For years the issue was the cast around Bradford, but the upgrades are beyond noticeable now. The offensive line has been fortified through the draft and free agency, with veterans Jake Long, Scott Wells and Rodger Saffold all healthy now (and the hope is they will remain so). There also is no shortage of receivers making plays all over the field at camp, including several with great size. Kenny Britt has people around the team pinching themselves with what he is doing on the field and off, and there is a very strong buzz around third-year receiver Brian Quick and second-year receiver Stedman Bailey. If a few of them can keep it up, this offense has the potential to make significant strides.

“A few of them really look like they are for real,” said one member of the organization. “If they are, then that’s a major game-changer.”

This is what Bradford has never had in all his time here. We have never in that time period heard the sort of buzz we are hearing about WRs. SB as the route runner. KB and BQ as the big, slashing, physical guys with downfield speed. (Givens had speed, but never turbo charged it with either physicality or route running.) The sense that we may have guys who can assert themselves.

Of course, it’s early days. Indeed. Quick may not maintain his confidence in real competition. Britt may flake out. Bailey isn’t available until Week 6. We’ll see.

But the point made here is spot on. If these 3 guys actually play assertively, then it is a major game changer.

I’ve said all along that no one can really judge Sam either way until he has a chance to play with WRs who can assert themselves. Well, if these guys change the game, we’ll be able to see. Can he make plays when they are there to be made? Fact is, they have NOT been there to be made to this point.

But it will also change the game for Tavon. Last year, if he got the ball underneath, he was looking at secondaries that could get away with cheating up. They did not respect our WRs, and therefore they could squeeze him into shrinking space. However, the minute they have to start respecting our WRs, the whole dynamic will change for Tavon. He will have space to run into and will have guys just breaking off from their coverage of other guys. I think it’s quite clear that in such circumstances he will be able to burn people.

And as we all know, a perimeter passing threat opens things up for the running game as well. You guys know the drill.

Put it together and you get a 3 tier offensive threat:
3 Medium to long perimeter passing game
2 short 1/3 passing game to slots, RBs, and TEs.
1 Running game

Because we have not had the top end of the offense, defenses have squeezed our #1 and #2 attacks. Against good NFL defenses, that is not going to work.

Given a respectable top end, all 3 tiers of the offense can work together to stretch and stress defenses. That will make an enormous difference … if it comes true.

I think we can trust our OL and RBs to give us a grinding running game. Without the top tier, that will be about it.

With a respectable top tier and decent pass blocking, our offense can make a major leap forward. We won’t challenge DEN for offensive preeminence. But balanced synergy between the 3 tiers could very well push our passing game into the top dozen while freeing our running game to shine.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by rfl.

Fisher ‘s first mention among receivers? Britt and Quick.

The HC unthinkingly mentioning these 2 guys who had been major questions …

This is not just hype. The coaches are seeing these guys as leaders on the receiver corps.

Amazing development. Potentially transformative.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 3 months ago by rfl.

On Barrett Jones:

If he shows nothing this pre-season, then I think the bust label is appropriate. Should be seeing something from an OC by now.

And if that is so …

We need a vet to fill the OC hole, given that Wells seems unlikely to remain fully healthy.

on Quick: Again, might just be the most gifted WR on the roster athletically. Size, speed, strength. All there. He is a hard worker, and it has never been said he is a problem. Meaning, he shows up and goes to work. His biggest issue, IMO, is confidence. It’s having the confidence in his own ability to play at this level. And its the coaching staff showing they have the confidence in him to keep putting him out there, even when he makes a mental mistake or drops a pass.

His body language even at training camp if he drops a ball, looks like he is defeated. He seems to be constantly “looking over his shoulder” wondering what Coach Sherman is going to do or say next. This camp so far, that hasn’t been nearly as evident. Again, does that mean the light bulb has come on? Only time will tell.

Having Kenny Britt here has already paid dividends as far as Brian Quick’s confidence. They are paired together, and taking reps together. And if you want to find Brian Quick on the practice field, find Britt and he is ALWAYS within a few feet. And Britt is the most spirited player I have seen on the practice field in the past 4 years of attending these practices. He is always encouraging the others in the WR group, but he seems to be giving Quick extra attention. Is that by design? have the coaches put a bug in his ear? Who knows,, but it seems to be working.

I saw one thing take place in yesterdays 11 on 11 stuff, that I am sure hasn’t taken place before. With Quick lined up wide to the left side, Bradford looked right at him and made a gesture to Quick with his fingers to indicate a sight adjustment. Taking two fingers and putting them to his own eyes while looking at Quick. Immediately after the ball is snapped, Quick runs a quick slant and Bradford hits him in stride for what would have been a 1st down on a 3rd and 5. That tells me he is finally getting it.

…the prospect of them lining up Britt, Quick, COOK AND KENDRICKS is something they have done more than a couple of times. Pretty impressive when Brian Quick is the “smallest” guy of the group.

This is extremely interesting stuff regarding Quick. It strikes me as being insightful, a highly plausible reading of the situation. The notion of him dropping his head after a mistake rings true, at least diagnostically.

Can a guy like that learn confidence? In the competitive crucible of the NFL?

And what is going on with Britt and Quick? Quick seems to be following him like a scared freshman following a confident senior. And Britt seems to be mentoring him some. What’s in it for a guy like Britt with a history of selfish behavior?

All fascinating.

And of course if Britt played up to his previous ceiling and Quick stepped up to begin fulfilling even half his potential …

Lord, what a difference that would make to our offense!

Do Britt and Quick both make the roster? When do they accept Pead is a bust?
by TheLou 2:21 Pm

Believe so on Britt and Quick. As for Pead, I’m wondering that myself.
by jthomas 2:21 Pm

Pead is a strange case to me.

He has done little to justify his pick so far. He certainly has failed to earn his way onto the field very much. That means he has failed to show the coaches what they drafted him to give.

That suggests he’s a bust. But, there are 2 complicating issues.

1st, as I’ve said before, his STs performance last year changes things. You can, after all, survive in the league as a ST specialist. Ask Chase Reynolds. But more than that, his WILLINGNESS to not only play but thrive in that context changes my sense of what he is capable of. I suspect that it has the coaching staff thinking of him differently as well. I think they’ll give him more of a chance this year. I think it is credible to imagine that he might parlay STs performance into a shot at the backfield.

2nd, he offers a package the others don’t. I don’t see him as a starter running for power on early downs. But, he actually offers the closest thing to a 3rd down specialist role that we have on the roster. He pass blocks well, if I recall, possibly better than t6he others do. His skills as a receiver are probably more advanced. And his running skills fit the 3rd down context. The focus is on the downfield receivers, which can open up some space for a slippery back to exploit. That’s what classic 3rd down specialists do, and I think Pead can probably do that better than any of the others.

So here’s my deal with Pead. I actually think he would be hard to cut. He gives you special teams. So does Chase. But, unlike Chase, he would be at the least a pretty good emergency RB backup. Imagine a game in which the others got hurt. Pead could probably run with some capability. AND he has the potential to provide the 3rd down role the others probably can’t. He actually could become a vital part of the offense in that role.

A year ago, I figured he was a bust. Now, I guess I don’t see him that way. He will never be the feature back he was drafted to be. But he actually offers the team quite a valuable package.

“RB by committee” …

Usually a bad sign.

But in our case, I really like our stable of RBs. Stacy and Mason can rotate and give power. I wonder if Pead could emerge as a 3rd down back. And Cunningham is a dream backup.

The only problem is that, traditionally, feature RBs need carries in a game to find rhythm and feel. If we rotate too much, they may struggle a bit at that.

Still, we are DEEP at RB. Love it.

Just a small point.

There’s a difference between scramblers who move and then throw and RUNNING QBs who take off to gain yards on their feet.

My point about QBs is simple: they must be able to beat defenses throwing. Fran Tarkenton–and Wilson?–ran around and then killed you throwing. Marino did it standing tall. The point is … be able to beat a good defense throwing.

“Running” QBs don’t really believe in the pass and don’t have the patience to learn the reads. When it isn’t there easily, they cut and run. I never believe in those guys. And, yes, it makes sense to me that they would be more susceptible to sacks. A read-and-throw QB can beat the pass rush with 2 steps.

My beef is describing Kendricks as Cook’s backup.

They play completely different roles, and Kendricks is probably out there a lot more than Cook. He certainly does more things than Cook does.

For example, if Tavon runs out on the field, Kendricks keeps the running threat viable. Cook doesn’t.

I’ll just say this.

Tavon had trouble in traffic making people miss and creating space.

Whether that’s because his quickness was exaggerated or he wasn’t up to speed or whatever, I dunno.

But I saw him fail to escape LBs and other defenders that he “should have” beaten like drums if he were as advertised.

I don’t despair of him or call him a bust. It seems plausible to me that, as he says, he was overthinking things and not playing at the speed he needs to. I also love his heart and competitiveness.

But, UNLESS he speeds up and shows more elusiveness than he did last year, he will have to be utilized in a scheme that gives him space to work with. SO far, he isn’t creating it himself.