Can Luke Musgrave Buck Tight End Trend and Make Instant Impact for Packers?
There are some early signs that Musgrave could hit the ground running in Green Bay.
By markoldacres
Tight ends historically face a tough transition to the NFL and find it difficult to leave their mark as a rookie.
In 2022, Chigoziem Okonkwo was the leading rookie tight end in terms of receiving yards. He had just 450.
While Kyle Pitts had over 1,000 yards in his first NFL season, he was viewed as a generational talent at the position. In 2020, Cole Kmet led rookie tight ends with 243 yards.
But there are reasons to believe Green Bay’s Luke Musgrave could have a quick impact on the Packers offense.
This may sound counter intuitive, since Musgrave didn’t even put up big numbers in college. His season-high receiving yards total was 304 at Oregon State. He never caught more than 22 passes in a season and had just two touchdowns across his entire college career.
But this may have been quite different had Musgrave been healthy in his final year. His 169 yards and one touchdown on 11 catches came in just two games before injury ruled him out for the year.
Had he played a full season, Musgrave may well have exploded and been coveted well above the second round, where the Packers selected him. The college production isn’t indicative of Musgrave’s talent.
There can be hope Musgrave will quickly pick up Green Bay’s offense, too. At least quickly for a rookie, anyway.
When asked at rookie minicamp what it’s been like getting adjusted to his new NFL playbook, Musgrave said: “It’s been good, I really like it. It’s fairly similar to my college playbook with the pro-style offense.
“Obviously it’s a little different, getting to know the terminology and understand the route concepts.”
Much has been made about Musgrave’s lack of ability as a blocker, a key part of playing the tight end position, but this has been somewhat overblown.
Musgrave isn’t built like Marcedes Lewis. He’s a tall glass of water and is more built for speed than power.
His blocking lacks some oomph and will never be the most natural part of his game, but he blocks with effort and was asked to do it a lot in college. You weren’t getting on the field at Oregon State if you didn’t block.
In his truncated final college season, Musgrave’s run blocking grade from PFF was 54.3. Not spectacular by any means, but not disastrous.
The hope, or even expectation will be that with an off-season of NFL coaching under his belt, his blocking will be good enough to get him on the field.
Even if he does struggle in that area initially, there is still a place for Musgrave in obvious pass situations as a pure receiving threat. He has rare speed and presents a matchup problem for defenses.
On day one of OTAs, Musgrave was the first tight end to get reps with the first team, which may point to where the Packers think he is, even this early in the off-season.
If the Packers want to keep Josiah Deguara in a primarily H-back role, they need Musgrave and fellow rookie Tucker Kraft to hit the ground running to avoid Tyler Davis being the opening day starter.
A lot will happen between now and then, but there are some early indicators that Musgrave is on the right track.
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Mark Oldacres is a sports writer from Birmingham, England and a Green Bay Packers fan. You can follow him on twitter at @MarkOldacres
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Comments (66)
mrtundra
May 28, 2023 at 06:45 am
All in on Musgrave and Kraft, as our starting TEs. I want to see what GB saw in Camren McDonald and Henry Pearson when they brought them in as UDFAs, as well. Davis is serviceable, as a TE, but I'd rather start Musgrave. DeGuara was used more as a Half Back but was called upon to play TE and get open, underneath the coverage. No matter, they are all targets for Love, this season. GO PACK, GO!!!
BradHTX
May 28, 2023 at 07:17 am
H-back, not halfback — not the same position. One of the more confusing nitpicky details of football.
Coldworld
May 28, 2023 at 08:27 am
LaFleur calls it the F Back position (F apparently for ‘flex” not “full”), which isn’t much better. Joe Gibbs was the guy who originated this type of role in a modern context and he described the position as an H back.
I would prefer “Wing Back” just to diminish confusion, though there’s only one wing on this bird.
ReaganRulz
May 28, 2023 at 07:12 am
Lots of competition in the TE Room, but it’s pretty obvious who the top 2 choices will be. As long as they can stay _______…sorry, don’t want to jinx anything. Both Musgrave and Kraft have size and athleticism which is a pre-req for MFL. This is gonna be fun to watch in the coming months!!
jannesbjornson
May 28, 2023 at 08:31 am
Start both of them in 12 personnel. Run the New offenses.
greengold
May 28, 2023 at 07:12 am
We all know the general consensus on rookie TEs having a more difficult time making an impact in the NFL that players at other positions.
Can’t help but feel both Kraft & Musgrave will buck that trend. This really is a perfect environment for them to do so.
Not looking for either player to set the world on fire, but maybe they surprise due to the number of other receivers the Packers have to stress defenses, creating both mismatches & wide open looks.
Both of these guys capable of chain moving at a high level. Both capable of making explosive plays.
Just 2-3 receptions per game, 500 something yds & around 10 TDs would have to be considered a success. Anything more, pure gravy.
Gronk rookie #s: 42 rec, 59 targets, 2.6 rec/g, 546 yds, 13.0 ypc, 34 yds/g, 10 TD.
Those are numbers I would not be surprised to see from Musgrave this season.
Renllaw
May 28, 2023 at 08:26 am
I agree, I think the most important determining factor is that they will get opportunities. NFL coaches are notoriously conservative and if given a choice they seem to gravitate towards giving a vet the snaps. There is nothing in the way for our young TE's to get in and learn on the job. It will only accelerate their development time.
dobber
May 28, 2023 at 08:48 am
"Gronk rookie #s: 42 rec, 59 targets, 2.6 rec/g, 546 yds, 13.0 ypc, 34 yds/g, 10 TD.
Those are numbers I would not be surprised to see from Musgrave this season."
10 TD is a big ask of just about anyone.
greengold
May 28, 2023 at 09:21 am
Yeah, but both are big red zone targets with very reliable hands. We all freaked out when Tonyan had 11 TDs, so, I get what you’re saying.
I was just looking up what some of the best rookie TE numbers were to get a gauge of what we might consider to be a success, and Gronk’s numbers were nowhere near the top.
His Year 2? He went off for 90 receptions, 1327 yds, 14.7 ypc and 17 TDs.
WestCoastPackerBacker
May 29, 2023 at 03:50 pm
Didn’t it take Tonyan like 3 years to get to that 11 TD season? We’re talking here about what rookies might do. And Tonyan was playing with a league MVP at QB. I doubt these guys will have that this year.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
May 30, 2023 at 08:38 am
This is the time of year optimism flows....so why not?
Musgrave is ubber talented oozing with physical traits and potential. He literally could be the steal of the draft if he remains healthy & used correctly in multiple roles moving him around creating mismatches. Believe Tucker & Musgrave are going to work well off one another providing Love a lot of options, particularly when under pressure from blitzes.
Excitement is an understatement! For years I have been wanting a combination of top-level TE's along with a top-level Slot WR who is quick & twitchy to exploit the middle of the field. We finally have these types of talented players along with top-level talent on the outside with Watson, Doubs, and Wicks to keep defenses spread out. Now...throw in the fact Love has some decent wheels & this offense is going to be fun as it evolves.
GLM
May 28, 2023 at 07:21 pm
I'll certainly take the 10 touchdowns... 👍
cdoemel
May 28, 2023 at 08:14 pm
I tell ya what, this O is freaking loaded for Love. I know there’s lots of rooks, so it might not be this year, but JL could not be better setup to succeed. And I totally buy into the fact that these young guys are gonna grow together. Only getting more experience together. This team reminds me a lot in construction of the Atlanta Braves. Bunch of young guys who are gonna play together for a while.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 29, 2023 at 01:44 am
GG, Musgrave folds on contact. Sure handed though. That combination works for me, but is what I mean by him being more of a big bodied receiver than a typical TE, go for YAC kind of guy.
As long as MLF uses him correctly he can be very effective :) 5-8 yard routes and stretching them to 10-15 wins games. How often does he need to do that? Lots of talent to spread the rock around to :)
TKWorldWide
May 29, 2023 at 05:41 am
‘Buck Trend’ was the name I used for the short time I worked in the adult film industry.
Boneman
May 28, 2023 at 07:23 am
I think that the complexity of the TE position is overblown. I wish someone would explain to me what exactly the "good" TE's are doing that magically gets them open? When I view film they all do the same thing, run to an area and turn around. The difference in the 'good' ones to me is the ability to catch everything thrown at them and otherwise it is simply opportunities. If our TE's get opportunities they will be successful. Everyone points to Jermichael Finley as our last 'best' TE. Finley often complained about not getting enough targets from 12, but McCarthy was blamed. The Packers knew that their QB didn't like throwing to TE's and avoided the middle of the field throws. Now that he's gone what do they do? Draft two TE's early! Expect big things from these guys!
Coldworld
May 28, 2023 at 08:34 am
A true TE doesn’t just have to learn his routes as a catcher, but also everyone else’s in order to know where to be to block effectively. That’s a lot to master in a pro offense, even without considering the mechanics of either, which often need a lot of work for guys leaving college offenses these days.
The answer to Musgrave and Kraft getting involved a lot is to give them a limited set of asks and let them master those. That may include just playing as a catcher primarily in some contexts. If one has and is willing to change personnel, the curve can be less steep, but that requires coaching that grasps and manages that.
dobber
May 28, 2023 at 08:56 am
"The answer to Musgrave and Kraft getting involved a lot is to give them a limited set of asks and let them master those."
Bingo. I don't think it can be said more plainly. Figure out what those guys can do now, and build out from that.
By default, this offense MUST evolve in 2023 and look different to succeed. It will be hard for the Packers to run an offense that looks a lot like 2022 because the personnel no longer align that way. Lewis was a designated blocker--do they have anyone on the 90 man who has a chance to make the 53 who does that? Tonyan and Lazard played a lot of snaps and were often on the field a the same time--while Musgrave (and to a degree Kraft) translates as that kind of player, they really don't have two of that guy anymore.
As Jannes has been saying: take advantage of your talent--get your playmakers on the field. Right now, that's Watson and Jones...but they have credible threats to develop in the TE room. Turn them into threats both in blocking and in the passing game. I think this offense has been largely predictable for opposing DCs...they should come out of the gate with a lot of unscouted looks in 2023.
Ferrari-Driver
May 28, 2023 at 11:35 am
dobber, I like what you said. Good post.
PhantomII
May 28, 2023 at 07:58 pm
So there are QB progressions...the ball could be going to ANY WR or TE or RB the way things pan out. This shit is not rocket science....more like see who has the ball and block accordingly...just like ANY OL would do. I think it's more like know how to engage the block and sustain it to keep the defender off the guy with the ball. If the NFL is any deeper than that they are wasting time for the TE position and slow rolling the growth of the position.
PhantomII
May 29, 2023 at 10:17 am
Now what would be beneficial to the TE is knowing the route concept the other receivers are running and the defensive alignments to determine what void they create for HIM to get a clean ball thrown to him and adjust His route accordingly to it....The blocking thing has a lot of variables to it to work.
PeteK
May 28, 2023 at 09:10 am
TEs also have to read/feel where the holes are in the defenses and adjust. Who's covering me LB or S is it zone or man. Kelce is the best at it, he'll run straight out but then feels the coverage and shuffles left or right accordingly. His yards after the catch are a result of knowing where the path of the next defender is.
PackEyedOptimist
May 28, 2023 at 07:27 am
I wasn’t a fan of Musgrave—as a TE—before the draft, and I still think he’s more of a big slot , like Lazard was. That said, I think he could be a FANTASTIC big slot.
One thing I saw, but surprisingly only saw once, was a very interesting tidbit about Musgrave from before his senior injury. Apparently he was timed in a 4.5 40; I think it was at a pre-season training session. People keep saying he’s a fast TE because he ran a 4.6 at the combine, so imagine if he’s a 4.5 at his size!
DoubleJ
May 28, 2023 at 10:36 am
While he only ran a 4.6/40, his 1.55/10 is WR type acceleration. Musgrave was clocked at 20MPH during the senior bowl and that was only like 2 weeks after he was cleared to run. also wouldn't be surprised if as the season goes on and he is further recovered from surgery that he gets even faster.
4thand10
May 28, 2023 at 07:53 pm
He’s 25lbs heavier than Lazard and 6-6… that would be a prototypical TE frame in the NFL. I wanted Washington more so I’ll be looking to compare production between those 2 this year. Kraft seems to have more agility on tape. It will be interesting. If LaFlure decides to use 12 personnel a lot this year I expect to see both on the field at the same time. I’m still not sleeping on Deguara…he’s had his flashes as well.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 29, 2023 at 01:52 am
PEO - I see the same thing in Musgrave. Which means he should be developed as a receiver, and effective early. Strength training will hopefully increase his YAC, and blocking too. If that takes 2 or 3 years that's ok. If he catches like Megatron, what's not to love?
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
May 30, 2023 at 08:48 am
I constantly raved about drafting Musgrave or Kincaid pre-draft and using in various roles such as a big/power slot WR. Musgrave is so big & athletic and runs so well, but best of all is how well he catches the ball with his hands while on the move. Musgrave if used properly will constantly create mismatches. Is he playing as an in-line TE, in the Slot, or is he breaking from the huddle and lining up outside?
Talent wise Luke can be moved around and play all three spots once he learns the play book. He is going to be a dangerous and dynamic player...just stay healthy!!!
PackEyedOptimist
May 28, 2023 at 07:33 am
I like Camren McDonald’s tape a lot, but it will be hard for him to make the 53 this year. He and Grant DuBose are both big, flexible, acrobatic-catch types. I could see them being very productive after a year or two on the PS.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 29, 2023 at 01:55 am
True competition at every spot, that's what I want to see. Can the coaching staff create that? Can they evaluate talent, and develop it accordingly? Will they be willing to let merit determine the roster?
A yes to all that will go a long way to getting 100% effort from every player, on every down, in every game IMHO. We didn't have that last season ...
Lare
May 28, 2023 at 07:35 am
The biggest thing for these young tight ends to learn (besides blocking) is to run the correct routes and be where they're supposed to be. That's something that Jace Sternberger never quite figured out.
4thand10
May 28, 2023 at 07:56 pm
There was a lot of hush hush around his release? And it was a covid year. He did have it. I always wondered about the circumstances of his release…..
Guam
May 28, 2023 at 07:39 am
It would be great if either Musgrave or Kraft could buck the trend, but I would also be okay if they had typical TE first seasons but got playing time and grew with experience. I think the receiver group (WRs and TEs) is going to cause the Packer offense some problems this season due to their inexperience, however I expect them to grow and get better as the season progresses. Let's hope the running game and defense can step up early.
dobber
May 28, 2023 at 09:10 am
If the Packers come out running a lot of their 2021-2 offensive looks, I think you can probably bet on one of these guys--Kraft, Musgrave, Deguara--probably catching 40-50 passes, assuming good health. That's the outlet, dumpoff kind of guy that TE usage on many teams has turned into.
Here's hoping LaF is more creative than that.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
May 30, 2023 at 08:50 am
Completely agree Dobber!
PeteK
May 28, 2023 at 09:17 am
I agree that we should temper our expectations. However, I feel/hope that Reed will buck that trend because he has the slot skills that we need. So much for my predictions, I thought Amari was that player. LOL
ReaganRulz
May 28, 2023 at 09:19 am
Totally agree Guam. Most of our conversations are revolved around Love and his ponderosa of WRs/TEs, but the RB1 and RB2 are gonna play a big role in both rushing and receiving. A nice safety blanket for Love. We just need to make sure that whoever our Top 5 lineman are will open the door for them.
SicSemperTyrannis
May 29, 2023 at 01:58 am
Yes, developing all these O linemen is HUGE right now! Should have 10 greats on the final roster, with some additional maulers on the PS.
croatpackfan
May 28, 2023 at 07:55 am
"A lot will happen between now and then, ..."
That is exactly why I can not wait till the beginning of the preseason (TC & preseason games).
At this point all draft picks and few UDFA, as well as FA signing are either ROY (OROY or DROY) or all-pro players. High expectations of every of them - on Packers Daily by A. Nagler one fan came with the nickname for Karl Brooks calling him G-rex (because of his short arms).
I'm not criticizing any fan. I'm also hyped up at maximum. But, I'm also do not want to fall into disapointing mood if things will not go well. So, every time I feel some of the players will tear apart opponents, I try to stay little more mental than emotional.
Mark, I know that this is the empty season to write about Packers, but who runs with whome means nothing (I mean something different than "nothing"). I also admit that we all trying to read what crystal ball is telling us, but, in reality, crystal ball tells us "nothing". Because crystal ball is just that - ball made from crystal.
Still everyone of fans see different picture looking in that ball because that ball reflects our thoughts.
So, thanks for article. Something to read about Packers and something to share our thoughts on your reading what crystal ball telling you.
PeteK
May 28, 2023 at 09:21 am
Something to read while in a cafe by the harbor in Mali Losinj.
croatpackfan
May 28, 2023 at 09:55 am
Hi Pete.
Coming to Zagreb?
PeteK
May 28, 2023 at 12:47 pm
Soon, I have family in Nerezine and Maribor.
croatpackfan
May 28, 2023 at 02:14 pm
Are you for one cofee? In Zagreb?
greengold
May 28, 2023 at 03:04 pm
That sounds supercool, guys!
PeteK
May 28, 2023 at 04:37 pm
Absolutely
croatpackfan
May 29, 2023 at 12:31 am
Well, post the day on CHTV when you'll come to Zagreb and I will make that coffee possible.
If you like, I can give you my phone number to make contact when you'll be available!
stockholder
May 28, 2023 at 08:07 am
If he can HOLD ONTO THE BALL!
NickPerry
May 28, 2023 at 08:16 am
Many are saying they drafted two TEs with the hope of hitting on at least one. I think that's maybe about 5% true. They drafted two TE's because they had an H-Bank and Tyler Davis under contract and that was it!
It would make sense Musgrave might have an earlier impact on the offense coming from a "Bigger" school. But I'm not sleeping on either of them and hope it's start of a 1-2 punch from hell for the next 4 years, ALL with Jordan Love under center.
I keep envisioning something like New England ran in 2011 with Gronk and Hernandez. Gronk had 90 catches, Hernandez had 79. They were really something to watch. So tough to stop because they were both big and Hernandez was fast IIRC, at least for a TE. It would be an amazing problem to have should they both prove they are NFL Starting TEs.
Personally I don't care if it's Musgrave or Kraft. Hell, one could hope it's Kraft since he was a 3rd rounder and it would stop the 3rd round jinx. At the end of the day lets hope BOTH play so well and remind us of a New England offense that was almost unstoppable, only playing in Lambeau with a guy named Love.
WOW... Just think about that for a minute. The two TEs, Watson & Doubs with my favorite pick Jaylen Reed in the slot, plus Jones, Dillon, & the Packers O-Line.
Under 7.5 wins in 2023 my ass!!
dobber
May 28, 2023 at 09:21 am
"Many are saying they drafted two TEs with the hope of hitting on at least one....I keep envisioning something like New England ran in 2011 with Gronk and Hernandez."
I think you're right: if you've got needs like the Packers do, and all you're looking to do is fill numbers and replace a starter, you draft a high-end guy early to play and look for another later to develop. I don't think you burn two day-two picks on a complementary position like TE unless you've got a plan to utilize them both. I think this kind of evolution is what we should expect--at least that's what I'm hoping for.
PackEyedOptimist
May 28, 2023 at 09:38 am
If it happens, I think Kraft will be Gronk and Musgrave will be Hernandez.
jont
May 28, 2023 at 10:07 am
Let's hope neither one is Hernandez.
Ferrari-Driver
May 28, 2023 at 11:44 am
"Let's hope neither one is Hernandez."
Loved that one! Made me chuckle.
Johnblood27
May 29, 2023 at 06:33 am
That gives a whole new meaning to "He's Killing it!"
greengold
May 28, 2023 at 12:23 pm
Indeed, Nick!
This is a very powerful offense the Packers will be fielding in 2033. Growing pains? Sure. The wrong route run. A dropped pass. A missed block. An INT.
We’ll see all of that while this offense comes together, players start gaining confidence, knowing their roles.
With the raw talent on this team, 3 WRs in their 2nd seasons, and a dominant OL with 2 of the best RBs in the NFL, there will be one helluva lot more going right than going wrong.
Jordan Love is ready to shock the world, and I’m here for all of it.
Musgrave & Kraft are going to be just fine.
lou
May 28, 2023 at 09:18 am
Realistically in receiving based on last years production numbers how can we not expect the TE position to post better numbers. Deguara is basically an H Back (and a good one who does not receive his due) and Tonyan was based on the naked eye not as quick or fast after his ACL being repaired (as we know with our LT some players take longer to return to form). The 2 talented rookies with the proto type build, and position measureables was the way to go forward at the position, when they will contribute as pro's and how much we will have to wait and see but I am looking forward to it, it was time for the move.
EnemyTerritory
May 28, 2023 at 09:23 am
Considering that only Watson and Lazard had more receiving yards last year than the best receiving rookie TE in 2022 there is a good chance that either/both Musgrave and Kraft will be judged a success at the end of the season. Hopefully Packers nation will find out that the middle of the field is not the black hole of lore that it has been for years. With this must however be a tolerance for more interceptions than in the last few years.
LLCHESTY
May 28, 2023 at 09:47 am
I could see Kraft playing more inline than the average rookie because what else do they have there? Expecting more from Musgrave when he didn't play that much in college because of injuries is a real stretch. More likely Watson and Doubs take big steps and up their production from last year.
Qoojo
May 28, 2023 at 11:46 am
There's almost always early signs in shorts/OTAs. I imagine the TEs have a higher chance of success if MLF runs the offense he was selling at his hire date, and not the AR/MM/MLF hybrid where QB and receiver need to read the defense the same for route to run. Get back to that motion offense. You could see that part of TE production drop off was AR unwilling to throw to TE and looking for a bigger play.
Vachio
May 28, 2023 at 06:40 pm
Both Musgrave and Kraft will have a LOT of opportunity, especially early in the season when we're seeing 7-8 man fronts with lots of blitzes. The opportunities for both to leak out behind the blitz and grab a short throw with nothing but green in front of them will abound. How well they and the rest of the offense take advantage of those chances will tell the tale.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
May 30, 2023 at 08:55 am
V,
Bingo!
Leatherhead
May 28, 2023 at 11:08 pm
WE threw about 100 passes to the TEs last year, about 6 per game, mostly to Tonyan. So if Deguara, Musgrave, and Kraft can produce that much among them, and get their guy blocked, then we're better at the TE spot than last year.
If we give them additional targets, then we're taking away opportunities from somebody else. In my opinion, we're going to be happier if the ball is in the hands of Jones, Dillon, and Watson most of the time, so they'll have to earn the targets before we start taking them away from Doubs and Toure and Reed.
PhantomII
May 29, 2023 at 10:10 am
Or we are not getting 3 and outs and sustaining drives deeper into the opposing teams territory....That's what I'm looking forward to. Sustained drives...running the ball better...using all the receivers and RB's and TE's in the pass game often. If we do that they should all get a few more % of the snaps as the team makes progress moving the chains. Plus our new QB1 has young legs to occasionally get a first down when needed.
Leatherhead
May 29, 2023 at 12:27 pm
So who do you want to get the ball less? Jones and Dillon? Watson? Reed, Doubs, Toure? Who? Who should get fewer opportunities so that Kraft and Musgrave can get more?
There is only one ball. We only get around 63 plays in a game, about 10 possessions averaging 6 plays. For every three and out there's a 9 play drive to balance it.
Again, IMO, we'll be better served if we keep the ball in the hands of Love, Watson, Jones, and Dillon for about 3/4 of our plays per game (that's going to be around 45.) Split up the others as you see fit, it's only about 15-20 plays. Personally, I'd as soon that at least half of those went to Doubs/Reed. That would leave about 7 opportunities to target somebody else, like the TE. Which is what the Packers do, it's what they have done, and it's what they're probably going to do this year, too.
PhantomII
May 29, 2023 at 04:11 pm
How about less 3 n outs...a more efficient offense adding 15 plays per game. That's what I'm talking about. If the defense improves even a little to give us the ball back...it's doable.
Leatherhead
May 29, 2023 at 05:11 pm
OK, I was hoping we'd get to that. "Just run more plays".
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ran more plays than any other team last year, 1159. If you divide that by 17 games, you'll come up with about 68 plays each game. The Packers averaged almost 62. So yes, it is possible that we could get another couple of snaps in if we wanted to. Probably not 15, or anything near it.
I'm also not seeing a very good correlation between taking more snaps and winning games. 10 offenses took over 1100 snaps last year, half of them didn't make the playoffs. KC was 11th, with 43 more offensive snaps than the Packers. That's about 2 or 3 more snaps per game.
I think that WHAT you do with the ball is more important than how many plays you run. I think the Packers lead the league in Time of Possession every year, and that's part of the WEfense. Hanging onto the ball and burning the clock is what we do. We just didn't score points last year, that's the main difference from the 13 win teams, and I think that's the main thing we addressed in the offseason.
We scored 7 points last year in the season opener. We're in the same situation this year, opening on the road against a division opponent. I'll bet we do better than that this year'
Love, Jones, Dillon, and Watson will have the ball about 75% of the time. That's about 45 snaps a game. Everybody else is only going to get very limited opportunities, especially early in the season. Eventually, a guy might break through and show we need to get him the rock more, but it won't be at the expense of Jones, Dillon, or Watson.
PhantomII
June 01, 2023 at 09:13 pm
We were less than 50% on 3rd down completion. A pretty good place to start. Move the chains...run more plays...score more points good things will happen. WHAT you do with the ball...NO KIDDING...I have seen AR have so many 3 n outs slinging bombs instead of moving the chains. Let's learn what to do from a multiple ring wearer like TB....Move the chains...score points in the red zone.
Coach Cleve Steamer
May 29, 2023 at 04:24 pm
He can be that guy. Will he assume the role? When? I keep hearing tight ends take 3 years. If true, this guy needs work. He may turn out to be a star! I’m optimistic. Let’s see if this coaching staff has any talent.