Wining on the Edge - Training Hybrid Players on Both Sides of the Ball
Mar 11, 2022 3:02 pm
Coach ,
Winning on the edge is important on both sides of the ball. An offense that can get to the edge on outside zone or pin and pull creates much more stress on the defense. A defense that can set the edge and force the ball back in can limit an offense’s attack.
Both of those rely on the players responsible for the edge, the tight ends on offense, and the defensive ends or OLB (together commonly referred to as edges) to win in the play..
In the 2022 NFL Combine the defense possessed significantly more speed with 8 players under 4.6 (Amare Barno Va Tech 6’5” 246 ran a 4.36) while the tight ends only had one with Chig Onokwo from Maryland, 6’2.5” 238 running a 4.52. Both positions stress the other side of the ball as they become more and more versatile and athletic.
More and more the edges and tight ends have become hybrid players with athleticism being a key factor.
Developing the Tight End to Win the Edge
The best tight ends today can do it all. They can line up next to the tackle and block down or reach, insert into the line in various runs and stretch a defense both vertically and horizontally in the passing game from multiple alignments.
When it comes to setting the edge, the Pin Man Block and the Reach Block must be executed successfully in order to threaten a defense on the perimeter
Pin Man Block
North Dakota State did it again this year winning another FCS National Championship behind an offense full of TE/FB hybrids.
A former fullback himself, offensive coordinator, and Tight End/Fullback coach Tyler Roehl has developing the position down to a science.
The tight end’s block on Pin and Pull is critical to setting the edge and getting the play going. Coach Roehl explains the Pin Man block in this video (click on image for video)
Reach Block
On Outside Zone plays, the Reach Block is essential for either setting the edge or distorting the defender who runs so that a running lane opens up behind the tight end. Offensive coordinator at Monmouth, Jeff Gallo has coached all-conference TE's in eight of the last twelve seasons and has coached two NFL TE's, including John Nalbone who was a 5th round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. He explains his reach progression which handles multiple scenarios the TE will face in this video:
Setting the Edge on Defense
If the Tight End is using Pin Man and Reach as his tools to capture the edge, then the Edge defender must use his technique to defeat those blocks.
With more and more hybrid players being on the edge, the technique needs to translate to defeating the block in space or on the line of scrimmage. LB Coach Spencer Brown’s progression for defeating a block is effective in those situations. He explains “Lock-Peek-Shed” here (click on image for video):
Defensive Line Coach Jeremy Hawkins at Eastern Kentucky identifies the two main ways to defeat a Reach are to string it out and to knock the blocker back. On any zone play, penetration kills the play. It quickly forces the running back to cut up or to significantly lose ground and put the play at a risk for loss if he tries to get around the penetration.
Coach Hawkins explains how to defeat the Reach here (click on image for video):
Coach Hawkins uses the “Power Scoot” to restrict the gap on zone plays and force the ball back inside. The technique thwarts the effort of the tight end to use movement to distort the front and open lanes.
He explains the technique here (click on image for video):
Train your players to win on the edge
In the NFL the players at these positions have become the most exciting players to watch because they can change the game.
Whatever level you coach at, winning on the edge on either side of the ball will help your team win more games.
The coaches we highlighted here certainly know how to develop their positions and hopefully gave you some takeaways to enhance the performance of your players.
Always be growing!
Coach Grabowski