Getting Ready for 2022-(Play Makers)

Current review of existing Offensive groups (Play makers) and draft prospects:
Coaching
Offensive Coordinator- (Shane Waldron) Experience: 8 years
Senior Offensive Assistant (Nate Carroll) Experience: 10 years
Offensive Passing Game Coordinator / Wide Receivers (Sanjay Lal) Experience: 14 years
Run Game Coordinator / Running Backs (Chad Morton) Experience: 12 years
Tight Ends (Pat McPherson) Experience: 23 years
Our play makers (RB/TE/WR): Our current grouping of play makers is an offensive strength just begging to be utilized by our Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron. We have players across the offensive "board" with young players having strong upside. The "Big 5" are Rashaad Penny/Kenneth Walker III/Noah Fant/DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett who provide balance and explosion. We are basically trying to have our O-Line catch up to fully utilize our offensive talent.
Two Tight End Formations (Balanced and Tight Wing)
Noah Fant and Will Dissly give great flexibility with Fant a strong seam route TE complemented by Dissly's strong in-line blocking whether in Balanced formation (each TE just outside of the OT) or in Tight Wing formation (both TE lined up on same side). A fast TE on a route is a mismatch in most LB coverage and too big for most defensive backs.
Wide Receivers (including 3 and 4 WR sets)
Our WR group offers a "choose your poison" dilemma. Tyler Lockett has the poise and experience to exploit his quickness and speed in various routes. DK Metcalf has a great blend of size and speed ...creating many mismatch opportunities. On 3 receiver sets Freddie Swain can often be "lost in the weeds"...offering the "appearance of blown coverage". The 4 receiver set adds in a very quick "dangerous in space" Dee Eskridge.
Running Backs
Rashaad Penny and Kenneth Walker III have "TNT" potential with cutback ability and field vision to "get skinny" and quickly accelerate into space. Both running backs had "plus four" yards after contact in their final collegiate seasons (Penny 2017 and Walker 2021) Both of them rack up many broken tackles while bursting into space...a clear threat to "take it to the house". The reason Pete "lights up" when talking about either back is their ability to "explode" without coughing up the football...stringing games (not just plays) together without a single turnover. Penny has been improving his pass pro giving our best RB at pass pro (Travis Homer) fewer opportunities. Backups to these three RB are DeeJay Dallas and either Chris Carson (serious injury concerns) or resigning of Alex Collins...or even Josh Johnson.
We have a few "unknowns" with potential impact. Our existing RB depth (Travis Homer/DeeJay Dallas haven't really "flashed" during limited opportunity but are both still very young (23 yrs). TE depth is Colby Parkinson who offers "Red Zone" impact. WR depth behind the 4 already mentioned is a mixed bag of limited opportunities with Penny Hart and Cody Thompson looking over their shoulders at 7th round draftees Bo Melton/Dareke Young.
Projected Starters
Three scouting superlatives with one detraction:
Rashaad Penny (RB 5'11" 220 Age26 yrs)
Surprising speed for a big back...able to break off long runs
Quickness to the hole and second level
Impressive vision
One Detraction
Plays slower when he's unsure mentally
Noah Fant (TE 6'4" 249 Age24 yrs)
Ridiculous athlete who ran a 4.5 in the 40, jumped 39.5 inches in the vertical, 10 feet, 6 inches in the broad and then ran a 6.81-second three-cone drill.
Great catch radius with the athleticism and flexibility to make grabs away from his 6'4", 249-pound frame; will go up high to challenge on 50-50 balls with a great vertical jump but also goes low to get balls off the turf.
Gets to top speed in a hurry; will leave linebackers yards behind him in coverage and must be accounted for by a safety over the top. Will cause defenses to panic.
One detraction:
——Could add urgency to his routes; will get a little soft and let the ball come to him instead of attacking it.
DK Metcalf (WR 6'4" 235 Age24yrs)
Quick-twitch athlete with loose hips to carry him quickly in and out of his breaks
Can wipe out coverage cushions with top-end speed that takes the top off
Very risky to press without a back-end safety net
One detraction:
Suffered focus drops when working back to the ball
Tyler Lockett (WR 5'10" 182 Age29 yrs)
Has twitch at top of his routes and gets separation for quarterbacks to make open throws
Nuanced route runner with ability to sell
Has a knack for making explosive plays as a receiver and return man
One detraction:
Struggles with physical cornerbacks and can be redirected in his routes
Coaching
Offensive Coordinator- (Shane Waldron) Experience: 8 years
Senior Offensive Assistant (Nate Carroll) Experience: 10 years
Offensive Passing Game Coordinator / Wide Receivers (Sanjay Lal) Experience: 14 years
Run Game Coordinator / Running Backs (Chad Morton) Experience: 12 years
Tight Ends (Pat McPherson) Experience: 23 years
Our play makers (RB/TE/WR): Our current grouping of play makers is an offensive strength just begging to be utilized by our Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron. We have players across the offensive "board" with young players having strong upside. The "Big 5" are Rashaad Penny/Kenneth Walker III/Noah Fant/DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett who provide balance and explosion. We are basically trying to have our O-Line catch up to fully utilize our offensive talent.
Two Tight End Formations (Balanced and Tight Wing)
Noah Fant and Will Dissly give great flexibility with Fant a strong seam route TE complemented by Dissly's strong in-line blocking whether in Balanced formation (each TE just outside of the OT) or in Tight Wing formation (both TE lined up on same side). A fast TE on a route is a mismatch in most LB coverage and too big for most defensive backs.
Wide Receivers (including 3 and 4 WR sets)
Our WR group offers a "choose your poison" dilemma. Tyler Lockett has the poise and experience to exploit his quickness and speed in various routes. DK Metcalf has a great blend of size and speed ...creating many mismatch opportunities. On 3 receiver sets Freddie Swain can often be "lost in the weeds"...offering the "appearance of blown coverage". The 4 receiver set adds in a very quick "dangerous in space" Dee Eskridge.
Running Backs
Rashaad Penny and Kenneth Walker III have "TNT" potential with cutback ability and field vision to "get skinny" and quickly accelerate into space. Both running backs had "plus four" yards after contact in their final collegiate seasons (Penny 2017 and Walker 2021) Both of them rack up many broken tackles while bursting into space...a clear threat to "take it to the house". The reason Pete "lights up" when talking about either back is their ability to "explode" without coughing up the football...stringing games (not just plays) together without a single turnover. Penny has been improving his pass pro giving our best RB at pass pro (Travis Homer) fewer opportunities. Backups to these three RB are DeeJay Dallas and either Chris Carson (serious injury concerns) or resigning of Alex Collins...or even Josh Johnson.
We have a few "unknowns" with potential impact. Our existing RB depth (Travis Homer/DeeJay Dallas haven't really "flashed" during limited opportunity but are both still very young (23 yrs). TE depth is Colby Parkinson who offers "Red Zone" impact. WR depth behind the 4 already mentioned is a mixed bag of limited opportunities with Penny Hart and Cody Thompson looking over their shoulders at 7th round draftees Bo Melton/Dareke Young.
Projected Starters
Three scouting superlatives with one detraction:
Rashaad Penny (RB 5'11" 220 Age26 yrs)
Surprising speed for a big back...able to break off long runs
Quickness to the hole and second level
Impressive vision
One Detraction
Plays slower when he's unsure mentally
Noah Fant (TE 6'4" 249 Age24 yrs)
Ridiculous athlete who ran a 4.5 in the 40, jumped 39.5 inches in the vertical, 10 feet, 6 inches in the broad and then ran a 6.81-second three-cone drill.
Great catch radius with the athleticism and flexibility to make grabs away from his 6'4", 249-pound frame; will go up high to challenge on 50-50 balls with a great vertical jump but also goes low to get balls off the turf.
Gets to top speed in a hurry; will leave linebackers yards behind him in coverage and must be accounted for by a safety over the top. Will cause defenses to panic.
One detraction:
——Could add urgency to his routes; will get a little soft and let the ball come to him instead of attacking it.
DK Metcalf (WR 6'4" 235 Age24yrs)
Quick-twitch athlete with loose hips to carry him quickly in and out of his breaks
Can wipe out coverage cushions with top-end speed that takes the top off
Very risky to press without a back-end safety net
One detraction:
Suffered focus drops when working back to the ball
Tyler Lockett (WR 5'10" 182 Age29 yrs)
Has twitch at top of his routes and gets separation for quarterbacks to make open throws
Nuanced route runner with ability to sell
Has a knack for making explosive plays as a receiver and return man
One detraction:
Struggles with physical cornerbacks and can be redirected in his routes