Khyber53

Honestly, I'm taking a wait and see approach to this season, the players and the coaching. We could be great, we could be lousy, we could have some new stars, we could be a team of JAGs. After last season, who can really tell? 2020 was a trainwreck year in the real world and a big bunch of meh on the football field. We had games where we were close, we had games where we were just disappointing, we had one game where we were pretty dominant. We had some turn over, we had some interesting/questionable movement in the draft. Me, I can't wait for the regular season to start and see what we've got -- players and coaches alike. There's so much hype for the coaching and new players here and so little attention outside of this board that I'm honestly wondering what we do have. Rhule could be a great team builder, or he could be totally over his head. Snow could be a great old school defensive coach or he could field another defense that plays like a bunch of old ladies. Brady could be an offensive genius or he could be a guy who can call a game between the 20s but not adjust to smaller field space and pro defenses. Who knows? Darnold could get a great restart here or he could be damaged goods. Horn could be the CB we've needed since Gamble left, or he could get burned in the pass-happy NFCSouth. Burns could become a beast on the national stage or our lead DE could grab another 9-ish sacks and be a middle of the pack contender. We just do not know. I just hope it all pans out. We could use not just a good season, but a playoff run around here.

McCown would be the best, non-threatening QB to pick up. And I also agree that we're going into camp, and maybe the season, with who we have.

Carter was helped immensely by Tahir Whitehead coming to play here last year. After the loss of the great Luke at MLB, there were mighty big shoes left to fill (and even beyond Luke MLB in Carolina has been our great strength for much of our history). Whitehead came in and just completely washed out. He played so poorly that the coach took a problem player off the bench and gave him a shot. And Carter made the most of it, and without the spectre of Luke hanging over him. I really hope Jermaine really brings it this season and becomes the next in a long line of excellent MLBs here, a guy who can set the tone for the defense, bringing both intellect and violence into play. Sure would be nice for our defense to put some fear into opposing teams once again.

Pure crab legs diet. Very low carb, high protein.

Nobody said you can't be both. And who said a game manager is a bad thing? Brady, at his core, is a great game manager more than anything else. For that matter, most Super Bowl-winning QBs have been. This whole thing about "game manager" being a derogatory term is just total bullsh!t. If you are relying on only mobility or a strong arm, you're going to be stuck at a sub-championship level. You can beat poor to middling teams, but it takes an understanding of how to lead and utilize your offense AND the ability to dissect a defense and impose your will on them to become an elite. Without the game management skills and the tools to use them (things like processing speed, football IQ, film study, leadership, etc...) then they will refer to you as a superior athlete but not as a great QB. If you can be mobile, have a great arm AND have superior game management skills, then you get to be in the Hall of Fame with a few rings. Of course, one of the biggest factors in becoming a great game manager is excellent coaching AND the ability to be coached. Darnold has opportunity at his feet right now... I hope he can literally and figuratively pick it up.

No matter how strong or mobile your QB is, if he can't manage the game, you're going to lose a lot.

Brentson Bucknerish to say the least! That guy could hold two, three, sometimes four offensive players on a snap and never get called on it.

I wouldn't complain if we did it, but keep in mind that lowly Detroit didn't mind putting him on second string and the trade block. He might be serviceable, but he might not be remarkable. Date not marry if you know what I mean.

I really want to see Burns have a big year, I really do. In all honesty, though, he has got to make a major step up to even enter the top tier of DE/Edge players in the league. He's close, soooo close, but he hasn't gotten there yet. Yes, he did have a couple of games last year where he was the dominant player on the field and there were times throughout the year when he was able to cause havoc. But he has not joined that group of players that are elite pass rushers yet. He's got more help now and he's maturing (he's still learning the pro game and putting on muscle) so the conditions are all there for him but I think for us to just swoon over him and declare him a strong or sure DPOY candidate in June is just ludicrous homering.

Cool, good for them!

You forgot C, PR, KR, but otherwise 100% right. We talk like there are some great players we just picked up/drafted but we don't know anything about them yet. Outside of CMC, DJ and Moton, we don't know if anyone else out there is going to live up to the hype, hit their stride or just fade away right now. Outside of those three, I don't see a guy that doesn't have some questions. Even Jeremy Chinn (who I think was a revelation last season) you have to wonder if there might be a sophomore slump, especially if there's a change to pure safety work this coming season. He's a gifted athlete and displays great football IQ, but he could see his impact fade if he has to help cover deficiencies of other players.

It also points out to how hard it is to build a consistently successful NFL team and how those teams need to be set in amongst some really bad competition. There are just a handful of them and they continually put space in the wins/losses column between themselves and everyone else. Just think of the Patriots. How many years, decades, have they been feasting off of the truly horrible teams in their division? The Colts did the same during the Manning years. The Packers have played in the second weakest division for two decades. The Panthers have been in a division with relative parity, where the last 20 years have them all close to an 8-8 average record. Similar situations can be seen in the NFCWest and AFCWest, and the NFCEast has been a paragon of parity for just lousy teams over that span.

Hmmm.

I think with Rhule he will get the chance to prove it. If he is as good at LT as RT, then there are some major big bucks coming his way next year. Maybe from us, maybe from someone else. If it doesn't work out, he's still an excellent RT and he's going to make really good bucks, but probably from us. The guy has a major opportunity and a lot riding on this season personally. Hope the pressure doesn't affect his play one bit.

Jon had great leadership skills, really right behind Luke and just ahead of Minter. If Chinn can be that guy, then wow! And the kid has that knack for being in the right place at the right time. Some of that is knowledge and some of that is just one of those cosmic things. There's no measurable stat for it, but you can see it when it happens. Julius Peppers had that, along with an epic ability to make those things happen.

Thanks for the info on this. You've seen a lot of these offseason training opportunities over the years and your judgement is pretty educated. Do you think Chinn is going to become a Mike Minter back there at safety? Before Luke came around, Mike was the best at reading offenses and moving his chess pieces around to put us in good position. Also, any sightings of Christian Miller? Linebacker or DE?

It's a struggle this year to keep up with it all. There's been turnover, of course, but there's something else. Rhule and Co. haven't been picking up well known names in free agency. They are deep diving a bit more than we've seen in a loooong time. Combine that with this being one of the youngest teams in the league (if not THE youngest) and it might be more than my tired, old brain can keep up with. All 90, no way... I might get to 50 if I really worked at it and most of them would be carry over players. Still, I'm really in hopes that they find some uncut diamonds in all of this recruiting/drafting, some folks that aren't well know right now but who will be unforgettable after this year.

Not sure that if you're 30 and on the downslope this is a team looking to give folks a victory lap season. Now, a couple of years ago, for sure! They had even gone to serving soft food in the cafeteria and wear your slippers day on some Sundays!

Good vid OP. Even if he does just become a blocking TE, having a talented blocking TE/HB would be a massive pick-up. If he can get better at receiving that'll be excellent. Let's let him take to the field before we crown him the new Kittle, though. That's a giant mountain to climb for a rookie.

If there was ever a Panthers coach that would surprise cut an underperforming/overexpensive vet, Rhule's the guy. Please see last year.

I think we've carried Ian Thomas' development as far as we can. If he isn't there by this point, well, let's grab someone with potential left. Miller may be ready to go and make an impact now. We really know nothing about him anymore. That last roster spot, though, should really go to an undrafted rookie. I'm hoping OL David Moore gets to hang on. There's some old dudes and some injured dudes ahead of him on the roster, he could see himself move up quickly. LB Paddy Fisher could also be that guy. Some fellows ahead of him on prove it kind of deals. Solid back-up and special teamer could be a good role.

Dude, your wishfuls are showing.

I'm not that kind of girl.

That he concusses them during training camp? Geez, I hope that's not his plan.

It comes down to the injury bug (getting it or avoiding it) and a few key players in the league getting old over night. In our division, the Bucs could find themselves in the getting old overnight group. The Saints already did and are in cap hell. The Falcons failed bigtime last year and just lost Julio. We're the unknown and if our coach meets his potential, we could take the NFCSouth. The NFCNorth will be a bloodbath this season if Rodgers goes missing. The NFCWest could beat itself to death in hard competition. The NFCEast will probably be won by the team with no name. I mean, it could happen that we slide through some great happenstances.