WizSkinsO's Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Since so far our plan to develop the two young WRs has failed, reports indicate Moss will basically be the outside, fly guy, with Randle El on the other side, and Thrash in the slot. Originally, the plan was to get a big compliment to Moss and move Antwan to the slot. Since that obviously didn't happen... What do you all think about trying Betts in the slot a bit? I love Thrash but he's just never shown me anything as a receiver regarding separation and getting open outside of one game basically in the last 5 years. I appreciate his blocking and all but just don't think he's an NFL slot receiver. Betts had 53 catches for 450 yards in '06 playing about 65-70% of snaps. I know some of you take issues with his fumbles and all, but the fact is he's proven himself as a very good pass-catcher and an elusive one too. I hope we surprise the Giants tomorrow, and after it works, continue the rest of the season to occasionally line Betts up a bit as the slot WR with Portis in the backfield, at least until the draft picks are ready. Your thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CM916 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 It failed? Did we just cut them both? Well, **** we need to fire our entire FO for not letting these kids get a chance to work their way in. Surely we could have tried to trade them or something... Who did we sign to replace them? Are we just going with three guys? That's insane!!! /sarcasm off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emor09 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 i like Moss and Thrash outside with ARE in the slot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonYoungEra Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 what's a "sloit"? no, but seriously..horrible idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizSkinsO's Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 It failed? Did we just cut them both? Well, **** we need to fire our entire FO for not letting these kids get a chance to work their way in. Surely we could have tried to trade them or something... Who did we sign to replace them? Are we just going with three guys? That's insane!!!/sarcasm off Chill. I didn't mean long-term and forever. I meant for right now. The biggest off-season need for the Skins, a lot of people thought, was a big time receiver and target for JC. That's what Snyder told all interviewing coaches and they agreed. Since we couldn't pry 85 or Boldin, we settled for two drafted receivers. And right now, with one of them out at least 2 weeks and the other healthy but with about zero trust as of right now, I meant that it failed in the short-term and in helping this team become a much stronger offensive team this season. I meant it was the reason Randle El is not in the slot and James Thrash is a starting WR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizSkinsO's Posted September 4, 2008 Author Share Posted September 4, 2008 what's a "sloit"?no, but seriously..horrible idea. Why's that? Saints did it pretty will with Bush the year before last. Betts is no Bush, but I'd say he's one of the top pass-catching RBs in the league still. I have close to zero doubt he would do more with the ball in the slot than Thrash would, and think honestly anyone opposed to the idea is just too much of a traditionalist afraid of change or any thinking outside the box. Zorn should do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CM916 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Chill. I didn't mean long-term and forever. I meant for right now. The biggest off-season need for the Skins' date=' a lot of people thought, was a big time receiver and target for JC. That's what Snyder told all interviewing coaches and they agreed. Since we couldn't pry 85 or Boldin, we settled for two drafted receivers. And right now, with one of them out at least 2 weeks and the other healthy but with about zero trust as of right now, I meant that it failed in the short-term and in helping this team become a much stronger offensive team this season. I meant it was the reason Randle El is not in the slot and James Thrash is a starting WR.[/quote']I was poking more fun at the general populace of chicken littles than just you. Anyway, I think we will see all our TE's in there at some point, maybe even line one of them up at WR if we want to go more than 3-wide. I do wonder if Thrash can get through a whole season as a starter but I'm confident he will be solid for a few weeks if needed. A lot of people have bashed him in the past but I will never forget that when he finally got to start in place of Moss last year, he caught the first two TD's by any receiver on our team and that was around week 9 or 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray Brown Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Randle El will have to play the other outside reciever until either Malcom(becomes healthy) or Devin gets some game expierence under his belt, which he will. I think its unreasonable to expect that either of these guys would have been the starter on the outside for week 1 anyway. Hopefully about midway through the season we will be able to move one of them outside, even if it's in the redzone, to let randle el move back to the slot which is his natural postition. That said randle el had a good year last year( catch wise and yards wise) hopefully he can produce some more td's before we can move him back to the slot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chachie Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Wiz- I wouldn't call it a horrible idea at all, but I think it's one that seems too unconventional for an offense trying to establish itself with the QB, WRs and TEs. To throw this in the mix would only be a distraction to the ultimate mission. Of course, you may reply that if they start using it really early, it will become a part of the scheme and I'd have no response. The coaching staff or even some of the X/O savvier members here could probably show us the ultimate bad logic in the move. In short, if it were a good plan, Sherman Smith would already be working it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Janky Spanky Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Betts is a running back, not a receiver. I would much rather have a real receiver in the slot than betts. Betts' receiving yards have mostly come out of the backfield, and I don't think he would be that great in the slot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoudMouth12thMan Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 slot receivers have to do a couple of things. they have to be able to catch and run with the ball. Thanks for reading :paranoid: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Wow. Despite the rampant bashing of the idea, I think it has a lot of merit. Those that laugh at using Betts in the slot clearly haven't been watching the NFL closely for the past few years - not only it is moving to a two-back league, but one of the results of that two-back dominance is the frequent use of one of the backs on the outside. Reggie Bush isn't the only one to do this. The OP, I'm assuming, isn't talking about using Betts as a constant slot receiver - merely putting him out there a few times a game for certain plays and to take some of the load off of the only three wide receivers we can actually use right now. Not only is it a possibility, I actually find it very likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stp240 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Im surprised no one has come to the defense of Thrash While Betts did catch more balls recently...It wasnt from the receiver position He caught passes out of the backfield, half the time being completely uncovered anyway, Thrash is twice the receiver Betts is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedskinDaddy Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 IMO Betts isn't really quick enough to take advantage of a shift to that spot, however limited those reps might be. ARE is our best bet, and we might even see some of Cooley there from time to time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BurgundyMalaise Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 No way is Betts a polished enough route-runner to play receiver of any kind, unless its out of the backfield. And even though Betts has better hands than Clinton, I suspect they too, are not good enough to play receiver. Like the creativity of this idea, but don't think it would be a plan worth implementing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkinsTillIDie Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 The fact is, Betts doesn't know the routes in the passing plays for slot receivers in our playbook. When would he ever had studied them? He knows his responsibilities, which come from playing tailback. He is not trained to run wide receiver routes like the wide receivers are. He does not study film with the wide receivers, he studies film with the running backs. Just because he is pretty fast and has decent hands out of the backfield certainly does not mean that he can play the wide receiver, and most definitely not better than a seasoned vet who has been perfecting the art of route running for his entire career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ouvan59 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Wow. Despite the rampant bashing of the idea, I think it has a lot of merit. Those that laugh at using Betts in the slot clearly haven't been watching the NFL closely for the past few years - not only it is moving to a two-back league, but one of the results of that two-back dominance is the frequent use of one of the backs on the outside. Reggie Bush isn't the only one to do this.The OP, I'm assuming, isn't talking about using Betts as a constant slot receiver - merely putting him out there a few times a game for certain plays and to take some of the load off of the only three wide receivers we can actually use right now. Not only is it a possibility, I actually find it very likely. Running backs in the slot aren't unusual but having Betts and Portis in the game at the same time makes it obvious what you are doing. You don't want either of them playing the role of lead blocker. That means that if both are in the game you pretty much have to assume that one of them is going to split out and there are no circumstances where I think that Betts would be a better option running a route than James Thrash. He doesn't have the same skill set or experience. Now if you are talking about sending them out into the slot in a no back set then I get it but I just don't see the advantage in having our two best RBs on the field at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squatch66 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 iirc didnt zorn line betts up in the slot in preseason? honestly i think that fred davis gives us a lot of options while malcom and devin get up to speed. cooley can line up at wideout and we will still have a legitimate receiving threat at tight end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skins2victory Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 Put Davis in the slott a few times!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartacus87 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 This idea, while creative, so I'm not going to just bash it, just doesn't make sense. Betts is a good pass catching RUNNING BACK...not wide receiver...big difference...coming out of the backfield with a linebacker spying is definitely different then coming out of the slot against a nickel corner or safety right there in coverage... If anything, Cooley or even Fred Davis would be used in the slot, but not Betts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Chaos47 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 While I don't think it would be a bad idea, I don't think it'll be necessary. I think Betts has the capability to line up at WR, even in the slot, we should be fine with Moss,ARE , Thrash and Cooley then throwing in Fred Davis and Devin Thomas from time to time and Yoder is a good pass catcher. Thrash may not be the fastest receiver, but they guy is money in every other aspect, great hands and route running ability. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MartinC Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 You might see both Betts and Portis motion out into a slot position every now and then but that will be when we go empty backfield. I serioulsy doubt we will ever see Portis at HB and Betts in as slot receover on the same play. What we will see quite a bit of I think is either Davis or Yoder at TE with Cooley split out as a slot receiver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illone Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 I doubt you will see Betts in the slot. He is fantastic coming out of the backfield, but linging him up at receiver? Maybe on a trick play, or something:laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G1 Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 I think we'll be seeing a lot of Cooley in the slot, like Indianapolis do with Clark. Cooley is perfect for the position and it also allows us to get Davies onto the field. Davies is the rookie most likely to contribute most quickly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted September 4, 2008 Share Posted September 4, 2008 I love Thrash but he's just never shown me anything as a receiver regarding separation and getting open outside of one game basically in the last 5 years. I appreciate his blocking and all but just don't think he's an NFL slot receiver. Your thoughts? I don't know what Thrash you've been watching. He's come through for us time and again when given the chance. He may not be the fastest, but runs great routs, and has good hands. I love Betts, but I'll take Trash in the slot over him on any given sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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