Mr. Scot

Thanks for adding that. The previous tweet didn't give a specific time.

I'm having a great time FYI though: Rhule did decide he's willing to stoop down and talk to the media today

Case in point... This has to be one of the funniest things posted on here in a long time

This feels to me like the last domino to fall before the real football news starts. Yes, there's still going to be speculation, analysis, overanalysis and whatever else, but at least it'll be based on things that are happening this year rather than last.

That sounds like a reasonable possibility. Relatively speaking, we're probably not talking major numbers.

Keep trying, dude. It's amusing at least

Haven't really seen anything on it. Holdouts are pretty much nonexistent these days.

You're not exactly good at reading, are you?

I don't really think anybody was expecting it not to happen, but there it is.

Our buddy Ellis for one. Heck, even Gantt addressed the question (I think in one of his Ask the Old Guy columns) confirming at the time that Rhule does still have final say but has been asked/suggested to listen more to those around him.

No. Actual analysts have suggested that.

Not originally... Early word was that he was as disinterested in us as some of our guys were in him. That's why the "talking to him" thing was important. He had to be sold on the idea.

We tried to trade for Mayfield during the draft. As far as Rhule not wanting him, the only source I've ever seen say that was the guy on the huddle who had nothing to back it up.

It's not hard to believe Fitterer was lukewarm on it given the multiple times he said the best option was to draft a quarterback and build around him. He even stated after the draft that this was the plan with Corral. Rhule? Don't know. History would tell us he prefers a veteran. Mayfield specifically? Unknown. Among his assistants, we know that McAdoo was high on Corral and not so high on Mayfield the year he was drafted.

Technically this would be Tepper's Year 5, Rhule's Year 3. My biggest issue with Tepper is unfortunately the same one I had with Richardson, specifically that he trusts the wrong people. Richardson trusted Marty Hurney. So did Tepper, which is a big reason why we ended up with Matt Rhule, who Tepper also mistakenly trusted to an even higher degree than he did Marty. It's no exaggeration to say that having faith in the wrong people is the absolute worst mistake an NFL owner can make. Tepper has now not only made that mistake twice, but made it on a huge scale by giving Matt Rhule a massive contract and unprecedented control. If he wants to regain the trust of the fans, the biggest thing he needs to do is take himself out of the equation when it comes to football decisions. I'm not convinced his ego is going to allow him to do that.

And heck, may as well throw this in...

A lot of us agree that the best thing Tepper can do for the football side of things is to be as uninvolved as humanly possible.

...yet still managed to be more informative than anything you post

From Albert Breer (MMQB) A key to the Baker Mayfield deal getting done was that the Panthers basically got three weeks of runway to talk to him before Cleveland and Carolina consummated the deal. Browns GM Andrew Berry initially gave the Panthers’ brass permission to talk to Mayfield as soon as the sides came to a basic agreement on compensation (a 2024 fifth-round pick that becomes a fourth-rounder if Mayfield plays 70% of the snaps this season), which was the week of Carolina’s veteran minicamp in June. From there, coach Matt Rhule talked football with the quarterback, while GM Scott Fitterer kept him abreast of the business side of it, while emphasizing to him that he’d have to earn the job, but that this would be the best place, alongside guys like Christian McCaffrey and D.J. Moore, to bet on himself. By then, whereas Fitterer and Rhule were once lukewarm on the idea of trading for Mayfield, a closer look at his 2020 tape, with the acknowledgment that his ’21 was sideways, got the Panthers believing that just as this could be a really great opportunity for the player, it was going to be a pretty good swing for the team to take, too. Add that on to conversations Rhule had with Mayfield’s college coach, Lincoln Riley, and the logic is that, with Mayfield in a competition with Sam Darnold and Matt Corral, the Panthers get three good swings at getting the position fixed, with Mayfield helping to provide a higher floor at the position than they had last year. And because they’ve been talking with him for a while—those conversations also helped to convince Mayfield to take a little less money (another bet on himself) to make the trade happen—there’s a pretty good feeling, or at least a better one, that they know what they’re getting in a player who’s pretty well-known for his reaction to those who slight him.

The thing about this particular learning curve is that not everybody learns. There are guys who have been NFL owners way longer than Tepper who still haven't pulled their heads out of their asses. It's not guaranteed that Tepper ever will.

Possible. I quoted the original not because I knew the source but because it was retweeted by somebody I do know, though it's possible they were being sarcastic.

From the same Peter King column as the other thread, questions about all 32 training camps, with further elaboration from King included on some... Ours is pretty much what you'd expect. Some others are interesting. For the curious, the full column can be read here. Starting with... AFC East Buffalo: Can Von Miller solve Buffalo’s only big issue? GM Brandon Beane addressed pass-rush in the ’20 and ’21 draft with A.J. Epenesa, Greg Rousseau and Boogie Basham, but the three combined for only eight sacks last year. Now Miller comes in to turbocharge the rush from the right side. You can read more higher in the column. Miami: Will Mike McDaniel be able to unlock Tua’s potential? New England: Can Bill Belichick make an iffy roster competitive? The Patriots have made chicken salad out of chicken feathers most often in Belichick’s tenure, but this summer will really be a test of that practice. Some very iffy drafts and refusing to pay market prices for young stars like J.C. Jackson have made players like 32-year-old Malcolm Butler important rather than marginal. The Patriots need strong camps from lots of questionable players, and not just Mac Jones. N.Y. Jets: Can the Jets get the max out of Mekhi Becton? AFC North Baltimore: Can the Ravens get back to normal after a weird year? Cincinnati: Will a bridge get built with Jessie Bates? Cleveland: Do you even need to ask? One story and one story only in Cleveland camp: Counting down the days (hours?) till arbitrator Sue L. Robinson rules on whether Deshaun Watson will be suspended (highly likely) and if so for how long. If it’s a long ban, 10 games or more, the Browns could choose to chase Jimmy Garoppolo for a one-year bridge—though their next two drafts were denuded by the trade for Watson. Or they could play Jacoby Brissett. Neither option is very good. Pittsburgh: Who wins the Trubisky-Pickett competition? In his 16th season as Steeler coach, Mike Tomlin will have a QB competition for the first time. Free-agent Mitchell Trubisky probably enters camp in Latrobe as a slight favorite over first-round pick Kenny Pickett from Pitt. There’s no insight to be had on this, yet. Tomlin will let the next five weeks make his decision. ... NOTE: Cleveland... AFC South Houston: Is Davis Mills “The (Long-Term) Man?” Indianapolis: Can the defense get stingier? Of course, the biggest acquisition in the offseason was Matt Ryan, who will be a better leader and should be a better clutch player than Carson Wentz was. But my sneaky-huge pickup for Indy was cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year (and soon to be 32). The Indy D gave up 32 touchdown passes and 4,203 passing yards last year. Jacksonville: How quick can Travon Walker get up to speed? Tennessee: Can Ryan Tannehill regain his mojo? Tannehill turns 34 Wednesday, which is primetime for quarterbacks these days. But he’s on a streak of one 300-yard game in his last 16 starts, and we all saw him cough up the top-seed Titans’ first playoff game to Cincinnati in a three-pick nightmare last January. Now he’s got to be great without A.J. Brown, and with potential heir Malik Willis pressing him. Camp is very big for Tannehill and this offense. AFC West Denver: Will Randy Gregory and Bradley Chubb be worth the investment? Of course this is the Summer of Russell (Wilson) in Colorado. But we all know he’ll be fine and productive. I say the bigger question mark in camp is honing a pass rush to threaten Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr and Justin Herbert in a QB-heavy division. Gregory is coming off rotator cuff surgery in March, and Chubb, the fifth overall pick in 2018, hasn’t justified his draft stock after missing 24 games in four seasons. Big summer for them. Kansas City: Can Mahomes make up for some holes? Andy Reid’s not used to patching so many things in camp—though he did have to reinvent his offensive line last year. After the trade of ultimate weapon Tyreek Hill to Miami, it’ll be up to Mahomes to make the Mecole Hardman/JuJu Smith-Schuster/Marquez Valdes-Scantling/Skyy Moore combo platter work. Then there’s the burgeoning contract issue with left tackle Orlando Brown, who may not be in camp. And there’s the leadership gulf left by the departure of Tyrann Mathieu on defense. It’s rare this franchise has this many issues in camp. Las Vegas: Can a shaky offensive line give Carr time to thrive? L.A. Chargers: Can a redesigned D mesh in six weeks? NFC East Dallas: Can Micah Parsons be cloned? When your offenses averages four touchdowns a game over two years (Dallas is scoring at a 28-points-per-game clip since opening day 2020), and the record is only 18-16, there’s a major issue to be solved. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s got to solve it. Will he use Parsons, reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year after a 13-sack season, as a puzzle piece all over the front? Can he get one more strong season out of DeMarcus Lawrence (only 14.5 sacks in his last 39 games). It’s clear Dallas needs another impact player, or three, on defense. N.Y. Giants: Can Brian Daboll turn Daniel Jones’ career around? John Mara, like it or not, still believes Jones can be a good starting NFL quarterback. Mara thinks the revolving coaching door and weaponry that’s always hurt has doomed Jones. This summer, Daboll, imported after tutoring Josh Allen in Buffalo, will try to put a stamp of competency on Jones—but two disappointing receivers last year, Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney, will be closely watched too. Philadelphia: Will Howie Roseman’s architecture show up this summer? All eyes will be on quarterback Jalen Hurts, and rightfully so; this is his year to prove he should be the long-term QB. But so many new additions must find niches by the end of August. Start with A.J. Brown, the new star receiver acquired on draft night, who should make beautiful music with DeVonta Smith. But look for college stars Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean to push for snaps. Hidden gem James Bradberry could be a steal at corner. Lots of summer new from Philly ahead. Washington: Will Carson Wentz finally find a long-term home? Mike Florio said it right when Indy dumped Wentz after a terrible finish but a season with 27 TDs and just seven picks: Wentz needs to go to a place to prove himself from scratch. After having the easygoing Doug Pederson and father figure Frank Reich as coaches in his first six pro seasons, Wentz has to prove himself all over again in Washington, and that starts in earnest this summer. NFC North Chicago: Ready for massive reconstruction? It’s good to have the quarterback of the future in-house (presumably). But major change rules the franchise, led by coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s a major factor in his first year as an OC, maybe the most important of the newbies, because he’ll be charged with growing the game of the vital Fields. A good sign will be quicker decision-making by Fields, sacked on a league-high 11.7 percent of his drops last year. Detroit: Can Aidan Hutchinson transform a listless D? Green Bay: Can Rich Bisaccia awaken the sleepy special teams? You’re surprised I didn’t have the big question being: Can Christian Watson be a serviceable replacement for Davante Adams? I just figure Aaron Rodgers will figure it out, because he usually does. The horrendous kicking game, well, that’s another matter. In the last five minutes of the divisional game against the Niners, the Packers turned a 10-3 lead into a 13-10 loss by having a punt blocked for a TD and surrendering a game-winning field goal. Bisaccia, one of the best kicking game coaches in football, is being paid (reportedly) around $2 million, a league high for special-teams coaches, to rebuild the unit. Minnesota: Is the Kevin O’Connell/Kwesi Adofo-Mensah team what the Vikings need? ... NOTE: Bisaccia is a guy I'd want to see considered as a potential head coaching Candidate if Matt Rhule is fired. NFC South Atlanta: Can the Falcons not be downtrodden? Stark headline on the Atlanta Journal Constitution website: “There’s no bright side on eve of training camp.” Well, yikes. This is a year to get the cap right, adjust to post-Matt Ryan life, and see if Marcus Mariota is worth keeping around, or if Desmond Ridder has real promise. A good goal for camp would be to see how quickly Ridder can be ready to take an early screen test. Carolina: Who wins the QB battle? Should be a good competition between incumbent Sam Darnold and newcomer Baker Mayfield…and I like Baker to win if he can digest the playbook in the next five weeks. Of course, the future of the head coach and his staff ride on the outcome of how the QBs play. One good facet of the competition: Rookie third-rounder Matt Corral, the Chris Simms darling, should get a needed redshirt year. New Orleans: Will weapons out the wazoo pay off? The last time Sean Payton wasn’t the coach of this team was 17 years ago, in 2005. Dennis Allen is the beneficiary of a good team built by GM Mickey Loomis and personnel czar Jeff Ireland, and if Jameis Winston can return strong from his ACL/MCL surgeries with a healed Michael Thomas, his receiver group is better than Drew Brees had in his latter years: Thomas, rookie Chris Olave (with star potential) and vets Jarvis Landry and Tre’Quan Smith. I believe camp will prove one thing: Do not hand the division title to the Bucs so fast. Tampa Bay: Will the patchwork offense be good enough early? Easy to say Tom Brady—who turns 45 Aug. 3—is the sports world’s biggest metronome, and he’ll never not be good. But let’s see how the Bucs fare after losing two of their top three tight ends (Gronk, O.J. Howard) and both starting guards (Alex Cappa, Ali Marpet)…and with the uncertainty of when favorite receiver Chris Godwin returns from his Jan. 3 ACL surgery. That’s a lot of ifs for a team with a killer first four weeks: at Dallas, at New Orleans (4-0 versus the Brady-quarterbacked Bucs in the regular season), Green Bay, Kansas City. NFC West Arizona: Can the energy of Kyler cure all ills? With significant contributors Chase Edmunds, Chandler Jones and Christian Kirk all allowed to walk in free-agency, two things are obvious entering camp: Arizona needed money to afford the Murray megadeal, and the Cards might need to score 28 a game to have a playoff shot. Oh, and if James Conner stays healthy, he’s got an outside shot to win the rushing title. Finding a defensive playmaker or two will be a big priority this summer. L.A. Rams: How big a deal is the Bobby Wagner get? San Francisco: Is Trey Lance a player? He’s an excellent prospect, for sure. And he has the faith of coach Kyle Shanahan, for sure. But this summer will be about whether Lance—who has thrown exactly 389 passes since high school—can return the Niners to the NFL’s Final Four, or perhaps go farther, and with a depleted offensive line. Every practice will be micro-analyzed, as things are with quarterbacks in the NFL. I just wish the football public would give a 22-year-old quarterback who has thrown 101 passes total in his age-20 and -21 years combined a little breathing room. Seattle: Can a rugged defense win some games like the old days?

...in his latest Football Morning in America column (link) 8. I think my favorite passage of the week was Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk on the third David Tepper/Carolina Panthers executive this year leaving the organization. The mayhem around the Panthers extends to the failed practice facility and office complex the team stopped in mid-construction after a dispute over it with officials in Rock Hill, S.C. The organization looks like a mess. Writes Florio: The off-field turmoil in the organization meshes with the team’s on-field struggles. Tepper has tried to spend his way into contention, spending big on head coach Matt Rhule, who enters 2022 on the hot seat (even if Tepper won’t admit it). Tepper also has pinballed his way through a variety of quarterbacks in search of a franchise player who will elevate the team to perennial playoff qualifier. Since 2020, the team has tried (and failed) to make it work with Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold, and Cam Newton. Recently, the Panthers traded for Baker Mayfield, a buy-low proposition that Tepper hopes will cause the team to soar into one of the seven postseason berths in the NFC. His experience through nearly five years as an NFL owner underscores the reality that no amount of success in the line of work that positions someone to buy an NFL team guarantees success. Financially, the Panthers will print as much cash as every other franchise. Competitively, Tepper’s team continues to be an also-ran. The natural frustration for a multi-billionaire who has previously seen everything he touch turn to gold but who now can’t buy his way to the top of the standings may be the common denominator in so many employees being run off. 9. I think Tepper is learning—as jillionaires Stephen Ross in Miami, Jimmy Haslam in Cleveland and Woody Johnson in New York have learned before him—that no matter how much money you walk in the door with, your team will never be good without a consistent quarterback. As much as anything here, King is talking about Florio talking about Tepper, but he endorses Florio's thoughts - calling them his "favorite passage of the week" - and adds his own take as well.

If it's fake, the mods should be all means close the thread.

Oookay On the one hand, kudos to Robbie for being supportive of his teammates. On the other, well...