How would you draft for a pistol offense?

In other words, what personnel would you ideally want if you were going to run the pistol as a base offense?

In my view, you want WRs with excellent pass catching skills (when you option backs out to WR), and you'd want H back type tight ends. In addition, physical WRs that can break a tackle and turn a bubble screen into a big play would be good.

So, how would you draft based on what we have now?

Guys like LMJ and Jenkins tbh. Makes a lot more sense why we drafted them.

Not really sure what more we need. Some more speed at the WR, or a bigger target or both. Oline quicker T maybe? Oline depth to sit and groom as well.

Originally posted by JiksJuicy:

Guys like LMJ and Jenkins tbh. Makes a lot more sense why we drafted them.

Not really sure what more we need. Some more speed at the WR, or a bigger target or both. Oline quicker T maybe? Oline depth to sit and groom as well.

I think the H back becomes more important, IMHO. That makes re signing walker more important...perhaps we draft another one as 3rd tight end. Florida had a nice h back

Originally posted by nickbradley:
In other words, what personnel would you ideally want if you were going to run the pistol as a base offense?

In my view, you want WRs with excellent pass catching skills (when you option backs out to WR), and you'd want H back type tight ends. In addition, physical WRs that can break a tackle and turn a bubble screen into a big play would be good.

So, how would you draft based on what we have now?

You want athletic offensive lineman that can pull trap and get to the second level. You want two to three TE's, that can all block, play hback, slot wr, te, and can catch. You want WR's who can stretch the field that are a threat for the deep ball, and wr's who can block.

WR's- Crabtree, Manningham, AJ Jenkins,- sign Crabs and Manningham to extensions now, lock up to young WR's to develop with CK7, draft tall speedster wr
RB- Gore, LMJ and Hunter- maybe sign Hunter to modest two year extension, draft another rb who can do PR duties. RB has to have vision patience and is fast enough to get to the outside.
TE- VD, Celek- Draft Ertz or kid from notre dame or UCLA, Need more consistency from #2 TE.
OL- Draft athletic swing tackle and center
QB- Draft developmental qb that has a high ceiling but would be available in rounds 3-7.

Originally posted by 9erred:

You want athletic offensive lineman that can pull trap and get to the second level. You want two to three TE's, that can all block, play hback, slot wr, te, and can catch. You want WR's who can stretch the field that are a threat for the deep ball, and wr's who can block.

WR's- Crabtree, Manningham, AJ Jenkins,- sign Crabs and Manningham to extensions now, lock up to young WR's to develop with CK7, draft tall speedster wr
RB- Gore, LMJ and Hunter- maybe sign Hunter to modest two year extension, draft another rb who can do PR duties. RB has to have vision patience and is fast enough to get to the outside.
TE- VD, Celek- Draft Ertz or kid from notre dame or UCLA, Need more consistency from #2 TE.
OL- Draft athletic swing tackle and center
QB- Draft developmental qb that has a high ceiling but would be available in rounds 3-7.

I could totally see us drafting EJ Manuel in the 3rd round. Tolzien can't run the pistol

Originally posted by nickbradley:
In other words, what personnel would you ideally want if you were going to run the pistol as a base offense?

In my view, you want WRs with excellent pass catching skills (when you option backs out to WR), and you'd want H back type tight ends. In addition, physical WRs that can break a tackle and turn a bubble screen into a big play would be good.

So, how would you draft based on what we have now?

What makes you think they're going to run it as a base offense? Harbaugh has been doing the same thing as he did with Alex, getting Kaepernick more comfortable, Shanahan has been doing the same with RG3, but it likely won't last.

Originally posted by nickbradley:
I could totally see us drafting EJ Manuel in the 3rd round. Tolzien can't run the pistol

Why on earth would he need to? This isn't the University of Nevada.

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
Why on earth would he need to? This isn't the University of Nevada.

I think you will see the pistol incorporated into NFL offenses with increasing regularity. It's a way to utilize the read-option running game and the spread passing game without becoming overly predictable. It's not a gimmick by any means.

Dont like the that option spread college thing' much rather see gore running btween the tackles being lead by the fb' much rather see kaep in the pocket picking teams apart like we know he can. Last years offense was good enuff to get to within 1 play of the sb. That shpild be the base of our offense

If this becomes a staple of our system we are in serious trouble.

Originally posted by jreff22:
If this becomes a staple of our system we are in serious trouble.

we ARE in serious trouble

Originally posted by JamesGatz83:
I think you will see the pistol incorporated into NFL offenses with increasing regularity. It's a way to utilize the read-option running game and the spread passing game without becoming overly predictable. It's not a gimmick by any means.

I disagree, I think its just as much of a fad as the Wildcat was. People will get all up in arms over it, defenses will figure out how to adjust and it'll get contained. Its one of those things that simply doesn't have long term viability, for as many possible benefits it has, it also has several limiting factors.

Originally posted by jreff22:
If this becomes a staple of our system we are in serious trouble.

Agree, the running game is suffering, we need to stop this s**t get him undercenter, and run wham blocks again and gore in iform. Running the option is only good for kap not anyone else...

Originally posted by Phoenix49ers:
I disagree, I think its just as much of a fad as the Wildcat was. People will get all up in arms over it, defenses will figure out how to adjust and it'll get contained. Its one of those things that simply doesn't have long term viability, for as many possible benefits it has, it also has several limiting factors.

1. The "Wildcat" is just the read-option running game.

2. The Pistol is just a formation used to make the read-option running game less predictable.

3. Saying it's a fad is like saying empty sets or split backs is a fad.

4. Everyone keeps trying to write the read-option running game off as a fad, but it only continues to grow every single season at every single level of football.

5. It keeps growing because it's very easy to install and very difficult to defend (just like all other variations of well executed option football).

6. The advantage of the pistol is that the zone-read play can be used without telegraphing it, and with formations like the diamond or "bug-eye" variation, you can still use physical lead blockers. Also, with the placement of the tailback you can still run downhill.

7. The pistol is a physical, downhill formation. It is not the strictly finesse incarnation of the read-option running game that's employed by Oregon and Rich Rod's teams.

Originally posted by TheGoldDiggerrrr:
Agree, the running game is suffering, we need to stop this s**t get him undercenter, and run wham blocks again and gore in iform. Running the option is only good for kap not anyone else...

You can employ wham blocks and leads with a blocking back out of the pistol very easily.