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that is how I view it. Even if he weren't injured, my position was that he was an average OT at best. But it is a business, and if you invest even money in something that has a 20% chance of a return to mediocre, then you will not be running that organization long. I thought Horn was a stupid deal (stil do, to be honest). We have first rounders from SoCar who are being outperformed by undrafted free agents and practice squad players--our strength is finding those players--(MJax and Coker) and not trying to invest heavily in our top end players who either can't stay healthy or play the position at an elite level. Ickey has a year of guaranteed money (something like $14m). He should feel lucky he got that deal before injuring his knee, and we should be grateful that the injury happened before we gave him a $100m deal.

The hard reality is we have to assume Ickey is done and act accordingly. I do think there is a chance he comes back and plays at the same level but it's under 50 percent, maybe well under. So you assume he's done and if he isn't then that's a great bonus.

I'd say to keep other teams from poaching the player. As a player I don't know why they would sign a two year deal though unless they don't think they're very good. In the NFL you have 31 other suiters in free agency and they have salary caps. Ncaa you have 100+ and no rules on how much they can spend.

Hedged the one leg of my 5 team parlay that didn't hit last night. Day off to a good start with some early morning EPL.

If anything we're lucky he got this injury before we committed a huge deal to him. We have to operate like he's finished.

Post some pics.

Here between Myrtle and ILM it is hard to believe that this time tomorrow they are saying 6 inches of snow will be on the ground - Sunny and 36 degrees right now.

NFL= Not for long. I believe the statistic is the average NFL career lasts only four years. Icky just played his 4th year. If he does not come back, he will not be the first Panthers high OL draft pick to have a shortened career due to injury. See Otah and Bruce Nelson. If Morgan is smart, he does not count on Icky coming back as a LT in 2027 and possibly not coming back as a guard either. Anything is possible but the odds are not good.

I see your view, but the fact that the time of recovery is straddling a contract makes it interesting/complicated. Those other OL in this report are older players...but I would not want to be Morgan. I would base my decisions on the statistical probabilities. I would move him to guard--I would have considered it anyway if a better OT came our way.

The stats certainly aren’t good for returning to play at all, much less the same level. I just have this feeling the Icky will be one of the guys who return as good as ever and serves as a beacon of hope for others with this injury. His work ethic and drive to succeed will demand it from him.

Not really. There is a big difference between being named an All-Pro and being selected to a Pro Bowl. Obviously, being named as an All-Pro carries much more cred than a Pro Bowl selection.

hope this is not common knowledge to you, lifeless internet whores, (perhaps a bit too strong) but I decided to look into this to see what data Morgan and company will be examining. Morgan recently said that Ickey's surgery was successful, but that is far from an endorsement that his return to form will be. Mathematically, his return to form is a longshot, and if he cannot play at the level he was playing, we need a left tackle, regardless of the 9-12 month average recovery time. Career Outlook for Linemen Recent medical data indicates that offensive linemen (OL) have a significantly higher risk for patellar tendon injuries compared to all other position groups. For linemen, the mechanical demands of the position—specifically the extreme eccentric overload required during pass-blocking and the stress of managing a higher body mass index (BMI)—contribute to both injury frequency and difficulty in recovery. Return to Play (RTP) Rate: The overall RTP for PT ruptures is only ~55%, significantly lower than the ~79% average for other orthopedic surgeries. In other words, a player with an ACL is 25% more likely to return to play. Return to Form: Only 21.4% of players return to their pre-injury performance level within two years. (We have a 1-5 chance that Ickey returns to his present form-forget about his positive development and potential before the injury. I am not a fan of those odds, especially when it could take 2 years to get there.) Positional Impact: While skill players (WRs, RBs) rely on agility that the patella tendon (PT) anchors, linemen require the tendon for the "explosive" leg drive needed to anchor against 300+ lb defenders. (In other words, it impacts agility and leg drive, and I can't think of many positions on the field that need those abilities more) Injury Type Return to Play (RTP) Rate Career Longevity Impact Patellar Tendon Rupture 50% – 57% Highest (Worst outcomes in games played/performance) Achilles Tendon Rupture ~76% High (Decline in power/efficiency ratings) ACL Repair (ACLR) ~79% Moderate (Significant 1st-year decline; better long-term recovery) Recent High-Profile Cases (2025–2026) Ickey Ekwonu (Panthers LT): Suffered a rupture in January 2026; he is expected to miss the entire 2026 season due to the 6–12 month recovery timeline. Rashawn Slater (Chargers LT): Suffered a rupture in August 2025, forcing him to miss the 2025 season and potentially much of 2026. Trent Brown (Texans RT): Suffered a tear in late 2024 and returned to play in 2025, serving as a rare "hope" case for the position. Data from the NFL and NIH (National Institute of Health) Overall Assessment We basically have a year to evaluate Ickey's progress, but we need to consider the likelihood that he will never return to form. What is Ickey's "Form?" Ickey had 7 penalties (about average for the position) and surrendered 5 sacks (bottom third). So the level he has a 21% chance of returning to is serviceable--not elite or above average. There is a 78% chance that he does not return to this level or play. I would add that he has been improving, but the data does not include projected form; it is based on current levels (2025) The Panther decision: In the view of MHS, the Panthers should begin be re-signing Nijman and BC if possible. I imagine their agents are aware of the Ickey situation. Nijman is 30ish and a strong run blocker, but his pass pro is weak (47.0 PFF vs run grade of 86.1-that is consistent with my novice observations). He needs TE/RB help, in other words in some passing sets. Christensen (29) would be my preference, however, because he has shown the capability to be an effective left tackle in the NFL, driven by elite agility, technically sound pass-blocking, and high-level college production (96.0 PFF grade in 2020). While sometimes limited by average arm length compared to prototypical tackles, his quick feet allow him to reach spots and maintain balance. He has successfully filled in at tackle for the Panthers and is considered a highly versatile, dependable lineman. So if the Panthers can get these two back, they could find a LT later in the draft to develop. The more I think about it, the more this might be my play. Even if the OT we draft late is not ready to play LT in 2027, we still need depth and youth at RT. I would move Ekwonu to guard now and have him start learning that position (film, technique). Lewis and Hunt will be leaving (unless restructured) in 2027-2028. If Ekwonu takes 2 years to "return to form" as stated, he will show signs of his potential in 12 months--allowing Morgan and doctors to assess his likelihood to return. Then I might offer a backloaded, unguaranteed contract with heavy incentives. We could draft a LT in the first round, but forcing a rookie to start at LT in the NFL has been far from a quick fix or recipe for success. They often struggle for the first year--I am satisfied that, if we run the ball more as seems to be our MO, use more quick hitting passes such as slants, outs and some digs, we can function for a season with BC and Nijman. Maybe this is a situation that is good on paper but catastrophic on the field, but free agency is not where you find your LT, and first round rookies tend to struggle. Furthermore, at the Senior Bowl (I think it was the Senior Bowl--East West maybe?) the panthers seemed interested in a tackle that is going to be a day 3 pick. Of course, there are no first or second rounders playing in that game, so it could just be due dilligence.

I dont disagree but saying that now feels like we are in bizarro world. Can you imagine typing that back in August?

Did I miss something Thursday night? I don't post when I'm at the game, but, reading the game thread back, did you actually go an entire game without letting us know how you feel about the Miller signing? But, let's be real, Gostisbehere was directly responsible for assisting on 2 of Utah's goals, and Chatty assisted on a 3rd. The Mammoth's 4th goal came on a no-call slash that took Walker's stick out of his hands and Stankoven was tripped on the same play.

See how the board falls because we still need help just about everywhere. The only positions we don't take on day one and two are: QB, RB and TE (STs, obviously). That's it folks. Every other position on the roster could use an upgrade early in the draft. WR-(s), IOL, OT, DT, DE, OLB, ILB, CB and safety. We shouldn't have to reach for anything.

So you want to shoehorn yourself into drafting OT and LB in the 1st and 2nd? Great way to end up reaching out of desperation.

from the draft sites it looks like romeo is roughly 2nd, Barber 3/4 range and Huskey looks like a late round flyer at best. Again I dont recall ever watching maryland this season so I cannot speak to his game but Barber and Height would be pretty good fits at the right draft spot but Height is just not a big dude and will probably struggle in the nfl

Blake

^^^ 1. I dont know much about Huskey but his size and stats seems good 2. Barber is the anti Icky. Hes really good at pass pro and really quick and handles speed rushers well but not really strong enough for a dominate run game 3. I love Romellos game but hes not really a big dude and this may make him a one trick pony in the nfl

A lot is going to depend on how much cap space we can muster up. Right now, we don’t have as much as we thought. We’re going to have to restructure, extend, and/or cut a number of guys. We should use that money to go after ILBs and an OLB. We can take care of the rest of our needs via draft.

getting rid of Evero is like trying to flick a sticky booger off of your finger

I think signing Coker long term now (since you are not signing Ickey) makes sense, based on his production numbers. If he balls out next year, you could be looking in the $15m range for a player you could have much cheaper. If you wait until you have to make decisions about a healthy Ickey and then QB, you could lose Coker. (I have not looked at contract details etc. so my math could be off--but where I sit now, it seems to me this is obvious: Coker seems to have a future--solid hands, can get open, etc. His production (less that 400 yards) is probably far less than he will have next year etc.)

I completely disagree. If one is 20 years old and doesn't have the sense to understand what a contract is, shouldn't be signing them. And from what I understand, these guys have agents advising them. Once the contract is signed, both the school and the individual signing should be bound by it as long as it follows the law. Otherwise, what is the point of the contract?

1. Have to draft Ickey's replacement in the 1st or 2nd round, high chance he will never be the same and he wasn't dominant to begin with. 2. Yes - pay him before he gets more expensive. Right now, he can be had reasonably cheap given that he still needs to prove he can stay healthy and have a full season of WR2 production. 3. I think you keep him on the roster and see if he is willing to work and improve. If he doesn't you simply don't pick up his 5th year option after this year. 4. See #1 5. Draft best available in either 1st or 2nd round. 6. I think RB room is set, hopefully Brooks shows promise and takes over half the carries. maybe draft another one in the late rounds 4-5 for depth.