every play with a flawlessly executed snap, he is typically the key man in making line calls. These calls are vital, and there is no way a team running the West Coast offense can do without them. For example, with the constant defensive changes that occur during a game, the offensive line must react to those changes if an adjustment in the blocking scheme is required. Because he is literally at the center of the action (in the middle of things), the center is the obvious member of the offensive line to identify and communicate to the other offensive linemen what blocking adjustment must be made.

As a result, the center must have a thorough command of the offensive line blocking system, the game plan, and individual defensive players his team is facing. In a few isolated instances, some teams use an offensive guard to make line calls because the guard is either more experienced or more adept at making them. As a general rule, the center doesn't have to be an exceptional blocker. The center usually doesn't have to block the nose tackle one-on-one, although if he can, it provides a considerable advantage to his team. The center who can isolate one-on-one with a nose tackle will take tremendous pressure off of the offensive line, particularly the guards. Most West Coast offense teams typically find a way to help the center with the nose tackle (slide a line).

If the other team is in alignment that doesn't have a nose tackle (4-3 defense) or has the nose tackle stunt away from the center, the center helps a teammate with his blocking responsibilities. One additional factor related to the center that West Coast offense teams address is his height. Although there have been successful centers in the NFL who were relatively tall, many West Coast offense teams feel that, all factors considered, a shorter center is better. Not only does a shorter center have lower center of gravity (thereby facilitating body balance), he also tends to be more mobile a trait that offers significant benefits to an individual who must operate in a relatively small area. A large body can be a hindrance in a small area (somewhat analogous to the limitations imposed on a jockey who weighs more than 150 pounds).

Most West Coast offense prefer a center who is able to quickly move in between people. In most cases, a shorter center can do that better than a tall, rangy one.

Quarterback

Finally, the most important position in the West Coast offense has to be the quarterback.

The ideal size of a quarterback in this offense or any offense should be about six foot three inches and weigh about 210 pounds. Roughly the quarterback needs to be taller than the center.

Playing quarterback in the West Coast offense requires several skills and traits some of which can be developed through practice and sound coaching, and others which are inherited (genetic gifts). One of the most obvious requirements for a quarterback in the West Coast offense is have the ability to pass. It is important to realize that arm strength and being able to pass are not synonymous. Some players can throw a football 80 yards, but they aren't good passers. Good passing involves accuracy, timing, and throwing a ball with enough touch so that it is catchable. Good passing also requires understanding both the West Coast offense and the receivers in the West Coast offense, and having a great sense of anticipation. While it is certainly admirable to be able to throw a ball on a line for 35 yards, if the ball is off target or arrives in such a way that it is difficult to catch, such an ability is of dubious value.

The fundamental goal of passing a ball is to make sure it's caught by the intended receiver. One of the more important criteria for assessing the potential of a quarterback to play in the West Coast offense is to what extent does he have the ability to throw a complete inventory of passes from screen passes to times, short passes to medium-range passes and down-the-field throws. Not having a complete inventory of passes in his arsenal does not eliminate a quarterback from a West Coast offense team's considerations, but it can be a meaningful factor.

Other Positions

Two other positions important to the West Coast offense are the fullback and running back positions. The ideal size for the fullback position should be about six foot one inch and weigh about 245 pounds. The running back should be large enough to take punishment and retain stamina.

The main goals for the fullback and running back position in the West Coast offense are to be able to block and catch. In this offense these positions have to able to pick up blitzing linebackers. The most important value for these positions is to be able to catch. These positions in the West Coast offense will probably have more catches than rushing attempts.

In the past, the knock against passing teams is that they had no consistency. You might win some games, but eventually a pass first offense will come back to haunt you. Bad weather, a strong pass rush, lack of ball control, too many turnovers, and a host of other reasons were offered as obstacles to sustained success. Through the 1970’s, this thinking was supported by the fact that the truly great teams ran the football much more often than they passed it.

However the game has since changed. I believe the fans wanted to see more action within the football games. Pass minded coaches like Sid Gillman, Don Coryell, Bill Walsh, and LaVell Edwards won championships with passing offenses.

What I believe caught the attention of many observers was that Walsh and Edwards’ offensive philosophies was unlike previous air attacks that threw only in long-yardage situations or to surprise the oppositions. Instead Walsh and Edwards’ approach was to: · spread the defense over a much bigger area of the field, both horizontally and vertically; · create mismatches in the speed, size, or number of receivers defenders try to cover; · thrown on any down and any distance to avoid tendencies that defenses could key on; · maintain possession through the air just as other teams tried to do on the ground.

These tenets formed the basis for what is now called the West Coast offense. This high-production, low risk offensive attack has proven itself over the years and is now used successfully by man teams at all levels. The West Coast offense appeals to high school coaches because it does not require players up front who can blow people off the ball, down after down, which is needed in a run based offense.

West Coast Offense - Explained

The West Coast offense is a finesse attack that features both ball-control and big play potential. Ball control in way of short, intermediate, and play-action passing results in first downs, moving the chains down field and maintaining possession of the ball.

A series of short passes soon add up to sizable gains, putting the defense back on its heels. Moreover, receivers who can run with the ball can turn short passes into long gains or even touchdowns.

There are three main principles to minimize risk and achieve success with the West Coast offense. These include protecting the quarterback, timing the pass, and using multiple receivers (including using backs as receivers). Pressure from the pass rush can result in loss of yardage and can disrupt timing between the quarterback and receivers, resulting in forced passes. Repeated hits on the quarterback take a toll physically and invite injury.

The offense must have a plan to handle the pass rush of linemen, shooting linebackers, and defensive back blitzes. When the defense sends more rushers than available blockers, the hot receiver principle is used in order to get rid of the ball before the rusher can get to the quarterback. Solid pass protection gives the quarterback time to find the open receiver and throw him the ball.

The quarterback gains confidence and gets into a rhythm of throwing on time while the defense becomes frustrated because of its inability to get to the passer. Sound protection is based on effective blocking technique. Blocking for the pass is more than the offensive player positioning himself in front of the rusher.

The rusher is surging toward the quarterback. The blocker must stop this surge and force the rusher to start up as many times as possible or redirect him away from the quarterback. Technique must he drilled in game like situations and polished through repetition. Practice time allotted for pass protections should he proportionate to how much an offense will use the passing game. Pass timing is the next most important element in successfully throwing the football.

The depth of the receiver’s route must time out with the depth of the quarterback's drop. If the receiver breaks into his route before the quarterback is ready to throw, the defender begins closing on the receiver and arrives at the same time as the ball. If the quarterback is ready to throw, but the receiver has not broken into his route, the coverage begins to converge to where the quarterback is looking and gets a jump on the ball. Proper pass timing aids the receiver in getting open and permits the quarterback to get the pass off. It establishes a rhythm for the quarterback and receivers.

A team that executes its passing attack with near flawless timing is difficult to defend, because in most instances, it simply beats the coverage. The quarterback and receivers must have a thorough understanding of what a given pass route is trying to accomplish and how to run that route properly. Receivers must run routes at precise depths and adjust their route according to the coverage encountered.

The quarterback must understand pass defense, recognizing the alignment of defensive secondary personnel and their drops into coverage. He must know the strengths and weaknesses of the coverage and which defender can take away a given route.

Finally, using multiple receivers in the West Coast offense is a definite must. The design of the attack must include a secondary or dump off receiver along with a primary receiver. Their routes will complement each other so that; versus man coverage, a clearing action is provided by one receiver for the other, and versus zone coverage, the defender must make a choice of which receiver to cover.

This design increases the chance for a completion, and permits the quarterback to get rid of the ball quickly, since he does not need to wait for his primary receiver to get open. The receivers routes should be in the same general area and at varying depths so that a stretching action is made on the coverage, and one receiver come open before the other. The quarterback should be able to quickly scan from one receiver to the other, and complete the pass to the open man. He is taught that when the coverage takes away the primary receiver, he will immediately go to the secondary receiver. Even if throwing to the second choice results in a missed first down, an incompletion or possible interception will be eliminated and some gain will be achieved. There's always chance the receiver might break away for the first down. Throwing the ball to the secondary receiver enough times will soon condition the defense to cover him, opening up possibilities down field.

The West Coast passing attack utilizes all five skill positions as pass receivers in a variety of ways when attacking the defense. By using all skill positions as receivers, the offense can attack the whole field and reduce defensive coverage into one-on-one situations. The nice thing about the offense however is that on any given pass play, a quarterback will have a variety of options, especially on the side of the field that the play is designed to go, and because of this, a receiver is usually open. For example, on a pass play to the strongside, the wide receiver may be called to run deep down the field, the tight end may be called to run an intermediate out route, and the fullback may be called to run a swing pass. If the flanker and tight end are covered, the quarterback should be able to dump the ball off to the back.

Remember, football is a game of field position. Positive yards are gained in the field position war (remember this is the same strategy a traditional running attack tries to accomplish). At best, the back breaks a tackle and picks up the first down. Don't force the issue, don't make mistakes. This is supposed to be a low risk offense. A complimentary benefit is that completions will raise a quarterback's confidence level. In conclusion, the West Coast offense in my opinion is the most productive offense that could be used in football. I say productive because this offense can be used with average players for maximum benefit. As defenses place more and more emphasis on speed pass rushers, disguised coverages, and attacking, pressure-based concepts, the need for the West Coast offense will continue to grow.

[laythalumber2130]

I got a headache from reading this. Good read though.

[z0eboy]

west coast offense is all about passing with timed routes, it involves all your skill players to catch and run. Spreading the ball around will opens everything else up and dictates the pass first mentality on 1st down to a defense. When the passing game keeps the defense on its heals you can run right at the defense with a talented RB its hard to figure out unless a team has play calling tendencies or horrible offensive line talent.

[KDawg]

I was most interested in the discussion regarding Guards and Fullbacks

We need to address fullback, but not because Mike Sellers won't work in that role for us. We need to get a fullback because Sellers doesn't have alot of time left, and it's time to get someone to groom and learn behind him.

Fullbacks in the west coast offense are very important. They block, they catch and are always an option on a swing route. Sellers fits that role well. He's a good pass catcher, he's solid in pass protection and he can run block, which gives an added dimension to the prototypical WCO fullback.

I wouldn't be surprised to see CP and Betts lined up in the backfield at the same time this season quite a bit either. CP is a better blocker and can fill the "fullback" role (without actually being a fullback).

[abu69]

Thanks for the abridged version Nero.

I don't see how any of these position descriptions are different than what ANY team would want, West Coast offense or not. They pretty much describe the ideal player for every position in football generally.

[[S.S.F. | Nero]]

I don't see how any of these position descriptions are different than what ANY team would want, West Coast offense or not. They pretty much describe the ideal player for every position in football generally.

This article seems a bit dated.

It was probably written at the end of an era in football where it didn't matter what type of body/skills you had, what mattered was could you hit that guy harder than he hits you.

It (WCO) was a response to the line em up and run at em mentality from the 70's.

[jrockster21]

There's a FB Peyton Mills from Arkasas that is very light but is a great pass catcher. He's projected as a mid round pick (unfortunately Skins don't have a 4th).

Owen Schmidt, FTW

[JaimeDeCurry]

I wonder if Nemo will come back with the 'Skins. I remember the coaches loving him and grooming him to be Sellers' replacement, but he never got on the field because Sellers is, well, Sellers. Then he tore the **** out of his knee in preseason and kindof fell of the face of the earth. If he keeps learning from Sellers, we may already have his replacement in the wings.

[BMahoney]

Wide Receivers

Quarterback

-Finally' date=' the most important position in the West Coast offense has to be the quarterback.

-Some players can throw a football 80 yards, but they aren't good passers. Good passing involves accuracy, timing, and throwing a ball with enough touch so that it is catchable. Good passing also requires understanding both the West Coast offense and the receivers in the West Coast offense, and having a great sense of anticipation. While it is certainly admirable to be able to throw a ball on a line for 35 yards, if the ball is off target or arrives in such a way that it is difficult to catch, such an ability is of dubious value.

-I believe that, this explains where our problem will lie in the WCO offense, the same problem we had last season.

[corrupt3d]

-I believe that, this explains where our problem will lie in the WCO offense, the same problem we had last season.

I love how there are two extremes on this board. One that thinks Jason couldnt hit water if he fell off of a boat, and another that thinks he's very accurate. I'm with the latter.

Second, I dont htink Cooley is six foot four and one half inches tall. I have a feeling that will be a problem

[BMahoney]

I love how there are two extremes on this board. One that thinks Jason couldnt hit water if he fell off of a boat, and another that thinks he's very accurate. I'm with the latter.

-Can you explain to me how being the 24th ranked passer by accuracy in the NFL, is deadly accurate? Or how a qb, who throws one more td than int, is so accurate?

Yes he didn't play in as many games but I doubt his numbers would have change (increased/decreased) had he kept playing.

EDIT**http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats;jsessionid=BD7C2493A15EE07D354D9BAD060364E9?archive=false&seasonType=REG&d-447263-o=2&conference=null&statisticCategory=PASSING&d-447263-s=PASSING_COMPLETION_PERCENTAGE&experience=null&d-447263-n=1&season=2007&qualified=true&Submit=Find&tabSeq=0&d-447263-p=1

-I myself consider an accurate qb, a Carson Palmer, or a Drew Brees, a Ben Rothlisberger, and this is without even mentioning Brady or Manning. The only notable names that finished behind Campbell in accuracy were Eli, and Derek Anderson. However neither team runs a WCO where qb accuracy is extremely important.

-Not saying I hope he fails, or that he can't succeed. Only that in my opinion he doesn't flourish in the WCO. And please don't reply to that with he ran it well his senior yr in college, because anybody could have run that Auburn team well.

[GroundNPound]

Fairly interesting read, but most of the positions are pretty obvious. If you recap it, the whole thing is almost moot.

WRs - Have to be tall, extremely agile, have break-away speed, strong to fend of press coverage, and be able to catch the ball in traffic. Wouldn't and offense want WRs like this?

QBs - Need accuracy, good timing, need to be coachable, be able to put zip on the ball, and ideal size of at least 6'3". Duh?

Linemen - Need agility, strength, outstanding pass-blocking ability, ability to pick up blitzes, good hands. Oh.. guards and center can't be too tall .

TE - Depends on your offense. If your offense like to run on the edge... you need a blocking TE. Speed is more important than strength. If you like to have a receiving TE... the vise-versa. :applause:

RB - HB and RB that is durable, has good stamina, and can block and catch.:shot:

So... it is only the West Coast offense that craves these traits in their offensive players?

Hmmmmm....

[corrupt3d]

-Can you explain to me how being the 24th ranked passer by accuracy in the NFL, is deadly accurate? Or how a qb, who throws one more td than int, is so accurate?

Yes he didn't play in as many games but I doubt his numbers would have change (increased/decreased) had he kept playing.

EDIT**http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats;jsessionid=BD7C2493A15EE07D354D9BAD060364E9?archive=false&seasonType=REG&d-447263-o=2&conference=null&statisticCategory=PASSING&d-447263-s=PASSING_COMPLETION_PERCENTAGE&experience=null&d-447263-n=1&season=2007&qualified=true&Submit=Find&tabSeq=0&d-447263-p=1

-I myself consider an accurate qb, a Carson Palmer, or a Drew Brees, a Ben Rothlisberger, and this is without even mentioning Brady or Manning. The only notable names that finished behind Campbell in accuracy were Eli, and Derek Anderson. However neither team runs a WCO where qb accuracy is extremely important.

-Not saying I hope he fails, or that he can't succeed. Only that in my opinion he doesn't flourish in the WCO. And please don't reply to that with he ran it well his senior yr in college, because anybody could have run that Auburn team well.

I didnt say he was deadly accurate. Bt there were alot of well thrown balls that shoulda been caught. I know, coulda-woulda-shoulda. But a QB can only do so much.

Campbell flourished in the WCO during his senior year at Auburn. You've heard this before. But we'll see how he does.

[wysknz1]

I wouldn't be surprised to see CP and Betts lined up in the backfield at the same time this season quite a bit either. CP is a better blocker and can fill the "fullback" role (without actually being a fullback).

I've been wanting to see this for a couple of years now.

[RedCapital]

Thanks for that, made it much easier to read.

']I took the time to annotate this and pulled the football parts out.

Alot of the article was a history on Walsh and it didn't seem relevant' date=' also the format of that article is TERRIBLE to try to read.

Enjoy

[/quote']

[jnhay]

I'm not really interested in this article because we haven't seen Zorn's offense yet. He doesn't have some Bill Walsh "how to" guide that he'll be using to build this team.

He's developed his own opinions and his own preferences, and this article doesn't say anything about the "Jim Zorn offense" so don't expect it to be very accurate if you're using it to predict what Zorn is going to do.

[PlayAction]

I'm not really interested in this article because we haven't seen Zorn's offense yet. He doesn't have some Bill Walsh "how to" guide that he'll be using to build this team.

He's developed his own opinions and his own preferences, and this article doesn't say anything about the "Jim Zorn offense" so don't expect it to be very accurate if you're using it to predict what Zorn is going to do.

Well, I guess you are one of the few that is already intimately familiar with the WCO. If you want to see Zorn's version of it you will have to wait 7 months. Do you also not talk about the draft because you don't know who Zorn & company really want?

Some additional basic info on WCO as implemented in the Pac10:

"WCO Tenets

According to Bill Walsh, in the ideal setup, the wide receivers would catch 15 passes a game, the running backs would catch 10 and the tight ends would catch five. A team is looking for 25 first downs a game.

Short-to-medium-range passing attack. Receivers are expected to "Run After Catch.

Players must have more discipline; they have little opportunity for freelancing.

Use the pass to set up the run. The most successful WCO teams run the ball well.

If a team gains 7-8 yards per run, it can run as little as one out of four plays; otherwise, the WCO calls for an equal number of running and passing plays.

The quarterback must be mobile, be able to throw a touch pass with accuracy, and be intelligent. He must throw on rhythm and timing. As Steve Young says, "In contrast, the West Coast offense as it originated with Bill Walsh is any play or set of plays that tie the quarterback's feet to the receiver's route so there is a sense of timing."

In the 2-WR, 2-RB, 1-TE base set, any of these five players can be the primary receiver at any given time.

Defenses are given a variety of looks, with an offense attacking a defense with more receivers than it can cover. Mismatches and confusion are created on defense by using 2 TE sets, 4 WR sets, and 3 WR sets, etc.

Using motion forces a defense to cover players with inappropriate players for coverage, i.e., it creates mismatches.

Throw the football on any down or distance.

To maintain ball control, short passes to the tight end and swing passes to running backs are key. Use tight ends who can catch better than block if there is a question of personnel. Tight ends are key to a red zone attack.

The quarterback must be able to release the ball quickly and accurately on timing after a 3-step drop. Receivers run precision routes. The offense is designed to keep the quarterback healthy.

After the QB drops 3-steps back, one of the receivers should be open to catch a pass if necessary. Ron Jenkins calls him the HOT receiver.

Power running behind zone blocking to minimize negative yardage plays. This is a departure from the 49ers version of the WCO that used man-blocking and cut blocks and misdirection."

[GroundNPound]

Much better read for the WCO. thanks.

[[[ghost]]]

']

Wide Receivers

The wide receiver position is probably the second most important position in this offense only because of the passing. The ideal size of a wide receiver should be at least 6 foot 3 inches' date=' and weigh about 210 pounds. [/quote']

Don't lie to me. Our receivers are fine. The only option in the first round is simply DE. Nothing else. Not even in the 2nd round. Draft a Guard. Maybe in the third if that guy from your Alma Mater is there, but other wise, 5'11 receivers are just fine.

[corrupt3d]

Guys, I'm still worried! Cooley is not six foot and four and one half inches tall!

We are gonna phail!

[dewyane]

West Coast offenses are weak in the East during Nov-Jan. Need Power football during cold months. I hate the WC offense personally because timing is so crucial. I hate the check-downs and Campbell will have alot of frustration with recievers not getting past the 1st down marker. Get ready for alot of meaningless completions and fantasy footballers picking up Campbell. I hope its not because we are behind alot and have to throw our way lossed leads in the 4th quarter. The best offenses are WC in domes. The best winning offenses are power based in the latter part of the season. Except the Colts in 2005 when was the last team to win a SB entirely WC? 49ers? 94?

[Aireskoi]

West Coast offenses are weak in the East during Nov-Jan. Need Power football during cold months.

Oh, you had to go and bring that up. We were having so much fun.

Lets hope the Z-Man understands this, he did say we will be keeping the same run system. Will he use it? We'll see.

[skinfan2k]

Eagles run a WCO and they went to 4 straight NFCG. They did it with a poor cast too