Good news, the O-line is feeling confident and they think they’ve got something vital.

“We really only lost (center Joe) Villani and Simo (guard John Simonitis), but Joe stepped in when he was injured,” [C.J.] Davis said. “So, we’re not too bad off. We’ve got a lot of leadership in place right now. We have to keep working at it.

“With (strength coach) Buddy (Morris) here now, we all feel stronger already. It’s not going to fall together in a day, but the more we work together the more we’ll develop the cohesiveness that’s needed.”

Yes, leadership. That’s what the O-line needs to have. Personally, I’d prefer the ability to protect the QB and/or open holes for the running backs but that’s just me.

Davis noted that while it might take a little time to develop a solid rapport with Vangas, he had no doubt that the entire offensive line would be running smoothly when training camp got under way in August.

“We just have to get more used to playing with each other,” Davis said. “We’re getting all the kinks out right now, but that’s what the spring is for. When we come back for training camp, we’ll just be fine-tuning things for the season. And Vangas, he’s very similar to Villani in a lot of ways.

“Vangas is very smart, and he’s a very solid center. But we’re just a little rusty right now. We’re getting better, though, and once everything gets flowing at a good pace, we can worry about the physical part of it. So, basically, we’re working hard right now to gain consistency.”

Keep in mind that the first scrimmage the Collier was able to go 65 yards on 11 carries and the QBs were live but able to go 30-34. Even the O-line has to discount their performance against the Pitt defense.

As for the running game, RB Coach David Walker seems very content with running back by committee and situational use.

“Sure, we’d like to ride a guy, if he can handle a lot of carries,” Walker said. “But our only concern is moving the sticks on offense. Whichever running back carries the load, it really doesn’t matter to me. Right now, I think we’ll probably use all of our tailbacks and even our fullback, Conredge Collins, but we’ll see what happens when the season rolls around.”

Yeah, we haven’t heard much about Collins yet. Of course Paul Zeise hasn’t started his Q&A for spring practices to tell everyone that Collins is the big bruising kind of guy Pitt needs to use yet.

of experience and inexperience on defense.

We all know that the team is practically starting from scratch with the linebacking corp. Given the inexperience, position changes and huge, glaring question marks at that spot it is not unreasonable to wonder if it will even be the same kids starting come the season opener. The linebacker depth chart seems to be the ripest area for some of the incoming freshmen to have a chance and really impact in the fall. I’m not wishing or hoping for anyone’s failure. I’d love to see Justin Hargrove come all the way back from his injury and the position change, not to mention Dorin Dickerson turn out to be a linebacker savant. It’s just the questions at that area — and being coached directly by Paul Rhoads — make it terrifying.

Not that I should worry with the experienced D-line up front to help.

That’s part of what makes DE Greg Romeus so intriguing. His shear athleticism and potential as he is still learning the game with only one year of high school football makes him a project with so much “upside.”

“He has the ability to make plays, and you can’t teach that,” Gattuso said. “You can’t teach a kid to jump and intercept a pass or knock it down, or to recover and run the quarterback down on a bootleg. He’s got some really good abilities that God gave him. It’s just kind of refining him with what we can give him with what was naturally there.”

Where Romeus has flashed his athleticism through the first three practices, batting down several passes and chasing down plays in the backfield, he also has struggled to adapt to the nuances of the game. Pitt’s quarterbacks used long snap counts to draw him to jump before the snap Tuesday, and he had difficulty using his hands to shed blocks.

“It’s still all new to me,” Romeus said. “Learning the plays and trying to do the basics, all the footwork, is something that’s hard for me. I’m getting used to it the more and more we practice.”

Scary with the learning curve, but intriguing nonetheless.

Then there’s the secondary. Beyond the obvious question of how much of a drop-off will there be without Darrelle Revis. The early signs are that it’s Aaron Berry’s  job to  lose  and Kennard Cox will be back on the other side. It will be interesting to see if new Secondary Coach Chris Ball does anything noticeably different with getting them ready. It’s hard to imagine the actual schemes and the kind of coverage changing with the same guy still running the full defense.

The biggest question mark is whether Mike Phillips is all the way back from his horrific ankle injury of 2005. The senior has been a team leader and very much one of the stand-up guys on the team. Last year, though, his on the field performance wasn’t there. He was a couple steps slow and looked very tentative about making cuts. Assuming Elijah Fields keeps things together off-the-field and makes his workouts, Fields will be pushing for starting time.

What to expect from the O-line? Damned if I know. I keep reading how it’s going to be a good thing to have a number of the starters from last year back. I guess it is for the writers who don’t have to learn new names. Probably a good thing from a continuity stand point, but I remain doubtful as to how good a thing it is to have a porous O-line returning in-tact. But, there are the positive feelings.

Pitt’s starting left guard for the third straight season will be 6-foot-2, 300-pound junior C.J. Davis from West Allegheny. His backup is 6-3, 290-pound redshirt sophomore Craig Bokor from Hopewell, while the backup center is 6-4, 280-pound redshirt sophomore John Bachman from Moon Area.

The other starters are 6-2, 295-pound fifth-year senior Chris Vangas at center, while 6-5, 285-pound sophomore Joe Thomas is the right guard. The tackles are 6-6, 340-pound senior Jeff Otah on the left and 6-5, 315-pound fifth-year senior Mike McGlynn on the right side.

“We really only lost (center Joe) Villani and Simo (guard John Simonitis), but Joe stepped in when he was injured,” Davis said. “So, we’re not too bad off. We’ve got a lot of leadership in place right now. We have to keep working at it.

“With (strength coach) Buddy (Morris) here now, we all feel stronger already. It’s not going to fall together in a day, but the more we work together the more we’ll develop the cohesiveness that’s needed.”

Davis and McGlynn are approaching their third and fourth seasons, respectively, as starters, while Otah and Thomas will be in their second. Vangas is a first-year starter, but he was the backup the past three. His patience and work ethic gives hope to players like Bachman and Bokor, who have hung in through several position changes in their careers.

Mike McGlynn might be questionable for a while. He had an MRI on his injured shoulder and it suggests that even if there is no major damage, he probably won’t be doing much in the spring scrimmages just as a precaution.

The third string center is redshirt freshman Shane Corson, who is still in the transition to learning the position.

Pitt offensive line coach Paul Dunn noted that there are still a couple factors that are holding Corson back a bit.

“Scott’s a ways away, but he’s our third-team center,” Dunn said. “He’s still young. Don’t forget, he’s still a true freshman and will be a redshirt freshman in the fall. So, he’s very young and has a lot to learn. So, just that inexperience is a factor, and he also needs to get in the weight room.

“His strength and agility improvement needs to increase. He’s worked hard to this point, so hopefully he’ll continue to get better physically as we go along here. Right now, though, he’s not anywhere close to where he needs to be. So, it’s a slow process for him, but he’s moving along.”

Some might believe that progress is at a snail’s pace, but Corson isn’t deterred about his situation with the Panthers.

“It gets frustrating, at times, but I’m happy with the way that I’ve progressed so far,” Corson said. “It’s just hard to learn the playbook, but in the long run I’m happy about everything. Coach says whoever sticks around is going to play, so I just have to stick with it.”

The other good news, is that he’s slimmed down a lot with the conditioning over the last two years. He came to Pitt around 315 and is now down to 285 to 280.

Well, the nebulous, “suspended for violating team rules,” is still a vague reason, it has claimed 3 casualties this year. Tommie Campbell (Junior, Linebacker) and Corey Davis (Junior, Nose Tackle) are no longer expected to return to the team — unofficially. The third, sophomore safety Elijah Fields gets to begin attending meetings again today, and practice with the team on Tuesday.

I have to be honest, I didn’t think it was a big shock that Coach Wannstedt was serious about following team rules and staying out of trouble. His multiple game suspension of Darrell Strong last year for flipping off USF fans was a rather clear message when most schools let it go with an “apology” by the player (Syracuse and VT come to mind). For the most part, it’s not like Coach Wannstedt has been lax in kicking kids out of practice or sitting them out of games if their effort or attitude is in question. So, it’s not totally news, but in the spring practices you take what you can get.
The suspensions for all three, in part at least, stemmed from the off-season workouts overseen by Buddy Morris.

That didn’t last long. Morris created accountability among the players by separating them into groups by position. When one player missed an assignment, his group mates had to run early the next morning. A second miss required the entire offense or defense to run. A third offense?

“You wouldn’t want that,” quarterback Bill Stull said, “because it would mean the whole team would have to come.”

That, apparently, played a role in the suspensions. Some players went to Wannstedt after repeated slip-ups to demand action be taken; otherwise, they said, they would take it upon themselves.

“It got to a point that you were ready to fight the person who was missing – ‘we’re going to beat you up’ – because we were tired of running,” Phillips said. “Things got really heated because we had to run for one person. It got the message across.”

Vigilante justice in the locker room. Love it.

Let’s see, looks like the defense needs to work a lot harder. O-line Coach Greg Gattuso has been complaining about little injuries that keep the full starting O-line from playing together so far in practices. They didn’t seem to be having much problem with the Pitt defense — even with the QBs being “live.”

Junior Bill Stull completed 14 of 16 passes for 130 yards and was sacked twice. Redshirt freshman Kevan Smith completed 16 of 18 passes for 219 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Smith’s touchdown passes were to Strong and Pestano. Smith was intercepted by linebacker Shane Murray.

Add in that Kevin Collier had 65 yards on 11 carries — along with 2 TDs at the goal line.

Among the other standouts were tailback Kevin Collier, tight end Darrell Strong and cornerback Aaron Berry.

“It is very early,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “I think it comes down to opportunity and today, Kevin Collier, for example, got more opportunities than the other backs and he stepped up and made the most of it.”

Both Collier and Strong need big springs (and even bigger falls) to have their shots. Strong will get pushed hard by Byham for the starting TE spot and Collier is trying to at least keep in the starting mix with LaRod Stephens-Howling and come the fall LeSean McCoy.

Still, it’s hard not to take note of how easily the offense was able to carve up the defense. Usually, the conventional wisdom is that the defense will be ahead of the offense in early practices. Simply because the offense is trying to find a rhythm and consistency. Especially without an incumbent QB. Yes, it helps to have solid receivers who are established and returning, but they don’t seem to be having too many issues with Stull and Smith.

Well, we all knew the defense was going to remain an ongoing issue. So I shouldn’t even pretend to be surprised.

Okay football fixated, here’s the one post you will see today on spring practices and/or anything related to football. After that, expect nothing but basketball. Really not too much.

H.B. Blades gets a nice piece in USA Today. Focused mainly on his relationship with his late Uncle Al Blades.

Blades plays a tenacious style reminiscent of another undersized overachieving linebacker who played under current Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt when he was the Miami Dolphins head coach from 2000 to 2004. Blades is projected as an early second-day prospect similar to the Dolphins’ 1996 fifth-round choice, 5-11, 230 Zach Thomas, a six-time Pro Bowler.

“When you watch Blades on tape, you see a tough, relentless football player,” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock says.

“The problem is he’s somewhat limited athletically. When you talk about inside linebackers, there’s a premium on guys who can play all three downs.

“He’ll have an opportunity to be a core special-teams player initially. And that will be his chance to work into linebacker reps as a between-the-tackles thumper because he’s so tough and the game really matters to him.”

Blades apparently ran the 40 at Pitt’s pro-day better than expected so that should help.

I’m starting to think of LaRod Stephens-Howling as the Antonio Graves of the football team. Underrecruited, questionable as to the impact and almost a last-minute throw-in when recruited. Yet, he keeps working harder. Keeps working to be in better shape and becoming an impact player. Looks like another hard, off-season conditioning regimen has him looking stronger then before. And last year he looked stronger and bigger then the year before.

The Panthers had to work out in shorts the first two days, per NCAA regulations, but they get a chance to see how things go when the action heats up at Tuesday afternoon’s practice. Then, they’ll be able to tell how much a vigorous offseason under new strength and conditioning coach Buddy Morris has paid off.

“I just pretty much went all out,” Stephens-Howling said. “I figured that since it’s my junior year, it’s time for me to get as big as I can. So, I went all out in the weight room. Buddy’s really on us. He’s really changed the program around, so I think I really changed my mind-set.

“I know I have to work more in the weight room, to get bigger and stronger, so that’s what I’ve been doing. And I feel a lot stronger in my legs, but that’s what I needed, because I came here with little legs and a bigger body. So, I feel more powerful in my legs now.”

Stephens-Howling also noted that his conditioning has improved under Morris’ tutelage. When he returns to the huddle after a long run or pass route, he doesn’t have tired legs. This should keep him healthier during the season as well.

There should be real depth at the running back (whether there will be an O-line to block for them…) and hopefully the coaches will use that depth to wear teams down and keep them off-balance. I’m hoping that with the pro influences, they’ll jump on the present trend in the NFL to look to have more than one back all the time. Still, an issue because Wannstedt seems to treasure the idea of an every down back, even as that traditional approach is on the wane.

Down in Washington, PA there are a couple linebackers being recruited by Pitt and plenty of others.

Trinity junior Andrew Sweat will visit Gainesville, Fla. this weekend when he gets a chance to check out the University of Florida and its national championship football team.

Florida is one of several schools to offer a scholarship to Sweat, an all-state linebacker. Alabama, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Syracuse, Connecticut and Pitt are among the others.

Teammate and fellow linebacker Michael Yancich has offers from Connecticut, Duke, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Vanderbilt, Miami (Ohio) and Pitt.

It’s too soon for the major recruiting sites to have evaluation and star rankings up for players. Safe to observe from the offers that Sweat will is definitely the bigger star. Yancich appears to be a decent player with very good grades and SATs.

In the brief moments when my thoughts turn to spring football practice, I really can’t tell you which chills me to the bone more: a completely new, inexperienced set of linebackers starting and being taught and coached directly by Paul Rhoads or the idea of relying more on the D-line.

The Pitt coach placed the onus not on the linebackers but instead the players forming the front four, where seven of the top eight players in the rotation return.

“It’s important for our defensive line to have a big spring,” Wannstedt said. “We’re going to see if this theory that I believe is real comes true: Would you rather be replacing your whole defensive line or your linebackers? I’d rather be replacing the linebackers.

“We’ve gone through that the last couple years where we’ve had real young defensive linemen and All-American linebackers, and it hasn’t been good enough.”

The back room where my home office is very cold in the mornings. So why are my palms sweating? Ah, I know I’m being too hard on them — old habits die hard when the topic of the D-line is mentioned. And really, that was just prelude. The topic really shifts back to the linebacker corp. Where the emphasis seems to be on just having “football players” at the linebacker spots.

The next came when sophomore Dorin Dickerson switched from tailback to weak-side linebacker. Safeties Jemeel Brady and Shane Murray also were moved to outside linebacker spots. Grayshirt Justin Hargrove, recruited as a defensive end, is playing middle linebacker.

And they are being taught, not by a linebacker coach, but by a guy who specializes in the secondary. Damn that stomach virus I have. That must have been why my stomach just sent stuff upwards.

“If we walked next door to the Steelers and said, ‘Draw me your perfect linebacker,’ they’d draw up somebody with his measurements and speed,” Wannstedt said of Dickerson. “Now, we’ve got to get him caught up with experience. I think the want-to is there. It will be interesting to see.”

Dickerson agreed to the move with the promise that if it doesn’t work out he can return to offense. For now, he’s as anxious as everyone else to see how the transition goes.

“We’ll see what happens,” Dickerson said. “I haven’t tackled in a while, since high school. I’ll see if I can get my form back.”

He sounds fully committed to playing the position.

It it at all matters, almost the entire linebacking group comes from the WPIAL.

It’s an eclectic group, as linebackers go. Rhoads mentioned how Dickerson, being converted from tailback, may be the most athletically blessed of the bunch.

Rhoads said Nix may be the most raw — “wrong on two of three snaps, but he’s going to make a play on one.” He likened Murray to Nix, a pure football player who switched from quarterback to safety to linebacker, even though he “isn’t big enough to play linebacker. He’s not fast enough to play anything. But he … makes plays.”

He compared Webster to Blades in regard to being a “natural linebacker,” though Webster is dealing with Crohn’s disease and “isn’t close to being 100 percent.” He spoke of Scott McKillop owning the most experience and size of this crew.

On the bright side, my expectations are real low, so they may actually meet them.

Other position changes include seeing Derrell Jones move from offensive line (guard) to the defensive line (defensive tackle) after dropping 42 pounds. Freshman receiver Aaron Smith is moving to cornerback.

Talking about the corner spot, obviously Pitt needs to replace Darrelle Revis. Aaron Berry hopes to be that guy.

“I like having that kind of pressure put on me,” said Berry, who also could fill Revis’ role as the Panthers’ primary punt returner. “I know I have big shoes to fill but I look at it like this — I want to be just like him, I want to be a first-round draft pick some day, too, and I am glad I had a year to watch and learn from him.”

[Secondary Coach Chris] Ball said Berry likely benefitted from watching Revis play last season.

“As coaches, we can talk about working hard and push them but that only goes so far,” Ball said. “But when you have a guy like a Darrelle Revis as a role model, then as coaches we can say, ‘You want to be in the NFL, you want to be a high pick, look at him, that’s what it takes to get there.’ That makes a big difference and really leaves a big impression on the younger guys.”

Berry was one of those kids from Wannstedt’s first full recruiting class that is supposed to be a very good player.

On a down note, redshirt freshman offensive lineman Dave Weber is on permanent medical redshirt. He has a knee condition that effectively ends his career before it ever started.

Seriously, I would love to know the logic of spring practice schedules. WVU and UConn were the only ones to start earlier than Pitt. Cinci and Louisville are latest — not for another week and a half or a bit longer. Wisely waiting until after third and fourth round to start practices. I know, some of it has to do with the academic calendar, but still.

The early round of quarterback competition is the lead story starting for spring practices.

For now, their sights are set on winning the starting job. Not since 2004, when Palko and Luke Getsy dueled to replace Rod Rutherford, has Pitt had a wide-open quarterback competition during spring drills.

This derby might not be decided by April 14, when Pitt holds its annual Blue-Gold Game at Heinz Field. With highly touted quarterback recruit Pat Bostick of Manheim Township planning to enroll in May, the position might not be settled until training camp in August.

“The quarterbacks, it’s going to take time,” Wannstedt said. “We’re going to have to be smart with what we can do with those guys and not get ahead of ourselves. … We’re going to have a whole different opinion of that position a month from now than we do today.”

…

Cavanaugh noted that Palko’s indefatigable work ethic rubbed off on Stull and Smith. He said Stull was studying film three hours before practice and that Smith stayed afterward to take extra reps with several receivers.

Both quarterbacks delivered precise passes in drills. Stull zipped a pass to tight end Darrell Strong in traffic and used a pump-fake on a rollout to connect with Pestano on a deep go route. Smith threw a picturesque deep pass that dropped over T.J. Porter’s shoulder on the left sideline, but he later fumbled a snap in 11-on-11 drills.

The sense is that this is battle 1a, the real battle will be in the fall when Pat Bostick arrives. Can he show enough to wrest the job right away?

You know what, though, most Pitt fans will be watching what happens on the lines. Let’s face it, nothing else will matter if the QB can’t be protected, if Pitt can’t get to a QB, if the RBs have no where to run and if the opposition continues to run wild on Pitt.

It also looks like there is some shake-out with players.

Sophomore safety Elijah Fields did not attend practice yesterday and will not be with the team for the foreseeable future because he is suspended for what Wannstedt called a “violation of team policy.” Fields, who is expected to return before the end of the spring, was the third player suspended this offseason. The other two — linebacker Tommie Campbell and defensive tackle Corey Davis — are suspended indefinitely and not expected to return.

I initially thought it was about offseason workouts and conditioning sessions, but I’m now of the opinion that this nebulous suspension is primarily about academics.  The biggest issue for Fields has always been about his academics. Maybe Pitt is using an all-encompassing term, but academic issues seems most likely.

I like that Lowell Robinson will be competing for the starting safety spot. When he was recruited, he was a JUCO All-American at Safety, so not letting him compete there seemed like a questionable overestimation of the depth and talent there (not to mention wasting a year of his eligibility shifting him about).

Really, doesn’t the Athletic Department try to at least pretend to coordinate things between the Basketball and Football side of things. I realize the spring practice schedule was set in advance. But so were the dates for the NCAA Tournament. You are telling me they couldn’t at least have waited until Monday or not on the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament to start practices until Monday. It’s hell on us one-man global content providers.

Today is Pro-day. Most scouts are coming to see Darrelle Revis, but there are several other players hoping for a good showing to catch some eyes.

More than 40 NFL personnel are expected to attend, including Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith and secondary coaches Ray Horton of the Steelers, Teryl Austin of the Arizona Cardinals and Tim Lewis of the Carolina Panthers.

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt, who coached 16 seasons in the NFL, hopes the interest in Revis has a trickle-down effect on linebacker H.B. Blades, quarterback Tyler Palko and punter Adam Graessle. All four attended the Combine.

“This is an important day for (Blades) and Revis,” Wannstedt said. “When you have a few good players, it draws more scouts for everybody else.”

Other former Pitt players expected to work out for NFL scouts include kicker David Abdul, safety Sam Bryant, tight end Steve Buches, tailback Kelvin Drewery, linebacker Clint Session and center Joe Villani.

I’m just wondering, does Gil Brandt do anything other than make himself available for interviews?

And I love how a former personnel guy complains that the player is hurting himself by not doing more workouts for scouts and the teams. Of course, it’s all about making sure the player gets chances. Nothing at all with the teams, scouts and GMs wanting as many comparisons and opportunities to evaluate. Every year I hear that (probably from Gil Brandt each time), and every year I laugh at the blatant self-serving, hypocritical lies. [But I digress.]

Of course, there is a little more on the decision to put Dickerson at linebacker. Coach Wannstedt defends talked a bit more about the move.

In fact, as spring football begins tomorrow, linebacker is probably the biggest question facing the Panthers. The quarterback spot is open and will get most of the public’s attention, but with all four of the primary starters at linebacker from last year’s team gone, either by graduation or, in the case of junior Tommie Campbell, via indefinite suspension, there is no other position where Wannstedt has to find so many answers.

Wannstedt said Dickerson, who is 6 feet 2, 215 pounds and played running back and receiver last year, is one of the best athletes on the team.

“Dorin is a guy who we want to get on the field and he is the type of kid who wants to play. He wants to play badly,” Wannstedt said. “We just felt with the way our receiver position grew last year and really became a strength and with the recruiting class of running backs coming in, it would be tough to get him in the mix as much as both he and we’d like.

“At linebacker, he has a chance to do some really special things for us so we’ll see how it works out in the spring.”

Dickerson wasn’t the only player moved to linebacker in the offseason. Safeties Jemeel Brady and Shane Murray will both move up and compete at the position.

I’m not sure the right approach is to put it all on Dickerson wanting this. I want to give Wannstedt and the Pitt coaching staff the benefit of the doubt on this, but Dickerson’s potential impact on offense seemed so big that it seems a waste. When the player draws comparisons to impact with Michael and Reggie Bush, I can’t help but wonder if it has more to do with the coaches uncomfortable with him being a hybrid RB/WR; being too rigid with defining the players roles RB or WR as an either/or thing rather than just wanting him to touch the ball any way possible.

I guess I keep coming back to an article that stuck with me last summer about offenses changing:

Petrino spoke of his senior tailback Michael Bush, a 6-foot-3, 247-pound tailback who delivers punishment and first downs in equal doses. Bush rushed for 1,143 yards and 23 touchdowns last season despite missing four starts because of injuries. He is the kind of tailback that every college coach wants.

And here is what Petrino said.

“We have got to get the ball in his hands 25, 30 times a game.”

It’s a sentiment that any coach with a back as talented as Bush would voice. But look again. Petrino didn’t say that he wanted Bush to run the ball 25, 30 times a game. He wanted the ball in Bush’s hands that many times. Bush may run, but Bush will also catch passes.

Besides, think about who is coaching the linebackers this year. I’m just not comfortable with that thought either.
It’s not even logical to compare moving Safeties up to linebacker with Dickerson coming over from the offense.

I’m going to try and let it go (for now), because I know I’m repeating myself on this one.

Back to the article, it’s hard not to read between the lines that Pat Bostick will be getting every chance to grab the starting job at QB come the fall. Regardless of what happens in the spring.

Junior Bill Stull and redshirt freshman Kevan Smith will compete for the starting quarterback job but Wannstedt said the competition really won’t begin in full until the fall when freshman Pat Bostick, who was rated among the top 10 quarterbacks in the country, arrives. Bostick was originally supposed to enroll at Pitt in January but he couldn’t because of the academic calender at his high school, Manheim Township.

Wannstedt admits that Bostick will be behind but knows he’s talented enough to catch up in a hurry. He said quarterback will be one of the least of his worries because the rest of the offense has so much experience.

“We have virtually the entire offensive line returning and some of the young guys that provide depth, like a Jason Pinkston, now will have a full year under their belt,” Wannstedt said. “Our receivers are all back, our running back position is very deep, we have three of our tight ends back. What we’re going to need from our quarterback is a guy to move the chains, make good decisions and manage the game.”

Okay.

This year it crept up on me. It’s not like there’s tons of optimism or belief that this is going to be the turnaround. There’s more a sense of, well I guess we’ll find out if last year was rock-bottom before things start getting better of if there are further depths to plumb. Sorry, still feeling very cynical about things.

I’ll just try and get this quickly. One of the graduate assistants is now the Tight Ends Coach. Good luck to Brian Angelichio. I don’t know anything about him, but the TE has been one of the few consistent strong and bright areas from Harris to Wannstedt. Plus there is some serious talent and depth (go figure) at that spot, so just don’t screw it up.

Bob Junko has changed positions within the staff again.

After 14 seasons in numerous capacities, Pitt football associate head coach Bob Junko is moving to a newly created administrative post.Junko, 60, will focus on daily operations and working with the football alumni outreach program.

Last year, Junko moved from coaching to recruiting coordinator because of health issues. This reads like a continuation of those health issues. Stay well.

The #1 athlete and potential offensive threat from Pitt’s 2006 recruiting class is now a linebacker?

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said Wednesday that Dickerson has been moved to outside linebacker, where he is expected to compete for the weak-side starting job.

“We’re trying to put Dorin in a position where he can help the team the fastest,” Wannstedt said. “Dorin is one of the strongest guys on our football team. He’s up to 225 pounds and he’s benching over 350 pounds. I told him, ‘We want to do what you want to do, but we’re looking for the best place for you to contribute.'”

This is either a brilliant move to get an athlete on the field at a need position where he will excel and a clear recognition of talents that will serve the team and Dickerson well. That or insanity at wasting a huge potential offensive weapon who could create chaos for opposing defenses by playing in the backfield and catching the ball. I’m going to reserve judgment — mostly.

Just one thought. It does seem from the article that Coach Wannstedt has fallen back to a natural state as seeing players in set positions and not putting hybrid athletes simply on the field and looking for ways to create opportunities to use them. That’s okay, even if I disagree. The thing is, he has to recruit that way and be up front with the recruits.

Tommie Campbell and Corey Davis are still suspended and little used Kelvin Chandler has left the program. As he only has a year left, I imagine he will look for a 1-AA or D-2  school if he still wants to play.

A Q&A with Coach Wannstedt. Obviously you will want to read it all.

Question: How do you feel about the quarterback competition, now that Tyler Palko has graduated?

Answer: I think we’ll come out of the spring feeling good about all the quarterbacks that are here. Billy Stull will start off with the first group. Dexter Davidson is coming off the (knee) injuries, and we’ve got walk-on Steve Malinchak, but it’s going to be a two-man battle, as far as reps, with Bill Stull and Kevan Smith.

Both guys will get the majority of the work. One thing I’m thinking about doing different than the past two: When we scrimmage, everything will be live. There will be no restrictions on quarterbacks. I want to find out who can sack a quarterback, and I want to find out which quarterback can make some plays under pressure, on his feet and with his mind. Both quarterbacks are similar. Billy has a little more experience and is an accurate passer. They both understand the offense. Kevan is more athletic and has the stronger arm.

Unserious, snarky thought about letting the QBs be “live.” He wants one or both hurt early so Bostick can come in and get the job. That or he just wants one hurt so he can make the easy choice and go with the one not hurt as the other will unfortunately fall behind on practice and learning the system.

It also mentions that Shane Murray is moving to Linebacker. Elijah Fields is being called out. No practices at high schools this year.

Seeing this got me very excited for some reason. Even as we’re starting to embark upon the greatest time of the year with all of the conference hoops tourneys, any thoughts of football starting up again are great in my book. I guess it’s nice to get away from our basketball woes for a few seconds.

Spring practice starting date: March 17

Spring game: April 14

Top returner: WR Derek Kinder. Kinder emerged as a junior for a team-leading 847 yards. Like the rest of the team, he faded down the stretch – partially because of the emergence of redshirt freshman Oderick Turner. The veteran wideout will need to be more of a threat in the passing game with a new quarterback under center.

Player on the verge: CB Aaron Berry: Tyler Palko was the starting quarterback and H.B. Blades piled on the tackles, but cornerback Darelle Revis will be tougher to replace than either of them. The sophomore Berry, who was a four-star recruit in 2005, will get a crack at the position opposite rising senior Kennard Cox.

Impact newcomer: RB LeSean McCoy: Like Ford, McCoy is another prep school player who had a change of heart in the last year. McCoy committed to Miami out of high school but signed with Pitt after a year at New Berlin (N.Y.) Milford Academy. McCoy should provide a power option to counter LaRod Stephens-Howling‘s speed game.

The big question: What’s next now that Palko, Blades and Revis are gone? If Pitt went 11-12 with those three players over the last two seasons, what happens now that they’re gone? Entering year three, Dave Wannstedt will be put to the test in finding a new quarterback among the inexperienced Bill Stull, Kevan Smith and incoming freshman Pat Bostick. A former NFL head coach and defensive coordinator, Wannstedt has his work cut out for him with the 107th-ranked rush defense in the country.

Well, after reading those last few lines, I’ve been shot back down to Earth.

I know, “now?” Well, I don’t want to forget about these little things.

The draft combine is underway. There are some Pitt players in attendance, beyond Darrelle Revis. ESPN’s got a list of top players by position with point scores (1-100, though 30 seems to be the lowest number for any of the attendees) going into it (Insider subs.).

• Adam Graessle gets tied in a group of 3 punters at the bottom with a score of 30.
• At QB, Tyler Palko was listed at 11th with a score of 45 (Luke Getsy clocked in at 30).
• For Inside Linebackers, H.B. Blades goes in with a grade of 61 for 10th.
• Darrelle Revis is the second ranked CB at 91. Leon Hall of Michigan is ahead with a 95.

Whoever helped edit and check the list must be a Virginia fan. Every Virginia Tech player finds themselves coming from Virginia Polytech Institute.

Then there is the looming time of Spring Practice. It starts March 17 for Pitt, and ends April 14. Whee. Tom Deinhart at the Sporting News has a superficial look at the priorities on offense and defense for teams in the Big East.

OFFENSE

1. QB Tyler Palko started the past three seasons. He’s gone. The battle will rage.
2. Dave Wannstedt wants a better ground game. But the best running back options may not arrive until August: LeSean McCoy.
3. Every starter but the center returns on the line, but depth must be augmented to help the ground game.

DEFENSE

1. The linebacker corps must be overhauled with the departure of H.B. Blades.
2. The line must improve and get stronger after the team finished next-to-last in the Big East in rush defense and last in sacks.
3. Darrelle Revis bolted early for the NFL, leaving a big hole at a corner spot.

Scary that he’s actually understating the priorities with the linebackers. Really, you could just put in big 42-point font size under defense: HELP!!!

God help us, the one thing that could allow Rhoads to keep his DC job for another year. Expectations for the defense will be so low, that anything above completely sucking could be perceived as progress.

ESPN Insider is following a few college QB’s who are expected to be taken lower than your top prospects like Brady Quinn and Jamarcus Russell. Tyler Palko along with Chris Leak, Troy Smith, and Drew Stanton are among the QB’s being watched and closely examined each day at practice.

First, here are the basics with a few comments from the scouts.

Here’s what some NFL scouts are seeing after a few days of practice:

Palko did not have a bad day on Monday, but it was rather evident that he’s the least talented of the three North quarterbacks at this year’s Senior Bowl.

Not as talented as Smith and Stanton. Not a huge surprise. I’m not sure how a guy like Smith projects at an NFL level though so I would give a second thought to him being placed under Palko based on NFL type talent.

Palko measured just shy of 6-foot-1 and weighed 217 pounds at this morning’s weigh-in, which is a little shorter and lighter than expected.

He shrunk an inch from what the Senior Bowl roster has as well as his bio on the Pitt athletic department website?

During practice, Palko displayed good timing and accuracy as a passer. However, he does not stack up with Drew Stanton or Troy Smith in terms of arm strength or mobility.

I was never under the impression that Palko wasn’t mobile. Watching him on the touchdown pass to Oderick Turner against Rutgers really sunk in as mobility. Sure he’s not going to beat Troy Smith in a foot race but look at a guy like Mike Vick. Sure he’s a good NFL player but I’d rather have a slow footed Peyton Manning that Vick in most situations.

When called upon to make a throw vertically or on a deep out, Palko noticeably dropped down and wound up even more than usual in his delivery.

NFL scouts don’t really like that kind of stuff.

I’ll be back in a day or two with more notes from his practices and well as how he does in the actual game. For the Senior Bowl website check here and for the Palko scouting report go here (Insider subs.).

Looks like Aaron Gray might be feeling a little more pain and discomfort from than injury than he originally had and it could be a bit more serious than originally believed. Dixon played it cool though and he comes in to calm us all down.

Two X-rays and a magnetic resonance imaging did not show any structural damage to the wrist, and Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said he is hopeful that Gray will be able to practice today and play against Marquette.

“I would say he has more discomfort than pain,” Dixon said. “We’ll see how it goes [today]. He was able to play with it Tuesday, and he did pretty well. I don’t see that it is anything serious. But we’re going to see how it is [today] and go from there.”

The final decision is to be made later today or tomorrow.

If he were to sit this one out, Levon Kendall would move over to center and Tyrell Biggs and Sam Young would play more at power forward. We might find out the hard way that sometimes we don’t appreciate Gray’s presence until he’s out.

The Pitt players didn’t like it, but it was clear to them upon watching the video evidence that Wisconsin simply outworked and outhustled them throughout the game.

“I think we got outworked,” said Kendall, a senior power forward. “That’s really what it came down to. We were making shots. A couple of our guys played really well. But really, we just got outhustled. They had more energy. They were more ready to play.

“That’s disappointing. I don’t think we got out-skilled or anything. It was just the little things. They were hustling, getting loose balls, things like that. That’s what we’ve been addressing the last few days, having that work ethic and being ready to go.”

Two telling statistics demonstrate Pitt’s sluggish play against the Badgers. Wisconsin outrebounded Pitt, 41-31, and Pitt had 28 personal fouls, which sent the Badgers to the free-throw line 44 times.

“It usually goes that the team that hustles more gets most of the calls,” junior guard Ronald Ramon said. “That sums it up right there. We didn’t play with the same intensity that they did. That’s why every call went their way. We didn’t play as hard as we should have.

“I’m pretty sure I’m speaking for my entire team when I say we were disappointed in that. We’re the ones playing. We didn’t execute and we didn’t play hard. They were better than us that day. We have to make sure we get back to playing the way we play.”

Both Kendall and Ramon added that the team in general had gotten a little complacent. Coach Dixon, as is his style defended the players from charges of being outworked, but at the same time conceded that the team needed to do a lot more in light of the game.

Players getting physical in practices seemed to have resumed after the loss with Sam Young and Levance Fields ending up with bloody lips.