Captroop

Yeah, but this isn't under a magnifying glass. This is in front of a telescope. On the NFL Network last night, they had a special program celebrating the contributions of women in the NFL for International Women's Day, and then cut to coverage of how teams are waiting anxiously waiting on the grand jury decision for the 22 credible counts of sexual assault against Deshaun Watson, so that if they decide it's not "criminal" they can beat down his door to give him a huge contract and make him the face of their franchise. If he just settles his grievous misconduct with his nearly 2 dozen accusers financially, then we should stop impeding this man's road to fame and fabulous wealth. Now let's pat ourselves on the back about how little girls can hope to grow up to be sideline reporters and cheerleaders. This right here, is the embodiment of the whole issue; if you can play ball well, we'll look the other way. Well I don't have to like that, and I don't have to tolerate it. And if my beloved franchise tells me I should, then fug 'em.

No, and yes I'd stop being a fan. It's taken a lot for me to even think of a statement like that. I've been through a lot of dark times with this franchise and it's never shaken my fandom. But the crashing waves of bad decisions, one after the other have really worn me down, and that trade would probably push me over the edge. Not forever, but my fandom would be on pause. I wouldn't watch. I wouldn't wear any Panthers kit in public, and I certainly wouldn't spend a penny on their merch. At that point, I wouldn't feel good about the team, the players, the leadership, or the trajectory of the team. So what, exactly, would I be rooting for? The color scheme? I'd come back when the offending player was gone, and the horrific fallout of mortgaging our future on him wasn't so obvious. It would be a while.

Well then you weren't really asking, "Your solution for the QB situation?" then, were you?

Fix the O-Line and roll with Sam this year. Then re-evaluate and adjust. The QB situation won't be resolved this season, and I'm terrified by the prospect of us trying way too hard to do so.

CMC is a luxury item we can't afford. He's the hood ornament to a quality roster, and we need building blocks. The Rams experiment paying off will encourage someone who is a serious championship contender to mortgage their future to get pieces for a run at a Super Bowl title this year. ...the more I think about it, the more I realize we probably should have done that back in 2015.

WTF? I just measured, and even I have bigger hands that Pickett. I can't palm a basketball, much less sling an NFL-sized football in the rain without it slipping out of my hand in the wind-up.

In a sensible year, trading back should net us a first this year, a first next year and change. But Rhule (and everyone else) knows that he needs to make waves now, and can't afford to trade for future picks won't be around to use. So everyone will offer him late round picks for this year, and he's in no position to bargain. Frankly, at this rate, considering how bad our bargaining position is, I'm doubtful we'll be able to trade back, and feel like come draft day, we'll be sitting at 6. If we net new draft picks, it will be by trading away future picks or players this regime won't be around to miss anyway.

If for nothing else, in this situation I feel compelled to say, "Thank Christ Matt Rhule is our head coach!"

We have Sam Darnold. We don't need to add another Sam Darnold. Let's roll with Sam Darnold until we have a realistic shot at someone other than Sam Darnold or another Sam Darnold.

Damn, I'm watching that video and I'm thinking I really wouldn't mind us spending a day 2 pick on Cole Turner. Apparently not a great route runner, but I wouldn't mind having a target that big in the end zone. Between the size mismatch and his ability to go up and make catches with his hands, not many defender could stop him. Could definitely help our red zone woes.

Seems like a very average veteran deal. Locked up a key piece and didn't break the bank. I like it!

Beyonce was up there. I'm not even a huge fan, but damn, that is what a performer is paid the big bucks to do. She put on a show.

Larry David was the winner. I honestly don't remember what the ad was for and I saw it 15 minutes ago.

I believe Murray will be playing baseball in a few years. He's dynamic, but the league has already figured him out. He's too small and I imagine the prospect of playing into his early 40s, raking in millions of dollars and saving his body in the Show will be a siren song he can't resist forever.

If I were an athlete, I'd certainly skip it, or very performatively half-ass it. If I'm making millions of dollars off my athletic ability, the last thing I'd want to do is provide quantitative data that my measurables are slipping. "Yeah, my agent's going to love the fact that the world saw me run a 4.8 40 at the Pro Bowl when he's trying to negotiate up a new multi-million dollar deal for me."

In other words, "If there's a QB you want in the top 10, you better call 1-800-PANTHERS because we might just take him if you don't trade up."

Everyone talking about Burrow going to the Super Bowl being proof that a QB1 is the magic bullet for NFL success, and therefore we should draft a top 3 QB. I point to Matt Stafford being in the Super Bowl as the reason we shouldn't. Matt Stafford is a championship caliber QB 1. Provably. He's playing for the championship in 2 weeks. He languished his entire career on a bad team and did nothing of note. The magical, championship quality QB couldn't drag a bad team to relevance. And then the first year he plays for a competent squad, he goes to the Super Bowl. I said it before and I'll say it again. A championship quality QB1 is the very top of Maslow's hierarchy of football needs. It's the thing that makes you a contender if you already have the lower steps on the pyramid in place. Now be real honest with yourself, and answer this question: "Right now, are the Carolina Panthers more like the LA Rams, or the Detroit Lions?" Don't fug around. Draft a lineman.

That was my first thought. He's gonna have a "Welcome to the NFL" moment real quick if he thinks we can run until he gets dragged down. Also agree with everything you just said, because I said it almost verbatim in the next post, lol!

I like his tape. But not enough to draft him at 6. If we can trade back and get him at 10-14, and get another pick to shore up the line, I love it.

Yes. And it's not unprecedented to give rights to non-human things with human functions. If you break someone's prosthetic arm, are you damaging their property, or are you committing assault? It's a machine, but it's also someone's body. Same principle applies to a non-human person. And if you think that's silly, remember that if you shoot a K-9 unit, you killed a police officer, not just a dog.

"I can't see the field! It must be all the blood in my eyes. Did you see the blood and how hurt I was?"

Yeah they keep using that footage like he's playing with an eye hanging out of his socket or something. Wuss. And he threw a pick, lol!

For all the talk about, "you can't win in this league without a franchise QB," today proved that a QB will get you to the playoffs, but a defense gets you a championship. Looking at Kyler's implosion last week, and today all QBs accounted 1 Passing Touchdown, 5 Interceptions, and 19 sacks. The defenses dictated the outcomes of the games today.

No. Let's roll with the scrub we have rather than starting over with another scrub. FIX THE LINE Then you have permission to spend money on anything else.