Before this season is over, Donovan McNabb may find himself yearning for the days of Charles Johnson and Torrance Small.¬† The Skins are already lacking when it comes to accomplished wide receivers, so it’s not good news that there one proven wide receiver is missing mini camp due to surgery on his knee.
The Washington Post is reporting that Santana Moss, the Skins number one wide¬† receiver is sitting out this weekend’s mini camp because he’s recovering from arthroscopic surgery which he had recently performed on his knee.
Moss says the knee has been bothering him for the last three years.¬† He’s not a spring chicken at 31 years old, so there’s reason to be concerned if you’re in the Washington front office.
The former Miami Hurricane wideout is at camp this weekend but he’s only running straight ahead sprints during the workouts.¬† He expects to be ready to get back in action for the next mini camp in June.
“We’ll see how everything happens,” Moss said. “You know I don’t shoot my stick until it’s time and won’t tell you anything until that day comes. But I plan on being ready.”
It’s going to put pressure backup receivers Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas and force them to step up their games.¬† They’ll get the chance to show their skills to new head coach Mike Shanahan and possibly win McNabb’s trust.
Moss is a small with receiver with tremendous quickness.¬† His speed isn’t what it once was but he’s always been a gamer who was willing to absorb tough hits if it meant making the catch.
Still, he’s not the type of receiver for which the west coast offense was designed.¬† Bill Walsh was thinking about big, receivers who could take hits and survive when he was developing the west coast offense.
However, Kelly and Thomas who haven’t proven themselves to be half the receiver Moss is, but each has good size.¬† That makes them¬† good fits for the west coast offense.
Regardless of when and if Moss returns to action, it’ll be time to step up for Kelly and Thomas, or run the risk of getting released.
Notes:¬† Leading sacker Brian Orakpo tweaked his ankle and hasn’t been able to particpate in this camp.
First round rookie offensive tackle Trent Williams is starting at left tackle.¬† That didn’t take long.
“We decided to put him right in the fire right away and see how he would adjust,” Shanahan said. “He‚Äôs done a pretty good job.”
I think Devon Thomas is better than a lot of people give him credit for and Cooley, if healthy isn’t a slouch. I don’t know G, I think you should stop saying Bill Walsh was looking for “Big receivers Only.” Walsh coveted Jerry Rice as a draft prospect moved up in the draft to get him and although he clearly was NOT a big WR his success defined the success of the West Coast offense. No Jerry Rice would have meant no proliferation of the WCO around the NFL.
The running backs are the biggest problem with the Redskins not the WRs.
Yeah Butch, I agree about this WCO/WR size thing. First off, what da heck does Washington’s receivers have to do with the WCO? Shannahan was much more of a running game oriented coach, zone blocking, run first O. Anyway, I think he’s just trying to simplify the WCO argument so that he can continue to hammer it all year long with Kolb/DJax…etc. The pure WCO was run in a league long before 3, 4, 5 WR sets were common and if alive and coaching now, Bill Walsh would have modified it. G is getting WAY too caught up in old standards and semantics. He needs us to keep him in check.
Umm..so this is now a Eagles/Redskins blog?..Whatever..Who cares? We have our own worries.
Walsh installed a modified version of this system when he became head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Walsh’s 49ers won three Super Bowls during this period, behind the passing abilities of legendary quarterback Joe Montana. As a result, Walsh’s version has come to be known as the “West Coast Offense.” Montana thrived for many years as the starting QB for the 49ers. He captured 4 Super Bowl titles, 3 Super Bowl MVP awards, and 2 AP NFL MVP titles while in San Francisco.
Several of Walsh’s coordinators went on to successfully implement this system at other teams. George Seifert won two Super Bowls with the 49ers. Mike Shanahan won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, whose run-heavy variation of the offense is also known for finding unheralded running backs, and then turning them into league-leading rushers behind small yet powerful offensive lines.
Dwight Clark was 6’4″ and 215 pretty big for those years.
Thanks for the cut-and-paste post there BigE.
You are welcome Schiller. It shed some light on the validity of your post. Actually it’s called copy and paste for your personal edification.
Regardless, the Shanahan version is known for use of TE’s, and primarily RBs. It’s barely the WCO, semantics aside. Who remembers Elway’s receivers – don’t go look them up? Nah, it was the running game.
How quickly you forget that the 49ers, under Walsh, in their superbowl days ran the ball more than they passed it. Shanahan — Recorded seventh-most passing yards in the NFL (50,067 yds., 223.5 ypg.). during his tenure. Reid’s offense is father from a true west coast offense that it’s originators and desciples.
Since when did g and Co. Start covering the redskins..?..oh because ex-eagle mcpoop is now there..
Because they are in the division. Duh
No a$$..this story would never been written if 5 weren’t there..
The Silencer says:
May 9, 2010 at 5:08 amNo a$$..this story would never been written if 5 weren’t there..
The team they traded him to is in the division didn’t you understand.