SCO96

Years ago there use to be a website called Cold Hard Football Facts.com. I used to hang out there to read the articles and their interpretation of the football data. After the midseason point, when teams had generated enough data to set trends, these guys could predict the winner of game 75% of the time using nothing but statistical data. They said the single most important piece of data for passing efficiency is Yards per attempt. "I think" they said any team at 7.0 yds/attempt or higher would usually be among the top 10 teams in the NFL year in and year out if even if they only had an average defense. The lower the number, the least successful the team. https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/view/offense/stat/passing/table/passing/sort/yardsPerPassAttempt/dir/desc If you toggle the column and arrange it from best to worst the data clearly proves their point. Nearly every team above 7.0 this season (16 in all) has a strong chance of making the playoffs with the possible exceptions of Washington and Dallas. Washington has been decimated by injuries this year and Dak's excellent season is being overlooked because the Cowboy defense can't stop anyone in 2025. The teams below 7.0 are clearly the tier 2 and tier 3 teams in the NFL with the exception of Denver which is currently sitting atop the AFC West at 8-2.

We all agree with you on this. But, I think Tepper wants Bryce to succeed with the new coach and GM because of the huge investment to draft him. This is understandable. I get feeling that he doesn't want any QB on that roster who is a clear cut better option than Bryce at this point. That would make him look bad...again. We haven't had winning season since he bought the team. He trades away vital draft capital and best WR to obtain a guy #1 overall in the draft and that guy has turned out to be arguable the least productive starter in the NFL over the past 3 seasons. That's got to be a HUGE blow to his ego.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/view/offense/stat/passing/table/passing/sort/netPassingYardsPerGame/dir/desc Through 10 weeks Total passing yards: 1,640 (30th). Only the Titans and Jets are below us. Yards per game: 164 (30th). Only the Titans and Jets are below us. Yards per attempt: 5.9 (31st). Only the Browns are below us. When it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of a passing game, the above stats are very informative. The 3 teams below the Panthers have combined win total of 5 games, which is our total heading into week 11. We know why we've been able to be more successful in the win column than those 3 teams. They don't have a Rico Dowdle-type back that has been able to take over a game to negate the poor quarterback play. We saw what happened to the Panthers last Sunday when a team came into the game determined to stop our running game. We couldn't even crack 10 points on the score board and were held scoreless in the 2nd half. You simply cannot be among the elite teams in the NFL, or even remain among the middle of the pack teams, with a passing game this bad. PS: We have 12 passing TDs so far (21st). Even that is only good for 21st in the NFL this season.

Schlereth won SB's with the Redskins (1991) and Broncos (1997 & 98). He knows what competent QB play looks like. He can't come out and just say on live TV "this passing game is pathetic" or "this QB is not a factor if he has to throw the ball downfield 10+ yards more than once a game". I think every announcer has to scale down their criticism of Bryce Young during live broadcast and "hype" up any positive play he makes, even if its a routine play for 90% of the QBs in the league. There could be some serious repercussion for them if they came out and said over the airwaves "This guy is the biggest factor holding the back the Panthers."

Do you think he could average more than 168 passing yards per game and 5.6 yards/attempt? If he can than he'd provide an immediate upgrade to our passing game.

I think we all agree on that. Unfortunately, we don't have a capable backup on the roster. Dalton looked awful in his one start this season and I don't think we have a 3rd option on the roster. Didn't we release Hooker and White this month?

I think we've all been noticing this trend for years. In the NFL QBs don't get salaries based solely on production. Your contract is based on how much the guy ahead of you in contract negotiations just got paid. You know the salary structure in the NFL is out of whack when 3 Time SB winner Patrick Mahomes doesn't even make the top 10 list in terms of salary. No guy on this list has a Super Bowl ring and only three of them (Goff, Burrows and Purdy) have even played in a SB game. But who cares, the next guy up always gets more than the guy that precedes him. You can't tell me that the agents are not doing this on purpose in order to keep the salaries escalating. https://www.si.com/nfl/highest-paid-quarterbacks-football-full-breakdown (Oct 2025) Dak Prescott Cowboys $60,000,000 $240,000,000 Josh Allen Bills $55,000,000 $330,000,000 Joe Burrow Bengals $55,000,000 $275,000,000 Trevor Lawrence Jaguars $55,000,000 $275,000,000 Jordan Love Packers $55,000,000 $220,000,000 Tua Tagovailoa Dolphins $53,100,000 $212,400,000 Brock Purdy 49ers $53,000,000 $265,000,000 Jared Goff Lions $53,000,000 $212,000,000 Justin Herbert Chargers $52,500,000 $262,500,000 Lamar Jackson Ravens $52,000,000 $260,000,000

If Bryce gets his 5th year option picked up, that doesn't necessarily mean Dan is a Bryce "homer". Tepper "could insist" that the team keep him for 2026 and 2027. Hopefully it won't come to that, but if it did what else could Morgan (and Canales) do but pick up the option and hope for the best?

I wouldn't give a Day 1 or Day 2 pick for him at this stage. A day 3 pick is an entirely different matter. If he were released and picked up a FA that would be even better. As you pointed out "low risk, high reward". Personally, I'd rather see Levis or Howell get a shot based on what we have on the roster right now. Plus, they both have started games in the NFL. But, I think Sanders has much more upside than our current starter..

I actually agree with you to some degree in terms of his talent. I think Deion did over estimate his son's ability. Still, he should not have been drafted two rounds after Dylan Gabriel and Jalen Milroe. I get not wanting a camp/team distraction too. But, Dickerson said he was told this by someone in the NFL league office. Dickerson is a straight shooter. He's not going to put a story out like that if he knew it was false.

I'm glad you have a mind open enough to acknowledge this truth.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I for one do not believe Eric Dickerson went on this podcast just to perpetuate a blatant lie. He didn't say he heard this second hand. He said he was told this by a source inside the NFL office. No way that kid should have fallen to the fifth round with the QB situation that exists on some of the teams in the NFL. I had the same thoughts as Dickerson after he didn't go on the 2nd day of the draft. And when he did get drafted he ended up on a team with essentially 4 QBs ahead of him on the depth chart: Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel, and Watson. The only reason he probably was drafted at all was so the NFL couldn't be accused of "collusion". I have no doubt his attitude turned off some people. And, he may not be able to take his game to the NFL level. But, if can't play or is a jerk, a team is at liberty to cut him at any time. This situation reeks because it looks he's never going to be given a legit chance to compete for a starting job in the league.

I think Tepper (and owners in general) have more influence on team personnel than most of us realize. Remember how Brenton "Sunshine" Berson was a roster lock when JR owned the team? Frank Reich didn't want to draft Bryce, Tepper did. I remember him saying in an off-season meeting that the team wouldn't have to break the bank on WR's because of BY's processing ability and his ability to distribute the a ball to like a point guard to the skill position guys. Frank quickly realized it was almost hopeless situation. And, why are we running a 3-4 defense? We ran a 4-3 for almost two decades. One year after Tepper takes over, we went to a 3-4 and continue to do so despite never drafting the appropriate personnel to run it after Rivera was fired. Owners have a lot of say on what happens on that field. Look how Al Davis tried to ruin Marcus Allen's career essentially benching him during his prime years. Canales got this job because Tepper wanted someone who could "fix" Bryce; and Canales was overly eager to get his first coaching job and felt up to the task. No top coaching prospect was going to want to come to Carolina with our track record since Tepper bought the team and having their destiny tied to Bryce as his QB. A top GM candidate from outside the organization would feel the same way. In theory, it was too early to cut bait with him after only one season Dan and Dave knew one another and both wanted to be "the guy" in charge as coach and GM. Carolina provided the ideal opportunity. On the surface this hire, if successful, could validate Tepper's decision to give a fool's ransom for Bryce and he could fill the GM spot with a body but still have someone in power that he was familiar with. In all honesty, it we had a good QB and a capable back-up on the roster I doubt we'd be having this conversation because we'd probably be one of the top teams in the NFC.

Back in August I had to go to Hilton Head for a business meeting. I listened to a podcast one morning while I was getting dressed. The guest was Eric Dickerson. During the interview he said that he was told by a very high placed source inside the NFL office that teams were told to NOT DRAFT SANDERS in order to send him a message. I guess after the NFL felt he had fallen far enough, Cleveland received a phone call from the league telling them to draft him, who had no intention of doing so until they got that call. This is why I'd like to see him at least get a shot at competing for a starting job somewhere on the league. If he turns out to be a jerk, let the team cut him. The NFL shouldn't be telling someone not to draft someone who doesn't have a criminal record and isn't a source of embarrassment to the NFL brand. They let Deshaun Watson back in the league and get a FULL GUARANTEED CONTRACT 5 YEAR CONTRACT FOR $230 MILLION after being accused of sexually assaulting almost 2 dozen women. Start at the 1:47 mark.

I'd wouldn't have a problem with that at all. The Browns could then walk away with a higher draft pick than the one they used on him and losing a 4th round pick wouldn't damage us too much heading into 2026. I was browsing Cleveland website yesterday. There are already rumblings that Berry and Stefanski are on the hot seat. Some are saying Stefanski is more in danger of getting fired. Some are saying thst goes for both of them. If the GM goes, then you know the coach is right behind him. A new GM/Coach combo are going to want "their guy" and would likely be more than willing to nab a 4th to get Sanders out of the building.