Are We Looking To Add Real Speed On Offense?

[manxman2601]

Intrigued by some of the pre-draft contacts, especially in light of a fairly full WR roster:

Robert Herron 5'9", 193. Reported 4.25-4.29 at his pro day.

Jeremy Gallon 5'7", 185 4.49 at the combine but his playing speed appears faster than that.

Bruce Ellington 5'9", 197 4.45 at the combine. Both he and Gallon had tremendous explosion numbers.

Dri Archer: 5'7", 173 4.26 40 at the combine

Danny Woodhead 5'7", 197 4.38 40. Tremendous explosion numbers.


Oops! Sorry about that last name. don't know why I put that in there

 

[Big-T]

Hope so! Tons of speed, no huddle and misdirection..."reinvent" the offense again and catch the league off guard like they seem to do every couple of years.

 

[mayoclinic]

Hope so! Tons of speed, no huddle and misdirection..."reinvent" the offense again and catch the league off guard like they seem to do every couple of years.

I had suggested "Oregonizing" the offense 2 years ago. Works for me, especially if you can integrate it with the TEs and running game.

 

[DaBruinz]

I had suggested "Oregonizing" the offense last year. Works for me, especially if you can integrate it with the TEs and running game.

The problem is that people are expecting this sort of thing because of Chip Kelly and people know that Belichick loves to take ideas from college..

 

[Big-T]

The problem is that people are expecting this sort of thing because of Chip Kelly and people know that Belichick loves to take ideas from college..

Expecting it is one thing, trying to stop it with big corners who aren't the best against smaller receivers (Talib, for example) is something totally different.

 

[mayoclinic]

The problem is that people are expecting this sort of thing because of Chip Kelly and people know that Belichick loves to take ideas from college..

To be more precise, I had suggested it during 2012 when the Pats were using the up tempo and no-huddle approach to a then unprecedented degree, before Kelly came to Philadelphia.

I think that the goal is always to build an offense that can't be stopped. Any offense that is predictable can be stopped. That's part of why I want better integration between the running and passing game. In past year's we've seen the Jets flood the field with DBs and dare the Pats the run (2010), the Ravens crowd the intermediate/short part of the field and dare the Pats to stretch the field (2012), and the Broncos take away the power running game (2013).

There's no single offensive approach that can't be stopped, but the more diverse and multi-faceted the offense is, the easier it is to create and exploit specific mismatches. The more you can do that with personnel groupings that allow for different approaches, the harder it is to focus on stopping one aspect of the offense. That's part of why I've always wanted our primary back to be a FlexBack, why I was so gung ho about guys like Matt Forte and Doug Martin, why I prefer signing Knowshon Moreno to re-signing Blount, and why I value TEs so much.

The Pats' offense has been historically prolific over the past 4 years, using a variety of different approaches - the spread, the 2 TE base, the power running game - but it has unfortunately been too one-dimensional at many times. I like what's been done so far in terms of creating a deep stable of guys with different skill sets - Dobson/Lafell/Harrison are big WRs that we've lacked, Edelman/Amendola/Boyce give us a variety of underneath weapons. Utilizing more speed and elusiveness would add another dimension that would make it that much harder for opposing defenses to focus on one aspect of the offense.

 

[midwestpatsfan]

Intrigued by some of the pre-draft contacts, especially in light of a fairly full WR roster:

Robert Herron 5'9", 193. Reported 4.25-4.29 at his pro day.

Jeremy Gallon 5'7", 185 4.49 at the combine but his playing speed appears faster than that.

Bruce Ellington 5'9", 197 4.45 at the combine. Both he and Gallon had tremendous explosion numbers.

Dri Archer: 5'7", 173 4.26 40 at the combine

Danny Woodhead 5'7", 197 4.38 40. Tremendous explosion numbers.





Oops! Sorry about that last name. don't know why I put that in there

There are a lot of names on that list that I really like. Gallon is a guy who kept popping up in games when I was evaluating other players. Herron is someone I have not watched a ton of, but the little I have is impressive.

 

[varjao]

I really missed the no huddle last year, Brady is a master running it but with so many new faces I understand that it was not the best approach. That and the weak Oline also provided the absence of tricky slow developed plays.

Definitely was our most predictable offense from the last years, and yet we made it to the afccg , a memorable season for sure, but I was not expecting much different from what happened, maybe the hfa could play a big factor, anyway, the SB would not be much different imho.

This year, there is no way this offense doesn't improve from last year, you can write that on the stone.

Obviously, that will depend on the upcoming chances in the Oline, it can't stay the same.

 

[BobDigital]

Well speed is great and all. However when it comes to playoff offense I think the 2 most important things are power in the WR/TE game and short area quickness.

IMO it is about being able to win a short pushing match then making a break to get open OR just running threw someone who is in your way. Speed guys are great but Ds like Seattle or SF will just pop them at the line and ruin the timing if they are not also strong and quick.

That is why I am happy with our offensive FA so far. A guy like Lafell is big enough can get a bit physical and Edelman though not big plays with the edge of a bigger WR and can fight throw a bump and accelerate to get open. I think we need more of those types.

Small speedy guys or even taller speedy guys who are soft tend to disappear in playoff play

EDIT: I would like to just add this is how I few WRs/TEs in the playoffs. I do value quickness and speed but more so in my RBs. I would rather have a quick/fast running back than a power workhorse in the playoffs. Running in the playoffs IMO is most effective when you can quickly squeeze through a hole or bounce to the outside away from the monster DTs and try to win with speed on a misdirection play..

 

[VJCPatriot]

Dri Archer: 5'7", 173 4.26 40 at the combine

This guy is fascinating just for his speed alone. Imagine that kind of guy on returns, edge plays, etc.

You need to be stout on the lines, but you also need speed to threaten the edges, because a lot of big plays can be made outside once you've softened the middle and the defense is focusing on protecting that part of the field.

Oh and he's from Kent State, same school as Edelman.
With Blount possibly not coming back, it might make sense to add Archer as our 3rd RB/KR specialist or even a 4th WR. Archer would add some lightning to our thunder.

Video highlights:
Dri Archer 74 & 79 yard TD runs- Kent State@Bowling Green 11/17/12 - YouTube

Kent State's Dri Archer 99-Yard Kickoff Return - YouTube

Dri Archer Highlight Tape [HD] - YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8dpvSqIAge4

 

[TruthSeeker]

This guy is fascinating just for his speed alone. Imagine that kind of guy on returns, edge plays, etc.

You need to be stout on the lines, but you also need speed to threaten the edges, because a lot of big plays can be made outside once you've softened the middle and the defense is focusing on protecting that part of the field.

Oh and he's from Kent State, same school as Edelman.
With Blount possibly not coming back, it might make sense to add Archer as our 3rd RB/KR specialist or even a 4th WR. Archer would add some lightning to our thunder.

Video highlights:
Dri Archer 74 & 79 yard TD runs- Kent State@Bowling Green 11/17/12 - YouTube

Kent State's Dri Archer 99-Yard Kickoff Return - YouTube

Dri Archer Highlight Tape [HD] - YouTube

Kent State's 5'8 Dri Archer is the Most Exciting College Football Player. Junior Highlights - YouTube

He's one of my draft binkies. What I love about him is, besides his ridiculous speed, he's very strong for his size. He's a good receiver, and obviously a good return man. He could be the new Darren Sproles or Dexter McCluster.