UNC Football: Carolina Needs to Find Ways to Get Playmakers Involved on Offense
By Matt Hamm
Whenever a team is transitioning to a new coaching staff things can be difficult, whenever that transition includes a complete change in both offensive and defensive philosophy, as it is with the North Carolina Tar Heels and Larry Fedora, only one thing can make that change any easier. Putting the ball in your best players hands, early and often. Tight End Eric Ebron and Running back Romar Morris need the football in their hands more, bottom line.
Sep 22, 2012; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels tight end Eric Ebron (85) with the ball as East Carolina Pirates linebacker Montese Overton (51) and defensive back Adonis Armstrong (3) defend during the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-US PRESSWIRE
Fedora seems to understand that getting the ball to Giovani Bernard is imperative, and it is, but it’s time he devises his game plan around all his star players. Morris is shifty, fast and awesome in the open field. Am I suggesting he take away carries from Bernard? Actually, yes, Bernard is great, if he stays four years, I think he has a real shot at the Heisman trophy if he can stay healthy. But he shouldn’t be returning punts, Morris should. And he shouldn’t have to be the main runner and receiver out of the backfield. Morris is the PERFECT complimentary back.
It’s obvious that Fedora doesn’t utilize two backs in his system, fine, spread them out. I’m perfectly okay with Bernard being the back 90% of the plays. If that’s going to be the case, Morris needs to see some time at wide receiver. Morris has already proven he can run solid routes, has nice hands and creates mismatches. When the ball is in his hands, things happen. He touched the ball five times against East Carolina, unacceptable.
Which brings me to Eric Ebron, Ebron is awesome, he reminds me a lot of the NFL trend of TEs. Vernon Davis, the Patriots twin TEs, Jimmy Graham, Antonio Gates, you get the picture. He’s big, fast, has nice hands, he’s hard to tackle, he’s a playmaker. Teams can’t put a linebacker on him because he’s too fast for them. They can’t match up a safety on him because he’s too physical, he’s a mismatch. Thus far, Ebron has been under utilized. Fedora likes to use his receivers, and this group of Carolina receivers is better than I expected going into the season. I really like Erik Highsmith, Sean Tapley is good and Quinshad Davis has proven that he belongs as a true freshman.
Ebron brings something that none of those guys bring to the table. A physical freak who, say it with me, is a MISMATCH on every single down if he’s utilized correctly. The TE position isn’t one that is typically a big time producer for spread offenses, it wasn’t until recently that the NFL began utilizing the types of TEs they are today. Ebron screams first round draft pick whenever I watch him play. He needs to be featured in this offense. A good TE can serve as a security blanket for a quarterback, something Bryn Renner needs. Renner has looked great at times, and bad at times during this transition to the new spread offensive style. Putting Ebron in more of a position to contribute could vastly help Renner in gaining comfort-ability in this offense, the sooner the better.
Until these two play makers are utilized on more of a consistent basis by the coaching staff, the offense will never take off the way the talent level says it should.