Khyber53

Thanks! That was a really interesting read!

They're putting everything in place here all at once. The plan looks beyond sound and at the edge of spectacular. Can't even imagine how great it could be if it all plays out... I'm wowed.

Young could be so incredibly good, but I just see Robert Griffin III getting killed out there and his career on the field just melting away so quickly. Stroud is bigger, stouter and can make all the throws. Is he mobile enough? Maybe. If not that is his big weakness and we won't really know until his protection breaks down. Both have massive upsides but a single chink in their armors. Third pick would be Hendon. He can do this and he can lead a team. Just that injury is pretty worrisome. He would have had time to heal up, though, as we could run with Dalton for a game or two if needed. Had we stayed at #9 pick I'd have really wanted to see him get snagged by us. As to Richardson and Levis, I agree wholeheartedly with @Mr. Scotthat I really don't like QB candidates that still need to be taught how to play QB. I think both are more hype and hope that reality at this moment.

As much as I think DJ is a great guy, the team made the right decision. DJ wasn't playing up to his contract. Yes, there were QB issues galore and game planning issues, too, but DJ wasn't giving it his all every time he got out on the field. We cleared a big cap headache for the future and secured some defensive building blocks in the same move. I think they made the right decision and DJ will grab some big paychecks and use them to buy heavier coats. Good luck to DJ, though.

Because I didn't say it before and should have, I've always valued what @Verge has to say here. She's right more than most and if she said sources had told her something, then sources definitely told her something.

It can also be a down the line when that rookie contract starts to come up issue. Sure the payments are low now... but the balloon payment could be killer, yanno? Team(s) killer in Watson's case.

You're right on the money here. Cam is far from a cancer. He is, however, one of the most charismatic players ever in the game -- teammates (and fans) love the guy and would follow him anywhere. That's not always easy to deal with if you've got a young QB you are trying to raise up or a coach that isn't much on the personality scale or if you have an entrenched leader already on your team that could get jealous (Steve Smith, Sr. in our own case). He's really best suited for a Taysom Hill role right now as a gadget guy/QB. He can do a lot of damage to opposing teams that way, but you have to keep him on a snap/pitch count. The biggest problem with doing that is Cam himself, he does not want to be on the bench at all and the team around him will begin advocating (or worse) for him to have a bigger role. He's his own best salesman, but he's his own biggest problem. He's not a bad guy, he's one of the best, but he creates a quandary for anyone picking him up right now.

Well, that's a new and interesting take on the situation. Not sure if it really matters, but it certainly could.

Yeah we're going to get Rodgers, then snag Beckham, Zeke and lure Antonio Brown out of retirement. We'll also be changing the name to the Carolina Raging Divas.

I think it's probably been young since the very beginning, otherwise there'd have been other trading options at a lower cost. That being said, a lot can happen in a month and an unexpected injury or some kind of crazy scandal could change things around. Just going to have to trust Reich and the fellows to know what they are doing and how to get the most out of the young man.

No matter who we pick, some will have a meltdown. This is the Huddle. We really don't have to have a reason to meltdown. Sometimes we even manage a full-blown China Syndrome chain reaction meltdown. And then things go back to normal. It's what we do. It's a thing.

He's got a lot of experience to hand down. Here's hoping he has a good career there and can help mold some of tomorrow's stars, whether they be on the field or just in life.

It may also be a good investment for us to let him play out the tag. There is a chance that he might underperform in the 3-4 and it would be better to not be tied to a multi-year deal for heavy bucks when the player can't live up to it. I don't think Burns will underperform, I think he will thrive, but we've seen it happen before when the big contract gets put into place.

And we shouldn't cut him. He's going to be instrumental to this defense, particularly in the transition to a 3-4 set up. He's a smart player and has a better grasp of how plays develop and where everyone needs to be than just about anyone in the league right now --- we'd recognize that more if we hadn't been spoiled over the years by Luke Kuechly. Shaq's going to shine this coming year.

I'd always thought that his extremely precise route running was his greatest strength. To always be at the exact spot you're supposed to be at is a marvelous tool. Yes, he might be at the later years of his career, but we can use a veteran, professional pass catcher with no history of being a diva. That's exactly what our next QB will need. Glad we've got him! Didn't think we'd be able to, though.

And then they had to send Smitty to the farm... You can't have a good team if the leader/best player/highest paid player is a wide receiver. It never works out.

I'm always going to like DJ. Best of luck to him. Wish he was still here, but he was a darned good receiver without someone to throw to him. It was literally a cart before the horse situation. Wish it had worked out differently. I'm blaming it on Matt Rhule.

We're going to be alright. Eventually. If we can get that live arm, we can find someone to catch the balls.

That happens a lot around here. You know.

Ian Thomas isn't a hill I'm willing to die on or spend more time discussing. Good luck!

Oh, the buyer's remorse, you can just feel it in the air. We were blessed by what we did not receive, truly.

Best of luck to him. He's definitely a good guy to have around and its good to see him getting to continue his career. Say what you will, but he's succeeded where a lot of guys have failed.

Let's not crown anyone yet. There were so many people singing Tepper's praises for being aggressive when he went after Matt Rhule and kept him away from New York. Sooo many people were popping the champagne corks then. I'm more optimistic now than then, by a long way, but we've still not played a single snap of 2023's season yet. Let's hope it goes well.

Right now that $2 million and not having to fill the roster spot could be important. Had we cut him and had to back fill there's an expense there. There's also a shortage of draft pick spots right now and while TE was much, much more important to fill a few days ago, now we're looking at really having to use that on WR, perhaps multiple times. Lastly, neither you nor I know how big of a deal Thomas is in the locker room and if the rebuild is going to really take off fast, sometimes you keep some of these guys just to keep it from looking like we're having a wholesale hog killing. We may need him for Special Teams, too, where he has been a contributor, if not a standout. Warm bodies and all...

Can't remember a more active offseason in Panthers history. I sure hope all of this works out because the recipe they are working on is looking great so far!