The offseason is always a tough time of the year.
For one, it is stupid hot where I live.
It’s currently 110 degrees in Arizona right now as I write this, and the clock just barely hit noon.
So if you’re trying to find ways to take your mind off the heat like me…
Take a look at today’s call sheet 👇
📜 Opening Script: The best NFL running back could be running even more
🚀 Shot Play: Georgia’s reload at tight end
💰 Goal Line: Breaking down the resume of the highest-paid offensive coordinator in college football
📜 Opening Script
Could the Ravens actually give Derrick Henry 300 carries this season?
That’s the vision of offensive coordinator Todd Monken, who’s entering his second season as Baltimore’s playcaller.
Monken told reporters he wants Henry to be the team’s closer, just like an ace reliever in baseball.
Here is the full quote:
“I know this: If [Henry] carries it 300 times, we're having a helluva year. It means we're running it a lot. It means we're up in games. We want him to finish, we want him to be the closer.”
Monken’s plan is simple:
He wants to score a lot of points and do it early in the game so he can start grinding away the game clock with his absolute bruiser at running back.
Henry has eclipsed 300 carries before in three previous seasons, including 378 in 2020…
He would have to average 17.7 carries per game - and stay healthy - to make it back there again.
But he’s never had to share the load with a dynamic quarterback like Lamar Jackson.
On the bright side, the Ravens ran the ball 541 times last season – more than any team in the league.
Monken brought in Henry to be the heavyweight fighter in his backfield rotation, a piece he thought was missing from last year’s playoff run.
And when you look at the Ravens’ schedule, it's loaded with Super Bowl contenders:
Kansas City Chiefs
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals (x2)
Philadelphia Eagles
Houston Texans
The more possessions you can limit those teams from getting, the better.
So yeah, if I was calling plays for the Ravens with a lead entering the 4th quarter, I would run the shit out of Henry too.
🚀 Shot Play
Georgia had an impossible mission to replace Brock Bowers this offseason.
But its projected one-two punch at tight end – Oscar Delp and Benjamin Yurosek – looks plenty devastating.
First, let’s look at the impressive legacy Bowers leaves behind:
175 catches
2,358 rec yards
31 total TD
3x All-American
2x National Champion
2x Mackey Award winner (𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘛𝘌 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴)
Players who impact the game like that don’t grow on trees…
Fortunately, there was a talented pipeline in place.
Oscar Delp (6-5, 245) looked great when Bowers was injured.
2023 statline: 24/238/1
Georgia’s tight end coach Todd Hartley made it known that Delp actually benches more than Bowers, runs 21 miles per hour, and “has all the talent in the world.”
But what about the depth behind Delp?
5 total receptions. A lot of potential, yet a lot to prove.
That is why Kirby Smart was so interested when…
Benjamin Yurosek entered the transfer portal after four seasons at Stanford.
Yurosek’s resume:
6-4, 242 pounds
All-Pac-12 Second Team
108 catches
1,342 rec yards
5 TD
Adding Yurosek was more than just a significant boost in experience for the Dawgs…
It opened the door for Georgia to lean heavily into 12 personnel again.
12 personnel = 2 TE, 2 WR, 1 RB
Georgia’s back-to-back National Championships were built on 12 personnel.
It was a no-brainer for the coaching staff to craft a scheme around Bowers and his 6-7, 270-pound teammate Darnell Washington. Why?
Washington
size/speed/length anomaly
mauler as a run blocker
basketball player on grass
Bowers
athletic mismatch for defenses
elite receiving skills
rare ability after the catch
But after Washington was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers…
Bowers became the only premium TE threat and he missed four games. Usage of 12 personnel plummeted.
2022: 59% of snaps
2023: 25% of snaps
12 personnel could be the foundation of Georgia’s offense again if:
-Delp takes the expected next step
-Yurosek acclimates to the offense quickly (he didn’t practice with UGA in the spring)
Both tight ends are big, extremely athletic, and legitimate weapons.
Delp and Yurosek likely won’t be used together as frequently as Bowers/Washington, but if the identity that made Georgia champions is alive and well…
The Dawgs could find themselves back on top.
💰 Goal Line
The highest-paid offensive coordinator in college football might surprise you.
Any guesses right off the bat?
❌ Garrett Riley at Clemson
❌ Mike Bobo at Georgia
❌ Will Stein at Oregon
Those three names are all extremely accomplished playcallers — and don’t get me wrong, they are making a ton of money doing it.
But the OC raking in the most dough is actually. . .
Mike Denbrock of Notre Dame.
The university is paying him a whopping $2.1 million to call plays for the Irish this season.
And this isn’t his first stint with the program, either.
Denbrock was most recently at Notre Dame from 2010-2016.
He started as the tight ends coach before working his way up to offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, which eventually turned into an associate head coach role under Brian Kelly.
He then left to become the offensive coordinator at Cincinnati, where he helped develop quarterback Desmond Ridder and brought the Bearcats to the College Football Playoff.
Then he joined forces again with Kelly for two seasons as one of the masterminds at LSU who produced Jayden Daniels’ magical Heisman campaign.
So what can we expect Denbrock’s offense to look like in 2024?
Well, Denbrock wants to modernize Notre Dame’s attack.
He wants to get into 11 personnel and deploy and offense that stretches the field both vertically and horizontally, much like he did at LSU.
This will include a large menu of RPOs and shot plays while deploying a physical run game to keep defenses honest.
The player at the center of this scheme will be Riley Leonard, who transferred to Notre Dame after three seasons at Duke.
Leonard should be a perfect match for this system. He’s a seasoned vet who wins with not only his arms but his legs as well. He totaled 2,967 passing yards and 20 touchdowns against six interceptions in his best season for the Blue Devils.
He also had 700 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground in 2022, so expect Denbrock to involve Leonard heavily in the run game like he did with Daniels.
Notre Dame fans are excited about Denbrock, and his resume should have the Irish firmly in the CFB Playoff picture
Appreciate you reading Yards After Catch today!
Every week, I craft this original newsletter with 3 unique stories surrounding football X’s and O’s.
I am fascinated with how teams choose to get their players the ball — and I love sharing these insights online.
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Until next time,
Cole