CRA

Well….it would be hard to actually write down 5 teams with worse weapons in reality presently and not factoring what folks might become

89 and Morgan both made the PFWA all rookie team. 89's first touch went to the house and added a Pro Bowl. I mean, it was evident they were NFL dudes out of the gate. How great they would be? Well, no one ever knows that. I think it depends on the position and era. I think it is pretty fair to start judging offensive skill position pretty dang early given the way the game is now played vs years ago. Specifically WR, RB and even QB. It's really a more simplistic game today and heavy college influenced. I think you really should look promising pretty early pending there aren't unusual circumstance (like an abnormally bad staff/situation, depth keeping you off the field, etc). I give OL and DL more time to show their stuff. I mean, if you draft a WR in round 1, you play him and give him opportunity, and your O doesn't complete suck do to the QB.....he should look like a good pick out of the gate pretty IMO in today's NFL.

Now I can accept that. But I still contend, an ideal Bryce Young O and a the standard O Canales has been involved with......aren't the perfect marriage. So something had to give. I would think catering to Bryce more vs expecting Bryce to fit the mold of his prior QBs is the way.

in the last 5 drafts, pretty much all the first round TEs were ready to contribute as rookies. Bowers and Pitts had 1k rookie seasons. Kincaid and Hockenson were both ready to compete right away. Warren IMO projects to be ready to make plays as a rookie pending the landing spot. I think if you want him to make plays, he will pretty quickly.

Panthers O needs quickness to round out the rec corps. NFL is slam full of guys that can log good 40 times when they train to run good 40 times. XL isn't quick and shifty. He is powerful and fast. We need the vintage PR style WR mixed in that can take a nothing pass and make a guy miss.

AT is a slow sure handed TE dominating the snaps at a spot a Bryce Young O needs YAC and explosive plays from. I don't have an issue with AT in a vacuum. But his presence lowers the offensive ceiling IMO in a trade off for dependability. Given where we are and where Bryce going to go with the ball I'd rather be developing and growing someone w/ Bryce there. Yeah, an old slow WR that missed 7 games and was debating retirement came back for a check we inflated. No way that sets up to be bad us. I'm ready to turn the page. He doesn't algin with where we need to go IMO w/ Bryce. I'm generally ready to move on quicker than others. I'm often a day early and others a day late. But to me, it's like what you are seeing w/ Kelce in KC. Him being the centerpiece of an O just doesn't work anymore. Will AT catch balls this upcoming year and immediately be down? Sure. Will be complain about his hands? No. But I have been consistent on a Bryce Young O if we are going to do it from day 1. You need YAC guys at the slot and out of the backfield. Slow and no YAC at this spot just ain't how to make it work with Bryce IMO.

Marty Hurney would probably take Warren or Jeanty at our spot given the way the draft looks to fall. Take the surest bets in the top 10

rework adds to his cap number this year (which they view as his last here). It's just a reward. That's at least what Joe Person says. So maybe 50/50 at being correct.

when he got drafted I remember some studies were shared about NFL guys with ACL tears in college......Brooks followed the study. Exceptions to everything, but the math is the math. Don't draft RBs who tear their knee in college. They likely will do it again.

gotta think if we just doing the player math of the last 15 years or so....SC is probably pretty high in the overall player numbers (draft or FA) out of the SEC and of the Carolina schools. I mean, I'm a hater. But Wharton, Captain, etc have been some of the best value picks in franchise history. I think Dowdle is a great add. It just goes against my never ending mantra of drafting RBs. Which I would say if they added a Clemson RB. And despite being a tater homer....I've never jumped on the Tee Higgins movement.

I mean, whoever the scout is in charge of knowing the Gamecocks.....clearly gets listened too. Gotta give him credit for that.

I got no issue with Dowdle. Good year last year. Nice add to a committee. Outside of being a no good dirty Gamecock and we seem forever fixated on that school (just a joke). I still think drafting RBs in the draft in the big picture is better than renting vets year to year. And I think organizationally the team has to bascially count Brooks out. If he ever returned and was nice for us that is just an icing on the cake bonus. I don't think it is smart business to consider him part of the backfield plan going forward. So given that, I think a mid round RB draft pick was smarter than signing Dowdle. RBs are easy to find and for cheap....Dowdle is the perfect example of that. Think he was actually undrafted. I wish the Panthers would just steadily add young RBs and basically never pay them. Maybe make an exception if you ever found yourself where the Eagles were last year.

I still think AT is just too old and slow given what Bryce is and what our O likely has to be. Sure, he has great hands and is reliable and all that. But in a Bryce Young O......you can't have the slot and that area of the field dominated by a guy that can't do anything after the catch.

TMac carries way too high of odds of being another Panther WR that doesn't get open.

not much of a market for 28 year old expensive meh RBs

FA is largely just throwing money at knowns. Which I'm glad he is going to that direction. But anyone can do that. The draft and actually adding cohesive pieces are the defining things for a GM. Morgan still has a lot to prove there.

Still need the receiving RB too.

we just overpaid for Horn. That's not helping with my thoughts on him. Frankly, I think Dan should of gone all in on overpaying for bodies on the defensive front. He got outbid already for the Eagles guy. Little else. Basically what he did last year for the O.

decent against the pass? That's probably generous. Bottom 3rd out of all at the position.

I'll be honest, the talking media heads sold me this day much differently than it has played out.

I don't think you can heavily invest in assembling talent for the DC for what was the 32nd ranked D. Again, not his fault, but football is football. Football teams all largely behave the same way. NFL is a blame game of survival. When we get mad at the Panthers.....they will have to start making changes. Just the nature of the beast. He is first on the block of substance to be the sacrificial lamb. So given that, you can't overly invest and empower Evero. That's why I think it's more about Morgan than Evero.

it's largely just a broad thought.....that runs counter to the it's a totally good move because Evero had to want him argument. I simply don't think Evero holds lots of power in Carolina is all in terms of what we are doing. So does he have input? Again, sure. Just like he did last year. Input. Which wasn't much in the big picture. They screwed him. Bryce probably saved his job and Everos. Morgan tanked the D. I think Morgan has his vision on rebuilding it. Evero may or may not be around for it. I still contend he has largely been setup to be the first fall guy. So yeah, I think he has input but it's Morgan's D. That's just how I feel.

didn't say it was his fault. but he 100% is sitting in the chair that gets tossed under the bus when this org needs to go that route (and all orgs go that route in time)

I mean, he had input last year. Input and actual real decision making in direction aren't the same thing. They fugged him last year.

and I hate it. It's only fun when you got a really good nose.