Opportunity for Improvement

[Finwad32]

Losing high quality employees is usually indicative of quality development and success.

Replacing those employees is an opportunity for improvement.

Let’s improve.

 

[PhatOrange]

always have to look at these things as opportunities. It's the only way.

 

[swish7]

Having White pick his new OC & DC would have been cool, but here we are.

Would be nice to nab another big bang, young DC.

Not sure how I feel about Beck. Don't know enough about him. Actually fine with Anae going bc it seems like he had no ability to adjust his theories to his personnel this year (i.e. didn't know how to use Tucker).

 

[PhatOrange]

Having White pick his new OC & DC would have been cool, but here we are.

Would be nice to nab another big bang, young DC.

Not sure how I feel about Beck. Don't know enough about him. Actually fine with Anae going bc it seems like he had no ability to adjust his theories to his personnel this year (i.e. didn't know how to use Tucker).

I'm sold on Beck after what he did with Shrader.

 

[SmilinBob]

Agreed... especially if the hiring process is sound and they weren't just fall into our laps guys. Which could work as well due to your reputation.

 

[SU94]

I'm sold on Beck after what he did with Shrader.

I agree with you, but I am going to come at you from the flip side.
What does Beck's ability as a QB Coach (okay, whisperer) have to do with being an OC?
Those two roles are not the same.

I think Anae did a darn good job this year. I am also glad that we had a strong replacement in-house (Beck). But I would rather have two really good coaches than one. And yes, that statement is dependent on who the next offensive hire is, but I doubt he is going to have the resume/perspective/experience of Anae.

 

[PhatOrange]

I agree with you, but I am going to come at you from the flip side.
What does Beck's ability as a QB Coach (okay, whisperer) have to do with being an OC?
Those two roles are not the same.

I think Anae did a darn good job this year. I am also glad that we had a strong replacement in-house (Beck). But I would rather have two really good coaches than one. And yes, that statement is dependent on who the next offensive hire is, but I doubt he is going to have the resume/perspective/experience of Anae.

From my view most OCs are also the QB coach...and the QB coach has to break down the mental part of the position to his QBs, design, philosophy, reads, schematics - etc etc...Beck can only do that if he's already involved in the cooridnating of the O. I have no doubt he's partially the architect since he's been with Aena for 12 or 13 years.

Anea was good but not great. He did a good job scheming for our personnel in the pass game, but also saw his OL and running game regress. Sometimes seemed stubbon vs what a D was giving. He had some really questionable play calls, down and distance decisions along the way and If not for the 2nd half of the BC game I would not have been surprised to see him fired.

With Beck getting his turn, I'm hoping he builds on all of the positives and adds his own fresh spin on things. (He's been with Anea since 2005 and similar to JB / Hopkins imo. Former player then worked side by side under him.)

He made Shrader a serviceable QB and see no reason not to think he'll improve that now that hes' calling plays to.

 

[NJneer12]

always have to look at these things as opportunities. It's the only way.

Damn...getting my Orange news, analysis and opinions as well as life lessons on Syracusefan.com

 

[phil77]

I am very interested to see what they do on the defensive side of the ball. That is where I think we will see the most turnover. If we can close the deal on Beck I am 100% sure the offense will remain stable through the offseason and then we will see what kind of OC Beck can be and also see what kind of lead recruiter he can be for all positions not just QB.

The defensive side of the ball scares me a little and I am in a wait and see approach. Unlike the offense there is no clear successor which leaves us in an awkward stage. And a waiting period on which coaches if any will follow White and which players if any will follow him also.

Dino has to do what he can to hire the best possible DC because his job will hang in the balance this year so he must exhaust every angle.

 

[SU94]

From my view most OCs are also the QB coach...and the QB coach has to break down the mental part of the position to his QBs, design, philosophy, reads, schematics - etc etc...Beck can only do that if he's already involved in the cooridnating of the O. I have no doubt he's partially the architect since he's been with Aena for 12 or 13 years.

Anea was good but not great. He did a good job scheming for our personnel in the pass game, but also saw his OL and running game regress. Sometimes seemed stubbon vs what a D was giving. He had some really questionable play calls, down and distance decisions along the way and If not for the 2nd half of the BC game I would not have been surprised to see him fired.

With Beck getting his turn, I'm hoping he builds on all of the positives and adds his own fresh spin on things. (He's been with Anea since 2005 and similar to JB / Hopkins imo. Former player then worked side by side under him.)

He made Shrader a serviceable QB and see no reason not to think he'll improve that now that hes' calling plays to.

First, there is not one OC in the history of football that does not have some head scratching calls. Yes, the run game took a stride backwards, but the passing game too three steps forward. I also bristle at the constant change.

This'll be Schrader's third OC in his three years in the program. If you go back to his days at Miss State, he has likely had 5 OCs in five years. And if you go back another year to his last years of HS, that is 6 OCs in 6 years (granted, he was a WR one of those seasons at MSU).

None of this is ideal ^^^^.

I think you are underestimating just how much time Beck is going to spend game-planning for the next opponent. He has to move around and be in meetings with the OLine, the wideouts, the backs, etc. And yes, the quarterbacks. But Schrader cannot be and won't be his primary focus any longer. And that does not take into account for CD-RW, Lamson and (hopefully) Sellers.

I love Beck and think he is ready. But I would've wanted one more year from Anae before this break. I think this could hinder the program in 2023, as there is about as much talent on the roster as we've had in 10-15 years.

I guess my overarching point is this: Well done by ADJW for having Beck in house ... this departure for Anae is (to me) a bit early/less than ideal and it could hinder out 2023 season a bit ... but in the end or long run, it could be beneficial, as I see a pathway for Beck to be the next HC at SU if things go well.

 

[javadoc]

This is a no-brainer. Recruiters recruiters recruiters. I'd list the job description for offense as "Recruiter, who will sometimes coach Tight Ends". Same for the defensive replacement, if not to the same degree. If we hire a good DC who doesn't recruit, or recruit well, that is a loss we can't afford.

 

[PhatOrange]

First, there is not one OC in the history of football that does not have some head scratching calls. Yes, the run game took a stride backwards, but the passing game too three steps forward. I also bristle at the constant change.

This'll be Schrader's third OC in his three years in the program. If you go back to his days at Miss State, he has likely had 5 OCs in five years. And if you go back another year to his last years of HS, that is 6 OCs in 6 years (granted, he was a WR one of those seasons at MSU).

None of this is ideal ^^^^.

I think you are underestimating just how much time Beck is going to spend game-planning for the next opponent. He has to move around and be in meetings with the OLine, the wideouts, the backs, etc. And yes, the quarterbacks. But Schrader cannot be and won't be his primary focus any longer. And that does not take into account for CD-RW, Lamson and (hopefully) Sellers.

I love Beck and think he is ready. But I would've wanted one more year from Anae before this break. I think this could hinder the program in 2023, as there is about as much talent on the roster as we've had in 10-15 years.

I'm not under estimating anything. The dual role is normal and it's the next step in the progression and to a guy who's proven. Beck is a young guy who's a former D1 QB and veteran QB coach working within proven offensive schemes. Checks all the boxes for someone's who's ready and capable of handling it.

There is risk, of course. Our personnel isn't that great and he'll have to work with that. The great Anea passing offense was 76th nationally. It went from trainwreck to just bad. The difference was largely just in the higher number of completions Shrader had (50 more year over year on only 30 more pass attempts), attributably to a better designed more controlled passing game that catered to the personnel. The 50 more completions was good for 850 more yards.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

I'm not under estimating anything. The dual role is normal and it's the next step in the progression and to a guy who's proven. Beck is a young guy who's a former D1 QB and veteran QB coach working within proven offensive schemes. Checks all the boxes for someone's who's ready and capable of handling it.

There is risk, of course. Our personnel isn't that great and he'll have to work with that. The great Anea passing offense was 76th nationally. It went from trainwreck to just bad. The difference was largely just in the higher number of completions Shrader had (50 more year over year on only 30 more pass attempts), attributably to a better designed more controlled passing game that catered to the personnel. The 50 more completions was good for 850 more yards.

Agreed and while Anae was good this year there is certainly room for improvement and Beck is ready for the promotion, he has put the time in and worthy of the shot. all you can ask.

I think Anae was OK but a little overrated quite honestly with the job he did THIS year. The numbers speak for themselves. We still make simple things look difficult at times

 

[SoBristol]

There was 1 maybe 2 games where Tucker did not get enough touches. Other games we saw Tucker run into an unblocked defender or two and set us up for 2nd and long.
Too much griping here about play calls. Anae did well. His guy Beck may do well, but plenty here won’t like some of the play calls. Part of the territory.

 

[PhatOrange]

Agreed and while Anae was good this year there is certainly room for improvement and Beck is ready for the promotion, he has put the time in and worthy of the shot. all you can ask.

I think Anae was OK but a little overrated quite honestly with the job he did THIS year. The numbers speak for themselves. We still make simple things look difficult at times

that's exactly where I'm at with Anae.

 

[PhatOrange]

There was 1 maybe 2 games where Tucker did not get enough touches. Other games we saw Tucker run into an unblocked defender or two and set us up for 2nd and long.
Too much griping here about play calls. Anae did well. His guy Beck may do well, but plenty here won’t like some of the play calls. Part of the territory.

I don't have time nor do I care to dissect every play call, but Anea lost me on his goal line sequence where he went under center on 3rd and inches and ran a toss sweep that lost yards. Super costly. I don't even remember the game, Pitt or Wake. But that was my issue with Anea, he called the play because he thought he would trick the defense by pulling them in tight for an obvious sneak. It was dumb, he over thought things too much and tried to be cute instead of just playing to strengths. I'm over it. He was ok, I won't miss him the way I will Tony White.

 

[Crusty]

Losing high quality employees is usually indicative of quality development and success.

Replacing those employees is an opportunity for improvement.

Let’s improve.

So, I login to the blog and see White is leaving for Nebraska and I am thinking Rhule played a version of the 3-3-5 at Baylor so, that figured. But, the 3-3-5 was created to combat spread offenses - not exactly the B1G. Anyway, I figure Chip West will be next plus acouple of recruits and younger player going in the portal. Before I can catch my breath the Robert Anae news hits - NC State of all places.

As I begin to contemplate whether I am despondent or disgusted, the Beck news hits. Now, it all starts to come together. During the seaon there were a couple of pressers where Dino ansered some questions about the offense in a manner that seemed to indicate a bit of disconnect between him and the OC. Add in a couple of rumors/observations and it seemed inevitable.

As I pull my thoughts together, the McCallister Sellers story breaks and I am now thinking this side of the ball will be OK. True a postion coach, even a QB coach, is not the same thing as OC, however, Beck has been with Anae for a dozen years and even had the opportunity to see the system installed at a new program (UVA). This is about as prepared as we could hope a postion coach could be.

The Anae system is for now, Beck's system, which means it will be the second year of the same system and a continued learning curve. This is great news for Shrader et al. Sellers confimation, if it holds, is big time. He might be the best recruit since Eric Dungey.

Perhaps just as important, this should lock in Beck for a few years meaning continuity for at least a while. We will have to wait and see.

A last thought is that White left at the top and when his best players were either leaving for the NFL or joining him. I wish him the best but I think he may have some headwinds at Nebraska and the B1G. I have my doubts about Rhule - he is about to learn that Nebraska is not Texas.

 

[anomander]

Agreed... especially if the hiring process is sound and they weren't just fall into our laps guys. Which could work as well due to your reputation.

I mean we did hire Sterling Gilbert. I’m fine with Beck at least we keep the continuity built on that side of the ball and most likely locks in Shafer for another year.

Defense is a different story. I would hope Monroe would be ready, but sometimes coaches aren’t made to be coordinators. Going to be interesting to see what we do , but based on foster structure and success I would hope to stick with the 3-3-5

 

[P Vasiloff]

Pretty important that Beck gets someone of like mind, talent and disposition for a quarterback coach. Shrader developed under Beck’s tutelage because that was what Beck was hired for. None of this wearing two hats BS like Syracuse likes to do to save money. Beck will have his hands full implementing his offense and calling plays. He won’t have the time to be an Offensive Coordinator and quarterback whisperer at the same time. This year we as fans got to see the benefit of seeing a quarterback coach develop his quarterback. In past years Syracuse has severely lacked someone in that position and we as fans complained about the lack of development in the quarterback position. No going backwards anymore. Get the talent to develop the talent.

 

[PAcuse]

Pretty important that Beck gets someone of like mind, talent and disposition for a quarterback coach. Shrader developed under Beck’s tutelage because that was what Beck was hired for. None of this wearing two hats BS like Syracuse likes to do to save money. Beck will have his hands full implementing his offense and calling plays. He won’t have the time to be an Offensive Coordinator and quarterback whisperer at the same time. This year we as fans got to see the benefit of seeing a quarterback coach develop his quarterback. In past years Syracuse has severely lacked someone in that position and we as fans complained about the lack of development in the quarterback position. No going backwards anymore. Get the talent to develop the talent.

Three positions open if you take QB from him
Who coaches TE/inside?
Strict limit of 10 coaches, nothing to do with SU saving money.

 

[orangeinohio]

So, I login to the blog and see White is leaving for Nebraska and I am thinking Rhule played a version of the 3-3-5 at Baylor so, that figured. But, the 3-3-5 was created to combat spread offenses - not exactly the B1G. Anyway, I figure Chip West will be next plus acouple of recruits and younger player going in the portal. Before I can catch my breath the Robert Anae news hits - NC State of all places.

As I begin to contemplate whether I am despondent or disgusted, the Beck news hits. Now, it all starts to come together. During the seaon there were a couple of pressers where Dino ansered some questions about the offense in a manner that seemed to indicate a bit of disconnect between him and the OC. Add in a couple of rumors/observations and it seemed inevitable.

As I pull my thoughts together, the McCallister Sellers story breaks and I am now thinking this side of the ball will be OK. True a postion coach, even a QB coach, is not the same thing as OC, however, Beck has been with Anae for a dozen years and even had the opportunity to see the system installed at a new program (UVA). This is about as prepared as we could hope a postion coach could be.

The Anae system is for now, Beck's system, which means it will be the second year of the same system and a continued learning curve. This is great news for Shrader et al. Sellers confimation, if it holds, is big time. He might be the best recruit since Eric Dungey.

Perhaps just as important, this should lock in Beck for a few years meaning continuity for at least a while. We will have to wait and see.

A last thought is that White left at the top and when his best players were either leaving for the NFL or joining him. I wish him the best but I think he may have some headwinds at Nebraska and the B1G. I have my doubts about Rhule - he is about to learn that Nebraska is not Texas.

It's entirely possible that Beck's version of the offense will be better than Anae's.
Every QB coached by Beck at BYU and UVA and SU have graded somewhere between excellent and prolific.
I've got a lot of faith that the offense next year will be a powerhouse and that Anae's offense is going to take a step back, even with old man Leary.

 

[NJneer12]

I really hope they use the open position coaching spots towards more recruiters. I think we got a solid group of positional coaches and the coordinators scream continuity as many have said.

Extra money that was going to White plus the buyout can go towards more analysts, a game clock manager, and maybe some recruiting stuff.

 

[ECE '76]

I have to wonder if Beck might mesh better with Schmidt on devising an offense that can run competently again. The run blocking degenerated from 2021 this season.

I surely hope they do a serious and thorough national search for the new DC, like they did in 2019/2020 when they hired White (and offered Zach Arnett), and not just promote someone from within who needs on-the-job training.

 

[SoBristol]

I don't have time nor do I care to dissect every play call, but Anea lost me on his goal line sequence where he went under center on 3rd and inches and ran a toss sweep that lost yards. Super costly. I don't even remember the game, Pitt or Wake. But that was my issue with Anea, he called the play because he thought he would trick the defense by pulling them in tight for an obvious sneak. It was dumb, he over thought things too much and tried to be cute instead of just playing to strengths. I'm over it. He was ok, I won't miss him the way I will Tony White.

I have bad memories of a game against Iowa where we ran sneaks or dives for 7 plays inside the two (a penalty gave us extra tries) and the defense stuffed every attempt. We always remember the “bad calls” when the play failed.
Tucker with his speed on a sweep — maybe not dumb when it works? But if it doesn’t ….

 

[All4SU]

Beck was going to get his shot here or someplace else sooner or later. Better to have him here and see what can do than lose him and be starting from scratch again.