DaveThePanther2008

Goff was apart of a player for player swap. If you trade CMC you are going for draft picks. Those Rookies. We aren't going to trade for another player we want picks. Those two or three players won't make nearly what we are paying CMC. Those players help with our overall Cap space. How much I don't know but like I said, indirectly it would help.

So you can't offset it directly but indirectly you can. You won't recuperate all of it but you will soft the blow with two to possibly 3 players under rookie contracts. True?

GMs work all types of deals that can alleviate some of those concerns. I am not going to argue your point on cap implications because I'm not a cap guru like many think they are. It's a fair point.

Offensively we have talent that with the right coaching could do well. Darnold had is moments good and bad (more bad than good) but I don't know many QBs in this league that could stand up to the pressure he was under. You spend 4 or 5 series in a row with 3 and out you tend to try and make things happen. Coaching IMO will be the difference. What we need is an NFL caliber OC and O-line coach. That's your beginning. We have skill players at RB and WR. TE could use some help but I am high on Tremble. Get me an O-line coach and an OC and those players we see as weak could be good. IMO we should go all in on the best interior linemen in free agency. I don't want these bargain players that might be good or might be bad. Give me a free agent that has a solid resume.

While you rant and rave that it isn't possible Fitterer has said from day one he'd listen to any offer. I have been an opponent of trading him but two seasons of injuries opens the door to the possibility. Hubbard is not CMC but showed promise as a running back that could carry a significant amount of carries. CMC is generational talent but no matter how great your skill level is, if you can't stay on the field you are a worthless asset. If Fitterer felt he was getting a deal that would help us overall. He'll make the trade. Stop acting like you're a know-it-all. YOU AIN'T. YOUR OPINION is we won't trade him and I'm OK with it but MY OPINION which is just as valid as yours is IT'S Possible.

In players that we could move I think CMC would still garner some nice picks. Maybe not a first rounder but possibly a 2nd and 3rd. This all depends on whether we think Hubbard can carry the load. He did well for a rookie and as much as I like CMC this is the season to do it. Denver would lick their chops to get McCaffery 2.0 in Denver. He definitely has trade value. The only other position I would consider is WR. Many have written Marshall off. I think he has the potential to be a stud. If I had the choice I would trade Anderson. Anderson didn't have the impact he had in 2020 but can fill the deep threat role many teams covet. I see us trading down as well. The combine and the senior bowl will bring some cream to the top and someone will make us an offer. Tepper has made it clear that we will not lose in a trade (points wise) If we could somehow add a 2nd along with a latter round 1st. I think we'd be in business. Best case we trade CMC for a 2nd and 4th and get a 3rd for Anderson, we add a lower 1st rounder and add a 2nd. We'd have 1st, 2 (2nd) a 3rd and 2 (4th) plus our lower round picks..

An offensive coordinator that has reached the playoffs several times is good enough for me. While you can say he never got out of the wildcard game the defense is partially to blame for that loss. Something you can't hang on Gruden. What it does tell me is that he knows how to make in game adjustments and counter what defenses bring to him. Something we haven't had in a VERY VERY long time. Gruden may not be the pick but I hope and pray that whoever they bring in has the mental capacity to counteract what a defense throws at us. I would be happy with Gruden.

I can see this. The draft does not have that top end QB that will go in the top 5. Obviously that could change after the Senior Bowl and combine. However, I do see an opportunity to trade down and pick up another pick or two later in the draft and get a late 1st round QB. We're on the hook for Sam and with TB5 contract still in play picking up another QB bill doesn't make sense. We all want to throw Darnold under the bus and in some instances rightly so. But between our horrendous O-Line and an incompetent QC I don't think many QBs would have faired much better. Resign Cam as a backup and build a stout O-line for Darnold. Our rookie QB can sit back and learn for the year and when the season starts to tank, (which at this point I think is more probably than the playoffs) let the rookie get his feet wet. If Darnold plays well we might actual get some compensation if he signed as a free agent in 2023. I say plan 2023 with a new Coach and a 2nd year QB that has enough experience to start new.

With the understanding that pre-season doesn't mean much it is hard to believe that all these rookies played well in preseason yet did get many opportunities during the regular season. Especially since those in front of them were not much better (outside the receiving corps) I still believe that this rookie class will be one of our better drafts providing Rhule starts to use them. It doesn't do much good to draft all these players without giving them much of an opportunity to play.

Exactly. I think what makes it worse is that Rhule was able to get complete control. For the most part I think we've drafted well and the judgement is still out on whether those picks will be good ones but IMO they are OK. That said, it doesn't matter how well you draft and what FA you bring in if you staff is unable to get the best out of our talent. Rhule's stubbornness is far worse than Rivera's, which is saying a lot. When it was clear that we weren't going anywhere this season. He should have put Christensen and Brown in the lineup and allowed for them to grow instead of playing players that have zero upside. His Coaches, at least offensively, are terrible. So on and so on.

I think it would be worse if we go .500 in 2022 and we're stuck with this insane project another year. I completely agree with the OP. Rhule thinks the buddy buddy system will do what he did in college. Not in this league. The Temple, Baylor connection to include coaches and players is insulting. We are never going to win with all those connections. I hope he learns but I think Tepper has enabled Rhule's project and as long has he's in control of everything. The Panthers will be bottom dwellers.

I like the one team gets a bye. It makes everybody play the last game of the season. (For the most part) Sure Pittsburgh and Philly showed THIS year they aren't deserving but what happens when that 7th seed makes it to the Super Bowl and wins.

OK Marty. Tremble was not that bad. He had some good plays and given a decent OC he'll probably be better than any FA we bring in. Everyone wants to draft that same position that we drafted last year because the player we drafted didn't make the Pro Bowl. You have to let some of these guys develop. Foolish to keep drafting or bringing in FA for the same positions when we have so many other needs. We are in serious need of interior linemen and should be our focus. I saw an early mock draft which has us talking the 3rd best O-line in the draft, however there were many more O-line that were taken in round one. A QB wasn't taken until mid first round. Trade down, pick up an extra draft pick. Grab a 1st Round O-line and a QB in round two.

I think the bigger issue was with all that talent Brady had, he was confident in the initial game plan. They were never really in the position to make any major changes to the game plan. You can't do that in the NFL. You are going to have to make in game adjustments and Brady couldn't do it. It was pretty obvious. After 3 games teams figured out what we did well. They took it away and poof Brady turns into Coach Klein (Waterboy).

This is exactly why I stay out of the cap conversations. I've never followed the money and leave that to the ones that do. Bottom line is we'll have some cap space and we need to use it on top tier free agents.

I think with a solid line he can be a workhorse. I think his TD run yesterday was strong and once he got to the 2nd level it was over. I don't think you are being overly optimistic.

Understandable there is a lot of disgruntled fans on this board. However, I think we have many good pieces and with a good head coach and coordinators I think we can do well next year. It all depends on Tepper.

Rhule makes Rivera look like a genius. He is so in stubborn to believe players he brought in free agency are the answers to our issues and won't play the rookies they drafted. I still can't believe they didn't give Brown a chance at guard considering they make M. Kalil look like an All-Pro. Turnstile is too good of a word for them. You could also make a case that Christensen didn't look so good because the scrub guard next to him wasn't doing much to help him.

We might get a UDFA for Darnold at this point. Darnold has zero trade value, regardless of what the talking heads are saying. We gambled and lost. Our best bet is hopefully trade down and get our 2nd back. We'll have to wait until combine to see what players stand out. If a Mid first round QB or OT becomes available we might be able to trade down grab a 2nd and maybe a next years first.

While I agree that we can address some of our needs through free agency. We have to address the offense with the first pick whether QB or OT. We've spent several drafts in a row addressing the defense. We need to go offense.

Barring a miracle win against Tampa Bay next week this will be the first time in our team history that had a higher top 10 draft choice than the year before. We have always improved after having a top 10 pick in the draft. Though we have had several picks higher than the year before never have we done it after having a top 10 pick. Currently we are sitting at 8 and unless we find a way to upset Tampa we will have a higher pick, currently 6th. We need to get rid of Rhule before we do it another year in a row.

I totally agree. I still stand by that this may have been the best draft class the Panthers have ever had. Almost all have contributed somehow. Marshall, Smith, Brown and even Christensen have been hindered by Rhule.

He's one of those guys that needs to remain a coordinator. He's a good defensive mind but as far as a head coach he's meh.

That's a bit harsh. I think with better coordinators we could turn things around quickly. But as the old saying goes, If your not improving your team you're going backwards. So those are position that need to be addressed. Hubbard did well considering our weak ass o-line, Smith and Marshall will be better with a real OC. Tremble is good too. Our top priority should be building a top 10 offensive line. Just about every team heading towards the playoffs has good O-lines.

I've never been a fan of Harbaugh and there is no way Pittsburgh lets Tomlin leave the steel city. My criteria is No College Coach. They've shown over and over they don't pan out. Sure there have been a few but overall most hires don't work. If we can't land solid coordinators I am all in on the protégé option. Guys that have been assistance coaches under the best minds in the game. I can't name any but I am sure they are out there.