Roster number brakedown for a CPJ offense in the NFL

[zhavenor]

So I've been thinking about this for a while and it is the offseason... If you were required to run CPJ offense in the NFL what would your ideal roster make up be, number wise? What would your game day active roster be? The pertinent numbers are as follows you can have 10 practice squad players 53 roster players and 45, 46 with 3rd string QB, players that can play on any given Sunday. Also what concerns would you have and why about the number brake down.
Here is mine.

Roster Numbers
Offense
QB-3
BB-2-3
AB-4-5
WR-4-5
OL- 10
total 24-26

Special teams
LS-1
K-1
P-1
Total 3

Defense
total remaining 24-26

Game day

Offense
QB-3
BB-2
AB-4
WR-4
OL-8
Total-21

Special team
LS-1
K-1
P-1
Total- 3

Defense-22

My practice squad would always have 1 additional QB, BB and a couple OL because the positions are very technique intensive. I would have 3 tackles and 3 guards and two centers active on game day and at least one AB that is cross trained at BB and some of my WR cross trained at AB in case of injury.

My biggest concern would be Preseason games. In college and High school if you are worried about injuries you can just stop a practice or eliminate hitting on the QB but in preseason you cannot. You would have to keep 5-6 QBs until the last cut down. Which is doable but you would have to plan accordingly.

What do you guys think?

 

[Lewis]

I think you have it right. Just for fun...not necessarily a depth chart, but guys I could see fitting into a NFL Paul Johnson offense. With one exception, JT, I went with size and physicallity at everything but AB.

Qb- Cam Newton, Tim Tebow, Dak Prescott, Justin Thomas
BB- Leveon Bell, Leonard Fournette, Eddie Lacy, LeGarrette Blount, AP, Letavious Murray, an Unretired Marshawn Lynch
AB- Lamar Miller, LeSean McCoy, Kenyan Drake, Christian McCaffery, Tevin Coleman, Rex Burkhead, Dexter McCluster, Danny Woodhead, Dion Lewis, Percy Harvin
WR- Demarious Thomas, Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, Jimmy Graham, Brandon Marshall, Fitz, Deandre Smelter, Darren Waller, Anquan Boldin

 

[OldJacketFan]

I think you have it right. Just for fun...not necessarily a depth chart, but guys I could see fitting into a NFL Paul Johnson offense. With one exception, JT, I went with size and physicallity at everything but AB.

Qb- Cam Newton, Tim Tebow, Dak Prescott, Justin Thomas
BB- Leveon Bell, Leonard Fournette, Eddie Lacy, LeGarrette Blount, AP, Letavious Murray, an Unretired Marshawn Lynch
AB- Lamar Miller, LeSean McCoy, Kenyan Drake, Christian McCaffery, Tevin Coleman, Rex Burkhead, Dexter McCluster, Danny Woodhead, Dion Lewis, Percy Harvin
WR- Demarious Thomas, Vincent Jackson, Mike Evans, Jimmy Graham, Brandon Marshall, Fitz, Deandre Smelter, Darren Waller, Anquan Boldin

Good luck being able to afford all that talent!

 

[Dottie1145]

Tyrod Taylor has all of the skills to be a stellar option QB.

 

[GTonTop88]

2-deep with trying to keep in mind the salary cap.

QB- Tyrod Taylor, RG3
BB- David Johnson, Chris Ivory
AB- Tevin Coleman, Ronnie Hillman, Tyreek Hill, Brandon Cooks
WR- Bay Bay, Mike Evans, Smelter, Waller

 

[alentrekin]

You could get similar arbitrage value by not having to pay a QB, LT, etc.

I think some (just some) of the reluctance to run these schemes is aesthetic / moral: people don't want to watch the guy with the ball get concussed repeatedly.

 

[swampsting]

You could get similar arbitrage value by not having to pay a QB, LT, etc.

I think some (just some) of the reluctance to run these schemes is aesthetic / moral: people don't want to watch the guy with the ball get concussed repeatedly.

I had this conversation with PJ about 18, 19 years ago. He told me he thought the offense could work in the NFL. After I told him he was out of his expletive mind, he explained it thusly - instead of $10 million on one QB, split that money up on three of them.

 

[kyle.smith828]

I think you'd be crazy not to include Julio with your WRs. Dude blocks like a beast and is big and strong.

 

[up state jacket]

I had this conversation with PJ about 18, 19 years ago. He told me he thought the offense could work in the NFL. After I told him he was out of his expletive mind, he explained it thusly - instead of $10 million on one QB, split that money up on three of them.

You would need at least 5 QB's to get through an NFL season. DE's and LAb's are too big and fast. They would injure one or two a game.

 

[Dottie1145]

You would need at least 5 QB's to get through an NFL season. DE's and LAb's are too big and fast. They would injure one or two a game.

This is a myth about this offense... the fact of the matter is that our QBs are injured at the same rate as any other teams QB.

 

[up state jacket]

This is a myth about this offense... the fact of the matter is that our QBs are injured at the same rate as any other teams QB.

College football and the NFL are two different animals.

 

[Dottie1145]

College football and the NFL are two different animals.

Maybe, but wouldn't it all be relative? Most QBs in the NFL are big guys too. Plus that's just a guess, we don't have any factual evidence that a QB would get hurt running the option in the NFL .

 

[up state jacket]

Maybe, but wouldn't it all be relative? Most QBs in the NFL are big guys too. Plus that's just a guess, we don't have any factual evidence that a QB would get hurt running the option in the NFL .

Size has little to do with it. Can imagine an NFL safety tagging ur QB every other play. Short life span.

 

[Lewis]

Good luck being able to afford all that talent!

Obviously, that's why I said not necessarily a depth chart but guys I could see fitting in the offense...

GTonTop88, I forgot all about Tyrod Taylor; he would be a fantastic option qb. I really like the AB group you listed too. Tyreek Hill would be fun to watch on the perimeter. Cooks would be very versatile as well.

 

[vamosjackets]

Size has little to do with it. Can imagine an NFL safety tagging ur QB every other play. Short life span.

What would be the difference in that and tagging ur RB every other play? The QB is a RB type of athlete in this offense and would take injuries at the same rate as a RB, which is to say not at a significant rate.

 

[alentrekin]

It seems like you would need the same depth as you do at MLB.

There's a few catches --
some LBs can fill in for each other in different packages, so you get more use from one backup there.
A LB can play with a broken finger, a QB cannot.

The NFL also allows for more prep time. There would be marginally less value to the "we only had one week to prepare for the option."

 

[up state jacket]

What would be the difference in that and tagging ur RB every other play? The QB is a RB type of athlete in this offense and would take injuries at the same rate as a RB, which is to say not at a significant rate.

That is why they meaning RB's have a shelf life of 5 yrs in the NFL. One concussion out at least one game possibly more. So many variables to the health of a NFL QB. SPEED biggest difference. Plus big. Not good for option fb.

 

[alentrekin]

Source details from this are behind a paywall, but seems about right.

 

[vamosjackets]

That is why they meaning RB's have a shelf life of 5 yrs in the NFL. One concussion out at least one game possibly more. So many variables to the health of a NFL QB. SPEED biggest difference. Plus big. Not good for option fb.

I couldn't disagree with you more. People said the same thing about "option football" at every level. Oh, it won't work in that league, that's big boy football. Yeah, you have big boys playing on both sides of the ball. It's not going to make any difference at all. Not one ounce. So, since RB's have a shelf-life of 5 years, does that mean they should give up running the football, give up any sort of hand-off play? Then why would any different standard of logic be used for any other runner of the football? You're not going to injure Tim Tebow or Josh Nesbitt or even Justin Thomas any more than any of your other guys who are good athletes get injured. The reason QB's get any more injured per hit now is because most QB's are the worst athletes on the field and are often in the most vulnerable positions trying to stand in a pocket and deliver a throw. And, as has been stated before, you're going to be getting those guys at pennies on the dollar compared to other starting QB salaries, so you can carry more of them - just like RB's.

 

[up state jacket]

I couldn't disagree with you more. People said the same thing about "option football" at every level. Oh, it won't work in that league, that's big boy football. Yeah, you have big boys playing on both sides of the ball. It's not going to make any difference at all. Not one ounce. So, since RB's have a shelf-life of 5 years, does that mean they should give up running the football, give up any sort of hand-off play? Then why would any different standard of logic be used for any other runner of the football? You're not going to injure Tim Tebow or Josh Nesbitt or even Justin Thomas any more than any of your other guys who are good athletes get injured. The reason QB's get any more injured per hit now is because most QB's are the worst athletes on the field and are often in the most vulnerable positions trying to stand in a pocket and deliver a throw. And, as has been stated before, you're going to be getting those guys at pennies on the dollar compared to other starting QB salaries, so you can carry more of them - just like RB's.

Then why do no offenses run the triple option? Why is this a lets pretend Paul's offense were to be used in the NFL and what would your roster look like. Mine would have 5 QB's because three of them would not make it an entire season. I would also strongly disagree that NFL QB's are the worst athletes on the field. There is a reason why every team is craving a good QB. No, running the ball shouldn't be dropped because of injuries, but that doesn't change the fact that LB's and RB's per avg are the most injured and have the shortest life in the NFL. What that means is you better be ready to replace them at a moments notice. It is also a reason why the RB and LB positon has lost $$ value to other positions in the last few years. QB's in the NFL are the franchise.