Mr. Scot

Pretty high sadly, and that's independent of anything else. Rivera is definitely a better NFL coach, but he and Rhule have different weaknesses.

Always (we'll always have more cap space next year too)

Most of the guys he has any connection to are older or "old school" types. Given his conservative nature, I don't know that he'd willingly choose a younger more innovative type on his own. That'd likely mean him having someone brought in for him. How that works is anybody's guess. I'm gonna guess you're taking into account guys who might be fired this coming offseason. I could see Wilks being up for working with Frank Reich, but I could also very easily see Reich getting his own head coaching opportunity.

Some additional commentary from Joe Person in The Athletic... Most players were diplomatic after the change was made before last season, although Shaq Thompson took to Twitter to voice his displeasure. “I was one of the first ones to say something when they brought the (turf) in for the soccer team. I felt like that’s when everything should have really just started (being discussed),” Thompson said Monday. “I’m not saying just because I did it. But that’s when everybody should have really just hopped on board with it.” Panthers receiver DJ Moore said he and other veteran players met with Tepper during training camp this year and again during the season to let the hedge fund manager worth $18.5 billion know they preferred to play on grass. “We brought it up a few times. But at the end of the day, he made the last call,” Moore said. “So we can only put our input in, and hopefully he hears. He usually does hear us out on things.” Moore said the BoA surface is not as bad as some of the other synthetic playing surfaces across the league. The Panthers have a hybrid surface that combines monofilament fibers with slit-film fibers, different from the entire slit-film turf the NFLPA is targeting. But Panthers offensive lineman Austin Corbett said all artificial surfaces are tougher on players’ bodies compared to grass. And it’s not just the players who suffer, according to Corbett. “You can talk to coaches, trainers, other staff that are just standing on the turf for the whole game, and their joints are feeling it after the game,” said Corbett, the Panthers’ union representative. “It’s just harder. There’s not as much cushion.” The Panthers declined to make Tepper available for comment Monday, although a team spokesperson pointed out that the Panthers hold training camp on grass practice fields at Wofford and practice most days in Charlotte on grass. Panthers players join growing chorus speaking out against turf

We could have kept Butker.

Kaye's not fluffing anybody here. Not his style at all... Heck, if you follow his Twitter, you'll find quickly that he's one of the more NFL knowledgeable reporters we've had in a while.

Plus it doesn't exactly hurt that the guy who sucked terribly at his head coaching job is gone.

Charles Johnson chimes in with the same...

I wasn't a big fan of Rivera the coach, but I always liked Rivera the man.

The first name I think of as a "Cam level passer"...

Kaye is about as far away from a propaganda type person as anyone I've seen. Hell, he's been more than willing to call out negatives regarding both the team and its ownership. It's refreshing to see. He and Ellis Williams are as good a coverage team as The Observer has had on staff.

Very possible, and I'd have no problem with that whatsoever. The one question I would have would be whether Reich's age (60) might be a factor for Tepper.

On a related note, I've done a little bit of cursory research into Seattle OC Shane Waldron. One thing I've seen that might work in Waldon's favor is that he'll have plenty of direct and indirect connections to the Panthers already. While he didn't work directly with Scott Fitterer or Dan Morgan, damn near everybody he's been working with for the last two years did. It wouldn't be shocking if the two of them started received some phone calls from old friends endorsing Waldron. But it doesn't stop there... The first few years of Waldron's football coaching career were spent in New England. He held a couple of different assistant roles between 2007 and 2009. Current Panthers executive Pat Stewart was with the Patriots organization during that same period. Basically, he's as connected to our organization as about anybody right now.

The thing about being the hottest candidate is that you likely get to pick your destination. Steichen grew up on the West Coast and has done all but a few years of his coaching there as well. Will he want to go back?

You'd have to ask whoever he plays for next. The Panthers let him go.

He might be that, and I think most would agree he's better than Darnold or Mayfield. But then how do you sell going that route to the fans of the team that already went after Darnold and Mayfield?

Yeah, he's not a disaster, but "solid" might be a bit generous.

That's...a tough one.

Pretty much. And given the chatter about Lance, even if they still chose to draft him I seriously question whether the 49ers would make that trade again.

Maye might just be that good, but the whole "tank a year and hope for that guy" thing just isn't realistic.

He's a sh-tposting troll, and not a particularly smart one at that. Hell, he actually used to claim he worked for the team until Igo called him out as a liar.

As a passer? And what does that say about the guys we did draft? Are you saying they just don't have good "drive and work ethic"?

You think we missed out on the amazing player he could have become after the phenomenal coaching he'd have gotten from Matt Rhule, Joe Brady and Ben McAdoo?

Ah, gotcha

Boy, was that a horrible decision by McCarthy.