Saca312

It's preseason. Cam Newton's rookie preseason wasn't stellar yet he ran out the gate with 400 yarders the first two games. 2015 the Dolphins had their way with us in preseason and joint practices. They looked by far the better team at the time. Panthers ended up 15-1 in the regular season while Dolphins were poo. We dominated preseason the first drive in 2016 vs the Ravens with Cam Newton marching downfield. That season we ended 6-10 with abysmal WR and oline play. Vanilla plays, vanilla concepts, glorified practice that everyone learns from and where certain things are tested since it's largely meaningless. Not concerned whatsoever.

Lamar Jackson threw 4 picks a few days ago. Not sure what's the worry if Bryce has a few during practice. EDIT: Just read on context. Yeah, not the best throw by Bryce but also not the easiest situation. Eh, it happens and practice is the best place to make the mistakes.

Crazy what a few years will do to players. Both Norwell and Turner significantly declined after they went off to different teams (albeit Turner definitely started such with us the last few years).

To add on, Fitt specifically mentioned wanting to have a bigger edge opposite Burns. More particularly to set the edge and be a presence in the run game day one. They believe that DJ Johnson is the answer for that. Which makes sense and if he is a contributor day one in the run game, makes it a worthwhile pick. We'll see if that comes to fruition under Evero's tutelage.

Yep. Pretty sure during his Heismann year his average time to get the ball out was even faster than CJ Stroud. That was when he had a good oline and jameson williams. In 2022, He extended plays out of necessity with a bad oline and subpar WRs. Feel he'll fare well on the Panthers.

great pick. one of my favorite WRs from the draft.

In a few years we'll look back and applaud our first SB winning QB!

So the same discourse with Cam again.

An interesting development with the draft a little more than a week away. BetMGM apparently has closed their books and no longer accepting anymore bets on the #1 overall pick:

As the draft comes ever so closer, more people are out there scrambling for crumbs on who is the potential rookie QB the Panthers are taking. If you take who QBs follow as an indication, then perhaps the following may be noteworthy: It appears Josh McCown is only following Bryce Young from this upcoming QB class. Additionally, it appears Young is the only rookie following him back. Could it mean something? Who knows, but it certainly adds a positive sign for the Young camp. Oh, and Jonathan Jones also confirms he believes it's Young:

He got traded to the Cowboys a while back.

Could be more smoke to get Stroud to fall after the betting odds shifted in favor of Young. Could be some merit. Either way, these are certainly interesting claims. Appears Stroud has some questions in the eyes of some teams and supposedly the Panthers. Per Wingo, "There are things in the equation that are giving the Carolina Panthers pause about CJ Stroud and that may be why they're leaning back towards Bryce Young:" Per VSIN, CJ Stroud is apparently "not an easy guy to coach." Make of these what you will. All honesty, sounds like smoke and trying to get him to fall now that teams are salivating at the idea the Panthers have Young locked in. Or maybe it has some merit. Just more fuel for the smoky fire that has been draft season so far.

Per Adam Schefter on NFL Live, it looks like the Panthers have made their move by trading up for Bryce Young, confirming other reports that Carolina was dead set on landing him at the beginning. However, he adds a little interesting detail that perhaps, they in fact are sticking with Young. Per him, he notes that the Panthers were checking out other QBs to bridge the gap. Interestingly enough, he says the Panthers believe the likes of Stroud, Levis and Richardson have not shown/done enough to warrant further consideration. Tweet here corroborates what I heard from Schefter. Could it all be just a smokescreen? Maybe, but with more insiders jumping on the Young bandwagon and betting lines shifting dramatically in his favor, it's starting to look like there's some serious fire behind this smoke. At the end, Young may be the next #1 overall pick after Cam after all.

For an organization that's never had an MVP QB or ever been to a Superbowl like Cam, certainly is funny they'd make fun of a potential signing like that.

In an article discussing a particular analyst's mock draft, a collection of quotes from several coaches who have faced off against the top quarterbacks is prominently featured. https://theathletic.com/4357004/2023/03/31/mock-draft-nfl-picks/ While the analyst in question has projected CJ Stroud as the Panthers' pick, that detail is not the primary focus. Instead, the crux of the article lies in the insights provided by various college coaches regarding these star quarterbacks. The following are selected excerpts from those coach's comments: CJ Stroud: On his processing and understanding of coverages: On his accuracy and timing: On his performance against one coach and his opinion on his ability: Bryce Young On his intelligence: On facing him and the coach's opinion on his ability to read coverages and be effective: On his athleticism and positives on durability: Criticisms durability concerns and translation of talent into the NFL:

I understand your point, it's definitely a valid one. I agree that at times, it would be beneficial to see Bryce maintain his poise in the pocket instead of running outside, as the play could have been there for him. However, I believe that the ability to play outside of structure is more valuable than playing within the structure. I feel it's preferable to have a quarterback who can improvise when things don't go as planned, especially since they may not always have an elite supporting cast throughout their career. Having someone who has shown effectiveness outside of structure and then teaching them how to play within the structure is more advantageous than asking a quarterback to learn how to play outside of the structure. Of course, this is just my opinion, and I can understand how in a fundamental system, Stroud's ability to hit quick and precise throws would be a better fit. Reich's system is tailor-made for that, and I can see the perspective of choosing Stroud as the #1 pick for that. Overall, they are both very close in terms of talent and ability. Both are deserving of the #1 overall pick, and it ultimately comes down to what the Carolina team values more and which quarterback is the best fit for their system.

I like CJ Stroud, but there is a risk factor in that he needs optimal conditions to succeed. His ability to play out of structure is subpar, with limited tape showing he can do so. His pressure QBR is about 70%, vs Bryce Young's appx 95%. Young's ability to maneuver in the pocket and out of structure is uncanny and without doubt one of the best in the class. But, then you have CJ's arm strength which is superior to Young's, so question if Young can make the zips in the short - intermediate range is valid. Nevertheless, both have talent and their demerits, but still both would be worthy of the #1 selection. I'm indifferent on the direction the Panthers take and trust their evaluation whether it be Stroud or Young. Only way I'd be mad is if it were neither of those two...lol.

Saw an interesting chart recently. All the more on topic considering the Panthers QB choices. It appears there is no correlation between QB height and batted passes. What matters more is how well the QB avoids telegraphing throws and manages himself, not height. Source

The Panthers certainly would be an outlier if they did not have Young as QB1, given from a variety of sources most of the league has him at top. I'd say from a preliminary standpoint, the Panthers traded up likely with Young in mind, and unless somehow something changes their mind in the next month, I'd say they're pretty much zero'd in on him.

Cam Newton posted this recently. An interesting thing to watch for, though it likely has no relevance to the current Panthers: