[MustardtheBallCarrier]

100% with you CT.  We have to throw deep every once in a while regardless of personnel just to keep the defense honest, and unless someone new emerges, JJAW is probably the guy.  I just don't think that's going to scare defenses from crowding the box. 

I expect we will look for ways to get Love more involved in the pass game, but two issues there.  First, McCaffrey was a generational talent, particularly when it came to catching passes as a RB.  Like the best I've ever seen as a route running RB in my time watching CFB and NFL talent evaluators saw the same thing in his versatility.  Love could be very good and still nowhere near McCaffrey's level.  Second, when Love is out of the backfield, that shows the defense we are in a passing formation and the threat of the run disappears as a means to hold defenders for an extra beat or two.

There's a positive way to spin this.  Last year (at least the portion of the year when we were playing competent defenses), our O-line play was so poor and QB's so jumpy in the pocket and inconsistent, that we could have had Usain Bolt running fades and it wouldn't have mattered.  The deep threat only matters if you can pass block and QB's have time, poise and the mechanics to complete the pass.  If it turns out that the lack of a deep threat becomes a real issue, it probably means the passing game is ahead of where it was last year.  Said differently, I'd rank the lack of a deep threat way down the list of offensive issues to sort out.  Maybe something like this: 1.  LT, 2.  RT, 3.  GnNH (Guard not Nate Herbig), 4.  QB, 5.  Secondary offensive weapon after Bryce Love, 6.  Re-emergence of the TE in the passing game, 7.  Backup RB, 8.  Something else, 9.  Need to get to ten for dramatic effect, 10.  Lack of deep threat.

[MustardtheBallCarrier]

100% with you CT.  We have to throw deep every once in a while regardless of personnel just to keep the defense honest, and unless someone new emerges, JJAW is probably the guy.  I just don't think that's going to scare defenses from crowding the box. 

I expect we will look for ways to get Love more involved in the pass game, but two issues there.  First, McCaffrey was a generational talent, particularly when it came to catching passes as a RB.  Like the best I've ever seen as a route running RB in my time watching CFB and NFL talent evaluators saw the same thing in his versatility.  Love could be very good and still nowhere near McCaffrey's level.  Second, when Love is out of the backfield, that shows the defense we are in a passing formation and the threat of the run disappears as a means to hold defenders for an extra beat or two.

There's a positive way to spin this.  Last year (at least the portion of the year when we were playing competent defenses), our O-line play was so poor and QB's so jumpy in the pocket and inconsistent, that we could have had Usain Bolt running fades and it wouldn't have mattered.  The deep threat only matters if you can pass block and QB's have time, poise and the mechanics to complete the pass.  If it turns out that the lack of a deep threat becomes a real issue, it probably means the passing game is ahead of where it was last year.  Said differently, I'd rank the lack of a deep threat way down the list of offensive issues to sort out.  Maybe something like this: 1.  LT, 2.  RT, 3.  GnNH (Guard not Nate Herbig), 4.  QB, 5.  Secondary offensive weapon after Bryce Love, 6.  Re-emergence of the TE in the passing game, 7.  Backup RB, 8.  Something else, 9.  Need to get to ten for dramatic effect, 10.  Lack of deep threat.