SCO96

There is absolutely NO WAY I'd pick up his 5th year option at season's end. I'd be planning to take a QB in round 1 or 2 of the draft or bring in a vet via FA or trade to compete for the job in 2026. If I couldn't find a trade partner I'd have him play out the 4th year and let him move on. If BY somehow managed to turn things around this season and next, I still wouldn't give him a big deal. I'd make him play under the TAG in 2027 to see if he could play well 3 years in a row. If he did, only then would I even consider offering him a new deal...and it wouldn't be a deal to "reset the market". If he insisted on that I'd let him fleece and his agent fleece some other team.

I agree with both of you. My point is that since Rivera's last season in Carolina (2019) we have primarily a run a 3-4 and drafted our defensive players to field a 3-4 as our base defense. I was just saying we need to change direction next season. We should move DB to a 4-3 DT and find some true 4-3 lineman and a MLB to carry on the tradition of Dan Morgan, Jon Beason, and Luke. That alone would improve or run defense. That said, I don't think we have the FO to these moves.

We don't have the personnel to field a strong front 7 in a 3-4 defense. They need to transition to a 4-3, but I don't think Tepper would allow it. DB would thrive in a 4-3 as a NT if he had at least one legit pass rusher on the line with him.

I can't disagree with that.

If we could keep them off the field with some sustained drives that resulted in TDs instead of FG's I think that would at least keep us out of the top 10 worst defenses in the NFL. I also think they'd play harder if the thought they could win if they could hold the opponent to 24 points or less.

I said this in post yesterday (but under a different topic). When you go on the field the defense needs to feel that the offense is capable of winning the game if they hold up their on their end. The Panthers go into every game outmanned at the QB position. The team doesn't put up enough points or have the ball long enough to lighten the load on the defense. I think Canales gets too much blame as well. He was hired to "fix Bryce". At least for now, Tepper isn't going to let him bring in a guy who has a legitimate shot at taking his job. Bryce is limited in his talent, which limits what Canales can do in games. We've all seen plays where guys were open but BY failed to see them or made a bad throw. Put Cam Newton in this offense with the exact same players and we'd easily average 3 TDs a game and probably contend for the NFC South. Take the same team and add in Greg Olsen type talent at TE...we'd win the NFC South.

You have a point. I don't think he's the answer. But, we can all agree that He looked a bit different on the field when he returned from his benching. People tend to wake up and strive to get better when they are in danger of the losing their job. Back in the 1970-1971 the Cowboys went to back to back SB's with 2 different starters (Craig Morton/Roger Staubach). That was one of the most intense competitions in history. Staubach missed almost all of the 1972 season and Dallas still made the 1972 NFC title game. Montana got better when Walsh brought in Steve Young Favre had some excellent seasons after Aaron Rodgers was drafted. Phil Simms got hurt in 1990, and their back up QB Jeff Hostler beat the 49ers who were going for 3peat on the way to a SB win over Buffalo. You need to have a guy who can at least push the starter so he doesn't become complacent, especially when he isn't elite.

Yep. Our $25 mil per year D-lineman didn't get close to the QB yesterday. We haven't had a legit interior pass rusher since Kwann Short. I don't understand why our FO tends to focus in on College DT's who can't rush the passer in the 1st round. We did it with Vernon Butler and we did it with Derrick Brown.

But, PRIME CAM could score points with this OFFENSE! We all know the defense sucks. But if we went 6-11, but average 24 points a game we could live with that because we could then focus solely on the defense for the next 2 off-seasons.

It's DEFINITELY one of the top 5 worst! No one can dispute that!

DB is a good player, not a great one. You shouldn't pay a player $25 mil per year to play on the D-line to not get sacks and to not make a big impact against the run. You can find guys on the last 2 days of the draft to do that. In his defense, I think he's out of position. For some reason Tepper is obsessed with this team running a 3-4. Brown would be much more effective overall if he played NT in a 4-3 and had AT LEAST ONE LEGIT pass rusher on the line with him. Still, a DL making 25 mil a year should be a guy who can take over a game, at least several times per year. I've never seen Brown do that.

Only 1 team can win the SB every season. So, the goal is to build a team that can at least be in contention for the playoffs in most years. Bryce is showing that he ISN'T the guy to make that happen in Carolina. We need to start making plans to bring in a viable starter (or at minimum viable competition) for the 2026 starting job.

You and I both know that Tepper isn't going to let Canales make a permanent change at QB. He (and his wife) have too much of an emotional investment in him.

I caught that too and I fixed my typo . I meant to say NFC SOUTH.

I don't blame this on Canales. He doesn't have a QB that play at a high level in the in the NFL. He didn't pick Bryce. He inherited him. You give Canales a top 10 QB and we'd have a legitimate shot at the winning the NFC South I think this team often appears flat because they realize that they are overmatched at the QB position in almost every game they play. And, if Bryce starts off poorly they realize that literally have almost no chance to win.

I've been saying this for years. I thought he was drafted too high in 2020 and hated the selection. I don't trust our front office to pick the right guy, but if someone offered me a #1 draft pick for him I'd consider it if I were GM. Seriously, are we really that much worse without him?

I'm gonna get killed for this, but I'd either start giving Hooker more reps in practice to see if can push the ball downfield in case we need to bench Bryce again; or seriously considering trading a 4th or 5th to get S. Sanders from Cleveland. He's far from a finished project but I think he'd give us better chance to win than Bryce.

Especially if/when he can get a big game QB to get the ball to him.

Nice pic JC! Maybe the team will wake up now!

I was looking at it from a straight up swap and one #1 pick (see my reply to Jimmy). Parsons isn't worth that the Packers gave up. And, that $47 mil is pretty steep (although that will probably seem like a bargain in 2 seasons). I confess my error. That said, I still think Parson is a more impactful player on the field week in and week out than Brown.

I actually had forgotten the part about the Two #1 picks. Thanks for reminding me. So the answer to your question would be a resounding NO!

I would have made that deal. I know they play different positions, but Parsons would have got us more sacks in one season than DB has in his entire career. I think Brown is a good player, not a great one. I know that opinion isn't popular around here. But ask any team in the NFL who makes more of an impact on the field week in and week out...DB or Parsons? I think over 2/3 of the teams would have picked the latter.

You can't help but wonder how a Prime Cam would have performed with this crew of lineman blocking for him and a receivers like Coker, Theilen, and TMac to throw to. Add in a top notch TE like Olsen and we'd be favorites to make a deep run in the NFC playoffs.

Just curious, how did you hear (or read) about Wallace studying with TD and Luke? For him to do that in year 1 shows a real dedication to his craft and could really take his game to a new level over the next couple of years.

I understand the reasoning, but it was a very risky move and hindsight proves that. We were 2-15 in 2023. We needed help at almost every position on the team. When a team is bad, you can't afford to miss out on your Day 1 and Day 2 draft choices. "IF" I were a GM in our 2024 draft situation, I'm not investing a 2nd round pick on a RB coming off of an ACL tear in NOVEMBER unless I know I don't have to use him his rookie season. As has been pointed out, it's not uncommon for a setback to occur w/in a year of the initial surgery. If I had to have a starting back I would have taken the safest/surest draft choice at a position of need in round 2 and then taken the best available back in round 3 or round 4. In 2025 I would put him on the field along with the 2024 2nd rounder who should be starting at another position on the field.