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sometimes you got to take a step back and really appreciate how uniquely horrific and uncompetitive the Tepper Panthers have been........and fully appreciate how it expands beyond the NFL. We are a team/org all of sports recognize as the definition of bad (I assume we still hold the title of worst win % in all of pro sports in the Tepper era).

But just for the record, you basically just agreed with all the things that I was using for why I think his rookie year will be quieter than some’s expectations here. Slow off the line. Slow separation. Not as physical as his size suggests. Those are the things I think are going to take time to make him a good player at this level. I think it’s a realistic outlook that it’s going to take time to develop. if you can’t get off the line quick and can’t separate quick….that doesn’t really translate to short passing game weapon as a rookie. On top of the fact he isn’t as physical as his size suggests and is more finesse.

that type of QB, especially paired with a weaker NFL arm.....excel with quick game weapons though. it sounds like you are a big Tmac homer. I mean, if you are watching every snap he played in college. So, it's safe to say we likely won't see eye to eye on expectations for year 1. And my expectations on Tmac aren't all in his control. As I have also said, elsewhere, this is really year 2 for Bryce. So I expect the first half of the season to carry healthy odds of a year 2 regression (specifically the first half). Film, tendencies, and weaknesses in Dave's offense are going to be prepared for. out of curiosity, what cons to Tmac's game where in the scouting stuff you saw?

yeah, you can basically copy and paste my thoughts from this time last year. We are building an O more suited for Jake Delhomme than Bryce Young. Tmac and XL sound great for the downfield gunslinger Give them opportunities to make plays. From what I have seen, and the scouting stuff I have read.....TMac does not project as a get open quick WR. He is going to have to work on getting off the line at this level, getting open, etc. Which is all good. This you go to think people will be studs out the gate or you are hater logic just ain't what I do. Take my XL stance last year. I lobbied hard for him. When we drafted him I immediately told folks to pump their breaks on the wild expectations. If XL legitimately turned into what I think he can be.....his best setup in the league would not be paired w/ a QB like Young. if Bryce was going to be the dude, I would have lobbied for Ladd vs XL. I was an XL guy. And again, I would have gone Warren/Jeanty this draft. I would have invested in small ball talent for him to be the PG for.

looks like I was wrong on that going off memory. It was one of a couple stats I looked at the other week. Looks like I confused that league worst with the bad target %, yac per comp, etc stats I looked up. Where he was league worst. I still think solving the YAC and short pass game is the best way to maximize Bryce. He might of thrown deep ....but he has never been a good deep thrower. Outside of PFF declaring it with what ifs.

the Big 12 was weak last year. The PAC12 was not the best conference in the nation in 2023. Tmac is not a literal development prospect. Neither was XL. Those type dudes are on the practice squad. What he is a dude that most likely, given his style of play AND the O he is coming onto.....likely won't have a huge year in year 1. Most of the rookies that come into the league and wow.....play w/ big armed risk takers downfield. That's not where he is landing. He is landing on a team that needs dude to get NFL open and quick. I don't dislike Tmac, I don't dislike XL, I don't dislike BY. I do not think the Panthers are investing in offensive skill talent matches what the QB does well. Which is exactly what I said when we drafted XL.....who I lobbied for. Round hole, square peg is something I have been talking about since we first drafted Bryce and rolled w/ Frank Reich.

It's the NFL. And Tmac wasn't a great separator in a weak college conference. Seems pretty reasonable to think he will take some time to develop playing on the outside in the NFL. See our last big body outside WR that could get open in the SEC. My take on Bryce has NEVER changed. Bryce is best suited to take advantage of the slot, backfield, etc. It's a quick pass game. We recognized the quick PG aspect of his game but never put that into motion. Big body downfield WRs on the outside are NOT his natural go to guys. And there is a reason a completely washed up AT is our best weapon operating out of the slot. and I said the same thing about drafting XL. Square peg/round hole w/ Bryce. But I wanted XL because I assumed like most the Bryce experiment ended. Canales is building a downfield chunk passing roster.....which pairs with his Seattle/Tampa times. None of this talk is new. Bryce throws shorter than anyone in the NFL (did it last year).

I mean, outside of 1 game.....I can't recall Horn ever traveling in his entire career here. And most teams aren't rolling with a 1a and 1b playing opposite each other. To me, I'd throw Travis Hunter in the slot in the NFL. So yeah, if he doesn't travel w/ Thomas Jr......then he is going to see tons of reps on their other guys (like he does most games).

Dang, Belichick's girl making moves. Good signing by her.

Horn doesn't generally travel so the Jags could get him on Dyami Brown.... Horn should be on Thomas Jr 100% of the snaps IMO. That's what he is paid to do.

I'd wait. Nosebleeds won't be 200 later. and after glancing at tickets online just to see.....man, the fees all these ticket companies add on are criminal. Whatever the ticket would cost gets ballooned like crazy. I miss the old days where you just bought them off a dude outside the stadium.

yeah, we drafted a WR in round 1. All signs points he is going to have a development window. Just like XL (another first round WR). Neither of which are natural pairings with Bryce Young and how he plays the game. Drafting Tmac isn't going to drastically alter things this season most likely. in his final 8 games.....he was also meh/okay in 5 of the 8. Which is great given what he was, which wasn't shouldn't even be on a NFL field caliber. But the Panther passing attack as a whole or even cherry picked to only post benching......was a subpar NFL pass attack (which ranked dead last on the season). Too many IMO focus on the improvement vs where it actually stacks up vs the rest of the league. again, the defense SHOULD improve. Almost a certainty. It was historically horrific. So even a good improvement there leaves in the bottom 3rd of the league.

to an extent we still will be what we will be. We haven't drastically changed. We likely will be a bottom 3rd defense. We will likely be a bottom 3rd pass attack. I expect us to improve but we were really bad in both areas last year, so while we should improve in both areas.......I don't expect an Earth shattering change in those 2 departments.

seems like 7ish. Depending how the ball bounces, a little more or a little less.

the Colts release was actually awesome IMO. my favorite part was the one entity breaking the Minecraft grunts/sounds.....was the Jags head coach with this cringy DUUUVAAAL at the end.

people talk about how easy the schedule is but that always sort of bunk going off last year's win/loss %. I mean, it's not brutal but who knows what it really will end up. I will say, on face value, I'd rather flip flop the home vs away games and have the road teams at home. The road schedule is against the easiest teams on the schedule, so I would rather have the homefield advantage to go with that vs given it to them.

the one game Dawkins plays would be epic. So much fun. He is one of my all time non-Panther favorites. But it would only be one game because he would be suspended for the rest of the year after decapitating and folding folks up like lawn chairs.

Mahomes is the new Brady. That skews things. So, those AFC guys essentially are getting dinged when they would have the path in the NFC.

I’d say the greatest QB and greatest HC in the NFL largely answered what matters most when Brady went to Tampa. and if the HC draws a top flight QB in the end to pull it off then it’s a still a QB game in the end.

we have already seen a bad Panther team with the best RB in the NFL on it......it was a losing team. Not even a playoff sniffing team. QB is the end all be all in the NFL. You don't have the QB play.....then you need a super team essentially. Which Philly has. Finding a QB is easier than building a super team.

in 2024 KC was the #1 seed with the best record in the NFL....in the tougher AFC. They finished the year in the Super Bowl. I mean, 2024 Mahomes showed once again, QB play is the king maker in the NFL and what mattered most.....because as you said, Mahomes did all that with an ok team around him. The team from the NFC that meet him there? They had to have the #1 defense, arguably the best OL in the NFL, skill weapons coming out the ears.....because their QB isn't the level of Mahomes. KC lost a game at the end. But the season 100% showed that Mahomes is the difference maker and why getting QB right is what matters most.

Barkely is a put you over the top player. Not a make you a contender player. Which is exactly what has career has shown. Why the Giants let him go.

Allen and Burrow simply play in the AFC where the torched basically went Brady to Mahomes. They already make their teams Super Bowl "contenders". Both have proven their play is good enough to overcome all sorts of issues whether it be bad line play, bad D, weak support or whatever. And they would be in the NFC....where the Brady/Mahomes issue of the AFC doesn't exist.

There is no non-QB that would make this squad Super Bowl contenders. Mahomes, Lamar, Allen or Burrow IMO are the only options.

It's still a weird room. I mean, if you took any legit YAC slot and put him on this team....I think he would lead the team in yards if you actually repped him. It's why an old washed slow AT is our best player. It's just volume to competent. It's Young's DNA and strengths factoring in (that's where he is going to do so much of his work)......yet all our investment is on outside big bodies that got work to do in order to be open in this league. I think either Horn suprises, or Renfrow surprises or something. I still think the slot is the easy play for Bryce Young......you just need someone quick and good at that job. Not sure Renfrow got the quickness anymore.