thefuzz

Had a son last year, have watched the least amount of football of my life over the past 24 months. When I heard we traded up, I thought for sure it was for Young. Then I watched CJ's games. He makes "tough" throws look easy. Footwork looks clean and on time. Can fit the ball into any window. Ideal size and arm strength. Was just too much to overlook, college campus be damned. Either way, I'm down, there is some excitement with the Panthers for the first time in half a decade.

Agreed. Wonder how long Fitt and CHI has been working on this behind the scenes?

When I first heard of the trade, I sent some of my best friends a link to the Young review by McCown...thought for sure that's why we moved up. 3 days later, and after I really dug in, my mind was changed. Had we finished with a top 5 pick last season, I would have been looking at these guys since the bowl season....but at 9, I never even felt it was worth it. I prefer Stroud, but will be fine with whatever the FO and Coaches decide.

Good. Also, let's don't do what everyone else is doing with matte....zig when they zag.

This is the most confusing move I think I have ever seen the Panthers make. Weird.

I go to the beach twice a year, New Years Day for Polar Plunge, and usually get dragged out there one other time for friends and family. I spend my time on the Intracoastal, and on the islands between Wrightsville and Topsail. Make overnight runs up to Morehead and stay the night up there occasionally. This is one of my rare Saturdays I'm having to work, otherwise, we would be on the boat this afternoon.

Nah, not weird at all salt air is a very real thing...makes others nuts sometimes though. I rarely take a shower after jumping in the water in the afternoons and evenings, love sleeping that way...reminds me of my childhood. I deal with semi retirees and retirees almost solely in my business, rarely any families....I hear that all the time. Why are you coming to Wilmington/Cape Fear? Common answers: Was stationed in J Ville when we were young, loved the area (not JAX). Daughter went to UNCW, never could leave, we couldn't wait to follow her after our first visit to see her at school. Lived there before I had to relocate to RDU/CLT.

Bad servers. Good servers don't allow for plate crowding.

Leave the box, keep the cannoli.

I get it. Wilmington is different, that's for sure. You have to slow down, you have to realize folks don't work on Fridays, certainly not the weekends. 9 months out of the year I can jump in my truck and be at my boat in less than 10 minutes, head out to go catch Flounder, Trout, or Red Drum, back at the house before my son is finishing breakfast. Pack the fam and the dog up, and head out for a day of cruising, sand bar hopping, or fishing. Head home after and eat fresh fish. Run down to Southport on the boat for lunch? Sure! Mayfaire and fantastic restaurants are 5 minutes from my house and if you want, you can head downtown to catch most any band...river front. I get it, if you visit Wilmington...may not look like much, but if you live the coastal life, it's an Awesome place to raise a family.

That middle paragraph I agree with 100%. He seems to be a very smart QB that knows the position inside and out, but....and that's a big ole but.....it's yet to be seen if his playing style can translate, and for how long? Again, at 9 and not giving up anything, I'm pulling the lever, and hoping for the best....after trading so much, I'd just be very hesitant to risk my coaching career on a hope and a hunch. But that's just me.

Cam played the position poorly. Not that he was a bad QB, but that he chose to invite contact, as did his coach. That's stupid, but that's who he is. BTW, Young IS already an outlier, now you are asking him to be extremely lucky. Possible, but doubtful....to me....and I matter zero.

You and I have very different meanings of the word safe and risky. IMO giving a lead leading contract to a college coach who never worked in the pro's is risky. Allowing him to have roster control is risky. Keeping him for a 3rd year after shitting the bed is risky. Hiring some of the very best coaches in the league seems rather safe to me. Moving up to 1 to not risk not getting your guy at 8-2...that seems safe to me. Drafting the smallest QB in league history at 1 seems very risky to me. Like I said, we view the words differently.

OK. I'll explain it as best as I can, and you are smelling what' I'm stepping in BTW.... Were we still sitting at 9, or even 5, I'd have no problem pulling the lever for Young, I think that he's a smart, capable QB that comes from great coaching, and has won in college. All In, no problem at all. But we aren't. We gave up a 1st and a 2nd....as well as a top 20 WR who was under contract long term for the chance to move up to 1. If this goes sideways, everyone in the front office and coaching staff will once again be looking for new jobs. All of them. That's why I believe that you have to go with the "prototypical" QB with that selection. Perfect size, good coaching, winner, big arm, etc....checks all the boxes. There is a reason that Allen and Mahommes didn't go 1 overall, and it's those reasons are why I'm skeptical of Young at 1.

History is what I'm going with, not hope....it's fine to go with hope, it's fun, but not normally as productive. How long is the list of QB's (that are good) that have been sub 6' tall? Not 6', sub 6'. Again, I'm not knocking Young, and were he just 3" taller, and or 20#s heavier/thicker, I'd be in his camp all day...and screaming about it from the rooftops. However, he's not. Now, I'm not a fan of where CJ went to school, but that doesn't bother me as much as not being a fan of Young's size.

I look at them a little differently than most. IMO, you are buying a run with the trading of the assets, not a 10 year guy...there are SO few of those, think about how many 10 year starters there have been that stuck with a team for that long in the recent decades. Not too many, and those are HOF guys who you don't care about giving said 2nd contract. Now, that leads me to the next piece, to make said run, you need an above average/good QB that stays healthy for the full run. As to the health thing, it's not gut that's telling me he won't make it, it's history. There has never been a long term starter in the NFL at this guys size and playing weight....EVER. Think about being a Skins fan during the RG3 years, or a Dolphins fan right now...scared to death every time a rusher sneaks by, or he your RB misses a blitz pickup? You would be trying to get a HOF level QB, while also being the maverick who does so with a 179lb QB....

2nd contract with original team is probably the best indicator. Not looking at the list all that much, I'd say you have about a 50/50 shot at getting a QB that becomes a decent starter. The bad news, you need more than than to win in the league. I'd expect at least a 50% washout rate just due to the over drafting of the players due to position.

2nd contract isn't an issue for minimum 4 years, a window to win in the NFL is about that long as well....take the guy who has the best ability to stay healthy, make the throws and go win games. If you have to worry about a 2nd contract, you are blessed.

We are setting up for a mini run...at least that's what it feels like. Vets at thin positions, QB on rookie deal, capable backup, good O Line, great coaching staff (on paper), and an owner willing to spend money to win. If the defense is above average, and the rookie shows that he can play and the moment isn't too big...we should make the playoffs next season, barring injuries, make a little run in year 2.

No, we haven't.

This, IMO. With Stroud on a 5 year deal, you can build the defense, and get enough skill position players around him to make a simpl"er" offense....Reich and crew can design said offense, I've never, ever had faith in our offense staffs through the years....I do now. With Caldwell, Reich, McCown, and Brown....they can build the offense, and Stroud can make every throw...he's not going to need to get to his 3rd read his rookie year....not what will be called for. Think what the Steelers die with Roethlisberger.....babied him along until the training wheels could come off....and they won...a LOT. Take the Roethlisberger/Rivers, not the Kyler, and build the team.

At the most important job interview in my life, I'm not drinking if I'm 22 years old....would likely have a cocktail now and a glass of wine with dinner...but I'm almost double that age. SO, it's ice water with lime. Whatever appetizer and salad the server recommends, then likely a New York strip, rare to med rare, bearnaise sauce, with scalloped potatoes and asparagus. Key Lime Pie for desert.

I see Wilmington was left off intentionally...shame. I'd rather live here than anywhere in the state, and it's not close.

Did a development in Hilton Head about 10 years ago, had never spent much time around them...just so very rare to see them in the Eastern part of the state...they seemed to prefer Myrtle Beach back then for some reason. Anyway, fell in with some good ole boys from down there (not Hilton Head, actual low country SC) that were doing the ground work for the developer....those boys spent a LOT of time around gators. Scared me to death how close they would get. Jump on their backs....etc....just nuts. Only had one come after me.