Raleigh PF

If each player has their name on the jersey...why does a number even matter? Get rid of them all.

I don't put Slater to far behind Sewell and have seen more than a couple of mocks interchange them. I really want the Panthers to get one of the two, so... QB not named Mac Jones>Sewell/Slater>trade down

If QB and Sewell/Slater are not available at 8 and Pitts is, I'd rather trade down and get another selection or two. Nothing against Pitts, but he won't be the core player the Panthers need.

Well, they needed depth along the DLine... ...and he fits the Bill.

I'd love to have him, but he's going to be bringing the circus with him and... ...therein lies the rub.

If some is good, Moore must be better!

Let's see... Houston signs a QB... Carolina signs an edge player when they already have Burns and YGM. Sure seems like the puzzle pieces are coming together. Wouldn't be surprised to see the Watson trade go down with Burns included in the trade.

My concern with Justin Fields is the same concern I have for Mac Jones. Neither Ohio State nor Alabama have produced an above average NFL QB in the last 30 years. Now, you could argue that there are plenty of other schools lacking success in developing QBs, but the difference is, OSU and Alabama have had the pick of the litter. They get the highest-rated QBs coming out of high school, face the toughest teams AND consistently win. Their QBs are typically highly-rated and consistently compete for the Heisman, but when they get to the NFL... Some will point to Joe Burrow as an OSU QB, but his success didn't happen until he played for LSU. I'd prefer to stay away from QBs coming out of either school, thank you.

I'm not happy to see anyone lose their jobs, but it does make for a very intriguing offseason.

With Tre Boston gone (thankfully), I wouldn't be opposed in drafting a safety. It'd have to be someone similar to Chinn - useful in several different aspects, but that would be a consideration I'd entertain to keep the defense flexible. I'd prefer to draft players that can be on the field in all downs and not be out of position against fast-moving offenses.

Every time there's a Super Bowl, some definitive statement is made. While there is some truth to the statements, it's not as cut-and-dried as "must have an overpowering defense" or " must have a great offense". Tampa Bay won this year's SB (not without controversy). They were a well-rounded team and had a great game plan for a less-than-healthy KC team. So, now everyone's on the "must have an overpowering defense" bandwagon. But wait, didn't KC win the SB the year before? No one would mistake KCs defense for Tampa Bay's, so...what happened there? The key to winning a Super Bowl is to have a balanced team. If not, then you need something exceptional to make up for the lack of balance (like a Mahomes). And remember, the Super Bowl is just ONE game. If KC had been healthy, what would that game have been like? I love Smitty, but exactly how many Super Bowls have either Fox or Rivera won?

Those aren't the correct cap numbers for Watson. If he's traded the prorated bonus for Watson kicks in (at Houston's expense). This means the Panthers would not pay any part of that. They would, however, be on the hook for any roster bonuses. That said, he would have the following cap numbers: 2021 - $10,540,000 2022 - $35,000,000 2023 - $37,000,000 2024 - $32,000,000 2025 - $32,000,000 Considering where QB contracts are headed, DW's contract is going to be a real bargain, although I would expect new contract negotiations after 2023.

NY and Miami are the wildcards. I don't see many scenarios in which one or both of the two teams doesn't trade back with a team in need of a QB. The only way they wouldn't trade back is if, say, one of them completes a trade with Houston for Deshaun, figures Darnold (or Miami sticks with Tag) is worth a shot at QB and then decides to draft Sewell or Slater to help with protection. There is simply no scenario in which Fields or Wilson fall beyond pick #4 otherwise.

Why was he released and not traded? Who, in their right mind, would be willing to give up a "solid draft pick" AND pay $17.5M for a guy who has a hard time staying healthy and had 5.5 sacks last year? I mean, they couldn't trade him to Houston...

Every Super Bowl brings about a litany of definitive statements: "Having a great DLine wins championships" "Can't win without an elite receiver" "Must have a great OLine to compete" "The secondary is the key to a Super Bowl win" Super Bowls are just one game, yet they are treated as the holy grail of all games. The fact is, KC had subs in at key positions in the OLine. Tough to win that way, even with elite personnel in other positions. TB had a solid game plan and got KC rattled early. Then again, Andy Reid is not always known for winning the big game at the end of the year. Talent wins games. Talent throughout the roster helps. Good coaching makes a difference. Staying healthy is also huge. It's just one game.

The hope would be that the Jets, Dolphins, Falcons or Lions decide he is the QB of the future and trade for him WITHOUT giving up their top-10 pick. It would take a team out of the running for the top 4 draftable QBs.

I would be incredibly surprised if BOTH the Jets and the Dolphins fail to secure an opportunity to trade down. They could pick up a boatload of picks to help their teams. Oh, and if Mac Jones is available when WFT picks, I'd be shocked if they didn't take him.

What if the Panthers traded for Garoppolo to (a) get out from under Teddy's contract and (b) cut Garoppolo as soon as the trade's complete? Somebody tell me the numbers, cause this looks like a big win if this is the reason.

The Lions would want Goff...with THAT contract? They'd have to give up Goff AND a 1st rounder(that they don't have).

Tell me the last time forcing a player to sit out worked well for the team that did it? In the end, the player ends up going elsewhere, happily or otherwise. You can make a case about Antonio Brown, but he was/is a nut case. Deshaun is not that. Free agents will still sign with the Texans, but probably not big ones if Texans do that. Hint: they won't.

I expect Caserio and Culley will be able to talk McNair into a trade. Wouldn't be surprised if they've already done so, but are executing a plan to get the most out of a trade. There simply is no incentive for them to make a trade now - it doesn't help the Texans AT ALL. By waiting until just before the draft, they can maximize value. They know what they want and expect they'll get it. From Caserio/Culley, they'll argue that the right trade not only gets them a likely successor, but with the extra picks, they can get much better in a hurry and at a relatively low cost for the next few years. Deshaun is their golden ticket, if they manage the trade correctly. In the meantime, I expect there not to be a ton of movement on the QB market UNTIL Watson's fate is decided, meaning, it'll setup to be one of the more exciting drafts. Expect a whole lot of nothing until then.

I think we can agree that the three scenarios that work out best for the Panthers are: 1. Trade for Deshaun Watson. 2. Trade up in the draft and get one of Fields/Wilson. 3. Trade for Matt Stafford. I put these in the order of my preference. You may have yours, but it appears these are the three. Unfortunately, I wouldn't put the Panthers as the leaders for any of the three scenarios. If that holds true, I don't want the Panthers to pick Trey Lance, Mac Jones or anyone else in this year's draft - at least not in the first three rounds or so. Just seems like a higher potential for a bust and a waste of a pick. In that scenario, I could live with Teddy for another year or maybe try to accumulate another 1st round pick for 2022 to gain more draft capital. I'd rather they not reach for a QB.

I was pretty happy with the idea of Mac Jones being the pick if the Panthers traded down in the 1st and got a few extra (needed) picks. But then I saw Mac Jones in that Pillsbury Doughboy costume. Except he wasn't wearing a costume. Maybe he gets in better shape once he gets to the NFL and can dedicate some money and resources towards his fitness level, but dayum...

I agree with you about Teddy and his contract. From Detroit's perspective, the possibility of getting a 1st round pick next year (albeit less likely) has to be attractive. Having said that, you are likely right that Detroit would want more in the deal, but I think it's a decent foundation for a discussion. The good news is, swapping Teddy and Stafford is a cap neutral transaction. Both teams are paying ~20 to each QB next year, so it wouldn't impact either teams salary caps. Having Teddy there to be the bridge to a newly drafted QB would certainly help them, as well.

I'd be willing to trade a 2nd this year and a conditional 3rd in 2022, with the following conditions: 1. Detroit takes Bridgewater in the deal. 2. Pick becomes a 2022 2nd round pick if the Panthers make the playoffs AND Stafford plays more than 60% of the snaps at QB. 3. Pick becomes a 2022 1st round pick if the Panthers make the NFC Championship AND Stafford plays more than 60% of the snaps at QB. If the Panthers make it that far, it's essentially a 2nd round pick anyhow. In other words, the better Stafford does, the better the pick is for Detroit, but increasingly towards the bottom end of the round.