Brian Schottenheimer mentioned moving several offensive linemen around, including Cooper Beebe

[kskboys]

Beebe was a revelation at C. Moving him would be criminal.

 

[BlindFaith]

I regularly come up with ideas for out-of-the-box plays and strategies and this reminds me of one I have had for years.

The idea would be to train your center and both guards as center/snappers and guards.

Then on some plays (not every play), when the defensive personnel match up poorly against it, you shift the offensive line to the left or right and make one of the guards the new center.

If you really wanted to get cute about it, you could do the shift at the line after a QB call as long as the line resets.

The line stays in the same order/formation, so it goes from T-G-C-G-T to B-T-G-C-T or T-C-G-T-B .. (T = tackle, C = center, G = guard, B = blocker).

It would be a way of overloading the line to one side without requiring any personnel changes which means the referees would not give the defense time to substitute.

Depending whether you shift to the weak side or the strong side, it could create confusion for the defense even after they see you run it.

It would still require good play calling to capitalize on it, but I often wonder about strategies like that.

Players still have to announce if they are eligible. Shifting the line like that would be a complete cluster f.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Im ready for the pads to come on and see this interior OL go up against Mazi Osi, Thomas and Toia. Both sides are young and need some reps

We will see what Guyton has learned real quick going up against Micah, Fowler, Eze, and Kneeland

Those DL better show up or the OL will embarrass them.

 

[Reality]

Players still have to announce if they are eligible. Shifting the line like that would be a complete cluster f.

Actually, it would not be any different in this case.

The eligible players (receivers/tight-ends/etc.) before the shift would be the same after the shift so nothing would change as none of the linemen would be eligible and both ends would be covered by a normal eligible player like always.

That's the whole point with keeping it simple.

All you are doing is shifting the line to the left or right one spot.

The idea is to overload one side without having to make any substitutions.

 

[Coogiguy03]

I don't like regular trick plays either, at least not as a common tactic and not when most of the trickery is in the backfield or requires several players touching the ball.

I think the main problem with the Cowboys trick plays over the Garrett and McCarthy years was defined by horizontal trickery, usually involving 2 or more exchanges of the ball.

I think situation trick plays can be effective though as long as you don't require multiple steps to execute perfectly.

I prefer simple shift-based or personnel swap tactics such as the shift I mentioned as well as the Eagles "tush push" becaue they are less cute and more of an extension of your normal offense.

Normally, the defense counters their substitutions based on the offense substititions, but when a team puts their base offense on the field and then alters their deployment, it forces the defense to counter with their already-on-the-field personnel who may not be best suited to deal with it. Otherwise, it forces the defense to call/waste a timeout.

It really comes down to match-ups. You want to have an advantage over the defense and one of the best ways to do that is find a way to deploy your already-on-the-field personnel in a different manner than the defense expects or can handle.

I think we did ours at the wrong time like near the red zone

 

[Reality]

I think we did ours at the wrong time like near the red zone

I completely agree.

I don't mind shifts and redirects near the goal line, but anything that moves the ball horizontal or worse, backwards, is just asking to end badly.

 

[Coogiguy03]

I completely agree.

I don't mind shifts and redirects near the goal line, but anything that moves the ball horizontal or worse, backwards, is just asking to end badly.

Maybe this year maybe we can run some trick plays where we actually get plays that get us in the end zone and not have to settle for 3 all the time!! Trick play like a back shoulder fade to Pickens

 

[Xizor]

In the article he says, "But is there anyone among us who thought that Beebe would line up or play anywhere but center in 2025?"

Yeah that be me. Dude played LG and some LT in college. I would be disappointed if they didn't at least see how he looked in other spots, especially with Zach gone.

 

[J-man]

IMO, this is nothing odd.
He is most likely doing his due diligence as the head coach, checking to see how players preform at other positions and also cross training slightly just incase the need ever arises in the future.
It's a smart play.

 

[DallasEast]

Booker is a bust, confirmed by Schotty. jk

 

[Rockport]

Who is playing center when Beebe is getting reps at guard? Hoffman I suppose.

The offense is only running like 10 snaps a session, so, as far as we know, this was Beebe getting three snaps at guard, lol.

Could this be them working to keep Hoffman active? Maybe just trying to find a way to get them both snaps at different positions.

Hoffman is the backup center as of right now. But they really like Hoffman and Shotty has said he’ll play the best 5 so you may be on to something with your last paragraph.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Who is playing center when Beebe is getting reps at guard? Hoffman I suppose.

The offense is only running like 10 snaps a session, so, as far as we know, this was Beebe getting three snaps at guard, lol.

Could this be them working to keep Hoffman active? Maybe just trying to find a way to get them both snaps at different positions.

Probably more about guys like Hoffman or Bass who may have to sub at any of 3 positions than the starters

 

[Xizor]

Who is playing center when Beebe is getting reps at guard? Hoffman I suppose.

The offense is only running like 10 snaps a session, so, as far as we know, this was Beebe getting three snaps at guard, lol.

Could this be them working to keep Hoffman active? Maybe just trying to find a way to get them both snaps at different positions.

In the end Beebe will be our starting center but now is the time to find ideas about what to do when an injury happens.

 

[Rockport]

Beebe was a revelation at C. Moving him would be criminal.

Not if Hoffman is better. The coaches really love Hoffman and so do the players.

 

[gtb1943]

Not if Hoffman is better. The coaches really love Hoffman and so do the players.

coach pet cats often fail
And bluntly speaking I cannot see any evidence that Hoffman was better at center than Cooper
Hoffman is a scrapper and that is very valuable
but on pure physical talent he is not all that
at this level of play sometimes all the want to in the world is not enough

 

[Chocolate Lab]

That would be NO.

Actually there were many posts in the offseason about moving him to G and having Hoffman play center.

Bad idea IMO, but there were plenty who wanted that and thought it could (and should) happen.

 

[Rockport]

coach pet cats often fail
And bluntly speaking I cannot see any evidence that Hoffman was better at center than Cooper
Hoffman is a scrapper and that is very valuable
but on pure physical talent he is not all that
at this level of play sometimes all the want to in the world is not enough

I choose to put more faith in what the coaches say and do over a habitual hater like yourself. They’re there with the players all the time while you sit behind your keyboard.

 

[kskboys]

In the article he says, "But is there anyone among us who thought that Beebe would line up or play anywhere but center in 2025?"

Yeah that be me. Dude played LG and some LT in college. I would be disappointed if they didn't at least see how he looked in other spots, especially with Zach gone.

We have 2 topnotch OGs in Smith and Booker. Why in the world would you move a top C to a different position, and one of strength?

 

[kskboys]

Not if Hoffman is better. The coaches really love Hoffman and so do the players.

Hoffman is a journeyman backup type. I like the guy also, and how hard he fights. Readymade backup to all 3 interior positions.

Hoffman is quite simply not better than Beebe. Beebe is looking like a top 10, possibly top 5 Center.

 

[75boyz]

Whatever it takes to get the 5 best on the field that benefits the team the most regardless of position assigned.