DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Browns Interview Knapp for OC

Falcons set to increase ticket prices

By By STEVE WYCHE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 01/11/07

Three days after hiring Bobby Petrino as head coach to usher in a new chapter in franchise history, Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a radio interview Wednesday that the team will increase ticket prices to pull more in line with the NFL average.

The Falcons confirmed there will be a price increase but did not say when it would take effect or how much the increase would be. Blank was unavailable for further comment and referred questions to Reggie Roberts, vice president of football communications.

Precise information about the increase, actual ticket pricing and the timing of the changes would be detailed over the next few days, Roberts said. The Falcons increased prices this season before finishing 7-9, out of the playoffs for a second consecutive season. All games were sold out this season, and there is a waiting list for season tickets to future games.

In other developments, Petrino moved closer to completing his coaching staff by officially naming eight assistants, three being holdovers from the previous staff.

Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receivers coach Hue Jackson signed his contract Wednesday to be offensive coordinator, while former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer is expected to finalize his deal today as the Falcons' new defensive coordinator.

Petrino has decided to retain Bill Musgrave (quarterbacks coach), Ollie Wilson (running backs coach) and Emmitt Thomas (secondary coach), who were hired by former coach Jim Mora. The other assistant coaches will not be kept on board.

Special-teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis already has left to take the same position with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Three of Petrino's assistants from the University of Louisville have been hired — Mike Summers (offensive line), Joe Whitt Jr. (assistant defensive backs) and Kevin Wolthausen (defensive line).

Petrino's brother Paul, who was with Bobby Petrino at Louisville, is close to finalizing a contract to replace George Stewart as wide receivers coach.

There are still several coaching positions to fill, including special teams, tight ends, and linebackers, as well as second-tier position assistants and quality-control personnel. The Falcons have not revealed if Sal Alosi and Billy "White Shoes" Johnson will be retained as strength and assistant strength coaches, respectively.

In other news, former Falcons offensive coordinator Greg Knapp interviewed for the same position with the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

lincoln

interesting.. guess we probably got our new guy if he was the 1st to interview...

Well there was Jason Garret (page 2).

Greg Knapp

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Gregg Knapp (March 5, 1963 in Long Beach, California) was the Offensive Coordinator of the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons. Knapp, whose forte is the west coast offensive, was named to his current position in 2004 after Jim Mora was named the head coach of the Falcons. Prior to joining the Falcons, Knapp spent nine years in various positions with the San Francisco 49ers, which include Offensive Coordinator from 2001-2003, Quarterbacks Coach from 1998-2000 and Offensive Quality Control from 1995-1997.

As a quarterback at Sacramento State University, Knapp enjoyed a distinguished career where he ranked among the Hornets' career leaders with more than 3,800 passing yards and 32 touchdown passes. He went to training camps with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1986, Los Angeles Raiders in 1987-1990 and the 49ers in 1992-1994, but never made a NFL team. Prior to joining the 49ers as a coach, Knapp spent nine years on the coaching staff of Sacramento State University, serving as running backs coach from 1986-1989, receivers coach from 1989-1990 and offensive coordinator/assistant head coach from 1991-1994.

In recent years, Knapp has received consideration for head coaching postions. He is married with one child.

lincoln

Well, (I forgetwho exactly, maybe vers or daman?) some posters will be happy that a WCO coach is being interviewed. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

[color:"white"]That would be me, as I've been practically beggin' for the WCO for a decade.

Savage, stop the process and hire the guy. [/color]

Ah yes, Toad, I knew it was one of you Pure football junkies. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

West Coast offense possible
Browns interview Falcons' former offensive coordinator, whose system favors Frye
By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sportswriter
BEREA - The latest name to surface in the Browns' search for an offensive coordinator indicates that the team's offense could take a new direction in 2007.

Add Greg Knapp to the mix. The Browns have strong interest in the coach who exclusively has run the West Coast system.

Knapp confirmed that he was in town Tuesday to interview.

``It went very well, and that's aboutall I want to say about it,'' he said Wednesday by phone.

Knapp was offensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons the past two years.

He was offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers from 2001 to '03 and their quarterback coach from 1998 to 2000.

Browns General Manager Phil Savage, speaking at his annual postseason news conference Wednesday, declined to comment on coaches from outside the team who have been interviewed.

He did confirm the Browns have interviewed two of their assistants, Jeff Davidson and Rip Scherer, and said they could interview a few more candidates.

The team would like to interview Miami Dolphins quarterback coach Jason Garrett, but the Dolphins have not granted permission.

The Dolphins are looking for a coach to replace Nick Saban, and they are not letting their coaches interview for other jobs until they know whether the new head coach wants to keep them.

Savage, though, intimated that the team might hire a coordinator soon -- and that might point to Knapp, who was let go when the Falcons fired Jim Mora Jr.

``Do we want to wait and maybe put ourselves in a position toward the end of the playoffs and Super Bowl waiting for a coach on one of those teams?'' Savage said. ``And then have to put a staff together? Versus going ahead and maybe doing something proactive in the next couple days?''

Savage said the Browns want ``a leader'' as the new coordinator, someone who will ``take the bull by the horns and say, `This is what we're going to do.' ''

``I think the biggest thing for this offensive coordinator, whoever that is, is to get our team on the same page,'' Savage said. ``He's got to be a leader and pull the team together, and he's got to be innovative enough to use the pieces that we have.''

Knapp has coached the West Coast system his entire career. Although it did not work well in the long run with Mike Vick in Atlanta, the Falcons did reach the NFC Championship Game in Knapp's first season.

The 49ers had success when Knapp called the plays for Jeff Garcia.

The West Coast offense -- developed by former 49ers coach Bill Walsh and used by Mike Holmgren with the Seattle Seahawks and Andy Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles -- relies on quick passing and allows the quarterback to get out of the pocket and throw on the run, something Browns quarterback Charlie Frye does well.

The past two years, the Browns have run the New England Patriots' system, which is more of a straight drop-back style.

Savage said the Browns' offensive struggles in 2006 were not all the fault of the quarterback, and he listed as one of his disappointments the failure to establish an offensive identity.

A West Coast system would bring an instant identity.

It's interesting that Frye might seem best suited to a West Coast offense, and Derek Anderson would be suited to the Patriots style.

Savage said Frye enters the offseason as the incumbent. He added that the free-agent market for quarterbacks is not inspiring.

Brownies . . .

Savage said keeping coach Romeo Crennel was ``the right thing to do.''

``There's no way I can look in the mirror and say this is all Romeo Crennel's fault,'' he said. ``It's just not fair to him.''... The team has started interviewing for a new strength coach and might dip into the college ranks for a receivers and tight ends coach.... The team would like Davidson to stay as line coach if he's not the coordinator, but Savage said he can't guarantee that will happen. Davidson's future with the Browns seems to depend on the new coordinator.... Savage laughed at the notion around the league that he, not Crennel, is hiring the coaches. ``Romeo is responsible for the coaching staff,'' Savage said.

i would like this, and he knew how to run the ball in Atlanta also!!! That should just about make everyone happy.

Agreed <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Just an article about the Vick/Knapp relationship...

Opening Drive
(May 23, 2006) -- I applaud Atlanta Falcons coach Jim Mora for his recent defense of his offensive coordinator, Greg Knapp.

Mora and Knapp have a bond going back to when both were assistant coaches with the San Francisco 49ers. After Mora took over in Atlanta in 2004, he hired Knapp to run his offense -- and to be mostly responsible for making Michael Vick as effective throwing the ball as he is running with it.

The second part has exposed Knapp to plenty of second-guessing in the media because Vick has yet to find a consistent comfort zone in Knapp's offense.

That was the reason Mora, while talking with reporters at the Falcons' recent minicamp, felt compelled to give Knapp's critics an impassioned piece of his mind. He called Knapp "one of the finest offensive coordinators in the league." He pointed out that the Falcons climbed from 29th in total offense in 2003 to 12th in 2005. He pointed out that they soared from near the bottom of the league in third-down conversions in '03 to second in '05. He pointed out that they have led the NFL in rushing the past two years.

"I'm flabbergasted when people question Greg Knapp," Mora said. "Go look at the numbers, and you tell me a team that has done that and has had that much improvement, then maybe you can argue with me.

"Until then, nobody has a basis for their argument."


Michael Vick's progress as a passer will largely determine Greg Knapp's performance in Atlanta.
Actually, it isn't quite that simple. One argument that the media in Atlanta quickly threw back in Mora's face was the fact that Vick missed most of '03 with a broken fibula and that the bulk of the offense's struggles came with Doug Johnson at quarterback. Fair enough.

But that doesn't mean Mora's defense of Knapp is baseless or should be dismissed as a mere case of blind loyalty to a close friend. The big-picture points that Mora made are valid. Knapp has done some very good things during his two seasons with the Falcons. He is knowledgeable and creative and can hold his own with the vast majority of offensive coordinators in the NFL.

No, Vick's passing still is not where it should be given his immense talent, and Knapp does have to take some responsibility for that. However, some of it also falls on the shoulder pads of Vick. He has to do a better job of embracing the notion that he can make plays from the pocket and will be a better quarterback by establishing greater balance between running and throwing. It hasn't happened through five NFL seasons. I'm not sure it will ever happen.

Earlier in the offseason, the Falcons took an important step to address Vick's development as a passer by replacing quarterbacks coach Mike Johnson with Bill Musgrave. Musgrave brings considerable experience to Atlanta's offensive staff, and that, Knapp has said, will give him more freedom to concentrate more on the overall offensive scheme rather than focusing large portions of his attention on the quarterback position as he did previously.

But if Vick still looks out of synch as a passer, Mora had better be prepared to do more defending of Knapp.

lincoln

My first instinct was to like this guy being looked at.

My second and uncontrollable second "pessimistic" instinct was, is this guy crazy? He goes from one team that made him look bad because WR's could not catch and goes to another team who's WR's can’t catch <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Great point on the Running game thing. Weren't they in the top 3 in '05 season?

[color:"white"]Vick skews their rushing stats. All he did was run for 1000 last year *L*

I'm interested in seeing just how many people have the wrong preconceived notions about the WCO............[/color]

Hey Toad - you like the guy because he's a WCO guy, or because he's a good OC.
Its certainly possible to struggle offensively with the WCO.

I know next to nothing about the guy, but reading the Atlanta board the last part of the season, you'd have thought that Knapp was the re-incarnation of Carthon. They hated the guy!
Not that it means much, but their offense was one of the more inconsistent in the league. Was that due to personnel or this gyu's system?

Also - I'm not sure what to think about going WCO. It would mean "Bye Bye Brady Quinn" - for anyone interested in that guy. We'd be looking at more of a Russel or Smith if you were going to draft a guy at all.

Anyone else worrying about our starting QB and our backup QB being totally different style-wise? Can you imagine Andersen trying to run the WCO LOL. That would be a sight to see! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I'm still expecting a hire from the inside at OC, but who knows where the heck this team is heading.

What a mess.

Warrick Dunn ( a cast off from Tampa) rushed for 1,400 yards also toad. I don't see warrick Dunn as a 1,400 yard back, do you?

Reference material:

http://www.westcoastoffense.com/

<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[color:"white"]
Both.

He's a WCO guy through and through, and knows the offense as well as anyone who's not allready a head coach. He's proven that he knows what he's doing from his days with a declining Garcia in San Fran, and it's not his fault that Vick will never be a solid NFL passer.

[color:"white"]

Why? As long as you're a smart QB who's accurate, you can run the WCO. I see no reason why that would preclude someone like Quinn from being drafted (not that I'm advocating taking him). In that regard, people favor the WCO for a guy like Frye because of what he lacks. By now, Frye has been exposed for what he is. He doesn't have enough arm or accuracy to make some of the so-called "NFL throws" such as the deep out. That will never be his game. So the options for him are to go to an offense that makes the limited Jeff Garcia look like an all-pro, or make him a backup. Frye will never survive in an offense such as what the Pats run.

Now, about Anderson <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" /> Tailoring an offense to fit him is akin to organizational suicide. He's not the answer, unless the question is "Name the QB on this team that can't read a defense?" We should not.........and won't........plan an offense based on whether or not he's going to be back there. I've bagged on the guy going back to his college days, and see no reason why I should change my tune now.

Here's where we're at. Picking a new offensive scheme shouldn't be about adapting our QB's to it. It should be about picking a scheme that works. The WCO just happens to be the only real out for a guy like Frye, which makes it a natural fit. Having said that, I'm still leaning on the "NO" side of the fence with Frye, and despite some of the misconceptions, you don't have to sign a WCO QB to play the WCO. The QB does have to be smart, has to be able to make quick decisions, has to be accurate, and certainly has to read defenses. If a QB can do those things, he can learn the WCO. If he can't, he doesn't belong in this league. Frye hasn't proven that he's the guy, but if there's an offense that he can survive in, it's the WCO.

Now, back to your original question about Knapp. Of all the coordinators that I've looked for, he's the most experienced and proven of the bunch. In all honesty, I'd rather have a guy who runs a more "pure" version of the WCO, similiar to what the Seahawks run up in Seattle, but that's nitpicking. The basic concepts of the offense are what drives my desire, and in case anyone has forgotten, the Falcons ran the ball rather well with some stiff named Shaffer playing left tackle.

The offense is sound and proven. Our quarterbacks and offensive line are not. No offense will run without good people, and if I were the Browns, I'd get an OC onboard quickly so that I can sign and draft the right people. One of the things that's plagued us has been the fact our offensive linemen have never been very athletic. You can't run the WCO and not have athletic guards, so a change to someone like Steinbach would make a ton of sense. [/color]

Just a question.
Don't the Pats run a modified version of the WCO?

I don't know. An awful lot of their success down there is that Vick is the focal point of the defense. They'll let the RB get some yardage in an effort to contain Vick. We don't have that single weapon QB to take the pressure off of the other positions. That being said, some fairly average RBs have had good success in the offense in general. It does spread the defense out more and forces them to concentrate on stopping the pass primarily - since its a pass-first offense and all.


That's one of two major concerns with me.
1. We'd almost be looking at a personnel overhaul on offense similar to what we've done switching to the 3-4 on defense. The good news is that most of our offensive personnel is throw-away anyway, so change is inevitable on some level. Droughns is not a WCO running back. On the other hand, White, Harrison, or Barclay just might be decent.
2. WCO is not simple. In some ways it would actually put even more pressure on the OL and the QB than our mess of a New England system.Our young receivers, running backs, and QBs would be almost starting from scratch. I'm not sure the FO is willing to sacrifice that - right or wrong. (we need more athletic guards regardless of WCO or not, IMO, by the way)

Do you consider trying to bring back Garcia or another QB with experience in the WCO in case Frye can't turn the corner fast enough (drafting a QB won't impact this at all - just change the name)

White? Jamel?

LOL

jk <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

We're going to practically overhaul the Oline anyway so the best thing is to get a IDENTITY(new OC and what he brings) and go from there in getting the TYPE of linemen to run the blocking scheme..
As of now and for the past 6 years we've had no identity on offensive..we say we're going to do one thing and we don't do it..
We get a mix of weak man blockers plus one zone blocker or vise versa..
But this offense needs a identity badly.

I am undoubetly the worst person with remembering names that you'll ever encounter. I promise you that <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
I use the terms "that guy" more than I like to admit.

Here I sit and I still can't remember that kids name. Arghhh!!!

I've thought about using Ginko Baloba, but I kept forgetting to buy it.
My wife bought me some, but then I couldn't remember to take it <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" />

You get my point <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />:

Living here in Wisconsin and the Pack being my second favorite team. I'm with you Toad. The WCO would be a great improvement. Just watching the packers run it all these years it has been a very good balance of run and pass. When you can have a 1000 yard rusher out of Edgar Bennet that speaks volumes about the offense.

I agree - all I'm saying is that a switch to the WCO would set us back in some major areas and that needs to be considered.
If they want to move the franchise in that direction - go with it, but commit to it and be willing to deal with the ramifications.

Unless Shears/Davidson bring some STRONG IDEAS/DIRECTION to the interviews I would expect the next OC to be outside the organization and someone like Greg Knapp who gave Hotlanta's offense a identity is what Phil is looking for...he ALONE can control the offense with little imput from the HC...

Hey, it's not all bad, you were only a few letters off. It just so happens that we used to have a "White" on this team. We all know you meant Wright. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

and I am the last person to correct someone...trust ME, on that. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

"What are you talking about? This is horrible. We're in Cleveland, we don't run some wussy WCO. We run the ball and throw down the field, period. I don't want some wussy wine and cheese offense. Unless Pittsburgh's done it, I don't want it. I want us to be exact clones of Pittsburgh than be original." - The Uninformed.

The WCO works in cold weather (see: Green Bay, Denver, Philly) and you can have a smashmouth team with it (Green Bay when Green ran for a ton of yards, and the infamous Bronco offense).

Knapp's passing problems can be attributed to the performance of runningback Michael Vick (read that twice, I didn't make a typo). It was fine when Garcia ran the offense. Hell, this is the guy Botch SHOULD have hired when he fired Arians. Knapp ended up going to Atlanta that year.

I'm a huge fan of it. Now let's get ourselves a QB and a line to run this sucker.

Wright/White - hey - at least I was close phonetically <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I like the Atlanta offense Now what will be interesting is how they see Frye and Dorsey running the scheme. The system is based on accuracy and timing (the reason Vick was never meant to run it) or could it mean a trade for Schaub.

Now you have Shaffer and hopefully Fraley. Both are better suited for that scheme. They arent the man up blockers, they are finese zone blockers.

we also have Vickers and Harrison who are made for the Paul Brown offense lol west coast my ass.

So you need a good TE for the scheme we got that. Receivers that will run their route and not freelance and have the speed to seperate.

So we have a few pieces to the puzzle but a few are missing and we have a few questionable pieces. It will be interesting.

What major areas would the WCO set us back in?
We have the WR's..we have the TE's..eh..we have the backs <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" />
The QB's would benefit from it..
We then get the type of linemen to block for it.

So what you saying is the line we have now won't work <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" />

What line? <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
And what linemen we have in stock don't work for any scheme <img src="/images/graemlins/rofl.gif" alt="" />

I was waiting on that. Seems logical enough to me. Installing the west coast offense is the ONLY way I would want Schaub. I wonder if they will pursue him and how much we will have to give up for him. I wonder if a trade down in this years draft and maybe a draft pick from next year could be in the front of their mind if he is hired? I'm interested to see how this will play out. Trade down this year and get a second or third and give them our first next year would be worth thinking about but highly unlikely.

Here's a little educational post -- for you guys and for myself. Also, how funny that Bernie Kosar is actually credited with coining the term "West Coast Offense"...

From Wikipedia

The term "West Coast Offense" as it is now commonly used derives from a 1993 Bernie Kosar quote, publicized by Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman ( or "Dr. Z"). Originally the term referred to the "Air Coryell" system used by two west coast teams beginning in the 1970s, the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders. However, a reporter mistakenly applied Kosar's quote about the Air Coryell system to the 1980s-era attack of Walsh's San Francisco 49ers.[1]. Initially, Walsh resisted having the term misapplied to his own distinct system, but the moniker stuck. Now the term is also commonly used to refer to pass-offenses that may not be closely-related to either the Air Coryell system or Walsh's pass-strategy.

[...]

Theory

The popular term "West Coast Offense" as a general concept is more of a philosophy and an approach to the game than it is a set of plays or formations. Traditional offensive thinking argues that a team must establish their running game first, which will draw the defense in and open up vertical passing lanes downfield (passing lanes that run perpendicular to the line of scrimmage).

Walsh's "West Coast Offense", on the contrary, stipulates that a defense must first be stretched with a short, horizontal passing attack that features sharp, short, precisely-run pass patterns by the receivers and quick, 3-step and 5-step drops by the quarterback to take the place of the run and force the opposing defense to commit their focus solely on those intermediate routes.

Once the defense is focusing on one area only, this will then open up running and passing lanes for the backs and recievers to exploit. In theory, this makes the offensive play calling unpredictable and keeps a defense's play "honest" because most down and distance situations can be attacked with the pass or run in Walsh's "West Coast Offense".

Beyond this basic principle of passing to set up the run, there are few rules that govern Walsh's "WCO". Originally the offense used two split backs, giving it an uneven alignment in which five players aligned to one side of the ball and four players aligned on the other side (with the quarterback and center directly behind the ball). Although Walsh-influenced "WCO" teams now commonly use formations with more or fewer than two backs, the offense's unevenness is still reflected in its pass protection philosophy and continues to distinguish it from single back passing offenses. Throughout the years, coaches have added to, adjusted, modified, simplified, and enhanced Bill Walsh's original adaptation of the Paul Brown offense. Formations and plays vary greatly, as does play calling.

A Walsh innovation in his "WCO" was scripting the first 15 offensive plays of the game. Scripting had several valuable assets. First, the offensive team knew that the first 15 plays would be run as scripted no matter what, allowing them to practice the plays to perfection, minimizing mistakes and penalties. Success of the offense could establish momentum and dictate the flow of the game. Scripting added an element of surprise, since a defense who had a 3rd and long could be caught off guard by a scripted play that had no relationship to the current situation. It also gave the coaching staff an opportunity to run test plays against the defense to gauge their reactions in game situations. Later in the game, an observed tendency in a certain situation by the opposing defense could be exploited.

Another key part of the Walsh "WCO" was "pass first, run later." It was Walsh's intention to gain an early lead by passing the ball, then run the ball on a tired defense late in the game, wearing them down further and running down the clock. The San Francisco 49ers under Walsh often executed this very effectively.

The original West Coast Offense of Sid Gillman uses some of the same principles (pass to establish the run, quarterback throws to timed spots), but offensive formations are generally less complicated with more wideouts and motion. The timed spots are often farther downfield than in the Walsh-style offense, and the system requires a greater reliance on traditional pocket passing.

We go with Knappy lol we need to add Alex Gibbs also

Amen to that one. I said in a previous post that maybe we should look for him as coordinator, but I'll take the guy with playcalling experience. Besides, he's so respected in the league, the fact that he hasn't gotten a coordinator job says something.

I'm not adamently AGAINST this guy and I'm not adamently AGAINST the WCO... but it will be fun watching the team struggle next year, and we will already have our first built-in excuse... "but it's a new system".... there, I was the first to say it... <img src="/images/graemlins/rolleyes1.gif" alt="" />

Why stop there. We can hire Musgrave to coach the QB

Even with a new system can the offense get any worse.

[color:"red"] I like the Atlanta offense Now what will be interesting is how they see Frye and Dorsey running the scheme.[/color]
If they bring in someone who wants to run that scheme it also allows that guy to say we need to bring in a QB who can manage this style..sooo potientially that could produce a trade or drafting a QB that fits ..