top dawg

He basically answered the question: "There's a little bit of walking in the door and going, 'Wow, football, the NFL,'" Tepper said. "De-mystifying it, a little bit, for myself. I was in Pittsburgh, but I wasn't making those decisions." Gantt broke it down: "Tepper has freely admitted over the years that he's learning the football industry on the fly. When he bought the team, he started with the business side of the operation because the business world was one he moved comfortably in. So that's the first thing he turned upside down and gave a good shake to. As a result, the coach and GM he inherited were left on their own for a bit, while Tepper decided what he wanted his football operation to look like." In other words, Tepper had to do a little bit of learning, reflecting, planning, then building---or rebuilding as it were---and that's where we are now!

I'll be mighty surprised if we acquire Stafford. He just doesn't fit the rebuilding theme that we have going on here. He's a bridge (just not a Bridgewater)!

He's gung-ho! I'm not going to criticize him just yet! Personally, I hope he works out because we need more characters in the NFL! I'm not holding my breath though. Maybe he'll be a great motivator and player's coach like Cowher, or a hard-nose like Coughlin (or perhaps a combination of the two). It'll be interesting to see.

He chose the more stabile option, and the one that fit his situation a little better. He needs to learn to be a pro, not be thrust into the fire before he's ready. I'm impressed that he even realized it. Now he can sit behind Ben for at least a year and learn and hopefully grow. He has the physical tools. Now it's just a matter of getting his mind right and seeing how high his ceiling is.

That he "wouldn't mind [Wilson] at 8." Simple as that!

Yeah, I alluded to it on December 1.

If I were them, especially Bienemy, I wouldn't touch that job with a 10 foot pole!

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2926699-nick-sirianni-reportedly-hired-as-eagles-new-hc-after-stint-as-colts-oc Looks like Joe Brady ain't going anywhere this year. Maybe next year... I don't believe there are any spots left open except the Texans. Maybe we can include him in our trade package...(◠‿◕)

Good for him. He needed a strong hand and a solid organization to join. Maybe Tomlin can whip him into shape. Good luck to him and all parties involved!

For some reason, after reading this article I can't get The Gambler by Kenny Rogers out of my mind!

I should've said "I do think we've been.. boring..." Now, the edit button is nowhere to be found! The edit button is not showing on OPs, but seems to be showing on normal posts, @Jeremy Igo

Nice touch on the scoreboard!

Due to Scott Fitterer's history in Seattle, Fitterer will look at all avenues in order to improve the team and is not afraid to take some risks according to Dan Morgan and Jim Nagy. “If you just look at his background in Seattle, look how aggressive [general manager] John Schneider has been," Nagy said. “The mantra in Seattle is to be in every single deal." “You might not make every deal, but you want to be a part of every deal." At least we know that Fitterer will do his due diligence on Deshaun Watson (and everybody if you believe what the article intimates)! At the same time, don't expect for him to mortgage the future! And, as we've seen alluded to in another article, Fitterer is well-connected. “The Seattle process is such a collaborative effort," said Nagy, using the word (collaborative) that was so important to Carolina coach Matt Rhule in the GM search. “Scott’s gonna want to build through the draft, but there’s some guys in the league that are only connected to certain other GMs." “The good news for the Panthers is Scott is so well-connected throughout the league, they’re going to be open to 31 other teams and involved in a lot of free-agency deals." All this is welcome news to my ears. I don't think, as a franchise, we've been historically boring in the free agent and trade markets. That sounds like it's about to change. Read the article! https://www.espn.com/blog/carolina-panthers/post/_/id/34675/scott-fitterer-has-risk-taking-mentality-needed-to-improve-panthers

You speak as though we're bereft of talent. Like Greenie says, a young QB of this caliber that hasn't even hit his prime yet doesn't happen. That being said, I'm good if it happens or not.

Purely a coincidence? I don't think so!

A whole lot of speculation and assumption in this thread. How about we wait and see what happens, because anything can. Deshaun Watson has a modicum of control in this situation, and for those treating CMC's contract like it's just the most terrible thing, I'm just shaking my head because I believe you've lost perspective. Furthermore, the Panthers don't even have to be in consideration, much less CMC.

This has been a long time coming! It's great! Thanks for getting with the times!

I'm not acting like we did the "right thing", I'm saying, "It is what it is." Obviously, we have done some wrong things, but, some things don't have to be right or wrong, just part of doing business. I'm not obsessing over it either way! I'm just glad when things fall our way based on decisions that the FO makes!

You have tunnel vision! No franchise is going to tank a season or not try to field a competitive team. We were attempting to win, not "throw away picks." It's not rocket science! The rebuild effectively began with the hiring of Rhule, and is currently happening as we speak. I'm not interested in micro-analyzing every move and essentially crying over spilled milk. That's your thing! They do what they do, and I have to live with it and hope for the best. My thing is trying to understand why certain moves are made, but I am not looking for perfection because I know it doesn't exist! Hindsight is 20/20, but I am wise enough to know that we have to live in the present, even as we look forward to a not so clear future. Football is a gamble! Sometimes you win; sometimes you lose. But while you're trying to win, or just survive, comp picks which may or may not happen aren't necessarily the priority! That's just the way it is.

Meh. If you have immediate needs, you have to consider the best way to fulfill them. I'm not going to get into a cycle of literally second guessing every decision that's made! Once we get some stability, then I may give it more credence. But still, in general, it is one more thing to be considered in need-based calculations. I don't know what else to tell you.

No free? No read!

They're nice, but they shouldn't impede the business at hand! Just something else to consider among need-based calculations.

Yeah, he did his thing (and I called it before the game). He didn't do it by himself though. Winfield was key, and also Murphy-Bunting who helped hold Michael Thomas to ZERO catches. That's amazing!

Still having a pointless discussion I see. If someone doesn't understand the fact that PFF is a tool to be used like other tools, is a valued resource and used by every franchise in the NFL, looks at tape of every play, and has some rankings that are relatively equal to other analytics companies, then let them be!

I may be a homer, but I just don't think we're that far off from playoff contention. Hell, with a more talented QB, we could've easily found ourselves in a wildcard spot this year. Moreover, unlike some, I think we have some legit talent on this roster on both sides of the ball. By 2022-23 season, I fully expect us to be in the dance. We have a head start on the rest of our division as far as rebuilding goes and they're going to have to pay for going all-in on old guys! We're getting younger, and I like what Rhule was able to do with the youngsters this year. If he and Fitterer can add to it with day three picks and UDFAs (which they have a track record of doing), assuming they make a move for Watson, I still think we'll be in good shape for 2022!