The Enforcer/Pest Position in an NFL Offense

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This season has already taken a powerful emotional toll on me. I'm still in the down mood that started yesterday as I watched the game continue to get away from us. After the Denver game I felt sick. I felt sad and even a little emotional about the way Cam was being hit. It was like watching Russell Crowe take the stabbing in Gladiator. Not only were the hits constant and brutal, but the refs' indifference to him laying on the ground was one of the most outward displays of the league not supporting one of its shining stars. Sure, this game showed our continued weakness at the OT positions to speed rushes, but it also showed that hits on Cam will be tolerated to a much greater extent than other QBs.

We have played poorly so far this season, but we were in a position to win in Denver and even in the Vikings game. There are severe deficiencies on the offense and defense, most of which I believe our staff will clear up. The one thing we are not equipped to do, and the one thing that will continue to happen will be hits on Cam that could take him out of a game.

Now, I'm not here to complain about all hits on Cam. I'm not even here to call for player suspensions or more flags during games. Teams are playing to win and they will take any advantage to do so. Cam is a unique talent and that means people will get away with more. Refs won't know what to do or they won't see bad hits for what they are. I was filled with rage for a while. I was angry with the other teams, the refs, and even Cam's offensive teammates for not doing something. The more time that has gone on, the more I realize we can't rely on any of these things to save our QB. Like I said, other teams will target him-- whether it's deemed an illegal hit or not-- the targets are Cam's soft spots: his head, shoulder, and from the knee down. When a player is in a position to make a tackle or hit on Cam, that player will try to go there. The concussion hit in ATL is a perfect example of that. The LB could have tried to wrap Cam up and stop him from entering the endzone. Instead he chose to take a shot (not with the crown and cam was a runner) to Cam's head. These are the types of hits we're going to see all season now. Things that they didn't have to do, but they chose to. And none of it will be deemed illegal. The talking heads will make a point to explain that, the same way they did for this hit. People will be conditioned to not care or question it. But the damage to our player and our team will be the same.

Next, I ask why his teammates don't do anything. It's because in reality we can't expect Trai Turner or KB to step up and risk being kicked from the game. Trai has received 2 unsportsmanlike penalties in 4 games. Both were awful unwarranted calls. But they got the point across-- one false move and you're out of here. We can't afford to lose either of those guys. There are very few guys we can afford to lose in this way. Therefore, right now we are hemmed in.

I say there are very few guys we can afford to lose, but there is one guy. Tolbert. Mike's role on this team has been called out as a waste of space for the past couple of years. That is why I think we need to consider using the FB position in the future as an Enforcer/Pest position, in addition to it's blocking duties.

The Enforcer role in hockey has received a lot of press in recent history because of the violent fist fights they cause and the violent deaths many of them have suffered due to brain damage. It's a role that is changing in hockey-- where before you had a devoted player on the ice to protect star players from the other team and to bring hits to the other team, the player in the role must now be less of an outright fighter and more of an actual contributor who does enough antagonizing to pull aggression from the stars and other players for whom it would normally be directed.

I believe that upgrading the tackle position will help to protect Cam from the regular hits of the game, but in order to protect Cam's lifespan as a runner and a dynamic player, we need to protect him while he is on the run and when he is scrambling in and out of the pocket. We need to find a FB player who is a capable blocker but who also is willing to play the role of the pest against the other team's defense. This is more than just chips on DEs. I am talking about hits and blocks that walk the line on what the rules allow-- a lot like the hits Cam takes regularly. I'm talking about someone who can talk poo all day and do it well. Someone who is smart enough to bring the other player to the edge but not fall over it himself. Finally, this guy has to be willing to start pushing and causing a ruckus/fight if Cam gets hit. He needs to be able to dish back every hit Cam takes on the stars of the opposing defense.

Now, you may be thinking-- yeah we had those guys, Josh and Smith. But the difference to me is, you don't wanna lose those guys in a game if they get thrown out for it. We need a position with a limited role (on this team) that can easily be removed while not totally unbalancing the team. The FB role is not prominent in our offense. Tolbert does very little quality blocking and creates very little productive running. We could lose him currently in a game and it would mean nothing. We have TEs and RBs who can block and O-Line who can pull. We need someone to redirect aggression on Cam or at least pay the defense back for every hit.

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[motocross_cat]

I think ron should get up off his ass.