Having worked at the Vacaville Reporter newspaper in Vacaville, CA, I was able to accumulate some good contacts within the National Football League. Luckily, one of those contacts is a local athlete who was kind enough to address some of the biggest questions that 49er fans have about new offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye. New York Jets' offensive lineman Kyle DeVann conducted an email interview with yours truly, giving some candid answers to some of the most pressing questions about the teams' new signal caller.
WZ: What will Jimmy Raye bring to the table for the 49ers?
KD: Jimmy brings a lot of passion and pride. He had a relationship with not only the RB's but with the entire team. He can be the counsler, the coach, the everything. He sees the potential in everyone and strives to have them show it on the field.
WZ: It's been awhile since he was an offensive coordinator. Do you feel his offensive philosophies are still relevant?
KD: Well to be honest I dont even know what team he was the OC for, but I know he will bring a good running game with Gore and he knows how to utilize the TE. I'm a fan of Vernon Davis and I expect him to do great things under Jimmy.
WZ: Is it true that Brett Favre would bring an air horn to practice to wake up Raye if he fell asleep? (Also, did he actually sleep during practices?)
KD: Haha! Yes Favre did do that and it was always fun to watch Jimmy jump up and say he wasn't sleeping. And yes he really did. He would sometimes bring a lounge chair out there when it was a defense heavy practice and he would take a break and dissapear to everyone and we would see him snoozing on the chair. One time we did the shaving cream on the hand and instead of a feather to the nose we put a worm on his cheek.
WZ: What can be expected out of a Jimmy Raye offense?
KD: Well he loves to run the ball and power through. But he also knows when he needs to pass and when he needs to do certain plays. With Gore i bet he will have him run about 25-30 times a game unless you guys draft my boy Shonn Greene who I expect to go to the 49ers. If you guys were to draft another back to split carries then he might run the ball even more. But he will use the recivers and tight ends really good. So dont think it will be a run all game type day.
WZ: What type of fullback does Raye prefer?
KD: He likes the big boys who can block and tough out the short yardage situations. But he also tries to make every back versatile by making them catch 20 balls straight before each practice is over. You drop a pass you start over. He likes having backs with good hands.
WZ: How do you think he will utilize 49ers' tight end Vernon Davis?
KD: I think Vernon will have his breakout 1000 yard year. My bold predictions are 1200+ yards 8 tds. But also, Vernon is a beasty blocker I found out from a few guys who have played against him so he might be blocking a lot again. But I hope him the best because he has the talent but just hasnt been used right.
Hope you all enjoyed what he had to say via email. Answers were directly copied from the email I received.
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