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Backyard Brawl just got a lot closer

I would tap the breaks on Slovis a bit. Nothing I saw in the spring made me say wow. Doesn't mean he can't be very good with a legit OL, which he didn't have in the spring.

However, I didn't see anything that made me think he was better than Patti. In fact, I'm not convinced Patti won't beat him out. I prefer Nick's mobility anyway.
 
Here's a quote from him prior to spring ball last year.

“I’m not sacrificing accuracy or velocity or arm strength for my arm hurting, which is something I did last year that I wished I didn’t,” Slovis said. “That’s the biggest thing, knowing I can go into the season, throw the ball as well as I want and as hard as I want and not have any issues on the back end.”

And yet. He still never threw the ball downfield.

What Slovis has said is that his mechanics sucked. They sucked going back to 2019. So he developed dead arm in 2019.

It it’s mechanical problems, and the impact that *that* had on health, that was his concern and what he wanted to get on the other side of.

There was nothing wrong with his elbow in 2020.
 
I would tap the breaks on Slovis a bit. Nothing I saw in the spring made me say wow. Doesn't mean he can't be very good with a legit OL, which he didn't have in the spring.

However, I didn't see anything that made me think he was better than Patti. In fact, I'm not convinced Patti won't beat him out. I prefer Nick's mobility anyway.

He’s a decent QB. That’s what the analytics show during his entire career. A solid guy. There’s things to like about his game. There are warts to his game.

Nothing about that is a controversial statement that requires one to be drunk to say.

But, with all of that being said. He still beat out Daniels.
 
I think people who expect a stud QB are going to be disappointed. He's probably a lot closer to 2009 Bill Stull than 2021 Pickett.
 
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I think people who expect a stud QB are going to be disappointed. He's probably a lot closer to 2009 Bill Stull than 2021 Pickett.

Let's face it. We're not going to see a Pickett at Pitt for a while. We had Marino, then we had Pickett. There were decent QB's at Pitt in between, but they weren't a Marino or Pickett caliber. Maybe in 30 years, we'll see another one that good, unless they continue destroying the college game as they are now.

This year, we'll probably see a decent QB again, but he'll be more in line with the decent QB's everywhere else. Nothing spectacular but very serviceable.
 
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I think people who expect a stud QB are going to be disappointed. He's probably a lot closer to 2009 Bill Stull than 2021 Pickett.

The three things in the spring game that made me think we probably aren’t going to get some guy that finally takes the big leap from what the scouts and numbers show he was at USC were:

1. INT worthy throws. There were some head scratching reads in the spring game. Which was always a knock on him at USC.

2. Lack of pocket footwork. He looked like someone that is uncomfortable with the idea of having to move any while in the pocket.

3. Lack of downfield passes. I know offenses are vanilla in the spring. But that’s usually with the route concepts or game plan. But you don’t usually just not see a QB throw the ball downfield. And maybe that was by design.
But you can’t see Slovis not even try to push the ball downfield, look at his passing chart breakdown from 2020 and 21 posted in this thread, and not be concerned that it’s more of the same.

Patti just seems like more of a gamer. If I thought the offense was going to be a machine that steamrolled over teams, I think Slovis would be a fine plug and play QB.
But I don’t think it’s that. And Patti’s mobility and comfortability with going a little more sandlot with it, has me thinking he might be the guy.
 
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I would tap the breaks on Slovis a bit. Nothing I saw in the spring made me say wow. Doesn't mean he can't be very good with a legit OL, which he didn't have in the spring.

However, I didn't see anything that made me think he was better than Patti. In fact, I'm not convinced Patti won't beat him out. I prefer Nick's mobility anyway.
Let’s just say that Pitt has never been in better shape pre season than in the last 30 years. Two good QBs, returning OL stud DeF. Good things ahead. Both qbs will play and it will get figured out.
 
Pickett was showing a little more upward trajectory at this point in his career.

Going into the 2020 season (his 4th year), Pickett’s PFF grade was climbing over the seasons. A lot of scouts were expecting him to have the kind of trajectory that would allow him to be an NFL Draft Pick. Then he didn’t play well in 2020, he actually graded out pretty poorly, and that’s why people were kinda down on him going into 2021.

Slovis graded out a little higher than Pickett did after 3 years. And you don’t see any ups and downs in his grades. He has been pretty consistent all 3 years.
 
Pickett was showing a little more upward trajectory at this point in his career.

Going into the 2020 season (his 4th year), Pickett’s PFF grade was climbing over the seasons. A lot of scouts were expecting him to have the kind of trajectory that would allow him to be an NFL Draft Pick. Then he didn’t play well in 2020, he actually graded out pretty poorly, and that’s why people were kinda down on him going into 2021.

Slovis graded out a little higher than Pickett did after 3 years. And you don’t see any ups and downs in his grades. He has been pretty consistent all 3 years.
Cignetti is a qb guru. Phil J was a bust before Cig got a hold of him. Let's just wait and see here. The players seem pretty confident and they aren't tapering expectations. When is the last time people were honestly discussing a national championship run at Pitt. No! I'm not saying they are going but the belief that they have the pieces to compete has a lot to do with the qb. Let's discuss after WVU and perhaps Tennessee.
 
Slovis looks to have bulked up from last season.


3


Tony Racioppi on Slovis......




Tony Racioppi is one of the top quarterback coaches and quarterback minds in the country.
The New Jersey native has trained countless Division I quarterbacks and some that have gone on to be good enough to play in the NFL.
One of those quarterbacks is former Pitt star and Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 first round pick Kenny Pickett. Racioppi started working with Pickett six years ago and the two kept that personal and working relationship while Pickett played at Pitt. During his time off with Pitt, Pickett religiously returned to his hometown to work on his craft with Racioppi and trained with him for five straight months prior to the NFL Draft.
Racioppi’s reputation is nationwide as evidenced by the fact that he was one of the on-field coaches at the just concluded Manning Quarterback Passing Academy.
While there, Racioppi spent quite a bit of time with the guy that’s looking to replace Pickett at Pitt and that’s Kedon Slovis. While at the four-day clinic held at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, Racioppi coached Slovis and spent a ton of time with him.
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Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Kedon Slovis (9) April 9, 2022 David Hague/PSN
Pittsburgh Sports Now spoke on Wednesday morning on Wednesday morning to get his thoughts on what he saw from Racioppi and his fit into the Pitt offense.

“He’s got great feet and plays with a great base,” said Racioppi. “He seems like he’s balanced no-matter what he’s doing. He has a really pretty release and throws a really pretty football. It’s a tight ball. He’s always been a deadly accurate player but the biggest thing I saw from him this time as opposed to last time, he was there last year I believe with Kenny, his arm has definitely gotten stronger. There’s definitely more velocity on the football than I saw last time. I think a lot of guys like him that played early at these Blue Blood programs, there were a lot of ups and downs which is only going to improve him moving forward.
“I got to spend a ton of time with him, and we talked about Pittsburgh for a good hour, hour and a half. He’s beyond excited and absolutely loves it. Loves the city, loves the people, loves Pat Narduzzi, loves Frank Cignetti’s system, loves the players on the team and how hard working they are. He loves how much of a team they are and really loves being at Pitt. He couldn’t be more excited for the upcoming season.”
 
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