Pre-Spring Primer: Wide Receiver

good stuff, G. this is an elementary question, but i thought i'd ask you or anyone on the board who can tell me: i've heard a lot about guys -- wooten in particular -- who have switched between the split end and flanker position, and they've sort of struggled at one spot more than the other. what is the difference between these positions? is one more a "possession" receiver and the other more a "burner", is it a strong side/weak side thing? is one position harder or more complicated than they other? i just don't know what the difference is, and thought i'd open it up to the board.

It has a lot to do with spacing.

Here's an excerpt from a good read that describes it better than I could ...

http://www.thirdandfifteen.com/2009/04/football-101-split-end-flanker.html

Generally, the difference between the Split End and Flanker is about positioning and the skill sets of a particular group of WRs. For teams that use three receiver sets it does not mean a whole heck of a lot, but for teams that use two receivers this difference can be used to place certain receivers in certain positions to make use of their skill sets.

The Split End, also called the X, is the receiver who is always lined up to the opposite of the TE. This allows the team to have a viable option on the outside of the field, but still maintain 7 men along the line of scrimmage. Due to the Split End's closeness to the line of scrimmage they are susceptible to the "jam" where a DB tries to slow the SE down as much as they can for 5 yards. The New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made this type of defense famous. For the most part, the Split End is a larger and more explosive player in a team's receiving corps (think TO, Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald or going way back...Andre Reed). TO thrives as a Split End due to his unique combination of size and speed. The Bills are hoping to switch James Hardy to this position in hopes that they can take advantage of his size, but this move will also limit his playing time and give him a chance to learn and develop for another season.

The Flanker, also called the Z, is the receiver who is aligned either on the same side of the TE or in the slot in most two receiver sets. These guys are really the go-to WR in most offenses. Due to the 7 man rule mentioned above, Flankers are almost always lined up about 1-3 yards off the line of scrimmage. This gives the Flanker an advantage in two ways. First, by being on the same side as the TE it is very hard to double the Flanker or roll coverage towards the Flanker. Second, by setting themselves 1-3 yards behind the line of scrimmage the Flanker is virtually "unjammable" - it is very hard to jam a Flanker when they are given a 1-4 yard head start on their route. Flankers are normally smaller and quicker.

All i want is for someone fast on the edge who can give that explosiveness that TK gave us last year. Probably, Justin Scott-Wesley.

Will K. Marshall be utilized more in the wildcat this year because (in the bowl game) he was getting big games constantly?

Thanks for the update.

I agree. That played showed a side of Conley that I've not seen before. I like to see the 3 star commits make an impact. Based on some of his post game comments after the SEC Champ game , I think he's going to use that game and especially last play as some motivation to be a big time player this year. Good kid.