Running Back U?

With the recent commitment of running back Jameel Poteat, it got me thinking about Pitt's recent success with running backs.  Lots of schools can stake a claim to being called "Running Back U" all-time.  Pitt has two all-time NFL greats with Tony Dorsett and Curtis Martin, but is still behind schools like USC.  Here's a reasonable list from a year ago, before the success of Dion Lewis.  Still, I think Pitt is a little low.

But how about currently?

With Lesean McCoy and Dion Lewis over the past two seasons, Pitt has had one of the most productive running games in the country over that span.  And don't forget about Shady's backup, Larod Stephens-Howling. It's hard to imagine many schools having a backup capable of rushing for 220+ yards, as LSH once did against Syracuse.  Stephens-Howling is in the NFL and if Dion Lewis bolts for the pros either after this season or next as expected, Pitt will have its three starting running backs all in the pros.

No one can identify just how good Poteat will be, but Lewis' current backup Ray Graham has shown glimpses of being very good.

And if you really want to get technical, you can count Rashad Jennings, who transferred to Liberty and ended up with three straight 1,000 yard seasons (including a 1,500+ season as a senior).  Liberty may only be a I-AA school, but Jennings proved he's a talented back as he's in the NFL now as well.

Go back a few years to 2000 and you've got Kevan Barlow, who after that season was an NFL Draft Pick as well and had a fairly long career.

Over the past decade, Pitt might be it for running backs.

Battles to Keep an Eye on

One of the biggest question marks comes at running back. Not so much because the position appears to be in great trouble, but because of the wait to see who will grab the bull by the horns and secure the starting spot.

But Pitt running backs coach David Walker is not overly concerned about it, mostly because he has plenty of young and talented options to pick from.

"No concern at all," Walker said. "It is a work in progress, and half of the fun is to try and build it and see if some guys will rise up and take the job. Now, obviously, if we didn't feel the guys we have are capable, that's a different situation, but this group -- we are smart, we are tough and we're athletic -- so I am confident that whoever runs out there and gets the bulk of the carries will be ready to do a great job for us."

In fact, picking the best one might be the toughest part of the transition because they are similar in talent and all seemingly capable of getting the job done.

Dion Lewis to this point apparently has the starting spot, but it's a long way till the start of the season. While I'm glad that there are so many options available, that could possibly be a problem for Wannstedt. Remember, it took him a while to give Shady the job full time, even though he had effectively outplayed Larod Stephens-Howling...and even then, LSH still got a decent amount of carries. I really hope that if someone stands out, they'll land the job and not have to deal with a running back by committee.

Meanwhile, possibly the other biggest decision for Pitt will come at guard.

Either way, Pitt looks to be solid on the line.

Local Markets React to NFL Draft

In the aftermath of the NFL Draft, Shady McCoy's high school coach sees shades of Ricky Watters:

Weachter coached McCoy at Bishop McDevitt High School in Harrisburg. McDevitt also produced Ricky Watters, back when. Weachter did not coach Watters, but he is like the rest of us, interested in the comparisons between the two running backs. Weachter says he has a witness.

"My defensive coordinator was there when Ricky played," Weachter said. "He told me that at the end of LeSean's junior year, he was better than Ricky as a senior."

While, Larry Weisman of USA Today likes what the Eagles did, he's not sold on the 49ers draft...including the acquisition of Scott McKillop.

"WR Michael Crabtree fell to them and they grabbed him. They did not have much to work with after that, though, and they may not have done much with what they had. RB Glen Coffee shows few measureable NFL skills, does not approach what they have in Frank Gore. LB Scott McKillop is essentially Coffee's equal, though he excelled in combine workouts. Looks like a journeyman. QB Nate Davis joins a carousel, decent value in fifth round."

During his conference call with the media, McKillop says he didn't know of any interest on the 49ers end.

RE: Did you expect that the 49ers had a lot of interest in you?

“Not really. The first time that I was able to meet with the 49ers was actually the last day I was at the combine when not Head Coach Singletary but his nephew I believe approached me. He had an opportunity to… He had previously coached at Buffalo and we had a little, quick time to talk for about 10 minutes and that was my first opportunity. I really wasn’t aware of this, but I’m more than happy right now.”

Meanwhile, the Bears only seem interested in Derek Kinder's blocking ability.

Kent Somers states what most of us already know - if LaRod Stephens-Howling has a chance to make the team, it's going to be because of his ability as a kick returner.

I know it's still to early to tell, but it looks like McCoy and McKillop could both be steals. We'll see.

NFL Draft Recap

After, getting some hosting and website issues resolved, hopefully this will be the last layoff in a long time.

This past weekend was fairly successful for the Panthers as several players were drafted...albeit, some a little lower than maybe they anticipated.

LeSean McCoy, hoping to be a first-round pick, fell to the lower end of the second round. As the article mentions, Shady may have cost himself as much as $30 - $40 million had he come back and been a top ten pick. That may be true, but considering where he was drafted, it would have been a reach for him to get that high. Many teams wait to select running backs and he would have really had to have a breakout year to move up that high.

Scott McKillop was next for the Panthers - down in the 5th round. But he didn't sound too disappointed in it. The PG played up the angle of McKillop going to play under Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary.

"It is great to be drafted by a guy who is the best player ever at the position I am trying to play," McKillop said. "I'm happy ... I said, just give me an opportunity and I'll make the most of it by any means necessary. Obviously I would have liked to get picked sooner, but the thing is, the 49ers have a spot for me and really wanted me, and that means more.

"I think finding the right fit for me was the most important thing and I really believe that this is a great, great situation for me."

Pitt then ended up with a pair of seventh rounders in LaRod Stephens-Howling and Derek Kinder. It was good to see both of them get drafted after some trying circumstances. LSH seemed genuinely excited about getting drafted:

“I couldn’t think of a better birthday present,” Stephens-Howling said from his Johnstown home, where he watched the draft with some immediate family members.

“I was told the whole time that I could go from the sixth round to free agent,” he said. “I just tried to relax as much as I could and take my mind off it. Seattle and Arizona called me about being a free agent before I got drafted, so I was thinking I was only going to be a free agent.

Kinder also got a mention in his local paper in Buffalo.

“I got a phone call first, and I was just getting antsy. I had to leave the house and play catch for a little bit with my (5-year-old) nephew when the Cardinals called. (But) it’s a great feeling. ... We just celebrated mine (pick), then saw (former Pitt player) Rashad (Jennings). I felt good for him, and then we saw Derek Kinder. It was great to see guys you know get a chance.”

Almost lost in the mix was former Panther Rashad Jennings who went on to have a pretty good career at I-AA Liberty with 1,500+ yards last year - he was drafted right before Kinder.

Another former Pitt player, running back Rashad Jennings, was chosen by Jacksonville one pick ahead of Kinder. Jennings played for the Panthers as a freshman in 2005, but transferred before his sophomore season to Division I-AA Liberty in his hometown of Lynchburg, Va.

After the draft, two Pitt players hoping to be drafted, long-snapper Mark Estermyer and offensive lineman C.J. Davis, quickly found homes with the Steelers and Carolina Panthers respectively. Was a little surprised to see C.J. fall. There had been talk about him getting drafted in a late round.