PanthersNCSU

This is the big thing. I feel like we're stuck in limbo on trading any future picks until Bryce proves he's the franchise. If he comes out and does that this year? We can be a little more Les Snead and say fug them picks when it comes to difference makers. But until then? All of our better picks have to be held onto.

Another game of chicken from the Bengals I think more than anything. Russinni reported the asking price is a 1st rounder and a young defensive player. They're never getting that. Throw in three bad teams as the interested parties (Browns, Colts, us)...maybe not, but I feel like the Bengals are just playing media games and saying hey we'll trade you to a bad team if you don't agree to what we want. If he is eventually traded, can't imagine they get anything other than a 3rd rounder and a young defensive player who's on the bubble of being cut anyway.

I think the family has calmed down (they had to, obviously), and Lavar has done the 180 and disappeared enough. But...I think it messed LaMelo up in the worst way of all the kids, as it would anybody. He was a high school/internet superstar before doing anything. He was a kid celebrity essentially who thought he had already made it. I think LaMelo's basketball brain is absolutely unique and special. But the injuries, the family dynamic, the fame, and frankly being on bad teams for years has ruined him as a basketball player IMO. I hope he does go on to be a star because he's one of the most exciting players in the world to watch when he's rolling...I just don't think he's ever living up to that. Best case for the Hornets future, and his, is to trade him to a contender. He's your 2nd or 3rd best player on a good team, and a good vet star being "above" him would do wonders for him I think.

410 possible games, he's played 231 of 'em. 56% of his games. Won rookie of the year, but he's been surpassed by the two guys he beat out. Never been All-Anything but rookie team. He's a name because of the internet, but superstar? I mean, he's barely a star. Top 50 player for sure, but that's about it right now.

Go get Muma from Jacksonville for a 7th. If nothing else, he's depth and intel for Week 1.

If the Browns thought he was good, why would they trade him? That's some 4D chess they're playing if they finally have a QB answer and they want to immediately get rid of him. And this is a team with, *checks notes*... Deshaun Watson Joe Flacco's corpse Dillon Gabriel Kenny Pickett AND just signed Tyler Huntley So again...if he was good...why would they even want to trade him when they're throwing more poo at the wall than we do for bottom of the roster churn?

Two 1st rounders minimum, and $40 mil per year minimum. That's a steeeeeep price....but damn I'd be excited.

Arch probably doesn't even come out this year. The Saints will be bad, they'll end up with Nussmeier and unite him with his dad. Love to see Penix struggling (in one tweet at least). After ATL traded next year's first, would be beautiful if Penix is bad.

Year 2 is huge for him, obviously. Come out strong, build confidence, and he may be a monster. Come out and he's still got sketchy hands... At least we have a super sized Ted Ginn?

I think he's reached the point where his only hope is to be a ST ace and make that his niche. Don't think he's a NFL level defender at any position.

I think Moore carries a lot more weight than he should with the coaching staff...and I'd be surprised if he's left off the team. Mike Kaye has alluded to that and I think it would surprise people if Moore is cut. Horn is going to have to no doubt win the return man job, or I think he has an "injury" that leaves him off the 53 at the start of the season.

Said it when we drafted him, but I think Nick S could be a Charles Johnson type. Johnson obviously had a couple great seasons, but he was never the star...just damn good. Good against the run and getting 7-8 sacks a year would be a godsend. Princely has the upside so love to see your post. Who knows how he'll be against the run, but if we're going to get a double digit sack guy, it's him IMO. Now let's just hope and pray they both hit.

Sucks for Jewell, but take care of yourself Wish we could go back in time and grab Germaine Pratt before he went to Vegas. Time to throw poo against the wall and hope it sticks. If we show any promise early in the season, trade for a guy to bolster the group then.

9-8 would do wonders for all of our mental health statuses

The Saints being that high is the one that killed me. Chris Olave might not know his name at this point, Shaheed is coming off injury as well, so 31 year old Brandin Cooks might be your best WR...coming off a 260 yard season over 10 games. Kamara is Kamara, but didn't have 1,000 yards last year and is about to turn 30. Toss in the fact that Taysom Hill may be the best QB on the team and I truly don't understand Barnwell's thoughts beside seeing the names "Olave" and "Kamara" and going yep, that sounds better than "Chuba" and "Thielen".

If Bryce isn't playing in the preseason we've got issues. Can't let the high of last year's end cloud that he still has everything to prove and grow as a player. Not playing him in the preseason, and add in a slow start? I'd start having Tepper's patience and thinking both he and Canales need to get out. I'm higher on Bryce than I should be, but he has to ascend into a no doubt Top 15 QB this year if we're even entertaining keeping him.

Yeah there's definitely homer-tinted glasses fueling part of me here. And other fans could say the same things, I just can't see us being behind the Pats, Browns, and even some teams that are higher up on the list like the Saints. Chuba & Rico is a Top 10 RB tandem at worst IMO. Allow for some Theilen regression, but expect T-Mac to be *something*, XL to improve even a little, and Coker to be Coker. Toss in promise from the TEs, and I just can't see 31. A lot of if ands and buts for us and every team, but just seems wild to me.

The homer in me has us closer to 25, but even then, a lot to prove. If our Skill positions are 31, OL lets just say 10, and QB is 25...it's going to be a long year and changes are coming (again). If that skill position group isn't ranking around 20 next year at minimum, it probably means we're finding a new QB and coach.

NBA guy on the Ringer said it, but I agree that Sexton and Dinwiddie won't be finishing the season here. Flip them to a needy team later in the season, acquire picks, then let the young guys finish the season to assess them. Basically, run a Thunder/asset accumulation model and get as many darts to throw as possible.

I can't see a world where the money goes down, but maybe your lottery odds are now your contract numbers you can offer. Thunder? You can offer Flagg 4 years, 20 million. Hornets? You can offer Flagg 4 years, 80 million. Some form of a system where the money is still there, but so is the freedom of choice (on top of bad teams getting *some* competitive advantage to signing them).

For the record, the Draft is fun...but I wish they'd find a way to get rid of it. It is borderline crazy that pro athletes are just about the only profession where you don't have really any say on where you're going to work, live, etc. Free agency for all would come with issues, but I'd be interested in it. Want to go to the contender? Then prepare to take less money. Only care about your paycheck or getting your stats? Then welcome to the bad teams with cap space.

https://x.com/TheDunkCentral/status/1938614224009203810 Wow I was told he bought in

Well, he was in probably every NBA franchise's top 6 or 7. Obviously it's nice to take the swing and it work out. But when a guy refuses to work out for your team, is probably the guy refusing to play with LaMelo, has sketchy handlers, etc.? You want...to take that swing? A desperate team does, sure. Which the Hornets are. But a smart team doesn't. Which is what they will hopefully become. Kon isn't a superstar, but his floor is Kyle Korver. Is that what you want in the 4th pick? Not really, but he's your 4th guy on a good team and what I think Charles Lee wants in a player. Trade down would've been nice, but for who? Tre Johnson would've been my guy, but he's gone if we trade with Brooklyn. If Washington wanted Ace, I doubt it would've taken much to come get him. Trade down and get Maluach (knowing you're trading Mark) would make sense and may have been the play, but I think Kon helps the team on the court and changing a culture. Not so sure about some of the guys in the 8-12 range.

Until LaMelo is traded, this is an unserious organization anyway. There's an insane lack of talent, and the talent all comes with baggage and injury concerns. I assume the OP was about passing on Ace...but he's exactly the type of prospect doomed to bust here and compound on to the problems with all of his rumored sketchiness.

Like the show and will listen, but Steven Ruiz is awful to listen to. He's a Panthers fan which makes it worse. I don't expect Bryce to have glowing reviews, but to have him ranked 34th last season behind some miserable options, and his rankings in general...yeesh.