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Chris Cooley likes the new offense

By Skin Patrol

Per Redskins Insider, which has Chris Cooley discussing the emerging offensive scheme under new Head Coach Jim Zorn:

While preparing for the Pro Bowl last month, Cooley got a head start in an offense similar to that of the system Zorn plans to implement. The Green Bay Packers' coaching staff coached the NFC squad in the Pro Bowl "and they run the exact same offense as we run, pretty much word for word what we do, and we got into quite a bit of it," Cooley said. "I've spent some time with Coach Zorn and I feel like I'll pick it up very quickly. I understand what I'm doing. Not to say that I didn't like our old offense, but it's an offense that I think I'll be more comfortable in."...

"It's going to give me a lot of options," Cooley said. "Say you're running an 'in route,' instead of just continuing to run 15 yards and run in to the middle of the field, I can stop if I feel there's a hole in the middle of the field. I can look for zones, and that's something that's one of my better assets as a football player, finding an open spot or a soft spot and giving the quarterback a target. I feel really confident in that, and this offense, from what I understand, is going to give me a lot of opportunity to do that."

A part of me dislikes watching players, admittedly in a polite and professional manner, slightly throw the former coaching staff under the bus. But then again, what the deuce do I want them to do? Resist the necessary change that comes with a brand new coach with his own offensive philosophy?

Some craaaaaazy friend of mine (aside: Drew Rosenhaus got fired? Unbelievable my eading comprehension sucks) used to insist that Captain Chaos was slow, too slow to be the madman we see week in and week out dicing up the bad guys. Any scheme that finds footballs to Cooley's hands more, or better places him in a position to do horrible, immoral things to an opposing defense, is a net positive in my book. I don't have much of a feel for how the different philosophy will translate on the field -- does this mean more catches but lower YPC? Al Saunders did succeed in increasing Cooley's YPC -- but I'm excited nonetheless.

Clinton Portis is likewise pumped up. Redskins 360 has the full scoop, a teaser:

What this kind of offense could mean for him:

"[I'll be] the Tasmanian devil. If [Shaun Alexander] did great in this system, I'm sure I'll be all right. I just gotta get my wheels back. I'm training with the Olympic team right now [joking]. I'm gonna be flying with sprinter-type speed."

This is what he's talking about:

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