Among the storylines we’re watching in training camp this year is the offensive line, since it’s one of a few positions on the team where some position-jockeying seems to be continuing as Pitt moves through Week Two of camp.
We’ve watched the same five guys take first-team reps during early-practice walk-throughs since camp started:
LT - Adam Bisnowaty
LG - Dorian Johnson
C - Alex Bookser
RG - John Guy
RT - Brian O’Neill
The two most notable absences from that top five have been Alex Officer and Jaryd Jones-Smith. Officer is probably more notable than Jones-Smith since he is a two-year returning starter - starting at center in 2014 and right guard in 2015 - was listed in Pitt’s preseason depth chart as the number-one center and was nominated by Pitt for the Rimington Trophy, which is presented annually to the nation’s top center.
But for the first week-plus of camp, he spent a lot of time at second-team right guard, albeit with some rotation to the first team at right guard and center.
On Wednesday, though, there was a shift during the walk-throughs, as Officer stepped in a first-team center and Bookser slid to right guard, dropping Guy to the second team at right guard.
I know these are just walk-through observations, but the coaches do have the players generally split up into first and second-team groups during these drills, probably for organizational purposes. The coaches take the field each day with an idea in mind of who is on the first team, who is on the second team, etc. And while those ideas almost certainly change over the course of practice and the coaches experiment with different options and combinations, the early-practice walk-throughs reflect the plan the coaches have when they take the field.
So when Officer is taking walk-through snaps with the first-team line at center, it’s notable, and we may be seeing the ultimate iteration of the line coming together. The next question may be whether Bookser still fits as part of the top five - since that’s what all of this is about: finding the top five - or if Jones-Smith can force move moves with the top group.
Like I have said in the past, though, I think there will be some rotations and substitutions during games this season. Bisnowaty, Johnson, Officer, Bookser, O’Neill and Jones-Smith all seem to be too good to keep off the field.
- I mentioned in another practice report that with O’Neill and Jones-Smith, Pitt has two tackles who can really get out and run ahead of the play. Watching a few drills today, I noticed how well Bookser moves, too. With him, O’Neill, Johnson and Bisnowaty, Pitt can surround the center with four guys who can run really well. People said Pitt didn’t run power enough last season - didn’t take advantage of the pulling ability of guys like Johnson and Officer - I don’t think that will be a problem this year. And with the way the tackles can run, I really think this team is going to be more likely to break runs at the second level.
- Speaking of the linemen, you may have noticed in the photos that all of the linemen - offense and defense - wear braces on both knees and the quarterbacks wear one on their left knee (the front leg as they set up to throw).
“Anybody can fall on anybody, and those things save on doctor’s bills, I guess,” Pat Narduzzi said when I asked him on Wednesday about the braces. “But it’s a preventative thing. Quarterback, same thing: left knee, you’re back there in the pocket, especially right-handed quarterbacks, that’s your front foot which can get fallen into. Just trying to save and protect these kids. The o-line generally wears them during games as well and the defensive line takes them off in games. I’m not going to make them wear them in games if they don’t want to, if they don’t feel right.
“It’s a safety thing and we want to keep them as healthy as we can. You don’t want to lose a guy in the practice field.”
- Also speaking of linemen, Tyrique Jarrett and Allen Edwards have been limited in the last practice or two; Narduzzi downplayed the significance of those situations.
- Pitt will have a two-a-day on Wednesday, and Narduzzi said that the early session will be the harder one, with the team practicing in shells this evening. Narduzzi added that there will be a lot of emphasis on special teams in the second session, but there was plenty of that Wednesday morning, as well.
Led by special teams coordinator Andre Powell, the team worked on a variety of situations, from defending an opponent who may try to set up a returner for a long field goal attempt to running out of the back of the end zone in order to take a safety on a punt. Bill Parcells once said something to the effect of, a coach can drive himself nuts trying to account for every possible scenario that might unfold, but that doesn’t meant they won’t try.
- Keeping an eye on the field goal kickers today, Chris Blewitt was good from 21 yards but he hooked a 33-yard attempt wide left - while kicking it over the net and likely into the river. He also connected on his second attempt from 43 yards (the first attempt never got kicked).
Alex Kessman, who is with Pitt as a preferred walk-on this summer, was good from 21 and 33 - and the 33 was impressive since the snap was low and the hold was bobbled - but he struggled with the 43-yard attempt.
We’ve watched the same five guys take first-team reps during early-practice walk-throughs since camp started:
LT - Adam Bisnowaty
LG - Dorian Johnson
C - Alex Bookser
RG - John Guy
RT - Brian O’Neill
The two most notable absences from that top five have been Alex Officer and Jaryd Jones-Smith. Officer is probably more notable than Jones-Smith since he is a two-year returning starter - starting at center in 2014 and right guard in 2015 - was listed in Pitt’s preseason depth chart as the number-one center and was nominated by Pitt for the Rimington Trophy, which is presented annually to the nation’s top center.
But for the first week-plus of camp, he spent a lot of time at second-team right guard, albeit with some rotation to the first team at right guard and center.
On Wednesday, though, there was a shift during the walk-throughs, as Officer stepped in a first-team center and Bookser slid to right guard, dropping Guy to the second team at right guard.
I know these are just walk-through observations, but the coaches do have the players generally split up into first and second-team groups during these drills, probably for organizational purposes. The coaches take the field each day with an idea in mind of who is on the first team, who is on the second team, etc. And while those ideas almost certainly change over the course of practice and the coaches experiment with different options and combinations, the early-practice walk-throughs reflect the plan the coaches have when they take the field.
So when Officer is taking walk-through snaps with the first-team line at center, it’s notable, and we may be seeing the ultimate iteration of the line coming together. The next question may be whether Bookser still fits as part of the top five - since that’s what all of this is about: finding the top five - or if Jones-Smith can force move moves with the top group.
Like I have said in the past, though, I think there will be some rotations and substitutions during games this season. Bisnowaty, Johnson, Officer, Bookser, O’Neill and Jones-Smith all seem to be too good to keep off the field.
- I mentioned in another practice report that with O’Neill and Jones-Smith, Pitt has two tackles who can really get out and run ahead of the play. Watching a few drills today, I noticed how well Bookser moves, too. With him, O’Neill, Johnson and Bisnowaty, Pitt can surround the center with four guys who can run really well. People said Pitt didn’t run power enough last season - didn’t take advantage of the pulling ability of guys like Johnson and Officer - I don’t think that will be a problem this year. And with the way the tackles can run, I really think this team is going to be more likely to break runs at the second level.
- Speaking of the linemen, you may have noticed in the photos that all of the linemen - offense and defense - wear braces on both knees and the quarterbacks wear one on their left knee (the front leg as they set up to throw).
“Anybody can fall on anybody, and those things save on doctor’s bills, I guess,” Pat Narduzzi said when I asked him on Wednesday about the braces. “But it’s a preventative thing. Quarterback, same thing: left knee, you’re back there in the pocket, especially right-handed quarterbacks, that’s your front foot which can get fallen into. Just trying to save and protect these kids. The o-line generally wears them during games as well and the defensive line takes them off in games. I’m not going to make them wear them in games if they don’t want to, if they don’t feel right.
“It’s a safety thing and we want to keep them as healthy as we can. You don’t want to lose a guy in the practice field.”
- Also speaking of linemen, Tyrique Jarrett and Allen Edwards have been limited in the last practice or two; Narduzzi downplayed the significance of those situations.
- Pitt will have a two-a-day on Wednesday, and Narduzzi said that the early session will be the harder one, with the team practicing in shells this evening. Narduzzi added that there will be a lot of emphasis on special teams in the second session, but there was plenty of that Wednesday morning, as well.
Led by special teams coordinator Andre Powell, the team worked on a variety of situations, from defending an opponent who may try to set up a returner for a long field goal attempt to running out of the back of the end zone in order to take a safety on a punt. Bill Parcells once said something to the effect of, a coach can drive himself nuts trying to account for every possible scenario that might unfold, but that doesn’t meant they won’t try.
- Keeping an eye on the field goal kickers today, Chris Blewitt was good from 21 yards but he hooked a 33-yard attempt wide left - while kicking it over the net and likely into the river. He also connected on his second attempt from 43 yards (the first attempt never got kicked).
Alex Kessman, who is with Pitt as a preferred walk-on this summer, was good from 21 and 33 - and the 33 was impressive since the snap was low and the hold was bobbled - but he struggled with the 43-yard attempt.
