http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3222418 Wand, Pitts go to Texans' camp with flexible roles By MEGAN MANFULL Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Seth Wand is confident he has improved since last season. But he has no idea if that will be good enough for him to remain a starter on the Texans' offensive line. Wand spent most of the recent coaching sessions at left guard instead of left tackle, where he often struggled against quick pass rushers last season. Wand traded places with Chester Pitts during the voluntary workouts, but the move is hardly set in stone as the Texans head into minicamp this week. During five practices in the next three days, the Texans will look at how the offensive line is coming together. The players, especially Wand, understand nothing is guaranteed after three seasons in which David Carr was sacked 140 times. "If they want to pull me out and put somebody in or pull (center) Steve (McKinney) out and put somebody in, there's nothing we can do," Wand said. "All I can do is go out here and do what they tell me and try to do it to the best of my ability. And hopefully that's good enough for them and the team and everybody. You can't worry about that stuff. That's their job. My job is just to show them I have value." Wand and Pitts have impressed the coaching staff with their willingness to make the switch. Pitts played left tackle during his first two seasons before moving to left guard last year. Wand, who is entering his third season, is adjusting to the guard role for the first time. With each remaining on the left side, the adjustments have been minimal. In the zone-blocking scheme, guards and tackles have basically the same roles. It's only in the passing schemes that assignments have changed. The coaches have not told either player he will be shifting roles when the season starts. Pitts said he expects to find out before the season opener. And even though Wand spent much of the past two weeks at guard, he is prepared to play tackle. "I watched everything I did last year, and in every situation I saw what I did wrong or what got me in trouble," Wand said. "And then this whole offseason I've been working on it, so I can go out there and do it right now." The moves on the left side are not the only changes the offense has made to protect Carr. The Texans have revamped part of their schemes to emphasize shorter passes and timing routes. Carr said that doesn't mean the deep pass plays will be obsolete this season. "More than anything, we have to throw the deep ball more when you do things like this, because teams are going to see quicker drops, balls completed underneath, timing routes, and they are going to start sitting on them," Carr said. "So we definitely have to go down the field — not as much as we did last year — but more consistently. That's the only way you can run an offense like this." With the right side of the line solid with Zach Wiegert at guard and Todd Wade at tackle, the left side is where the Texans hope to see the most progress. "If it doesn't (improve) there'll be a whole new line in there," Pitts said. "I promise you. The whole warming-up phase is a wrap. It's in the books. It's time to put up or shut up." megan.manfull@chron.com
from article, "The Texans have revamped part of their schemes to emphasize shorter passes and timing routes. Carr said that doesn't mean the deep pass plays will be obsolete this season." Can someone explain how this affects running game? It would seem to me that it would shorten the lanes from which yards might be gained. I remember Lo White able to run in the Run'n'Shoot because of the spread field. Without a constant threat to stretch the field how can ball possession be effected?
