Khyber53

He's a Panther now, so good luck to him and here's hoping he has a season that makes people wonder how they missed out on him in the past.

We can have all the crushes we want in this draft. The problem is that we'll still be outside trying to get past the bouncers while everyone else is hitting them up.

We aren't getting any VIP treatment this time, there will be no tableside champagne service and the bar will be crowded four deep before we get in the door. 

Grab a rookie QB and while he is on his cheap contract for four to five years (if you take the option) and invest like mad in veteran quality linemen and receivers. Push it to the brink on cap space. Then as those five years go by, start drafting to back fill as those linemen and wide receivers either age out, underperform or start wanting more money.

That could give you maybe a 10 year cycle on offense that would work out financially.

The problem is, of course, you still have to bankroll a defense. The Colts did this with Peyton Manning and well, they got one ring out of it. If you can really put up the numbers, then the defense is just there to slow the other team down and exploit an error or weakness once in a while. 

Actually, if you think about it, what they did there changed the whole nature of the game, including the rules that helped it happen across the league. You might even be able to hang the success of Fantasy Football (or blame it) on that approach.

43 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

I am not going to say it again on here; we need to use Bryce's assets and not try to fit him into a system.  We need a system designed for him.  Bringing in the 2 guards is a start.  HOWEVER...

To me, the successful conversion of Bryce Young comes with a huge price tag.  If we turn it around and Bryce plays well because we have an offensive line that makes $90m, he is going to want $50m and the WRs will demand another $50m.  Not even mentioning RBs and TEs, but we will need $200m just for the offense at this rate.   I see this process as a long term bust--if it works, you are screwed because it requires a stud OL and stud WRs.  OTC Right now, before all free agents and draft picks are signed and a QB on a rookie deal posts the following: 

• Offense: $133,819,164
• Defense: $62,906,915
• Special: $6,431,168

If Bryce was a veteran on a second contract, you could add $40m to this figure.  We have no #1 WR and no stud TE. As you can see, the Offensive budget needs to be around $130m.  We are over that now--with QB on a rookie contract.

The only way to do this is by having 3 OL on a rookie contract at all times, and maybe only 2 WRs on second contracts. 

This^

This is how you end up being the New Orleans Saints, barring some back-bayou voodoo. It is a recipe for one big winning season, a couple of decent seasons and then a long, long time in cap hell.

Would we do it to get that ring? Should we do it to get that ring?

The temptation is so very real.

There's been a lot of activity and we've grabbed quite a few "Who's that guy" players with some decent stats. We've stayed out of the races for the star players and on paper it doesn't look like we've sold the moon to get anyone.

But right now, it's all on paper.

We've been down this road before. Sometimes there's magic, sometimes there's a lot of nothing. My knock on Morgan has been that his scouting team and training have basically been Fitterer's. And that doesn't give me any confidence in him.

I want him to prove me wrong on this. I really want him to prove me wrong. I'll happily eat roasted crow in exchange for a winning team with grit and determination.

Perhaps the problem is looking at it from the perspective of Tepper. What does an investment guru know about paying labor? Get the most work for the least money.

Just one more wrinkle in the Tepper ownership that will screw the team again and again.

I do so wish he'd sell the team and move back up north.

Brown deserves the big pay check and honestly the sooner the better. You want to keep his performance up through out his career here. We don't need another guy just begrudgingly showing up and doing just enough to stay on the field and attract suitors.

37 minutes ago, Captroop said:

Don't disrespect Bailey Zappe like that.

I'm betting both Zappe and Howell will do better now with new coaching.

Both were stuck in regimes that were collapsing. That's never good for, although way too common, for young QBs.

Brock Purdy... well, talk about scouts missing on that one again and again and again... Bradyesque in some ways.

It watches fine on TV and you can get up, turn off the set and walk away at any time. Don't even need to walk out to the parking lot if you want out early.

Really looks like they're trying to polish a turd and think people will really want to see that polishing job.

I like your draft picks and I'm completely on board with the first one.

We lost both Burns and Gross-Matos.

That wasn't a bad thing, IMO. One fizzled out as it came time to talk about money (I think he had itchy feet to get to somewhere else for the paychecks) and the other guy just never developed into anything but a back-up, not even a real role-player.

Luvu hurts, but like you said, he wasn't much help in coverage. It will be good to get Shaq back and he brings leadership and legacy there. He will make a difference. 

Losing Jackson, well, yeah. I think we're all on that page. And Bell was, umm, un-notable back there?

Okay, I am on board. That guy will put in a hard days work every single day, do all the tough stuff without complaining and never say a cross word to anyone no matter how things are going.

I'll cheer if we snag him and cheer every time he gets on the field.

One of the guys leaving the team in a cloud of "Meh."

So far, only Frankie Luvu stung, yanno?

We're all going to singing "Who let the Dawgs out?" again. 

Our GM let the dogs out, they ran off and have new homes now.

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.

The Padawan has become the Master now. 

We'll take a Center in the second round and a DE. 

2 hours ago, electro's horse said:

Surely Tepper, Morgan and co had to have an idea where this free agency was going to go. 

Why in the world would Tepper bring back Evero knowing the defense was going to be gutted? Why not tell him the situation and let him and his staff walk to a better situation?

Strikes me as almost sadism from Tepper. 

Maybe after last season, Evero realized that this defense needed gutting and has a plan in place.

The loss of Luvu for a relatively moderate price tag has me scratching my head.

Burns, he wasn't performing and wanted out of here so no one should have been wanting to keep him. Jackson? Way over appreciated by commentators, but fans know he was a liability.

I'm hoping we go back to a 4-3 defense and quit playing this hybrid BS that we've been saddled with since Tepper wrote the big, big check for the franchise.

Maybe Evero can rebuild it. It will take time, though.

Almost every starting LT had a rough second season. It's the learning curve, not just of the player but of the opposing players who now have enough tape and sometimes head-to-head experience to know the player's tendencies and weaknesses. 

That sophomore slump is where the learning curve is at its steepest and the odds are in favor of the defense. Let's see how he comes back in the third season as a starter. Sometimes they don't make it and head to the bench and the second string. And most times, for the great ones, this is where they start feeling their place in the game and take ownership not just of their gameplay but of that patch of field they are standing on. 

I have faith that Icky will live up to his potential. Just give him someone steady beside him and have someone who can make the right play and protection calls. 

31 minutes ago, Tr3ach said:

I felt this way when the move was make but honestly this past few days has made me feel a lot better that that was the case honestly.   The past few days have almost entirely revolved around starting to fix Fitterer's mistakes/clear them out.

Let's see how it works out. I hope it does clear things up, but those dark clouds on the horizon look so familiar and as I've gotten older, I've learned that when you see the same start of something, you should expect the same results.

I've always said Morgan was a meat head, back to the days when he thought it was fun to try and give rookie RBs concussions in training camp. And it may have been karma catching up with him when concussions were what derailed his career.

I could be wrong. I find myself hoping that I am wrong a lot here of lates. 

12 hours ago, frankw said:

It's still very early but at the end of the day no matter which view you take on all this we did hire the right hand man and best friend of the worst Panthers GM in team history by a significant margin.

I've been saying this for a while and you are right.

To quote David Byrne and the Talking Heads...

"Same as it ever was, same as it ever was."

14 hours ago, CRA said:

It’s not an about a starter.  It’s just about adding a legit receiving option to our backfield.  We don’t need to be looking for a starter.  

At some point, we will. Sadly we had the best in the league and traded him away for three magic beans.

I've really gone over this again and again in my mind. We need one, we don't, we do, we don't. And finally I'v come to the point where I'm convinced we shouldn't.

Chuba did fairly well with us last season, not great, but serviceable and he's shown increasingly better results each season. Right now I'd be okay if we went into the season with him as a starter and here's why.

There are a ton of big name Free Agent RBs out there at the moment. A couple will strike it big with new teams on the field, almost all will get some kind of $8 - $11 million a year deal. We don't need another one of them on the team right now, we can't afford it. We already have a big contract running back on the team and well, let's be honest, we got taken to the cleaners on it. He flat out sucked. Hate to criticize anyone that heavily but he underperformed like no one else.

We were assured he was the guy and honestly, I don't think we've changed our scouting department personnel enough to make sure that we won't make that mistake again. And we're going to be paying for Miles Sanders for a while. Let's not saddle ourselves with a second big RB contract with probably diminishing skills. 

Snag one in the late rounds and give them a shot. Won't hurt and might discover something. And if Chuba just performs as before, well, he'll do for what we can reasonably accomplish next season.

And this kind of goes for most free agent acquisitions. Until we get our baseline play fixed, starting with the O-line and d-line, then we aren't in any position to go out searching for name free agents. Just hunt for diamonds in the rough, pay them fair with short contracts and set our sights on the draft and getting the foundation right. 

And honestly, any free agent just hoping to land here is doing it because no where attractive actually wants them. And we are not an Odell or a King Henry away from having a winning team. 

17 hours ago, kungfoodude said:

The new Bersin.

Bersin could convert one incredibly vital third and eight per game. Ian Thomas has mainly made sure that the Gatorade was well chilled and that the bench didn't just fly up in the air.

Okay, I've preached it for years. If you want to build an offensive line, start with a smart, strong Center. And now that we've released Bozeman, that sets us in good shape at pick 33 to grab just that guy.

There are two top flight centers in this year's draft and we'd have a hit with either one of them, starter material right off the bat.

First choice would be Graham Barton out of Duke. Perfect guy for the job, can actually play any spot on the line. Had hoped we would grab him and let him learn alongside Bozeman. He can still do the job. Having a center and a QB work their early years together can really pay off down the road.

Second choice would be Jackson Powers-Johnson out of Oregon. Just a mauler out there who is smart enough to do the job. 

One of those two guys will probably go in the first round, whoever is left is going to be a steal and a 12-year fixture of our line.

And as for Bozeman, seemed like a great guy and I think what happened around him hurt his performance, whether it be the injuries at guard or the rookie QB or just a complete lack of coaching and game planning, the guy deserved better. Hope he catches on with a team quickly and keeps the career going.

45 minutes ago, ForJimmy said:

I feel like he could be a low end starter. I’m surprised a team like Minnesota didn’t trade for him as a plan B in case they can’t sign Cousins and can’t get who they want in the draft. 

I think there's a lot to this and honestly, I think that maybe he exposed that Belichick either wasn't the QB whisperer he was supposed to be or that he just lost it along the way. Under better QBing, both Jones and Zappe could possibly be starters, low end ones but starters just the same.

12 hours ago, CamWhoaaCam said:

Ryan Leaf giving advice to a young QB is not something I care to take serious.

 

Slow news day. OP you get a free pass today.

Actually, he's a really good analyst. And I think that a lot of what gives his words weight is the terrible journey he had as an NFL QB and the wreckage after it. You either come through something like that either wiser or dead. 

The guy earned his right to say what could be wrong in the NFL for a player.