BoRnAndRaiSedSkinsFan Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 I was reading an article from the Washington Post I think about Sherman Smith transitioning to our Offensive Coordinator. I know he played with Zorn and has had some success developing running backs for the Titans. The thing that gets me is he doesn't know our offense. Zorn said he will be teaching the passing game to our new OC as well as the players. Zorn will be calling plays for us. Our running backs I feel don't need much developing. We're keeping the same ground attack and our offense already has it down. Smith already said he'll let position coaches teach technique to their respective position players. I'm just wondering exactly what his contribution to the team will be, or if there's something about Smith I don't know. Wouldn't it have been better to get a guy who knows the basic philiosophies of the WCO so he could help install the new system with our head coach? That's a lot of responsibility for a brand new HC with everything else he has to do. Any comments? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinnyles Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Good question...since I don't know what his assets are either. I suspect Zorn feels like Coach Smith is someone he can confide in and be comfortable handing the ENTIRE offense over to eventually. IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 The followup question is, who does know Zorn's offense outside of Zorn? I think what Smith brings is his knowledge of the running game to mix in with Zorn's knowledge of the passing game. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoRnAndRaiSedSkinsFan Posted May 10, 2008 Author Share Posted May 10, 2008 Yea, I understand no one knows Zorn's offense yet. i was just thinking of someone who knew basic WCO philosophy to help Zorn transition the offense. Someone who could help teach the basic approach while Zorn adds his twist to it. I'm actually excited because I think we have an element of suprise against defenses this year. They won't know what to expect, and as the season goes on, Zorn will open up the playbook more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimster Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 When the head coach calls the plays, the OC's main responsibility is usually helping with the game plan and preparing the offense for the game plan during each week. Although typically the QB coach under Holmgren does this (Zorn, Andy Reid, Steve Marriuci) Smith has been in the NFL for some time and has been in Norm Chow's version of the WCO for the last few years, before that Mike Heimendinger offense could also be considered WC, though he is not from the Holmgren tree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redskins:Victory_or_Death Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Yea, I understand no one knows Zorn's offense yet. i was just thinking of someone who knew basic WCO philosophy to help Zorn transition the offense. Someone who could help teach the basic approach while Zorn adds his twist to it. I'm actually excited because I think we have an element of suprise against defenses this year. They won't know what to expect, and as the season goes on, Zorn will open up the playbook more.So surprising even WE don't know what to expect. :laugh:Let me add I am VERY excited about seeing what we can do... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manasseh Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 When the head coach calls the plays, the OC's main responsibility is usually helping with the game plan and preparing the offense for the game plan during each week. Although typically the QB coach under Holmgren does this (Zorn, Andy Reid, Steve Marriuci) I'm surprised Zorn hasn't brought in a young coach to help with the QBs. I understand he wants to be hands-on with this position, but he has larger responsibilities now. You would think there would be someone under him he respected and/or had mentored to assist with this position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 I'm surprised Zorn hasn't brought in a young coach to help with the QBs. I understand he wants to be hands-on with this position, but he has larger responsibilities now. You would think there would be someone under him he respected and/or had mentored to assist with this position. Uh, Chris Meidt? He certainly seems to be the type of guy you are describing. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manasseh Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Uh, Chris Meidt? He certainly seems to be the type of guy you are describing. Maybe so. I looked here - http://www.redskins.com/team/coachingstaff.jsp - and didn't see anyone listed as the QB coach. Have Meidt and Zorn ever worked together before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thoth Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Zorn knows him and trusts him, presumably because he has integrity and talent. Every leader needs a few people they have an established relationship with, and trust implicitly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Maybe so. I looked here - http://www.redskins.com/team/coachingstaff.jsp - and didn't see anyone listed as the QB coach. Have Meidt and Zorn ever worked together before? http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/15679182.html Meidt and Allison were married, a merger of football families that eventually would lead to Chris getting to know Jim Zorn, Jim Wacker's quarterbacks coach at Minnesota in 1995 and '96."Cory Sauter was Grady's quarterback at Hutch, and I had done some work with him," Meidt said. "Cory was the Gophers quarterback for Jim. I had gone back to Bethel as the offensive coordinator. I told Cory that I would like to meet Jim." Meidt sat down with Zorn one day at the Gophers football building. "We talked for four hours, and it wound up being about everything but football," Chris said. "Mostly, we talked about faith and family." Meidt's title with the Redskins is offensive assistant. He will help Zorn work with the quarterbacks. They will both spend a lot of time with quarterback Jason Campbell, as he makes the expected transition from the power game of Joe Gibbs to the Holmgren version of the West Coast offense. Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McD5 Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 We are forced to shoot from the hip. Either it turns out gloriously, or we fight the Panthers to see who gets Cowher to pick up the pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skindogger47 Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 We are forced to shoot from the hip.Either it turns out gloriously, or we fight the Panthers to see who gets Cowher to pick up the pieces. WE"RE NOT GETTING COWHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Zorn obviously has a lot of respect for the guy, and he comes from a very good program in Tennessee. Jeff Fisher is the longest tenured coach and one of the most respected coaches in the league, and he gave him high accolades. Not to mention with Smith Zorn has someone who isn't going to try to tell him how to coach his football team and will be there learning the O from day 1. I really like what Zorn is doing by implementing his idea of what it will take to win and gathering people he thinks trust him enough to go along with it. Had zorn gone out and gotten, say, or anyone really that had run their own offense before, they would undermine what he wants to do, and he was initially hired to bring his offense to DC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsNatsFan Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Smith and Mitchell worked with him to write the playbook... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/06/AR2008050602880_pf.html Smith and Stump Mitchell, Washington's new assistant head coach-running backs, are Zorn's top lieutenants on offense. Although they were heavily involved in writing the new offensive playbook (the Redskins currently are working from an abbreviated version that players received at the start of minicamp last Friday) and are helping to teach the offense to other staff members and players, Zorn will be the Redskins' play-caller in the 2008 season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boy1Der Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 Working for that long under Jeff Fisher Sherman Smith is bringing a whole lot to table I think he will be one of the major reasons why the offense succeds or fails. With Zorn wanting to work so much with the QBs and trying to oversee the whole team Smith will have to hold the entire offense together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Brown Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 when do the coaches estimate that the whole playbook will be in? I think Zorn said it's about 65% in at the moment? I'm very excited to see this revamped passing game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
21LightsOut21 Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 ^ __ He said they should have "80% of the playbook" and everything down by the end of OTA's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corrupt3d Posted May 10, 2008 Share Posted May 10, 2008 If the dude can make Lendale White a 1000 yard rusher, I think he's well qualified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumbo Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 We have new elements in our coaching staff from the top on down to some key positions, mixed in with a good helping of hold-overs who have been here for awhile. The "new" guys have proven and admirable skill sets that are established and well-evaluated by pros. They are raw in their new positions, though seasoned in the game. I personally love this mix of freshness and experience, unknown and demonstrated, potential and risk. We may finally be seeing what we hoped we would with Spurrier--a return to a true Redskins identity that's created and formed here, and is a winning identity, as opposed to taking on the persona of someone who created their NFL head coaching resume and team profile elsewhere. This is a birth with strong genes including those contributed by Grandpa Gibbs. If Dan & Cerrato & FO provide the healthy environment and supporting personnel as we grow, we could have a long-term healthy offspring. Less is also very possible. That's scary but exciting. I personally am more enjoying this journey much better than one following the efforts of a Mooch or Fassel (with all due respect). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Brown Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 i agree with jumbo, this is first time in awhile we've had a coach who has the chance to build his own reputation in Washington. Very exciting time to be a skins fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veretax Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 i don't think anyone knows zorns offense quite yet. He's not had enough time to teach anyone yet. It sounded to me like he would call plays like Andy Reid did for a while, but once he felt his OC got the idea he'd only make a call in key situations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Califan007 The Constipated Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 Zorn knows him and trusts him, presumably because he has integrity and talent. Every leader needs a few people they have an established relationship with, and trust implicitly. That's very true...sometimes it's better to have someone you already know and trust implicitly moreso than have someone who's more experienced but whom you don't know or trust as well. Al Saunders had all the experience anyone would want in an OC, but what if a lack of "trust" Gibbs had in Saunders' play calling played a part in the rumored conflict in offensive philosophies that supposedly existed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrelgreenie Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 I'm just wondering exactly what his contribution to the team will be, or if there's something about Smith I don't know. Wouldn't it have been better to get a guy who knows the basic philiosophies of the WCO so he could help install the new system with our head coach? Any comments? Zorn created his version of the WCO with imput from Smith, Bugel and Mitchell. Smith will know the offense and will likely work as Zorn's right hand man when it comes to implementing the JZ-WCO. Smith was assistant head coach and guided a very successful Titan's ground game. So i'm sure he knows how to get things done, getting good results from supposedly 'lazy' LenDale White. If you're familiar with the military he'll probably act like an XO (executive officer). Smith will give Zorn time to work closely with the QB and other aspects of the team. I imagine that Zorn will tell Smith what he wants the offense to do and Smith will work with the other coaches like Hixon(receivers) and Mitchell(running backs) to insure it gets done. And IMO opinion he'll also be the hawk to Zorn's dove in terms of being tough. I also think that Zorn trusts Smith, not just because of his 13 years NFL coaching experience but because they played together. :2cents: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtle Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 jimbo has it right..good post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrelgreenie Posted May 11, 2008 Share Posted May 11, 2008 I'm surprised Zorn hasn't brought in a young coach to help with the QBs. I understand he wants to be hands-on with this position, but he has larger responsibilities now. You would think there would be someone under him he respected and/or had mentored to assist with this position. meet.........................................Chris Meidt http://redskins.com/team/cprofile.jsp?id=34496 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.