An athlete like that needs to be on the field somewhere
Is Paris Ford going to start?
- Thread starter Sean Miller Fan
- Start date
I have absolutely no inside info on this since camp hasn't begun. That said, I will guarantee the young man starts. He will probably play some on offense as well, but I think that one of the safety spots is his. I can't wait to see him play, he will be an instant difference maker.
He’s at CB, not safety. He took reps all spring at CB.
Coleman is now at safety. I hope he gets some PT this year.
If you remember he was a blanket on the corner in the spring game..
Right now I don't see him starting except that he will return punts and kick offs on a full time basis IMO. I would like to see him team up with Pickett on the offensive side of the ball however.
It's up to Paris Ford if he starts or not. Best players play.
Yea, I think he will return kicks and punts and play the Whitehead/Henderson jet sweep role on offense 3 plays a game but if this kid cannot start for THIS team in his 2nd seadon, no disrespect to the guys in front of him, it is a failure of the coaching staff. A kid like this HAS to be an every down guy.
If he didn’t start and if the player who is starting was failing on the field then yes, you could make that statement.
We are a bit off from being there.
He’s gonna start.
What i’m more curious about is if he’ll stick at cb which he practiced at for a summer, or go back to safety which he practiced at all last year.
What i’m more curious about is if he’ll stick at cb which he practiced at for a summer, or go back to safety which he practiced at all last year.
I’d guess he starts at corner. Safety is much more challenging with respect to reading the play correctly and not getting fooled, which leads to big plays. Corner is pretty straight forward - cover your man.
Fortunately we have nice depth at DB now, so we can use Paris for offensive plays too, and then give him a series to rest.
Go Pitt.
Fortunately we have nice depth at DB now, so we can use Paris for offensive plays too, and then give him a series to rest.
Go Pitt.
I agree and think that is true in Narduzzi’s system as well. But you need an absolute elite safety in Narduzzi’s scheme for it to really work. Unless you have two elite corners.
We’ve had that problem under him, and MSU has had it running his system as well. I can still see Calvin Ridley just embarrassing the MSU safety all game because he was being asked to do an almost impossible task.
Ford at safety might represent a net gain to the secondary compared to at corner.
I think there is a reason our cbs are getting bigger. He likes guys playing up close and physical. We’ve seen smaller guys whiff at line and basically be in chase mode which means their back is to qb.
We as pitt fans have seen enough of that to last a lifetime. Maybe Hamlin finally being healthy will pay off and Coleman was a freak athlete in high school too.
But with safety, he’s asking the player to cover a great distance and take away the seam. That’s not a “physical” issue, it’s a speed and athleticism issue.
If the QB throws a bubble screen to the slot, the safety has to come down from 10 or so yards a way and make that tackle in space. That’s insanely difficult against what is usually the most shifty guy on the other team.
If it’s a go route down the field, he’s asking the safety to run with him.
All the while taking away the box, which is generally goal number 1 of Narduzzi’s scheme.
Those kinds of safeties don’t grow on trees. With the physicality to play the box, but the speed and athleticism to perform the coverage tasks we ask. If Ford can, there’s an argument for putting him there, and putting lesser players at corners, because they can still perform the corner task at a high enough level compared to what others can at safety.
Jackson, Ford, Hamlin, Campbell are the starting 4 I'd like to see. Sprinkle in Pinnock, Mathis, Garner and Coleman as needed.
We wasted a talent like Whitehead putting him at boundary safety, let’s learn from our mistakes.
That 2nd 4 you listed is much more talented than the starting 4 in Chryst's last year. Too bad this Narduzzi guy can't recruit.
That’s fine. If we have another safety that can do all of that at a high level, play him there and Ford at corner.
But Narduzzi asks his safety to do more than most systems. It’s probably the second most difficult position to play in his scheme outside of BC.
If the current guys can play BC at say a 6, but Ford at a 7 or 8. Ford can play FS at an 8, but the other guys at a 5, then it might make more sense to play Ford at FS. Especially if we will be playing him at FC, instead of BC.
Narduzzi needs to start asking his Defense to win some games.
Tired of what he asks his safties to do.
Tired of what he asks his safties to do.
Whitehead was also an average pass covering safety. Yeah he was told to protect the run but there were cases when he bit and couldn’t make an open field tackle either. He was fooled just like any other safety has been in the past. Whitehead wasn’t nearly as wasted as the 2016 offense was. One or two more stops makes that team historic.
I hope Nards defensive genius mind shows up soon .
Totally disagree. This guy is a ballhawk with great ball skills, but he loves to hit and defend the run as well. They will not be using him as a corner when the games start. He will be involved in many more plays from the safety spot. We have solid corners on this team anyway. We don't have playmaking safeties. HE is an instinctual player, who has a nose for the ball. We have to turn him loose! No offense to Dennis Briggs, but, I don't want to see him out there. You don't play a Chevy Cruze and keep the Ferrari in the garage!
That’s real nice depth. Can’t recall the last time we had this much secondary depth. For those who like to bitch about local recruiting...Jackson, Ford, Hamlin, Garner and Coleman all WPIAL/City League kids.
The more I think about it , Whitehead actually was below average safety . Lets be honest.
He made 1 play against Virginia as a SO and then let the team down following year getting suspended.
Most dissapointing player of the decade for me.
SOOOO ... I hope FORD has a better PITT career.
He made 1 play against Virginia as a SO and then let the team down following year getting suspended.
Most dissapointing player of the decade for me.
SOOOO ... I hope FORD has a better PITT career.
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Ford will play, and play a lot. The question of whether he starts or not isn't important.
And in terms of position, whether he is primarily a CB or safety, I think he could do the most damage on passing downs as the fifth DB, putting him in a Palamalu type role, where he can read and attack.
Regarding offense, I'm not aware that he has ever practiced or scrimmaged on that side of the ball with Pitt, so its not clear if that is in the plans. Even if he doesn't, I think between his role on D, and his responsibilities in returning kicks, he's going to be a major force.
And in terms of position, whether he is primarily a CB or safety, I think he could do the most damage on passing downs as the fifth DB, putting him in a Palamalu type role, where he can read and attack.
Regarding offense, I'm not aware that he has ever practiced or scrimmaged on that side of the ball with Pitt, so its not clear if that is in the plans. Even if he doesn't, I think between his role on D, and his responsibilities in returning kicks, he's going to be a major force.
I would say average at best in coverage and above average in run support.
You could very well be correct. Shocky will be a factor in the kick return game though.
As others have mentioned, the problem with Whitehead wasn't that he was wasted, it's that he just wasn't that good.
I get that the island aspect to the corners is a potential weakness of the scheme, so you shore up one of the spots with the high 4* guy.
But the major weakness of the scheme is the safety. This is where there are multiple potential fires, all directed at the safety, and you're asking the safety to put out all of them as they come.
A few years ago, I would have said absolutely, put Ford at CB. But over the last 5ish years, the development of the slot receiver and "run and shoot" concepts with them, is just killing the safety in quarters coverage.
A solution to that is take your high 4* guy, and put him at safety. Let his talent mitigate the weakest point of the scheme. Whitehead wasn't good enough to do that. Ford might be.
I get that the island aspect to the corners is a potential weakness of the scheme, so you shore up one of the spots with the high 4* guy.
But the major weakness of the scheme is the safety. This is where there are multiple potential fires, all directed at the safety, and you're asking the safety to put out all of them as they come.
A few years ago, I would have said absolutely, put Ford at CB. But over the last 5ish years, the development of the slot receiver and "run and shoot" concepts with them, is just killing the safety in quarters coverage.
A solution to that is take your high 4* guy, and put him at safety. Let his talent mitigate the weakest point of the scheme. Whitehead wasn't good enough to do that. Ford might be.
Totally right about Whitehead. Tremendous stopping the run. OK pass defense.
Ford's not going to be seeing a whole lot of time on the offensive side. He had a hard time picking up the defensive playbook last year as it was, and his move to corner should make that simpler. In this system, or any system, safety is a much more cerebral position. Trying to give him more to learn is at this point asking too much of him, and they know that.
If they do put him in for a few plays now and then, it's not going to fool anybody.
If they do put him in for a few plays now and then, it's not going to fool anybody.
I think Ffrench could be that wild card player, that player that is moved around in different roles. I know he's on O already but I think he could line up in backfield occasionally, I think he could run the jet sweep effectively, he could be that screen guy on 3rd and long. Someone on here said he got a whole lot bigger too, if true, why not try him out in some different roles.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
If Paris Ford doesn't start this year it's a bit of a disaster for the program. If I'm not mistaken, he's the "best" recruit on the team.
I agree completely on this count. The offense with Pickett can use any and all the talent that Narduzzi can muster. Dynamic playmakers can help spark any offense.
