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Basically, Geoff Hangartner part deux. Mays can back up the interior while Christensen backs up the tackles.

We can do better than Cade

Carroll wouldn't necessarily be an "in game" presence (not in my scenario anyway) just someone to offer a little guidance on certain things like offseason prep.

Linked here (Panthers Mailbag) and as always, subscription required. FYI: There were a few other answers (re: Dowdle, Mays) quoted in Juan's thread. I won't bother reposting them here. Just click on over here if you wanna look. (formatting / editing is my own, highlighting some things that the board has been talking about) ______________________________ Starting with the big one, what's gonna happen with Bryce: To be sure, it’s been a choppy season for the third-year quarterback. Every time you start thinking Young lacks the arm strength/size/fill-in-other-attribute to be the “guy,” as Dave Canales referred to him after Week 18 last season, he pulls off a Cam Newton-like performance (complete with a dab in Atlanta). ...while the Panthers would like to see more consistency, Young has continued to ascend, as Tilis put it. After ranking at or near the bottom statistically among QBs his first two seasons, Young is now closer to the middle of the pack. Just as importantly, with four games left, Young has already surpassed his win total (6) from his first two seasons. Then there’s the clutch factor: Five of Young’s seven victories have come on game-winning drives, and last week he surpassed Josh Allen as the youngest QB in NFL history (at 24 years and 128 days) with 11 game-winning drives. The decision to pick up Young’s fifth-year option before the May 1 deadline — at an estimated $26.5 million, per Over the Cap — is an easy one, considering the top 11, highest-paid QBs all are more than $50 million a year. The question is whether the Panthers want to make Young the next member of that $50M club, and if so, when? Canales, Dan Morgan and Tilis will weigh more than just the next four games, even if Young plays well and the Panthers end their seven-year playoff drought, when considering an extension. Young and the Panthers have taken another step forward this season. If that ascension continues in 2026, his payday is coming. ______________________________ Another questioner asked Person to describe current locker room culture: Like a lot of coaches in a new spot, Canales tried to bring in good “culture” guys to help him establish a standard of what’s expected in terms of effort and attitude. It helped that several were already here. Not coincidentally, three of them have been signed to extensions since Canales and Morgan arrived in January of last year: Derrick Brown, Horn and Hubbard. Horn’s growth as a leader and his recommitment to offseason training to try to avoid injuries have been striking. And Canales deserves credit for maintaining his energy and positivity despite slow starts in each of his two seasons. ... So are the Panthers winning because they have a good locker room or is the healthy locker room a product of the winning? It’s probably a combination. But moving on from veterans who were either bad teammates (Diontae Johnson) or who weren’t the right fit for a rebuild (Jadeveon Clowney) was beneficial. ______________________________ Next, whether the weaknesses in the Panthers pass rush a scheme issue or a talent issue: Per Pro Football Focus, the Panthers have been the NFL’s worst pressure team since 2023, when Evero arrived in Charlotte. Over that same span, the Panthers have the NFL’s seventh-highest blitz percentage. So it hasn’t been for a lack of trying. That would suggest personnel has played a part. Evero hasn’t had much to work with since 2023, when Brian Burns and Frankie Luvu combined for 13.5 sacks. ... Morgan hasn’t spent big on a free-agent pass rusher since trading Burns to the Giants in 2024. He brought in D.J Wonnum, K’Lavon Chaisson and Clowney last year, before adding Patrick Jones this past offseason. Wonnum, who had four sacks in eight games last season, has none in 12 games this year. Jones recorded one sack in four games before undergoing a season-ending back surgery in October. The Panthers drafted a pair of second-day, SEC edge rushers this year in Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen. Evero needs more. The list of free-agent pass rushers isn’t deep, but it is headlined by Trey Hendrickson and Jaelan Phillips. At a minimum, Morgan should take a long look. ______________________________ One other tidbit: Person sees "no chance" of Canales giving up playcalling duties.

9 wins

This is the match up I want and I want Nick Scott to blow Jennings the fug up, don't care if he gets ejected

Top two needs are off ball LB and QB competition/backup.

Have you watched Pete coach lately? Pete is a shell of his former self. He struggles with in game decisions himself. I'm not sure that's going to help him. He needs someone on the sidelines or in the booth paying attention to what the defense is giving him and let him know when he gets caught up in call sheet. You know, what he's supposed to be doing as the HC.

it always annoyed me now PFF grades sometimes dont make sense

ive defended PFF a lot in the past but this year leaves a lot to be desired

I like Mays well enough but he's ultimately a bottom third/quarter NFL starting center. We must endeavor to do better, preferably through the draft. That said, much like BC, Mays is a valuable backup because of his versatility. We do need to keep him around but not at a substantially above market rate amount.

He's definitely faster. Probably has a stronger arm too. But I have more experience in the pocket.

I got this poo. Warming up now. That's time on I-40, right?

Seconded. I let my Athletic subscription lapse because of how crappy the Panthers have been but they're offering a dollar a month deal for a year right now so I may sign back on.

He doesn't have your charisma (might have a better 40 time though)

Signing Mays to a long term deal to be a long term starter at C is a bad idea. Signing Mays to a reasonable deal to be a long term RESERVE is a very smart idea.

Every year, without fail, some draftnik or analyst somewhere pegs us as taking a tight end in round one. Feels like it's been an annual thing since the team's inception.

@kungfoodudeis next man up. He can hold it down.

Wouldn't put money on it being addressed next season (outside of finding a new backup)

Funny how they keep quoting and basing their arguments on those things they "don't give a fug about". Perhaps it is an "easy way" but I'm not about taking the easy way. My path is to look at what's good (without trying to minimize it or rationalizing my way out of it) then look at what's bad and make an honest call based on real truth. Basically, it's like saying you'd rather play against a team at their best than hoping they're all banged up by the time you face them. As to finding "that dude" you do so by finding who helps you win games. Like it or not, Bryce is doing that right now.

I've said I want them to bring a better mentor on board. That'd help fix things of that sort. So far, Pete Carroll has sounded like the best suggestion.

I mean, you are doing here what you do. but yeah, the people you are "addressing" here don't think as you want to portray them. No one actually gives a fug about literal stats. threatening play and overall load carrying ability of an offense matter when it comes to a QB. Especially, if your goal is to build a really good football team. Thats generally the fixation of most teams. Find that dude that can carry a team if need be and good enough to win a Super Bowl. Sometimes stats get talked about just because it is an easy way to talk on a message board about QBs that don't got what they are looking for and don't view as the answer.

Evero is in the same area as Bryce for me right now. Not a fan, but expect him to be retained. Difference with Evero though is some team could give him a head coaching job. And who knows? Maybe his coaching skill set will be well suited to such a role.

we cannot go 5 straight years going offensive player

Team friendly / short term extension was Dan Graziano's suggestion, using the Packers and Jordan Love as an example.