May 03, 2007: Paul Rhoads Perspective

It’s become quite easy to target Paul Rhoads as the catch all excuse for what has been wrong with the Pitt Panther defense the last few years. The Dawg has to admit that he is just at fault as everyone else in Panther Nation. And as the defensive coordinator, he deserves a lion share of the blame, especially when the porous run defense is taken into consideration.

But underneath the obvious failures there are so very strong indicators that Paul Rhoads has been enough of a contributor to remain defensive coordinator underneath Dave Wannstedt…at least for one more season. This might be shocking to many Pitt fans, but let me explain.
We’ve all heard the excuses about how the program has had a dearth of talent on defense since the last season of note for the defense, 2002. At closer look, that might be a little but of an overstatement. Yet, if that were as true as many Pitt fans would like to believe than the NFL scouts have a lot of explaining to do.

That’s because, despite the drop in defensive efficacy, Pitt’s defense has been able to get quite a few players drafted into the next level since 2002. Pitt fans only have to look to the draft this weekend for immediate proof. Despite having a quite potent offense in 2006, not one offensive player was drafted this year. The closest was quarterback Tyler Palko. But even this warrior, who dazzled Pitt fans with his tenacity and aggressive play, ended up being overlooked for all seven rounds of the draft this weekend. He ended up signing as a free agent, which was not a bad alternative once it became available that no team was interested enough to make him a pick in the first five rounds of the draft.

Yet, as Palko watched his stock drop out of the draft, three of his teammates were drafted. And all three played on the defensive side of the ball. Darrelle Revis went in the first round, 14th overall, to the New York Jets. This was a no brainer, as Revis was easily one of the best cornerbacks in the draft. From the moment he stepped on the field his Freshman year, Revis just looked and played like a first rounder. And despite being told he wasn’t a first round selection by many rival fans, Pitt fans knew that when the scouts looked past the lack of All American selections (mainly due to not ever being passed on by rival teams) they would see the pure talent, skill, and professionalism in Revis that they had in his three years as a Panther.

But Revis was not the only Pitt Panther selected in the 2007 NFL Draft. Pitt had a linebacker that was an All American in 2006 who also was expected to be drafted as well. He was drafted, but not before another shocking development saw his close teammate go first. No one doubted that Big East defensive player of the year H.B. Blades would be drafted. Many even suspected Blades would not be drafted until the 2nd day of the draft. And indeed, he was selected in the sixth round by the Washington Redskins. But Blades was shockingly not the only Pitt linebacker selected in 2007. Clint Session was also drafted, a surprise pick of the Indianapolis Colts. Not only was he drafted, but he was taken almost two rounds ahead of his much higher touted All Amercian teammate at the end of the fourth round.

So where does this leave Pitt fans? They’ve been told by the current coaching regime for two plus years now that the talent has been depleted, especially on the defensive side. It’s been a catch all excuse for why the defense has been particularly bad the last two-three years. With three defensive players drafted this year and several in the past few years, it’s becoming harder to believe that was the case.

More importantly, it shows why Paul Rhoads is still on the coaching staff. His recent defenses may not have been able to reach the high levels of the 2002 unit, but he does recruit (and than coaches up) legitimate NFL talent. Many of his former players now play in the NFL, despite not having a dominant defense for some time. And when you look at the position Rhoads actually coaches, it becomes even clearer. Shawntae Spencer, Josh Lay, Torrie Cox, Ramon Walker and now Revis learned their positon in the defensive backfield under Rhoads and all were drafted into the NFL. Couple that with current NFL linebackers like Gerald Hayes. J.J. Horne and now H.B. Blades and Clint Session and Rhoads has proven he can spot and nurture defensive talent.

Unfortunately, the Achilles’ heel of the defense, its front line, is where Rhoads has had the least amount of success. Rhoads may still have his job because his defenses have been stout against the pass the last few years, but he’ll need to drastically improve the run defense if he wants to keep it past 2007. And the first step might be to actually develop some talent on the defensive front line. For all the NFL success Rhoads has had with his back seven, only one DL, Claude Harriot, has even been drafted in Rhoads tenure as Pitt defensive coordinator.

To be fair, Rhoads has some other defensive lineman make the NFL. But unfortunately Charles Spencer and Andy Alleman play on offense now, and Alleman only made it after transferring to Akron and being converted to offense by former Pitt assistant coach J.D. Brookhart. But both players prove that the talent has been there, but that it’s up to Paul Rhoads and Dave Wannstedt to nurture it.

Because if they don’t, the calls for a coaching regime change in Oakland will only become louder and louder…no matter how many linebackers and defensive backs they put in the NFL come this time next year.