top dawg

I'm thinking that Rhule was talking more in terms of offseason conditioning, but we'll see.

You see, what I like about Rank's takes is that he's not overthinking this thing. Rhule did unexpectedly well last year considering the circumstances, and with all the talent and upgrades that we have acquired on both sides of the ball, we just have to be better this year. We have invested heavily into the defense, and it's going to show this season. We made solid offensive pickups in the draft who were great values, and it's going to show this season. Brady and Snow have new toys--upgrades--to play with, and it's going to show this season. We will be better this season...so much so that no one on the national stage will overlook us or take us for granted anymore. Book it, Danno!

I didn't stutter. I know "it" when I see it. He's too good of a football player and underappreciated route runner with sticky hands.

Darnold and "best"! Someone's probably thinking you're availing yourself of mental gymnastics...

Man, I'm telling you again in a different way: there is zero chance that Shi Smith is cut. Zero! Stop hedging and just accept that he's a Panther and be happy!

It's a ranking, guys. Once the passes start flying, balls start being caught, and YAC starts accumulating, this will matter infinitely less than it does even now, and it doesn't matter at all. Pre-season entertainment is all it is.

It's freeing.

The entire purpose of adding a plethora of purported offensive talent is to make ourselves legitimately multidimensional on offense. As such, everyone, including CMC, will likely get less touches, but the offense as a whole will hopefully become markedly more efficient (as should the play calling).

I didn't say that they wouldn't. Obviously, whenever you add other weapons into the mix, everyone's touches will be affected. I would hope that just like Belichick and McDaniels do, we will do situational gameplanning each week and situational coaching and play calling each gameday that prioritizes what works. They didn't add new pieces to the puzzle like Terrace, Chuba, and Shi for no reason. Arnold and Tremble will hopefully add another dimension as well. I don't think they'll just force-feed CMC the ball, as well as they shouldn't. They shouldn't be force-feeding anyone in my opinion.

The ONLY way CMC will effectively impact this offense in such a way that will legitimately lead us to the realistic potential to compete for a championship is if the receivers are doing their jobs. If they aren't, then he'll get a lot of production because he is being leaned upon as a crutch and not efficiently used within the flow of the game, and that's if he doesn't get hurt again because of being run into the ground. We've seen this all before. Balance will be the key! Thankfully, from our acquisitions, it appears as though the powers that be seem to be of the same opinion.

A dynamic RB adds another dimension to an offense, and this has always been the case, but it doesn't minimize the effects of each part because the sum of the parts and the way that the OC maneuvers the equation and determines the answer plays a huge role in determining the outcome.

I'm talking receivers. CMC is an RB, and he is not a better WR than Robby regardless of mental gymnastics.

Christian Miller and Omar Bayless

Panthers fans have been downplaying Robby since he was signed, and I always told Huddlers that he is better than given credit for on this forum. I think he proved that, despite playing with a QB who in no way played to Robby's strengths, at all. I seriously doubt that he'll be a 3rd or 4th option, and I also doubt that there's any validity to these whispers--more akin to voices in someone's head--unless we're getting someone of note in return, as it makes zero sense. If nothing else, next year he'll garner us a third round compensatory pick, and we'll be throwing that away by releasing him.

It's not even a question to me. He could read offenses just as well as opposing QBs. He's a lock to get in. Just watch!

I don't think that being smart with CMC automatically means he's not worth the contract. Just like LT was, CMC is someone that the defense must account for at all times because he is so dynamic. And, like you alluded to, he opens up the offense for other players. That's worth it's weight in gold in and of itself. His contract becomes less of the pie from a cost perspective as time moves on, but he has to be available for us to get the value. I would argue that his value is not in using him as a crutch or panacea for uninspired--or--sometimes down right bad playcalling like in the Rivera era, but in the ability to maximize his elite offensive skills among other talented weapons in a more explosive offense.

Selling Chuba short already? He was drafted in the fourth. I think CMC's rushing usage will purposefully be kept to somewhere between 15-20 carries per game. Although it seems hard to keep him off the field, I believe that last year was a lesson learned by the brass, and as such his load will be monitored. I believe that Chuba was drafted with spelling CMC in mind in as seamless a manner as possible because of his potential to be legitimately dynamic in his own right. He is at least as fast as CMC and can catch. I'm not sure if he's as lightning quick as CMC with the jukes (including hops), or has CMC's great field vision, but at worst he's a marked upgrade over the older and slower Mike Davis. He is dangerous once he gets to the second level, but he does run with some power, and can pick up those 5 yard runs in between the tackles.

Complaints of sexual harassment or sexual violence. That's what it means, but that being said, this is the first time I've heard even a sniff of that. I researched these supposed off-field issues, and I have yet to find anything that serious. It's gotta be something though I suppose, but wtf it is, it's crazy hard to find and confirm.

Economical, or full o' sh¡t... Just messin' with you, @TheSpecialJuan!

"Crappier players..."? Everything is not so cut-and-dried in the NFL. Some of these players will likely outplay those whose career begins with greater expectations.

They were trying to maximize value across and irrespective of positions (BPA).

We'll get the answer as the weeks roll on. Interesting, maybe, but Matthew Stafford played under not-so-great conditions for the lion's share (oh, snap, I didn't even see what I did there) of his career. When you start breaking down stats, he was pretty damned good, though on a sucky team. Darnold wasn't good...but, he was in an even worse situation. Darnold began his career in a clusterfug of a situation surrounded by ineptitude and disjointedness in pretty much all respects. But there were just enough flashes, however imperceptible to casual football fans, for the professionals to give him his Matt Stafford-opportunity though he is on the bottom of the career curve--which really plays in his favor--and Stafford is somewhere near the the top of the career curve (playing like a top five, or at least 10 QB), plucked from a mess, and now expected to legitimately compete for championships.

Otah was good until he got injured. He wasn't the quintessential bust

Just messing, or he wouldn't have "quickly deleted" his post on social media.