Originally posted by qnnhan7:
So lets assumed that we have Fleener and VD. Who will take the Delanie Walker role. Remember the guy does the run blocking, pass protection, and pass catching. Anyone one of these is possible when he's in there with VD. His role is to be a versatile #2 team player without the individual, sexy pass catching numbers, so that VD can be more of a weapon in the pass catching area without being locked into the other 2 area too much.
So you have Fleener and VD. Who will do the grunt work. Sacrifice some individual numbers for the good of the team. Obviously they can both be out on a pattern and also be interchangeable, but at some point one guy has to do more of the blocking in place of the other. Who do you give the ball more to...
Ideally both should do "grunt work." If you look at the logic behind Harbaugh's system, it's the dual-threat ability that is crucial. The TE can be in there to block...but the TE can also go out on a route and the defense doesn't really know which will happen. With Walker in there, its so much easier to defend due to his size, you put a safety on the guy if he does go out on a route and you'll be fine, you can't say the same with Fleener or VD. You can't really cover either with most linebackers and both are physical and too big...especially Fleener, for a single CB or S to handle on their own.
Defenses will have to react by backing off a bit or they get burnt when one of these guys breaks through coverage or you wind up with some mismatch down the field. That versatility will help Gore, teams won't be able to stack the box as much, it will also help the WR's on the field as the defense will have to spread their attention to everyone and it makes it really difficult on a defense when the two best receivers are both tight-ends, that's extremely difficult to defend.
Football is all about mismatches, you put a big receiving target at TE at the same time as VD and now the defense truly has to pick their poison.
