BrianS

King had a lot to say, but he baked those numbers to be pretty misleading. Between TB5 and Darnold, our 2020 and 2021 outlay at QB is actually 42 million, or 21 per season. If he wanted to make a point, he should have said we've already committed 18 million next year to a guy who won't start (Darnold). King isn't much of a Cam fan. That's fine. It's a legit perspective. Cam hasn't had a fully healthy season since 2015. He's not ever going to be 2015 again. He hasn't looked good in a long, long time. That doesn't in any way invalidate the fact that Cam is likely the best QB on our team right now. It doesn't mean he can't be a successful starter. If we can just coach him without being afraid of him, I think it's possible Cam can give us a few years as a good starter, but an even better motivator and leader. It all depends on his health.

Dear Panthers - Do not rush this man back. I want him right for the next four years, instead of four games at the end of this season. He looks like the real deal, and we could definitely use some of that.

Could be a number of things, but if you're expecting 2015 Cam back you're going to be sad. In looking at Cam's tape from last year, he can still get you the 40-50 yard ball if he can set and throw. But he can't make the 60 yard falling backwards pinpoint bomb. This is a different Cam physically. We need to care for him. We need to use him to his strengths and not overuse him.

Sam didn't dupe anyone. Everything he did was on tape. Teams simply thought they could coach him up and fix the mental side of his game, which is where he fails. Sam's not a good QB, but his problems are 100% mental. And honestly, that's where 95% of QB's fail in the NFL. I wish he had worked out, but he didn't. I don't feel sorry for him. His entire life is in front of him and he can do pretty much whatever he wants.

This. Exactly this. We played well. We looked like a team on the rise. But imagine taking Cam and JStew out of the 2015 team. We caught them at a really good moment for us, and a bad moment for them. We needed that win. We needed that energy. Now the challenge is to carry it forward and get better.

While I don't want to see us "force" Cam in ahead of schedule, let's not kid ourselves. PJ threw for 167 yards yesterday. It's not like he set the world on fire with his downfield prowess. Our running backs won that game. Not PJ Walker. So if you're saying Cam won't be able to figure out how to hand the ball off, I'm not on board. Bottom line however is that Rhule won't announce a starter. He'll make WTF prepare for both. That's just smart football.

Sample size is still too small. He kicked very well yesterday. No doubt. However, over his career, Zane has been Joey Slye. If he's going to turn into John Kasay, I'm here to see it, but he needs to continue to hit those <50 yard shots consistently to get there.

As well as Gilmore has played, I don't see how we keep him. He's going to want megabux next year. That's a problem since he is probably at the point where he's soon to be in decline. I would much rather see us keep a guy like Donte who isn't likely to be in decline in the next three years. Honestly, the entire secondary played well. This is a fact difficult to argue when the opposing team has less than 150 yards passing.

You won't win many games where your QB goes 22/29 for 167 yards. All PJ did was not lose that game. Our OLine, aside from Daley, looked competent. Similar to last week in fact. I'm not sure the game did anything for Brady. His situational play calling is still not convincing. We had more FG's than TD's today. Our kicker, in a shocking turn of events, kicked consistently well today. It shouldn't disguise the fact that when we got inside the opponent 35 yard line, our offense choked more than it scored TD's. I'm not saying we shouldn't be positive about the future, the team looked like a team trending in the right direction. What I am saying is that one game doesn't answer all the questions.

Agree. Our defense is looking good.

TD's in the third quarter? Going for two? What is this team?

I mean . . . if Daley can stop setting us back we could pull away.

He's going to kill us. I mean, single handedly taking us backwards.

It's nothing special. Just make the plays that are there to be made. TD. Why have we made this hard this season?

You cannot make this crap up. I mean. How could you write it?

Actually, even that's not full. Jaycee still out. Bodes well for the future tho.

You're right, no one will trade for him. But the second part doesn't make a lick of sense. There is no cap relief whatsoever from cutting him. This isn't like other situations where a guy has a huge cap hit and it's only partially guaranteed. Sam Darnold being cut is just 18 million in dead cap, next year only. Whether he is on the roster or not, we're stuck with it. Let him sit on the bench.

I honestly don't want to see much read option. I want see enough of it to establish the threat to slow down the DE's, but we have a 32 year old QB with an injury history. I don't want him getting hit unless it's absolutely necessary.

And the year after. You know the best way to wash out the taste of no consecutive winning seasons? Consecutive SB's. And I agree, there is no way you can let Cam walk again unless he really is terrible. Fan base will not stand for it.

On one hand, I do understand why certain traditions may need to change in order to truly change the culture of a team. It makes sense. And there were some things in our culture that needed changing. However, certain traditions SHOULD NOT. EVER. CHANGE. Keep Pounding is one of those traditions that should be part of who we are forever. There is no negativity associated with it whatsoever. It was brought to us by a team legend. The only player with a statue in fact. It's one of our best, most meaningful and truly positive traditions. Cam gets it. If his return is what it takes to remind the entire organization about it he'll have done great things before he even steps on the field for us.

Just finished watching the presser and was coming over to post the same thing. Keep (*&$ing Pounding!

I love that Cam gives back in this way. I'm sure every kid who ever got a ball from Cam has something he'll keep for the rest of his life. Want to know what's disappointing? That no one on the team turned that into a PANTHERS tradition.

Honestly man, I don't want him to do anything in the run game very often. Here's the thing. We know Cam has injury history specifically with his shoulder. That's not great. Now, what if, by some miracle Cam comes in and he doesn't have the 70 yard arm he once did, but instead he only has a 55 yard arm. I just don't want ANY hits on him. At all. Pocket. Runs. Whatever. It seems pretty clear that along about 2018 something finally clicked for him mentally in the pass game. His completion percentage went way up. Wasn't it Norv who told Cam "Take the layup man!" If we have a QB who now has it figured out between the ears, I don't care what he can do on the ground. I want him to end every game with a pristine jersey. I want him on the field. I was very excited for Cam right before his body utterly fell apart. He really looked like he was growing as a passer.

This is a good point, but it's independent of picking up the fifth year. One thing I've always thought would be fascinating is if every team would release their final draft board after the draft was over. I know it will never happen, but it could really explain a lot about those choices that we as fans just don't get.

If the offense fails now, the finger needs to point directly at Joe Brady. Simple as that. I'm not expecting 2015 Panthers or 2019 Chiefs, but I do expect competent offensive performances.