Depth adds to defense's strength
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Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt finally has the type of defense he built his reputation on in the NFL.
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At one point late last week, starting defensive end Jabaal Sheard, starting defensive tackle Mick Williams and backup defensive end Shayne Hale were all on the sidelines with injuries.
And the coaching staff was still shifting players to compensate for the loss of defensive end Tony Tucker, who left the team for personal reasons.
Despite all of this attrition, during team periods -- scrimmages or full-contact inside run drills -- the defensive line had dominant stretches.
Yes, the Panthers have finally become Dave Wannstedt's team.
Wannstedt came to Pitt with a reputation as an excellent defensive mind, but the reality is, his philosophy is fairly simple: if the front four win their battles more often than they lose them, the defense works.
And if the front four can pressure the quarterback without help from the linebackers or safeties blitzing, it becomes a lot tougher to complete passes because there are seven defenders dropping into coverage.
"I've never been a part of a great team that didn't have a great defensive line," Wannstedt said at his first news conference of the season. "And what we're looking for is a defensive line that can line up and beat the tail off the offense without any help from the back seven."
Now, heading into his fifth season, it is clear he has put his stamp on this team. The Panthers' starting defensive line should not only be dominant, as this camp has proven, but show plenty of quality depth behind the starters; a lot of good young players will have the luxury of spending the next year in a redshirt while they learn and physically mature.
The starting defensive ends -- Sheard and Greg Romeus -- are NFL-caliber players, and the same can be said for defensive tackle Mick Williams. Beyond those three "stars," the unit features three reserve defensive ends who are ready to play, a fifth-year senior starting at the other tackle (Gus Mustakas) and three reserve tackles.
That doesn't even include the three true freshmen in the group who, despite their collective talent, likely won't play this year.
It's a far cry from where the unit was when Wannstedt arrived, as he was forced to patch together a line from spare parts, leftovers from other positions and a few true freshmen.
Defensive line coach Greg Gattuso, who coached tight ends that first year, remembers those early days of the Wannstedt era and is almost giddy about the wealth of talent he has to work with now.
"I think our depth was challenged a little bit this camp, but we showed we do have the numbers now to survive an injury or two," Gattuso said. "Obviously, we want all of our guys healthy, but when we first got here we just didn't have many options. I've been impressed with how well the backup guys have played this camp and the great thing is, most of them still have a lot of football to play here so they will only get better."
Gattuso said a great example of how far the Panthers' depth at defensive line has come can be found in the fact that a player like Tyrone Ezell (6 feet 4, 270 pounds) -- who certainly looks the part -- will almost assuredly be redshirted. Five years ago, he would have not only been put on the field and asked to contribute, he might have been the unit's best player.
"I always say it takes three years for a defensive lineman to really come into his own as a player," Gattuso said. "We now have enough depth where we can really develop our young guys properly and don't feel pressured to get them ready to play a game on a given Saturday."
One other luxury is the variation of players. This gives Gattuso a lot of flexibility, and it gives opposing offenses a lot to think about when deciding how to block.
"We've got athletic guys, fast guys, stronger guys, guys who are sort of pluggers," Gattuso said. "We have some guys, like a Brandon Lindsey, who we know if nothing else, he will go get the quarterback, and some other players who are more physical and maybe a little stronger against the run.
"The key is, we have options and we not only have options, we have a lot of good options. I'd love to tell you that it is all coaching, but really we've recruited a lot of talented players and that always makes coaches look smart.
"But we're still not even where we can be and will be, and I think what makes this group special is they understand it, they want to improve every day and they are willing to put in the work every day."
NOTES -- The Panthers held their annual FanFest last night and had a decent crowd turn out at Heinz Field to get autographs from the players. One major change from years past -- there was no open team workout after the autograph session. ... The team was scheduled for a single practice under the lights tonight, but Wannstedt decided to give them the day off.
First Published August 28, 2009 12:00 am
