Prowler2k18

10 minutes ago, 45catfan said:

Not a chance. Okay, 1% chance.

Trevon Moehrig/FS/TCU

Landon Dickerson/G/C/ALA

Rashod Bateman/WR/MINN

1 hour ago, ladypanther said:

They are taking liberty of Fitterer's statement  IMO.  Fitt said that there is a plan in place and they would deal with both 5th year options after the draft. I did not take that to me Darnold is on such shaky ground.

You’re right LP. It’s the New York Post...the closest thing to sensational level tabloid news there is. Doesn’t carry much weight.

1 hour ago, joemac said:

OK, well if that happens then Pitts should still be there for us to take.  Regardless, if we stay pat at 8, and there is a run on QBs like we all know there is going to be - one of the top non-QB players is going to be sitting there for us to grab.  I hope we do.

Not sure if Pitts makes it past the Falcons or Dolphins but we should run the card up if he’s there. Anything can happen on draft day.

24 minutes ago, unicar15 said:

I think that the trade down talk is mostly just smoke to try and open all possible options for Fitterer at #8. However, if Fields or Lance are there and a bidding war ensues from teams like Pats, Broncos, WFT it could prove difficult to say no.
 

That said...I think Chase is probably the best player in the draft after Lawrence. If for some reason Chase and Fields (potentially QB of the future) are there at #8 do you think we still trade down?
 

To me that would mean the draft result somewhat like this..

1. Lawrence

2. Wilson

3. Jones

4. Lance 

5. Sewell

6. Pitts (Mia has weapons at WR already..Pitts fills a need at TE as well)

7. Slater (Lions also heavily rumored to be interested in best defender so could be Parsons or Surtain as well). 

8. Chase - It’d be shocking to have a player like him fall this far. But not completely unrealistic. 
 

So...do you trade out knowing teams may want to trade up for Fields (ahead of Denver). Do you take Fields and let him sit? Do you take Chase knowing he looks like a future All-Pro? 

For now I’m expecting the Bengals to take Chase @ 5 but if they don’t he won’t make it past Detroit @ 7. Their cupboard is bare @ WR.

2 hours ago, MHS831 said:

I just watched some Darnold video and I was wondering why we took 3 players off this Jets team.  Then I remembered as a player and a coach, sometime you start watching one player and you notice another.  When I was watching an opposing team's film, I looked for the weaknesses on the OL/DL.  If I saw it, I knew I could exploit it.  When being recruited, I was often noticed by schools watching film on my teammate.  So I started watching #67 on some Darnold tapes.  He was not given much time, but man, Elf had some terrible OL around him.  They were not in sync often, but he demonstrated some intelligence and some nasty. 

 

Positives: Great technique. can not swim move him because he keeps his butt low and back straight--does not lunge or reach.  When stunt goes away from him, his head swivels inside to find the LB or help the C.  He repeatedly showed upper body strength and good mobility.  I did not see him pull, but I saw him take a DT from Left A gap to Right C gap in pass protection, creating a lane for Darnold to run for 20 yards. I saw him shove a Raider DT from A gap to C Gap with his right arm on the goal line.  Excellent footwork. Never off balance, obvious football intelligence based on his head movement (When we had Silatolu, I reported that he was confused and did not know where to look during a stunt--when this happens, expect this...he did not know.  Elf gets it.  He seems to have a bit of a nasty streak too.  He uses all he has on every play.  I NOW like this signing and see why we did it. 

Negatives:  He is not overwhelming and can get bull rushed a bit.  When you do not bend forward, making you susceptible to swimming or getting fooled with a stunt or blitz, there is a bit of a trade off.  So getting bull rushed is part of that balance.  Paradis has the same problem, but he has good balance most of the time.  I did not see Elf pull, but I do not see physical limitations to suggest he cannot. 

Analysis:  Remember Evan Mathis, the Guard Carolina released after drafting in the third round in 2005?  He went on to have a 12-year career, with a couple pro bowl appearances as a LG with the Eagles?  He was a G with the Broncos in Super Bowl 50?  That guy?  Well, he did not start getting it until he was about 27.  Elflein will be 27 in July.  I see Elflein as smarter, more disciplined, and just as aggressive.   All signs are pointing toward the light coming on here.  Put a good LT beside him and he will be really good.  Trust me.  As a C?  I think that may be his spot--but he is an upgrade.  We signed him on the first day of tampering because we were studying up on Darnold, and this guy jumps out at you--like a Nun at a biker rally.  I do not want to oversell him, but if you were like me and scratching your head about the 3-year deal, stop it.  You will see. 

Not sure about Erving--I think they like his ability to provide depth at all 5 spots.

 

Nice analysis MHS. With this being the last year of Paradis’ contract, it wouldn’t surprise me if they signed Elfein as his eventual replacement. I think he’d do great @ Center.

52 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

I don't want to trade down. I want to stick at 8 and take Penei Sewell or Rashaan Slater.

Having teams trade ahead of us for a quarterback helps that happen.

I wouldn’t mind trading down but not beyond #15. Let’s say the Chargers want to move up to draft Sewell and reunite him with Herbert and are willing to trade their #13, their 3rd and a 2nd next year. We could still get Slater or Farley, we’d have an extra pick in the early rounds and recoup the 2nd rounder we gave up for Darnold. 

5 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Two parts I found especially interesting

...

While the move surprises many, Fitterer saw it coming because the Panthers also had talked to Miami about the possibility of moving to No. 3. Ultimately, the Panthers balked at the draft picks that Miami wanted. Plus, Fitterer was reluctant to make a move before the Panthers completed their evaluations of the top QBs in the draft by attending the pro days for Wilson and Fields.

...

With the Panthers’ selections falling in the top 10 in each of the first six rounds, Fitterer is not willing to part with a high pick in this year’s draft. “We wanted to keep our picks this year — one, two and three. That was really important to us, especially picking as high as we are in some of those rounds,” he says.

...

Probably worth remembering that Fitterer's background is as a draft scout.

How great is it to finally have a competent front office?

16 hours ago, TheSpecialJuan said:

Former Matt Rhule Temple recruit 

I just read the Broncos are planning to re-sign him. Call his release a “procedural move”. Go figure.

58 minutes ago, woahfraze said:

I don't have an issue with the Darnold trade itself.  For those of you saying it was Option C or D, well what did you want the man to do once the more preferred options didn't work out?  This was a modest investment of draft capital for a guy they see upside in.  Whether the coaching staff can help him reach his potential is to be seen. But in the context of the trade itself, it's fairly low risk.

Where I have a problem with it is picking up his 5th year option. Why commit to $19MM next year when you have no idea if he'll improve or not?  Why not wait until after next year to sign him to an extension if his play warrants it?  Are they worried that if he improves that they'll have an issue keeping him because the FA QB market is bonkers?  That's the only rationale for executing the 5th year option, but I'd still prefer not to risk that investment when it's more likely than not that Darnold won't prove to be worth that amount of money for next year.

Because a) we’ll need time to evaluate if Darnold can truly be our answer at QB; and b) if he isn’t and flames out like Bridgewater, we’ll need a competent backup just in case we take a swing at a franchise QB in 2022 (Howell). And if we trade him, his cap hit is not cost prohibitive.

1 hour ago, *FreeFua* said:

It’s Slater or Sewell. If both are gone you trade back. Hopefully Denver stays at 9 and Washington or New England want to move up.

My trade back target is Darrisaw.

Jaycee Horn is awfully tempting but you have to give Darnold a LT. You traded for him in hopes of turning around his career. He needs a LT to have a shot at that

1 hour ago, *FreeFua* said:

It’s Slater or Sewell. If both are gone you trade back. Hopefully Denver stays at 9 and Washington or New England want to move up.

My trade back target is Darrisaw.

Jaycee Horn is awfully tempting but you have to give Darnold a LT. You traded for him in hopes of turning around his career. He needs a LT to have a shot at that

You read my mind. Sewell had said it be a “dream come true” to be reunited with Herbert in Los Angeles and the Chargers do have hole @ LT. We could trade down to #12 for additional picks this year and next and still get Darrisaw. I believe we have interest in him also.

sorry about the double quotes

24 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

To the public, maybe.

People he's coached and people that have worked for him characterize him as a hard ass.

And that’s a good thing. We’ve gone the players’ coach route for many years and that really hasn’t made us consistent winners. Based on what we know about some of Rhule’s mentors (Parcells, Reid), I’m sure he’ll find the right balance when it comes to developing players.

10 hours ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I wish I was as confident as some of y'all that we actually have our QB to build around. I'm definitely not.

I’m being cautiously optimistic. Worse case scenario is Darnold is a less expensive placeholder than Bridgewater. We have know way of knowing right now. But we can build a really good OL for McCaffrey’s prime years and whoever the next franchise QB will be.

1 hour ago, Khyber53 said:

Would like to see him make it home with the sacks more, to be honest. Let's put him in the "good" rating, but he hasn't earned the "great" label yet. He's never going to be Julius Peppers, but he still can work himself up to the Charles Johnson level. 

Not meaning to downplay his potential, but he's still got a big ceiling above him and we need him to start reaching it. (He was still the best guy out there by far, but that defense last season was soft, weak and timid in most games.)

Agreed. The D made steadily  progressed last season and should continue to get better this season with the new additions. Burns and the D in general could benefit from another disruptive force on the DL. Hope we can find one in the later rounds.

17 minutes ago, TheSpecialJuan said:

Alex Marvez on SiriusXM radio mentioned last week that there was interest on both sides. 

I think we’re better off taking his replacement in the later rounds of the draft. There are some good ones to be had e.g. Nixon/Iowa, Johnson/Indiana or Tufele/USC. We need depth and youth there instead of a retread IMO.

5 hours ago, Mr. Scot said:

Granted, we haven't been great at tight end, but we did just sign a decent one.

Great analogy. Having a great OL will do wonders for the offensive weapons we have. Just ask the Saints and the Cowboys (before injuries and age set in). On the other hand, Fitterer has seen what happened with a below average OL in Seattle so it wouldn’t be a shock if OT is the pick @ 8.

Hornets coming out flat after halftime of this one. And Gordon Hayward WTH? He’s in an awful slump!

Just now, SOJA said:

Mia going for their guy Devonta and picked up an extra first and third and will still get him 

Gotta give ‘em props. MIA putting in work today.

27 minutes ago, hepcat said:

Beating Washington though 

As bad as Washington played, we would’ve had to stay in the locker room after halftime to have lost that game. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rivera screwed us on purpose to help knock us down in the draft order. Kind of like the Saints did us a few seasons ago.

28 minutes ago, KendrickPanther said:

I wonder if the end result of all this is a really good pass rusher on the board when we pick. I'd love a tackle or a QB but it looks like there won't be any left.

I’m really hoping we can sign FA DT Jarran Reed (released from Seattle today). That would help our depth on the interior DL. I think we’re set @ pass rushers. This will allow us to focus on OL and DB (or QB if one’s available).

3 hours ago, davos said:

Maybe they want to secure Jamaar Chase knowing CIN is likely going Sewell/Slater.  They've got Austin Jackson.  Just spent a 1st on him and he looked good.

Either Chase or reunion with Tua and Devontae Willams. Flores did coach him in the Senior Bowl and he’d be lethal in their offense.

2 hours ago, TheRumGone said:

We’ll take parsons because panthers.

 

Wouldn’t mind it but considering the moves me made @ LB in FA, if a QB is not there @ 8th pick, our options are likely going to be BPA @ OT, CB or trade down. 

37 minutes ago, TheSpecialJuan said:

 

North Carolina native, 28 yo, drafted in 2016. Good size and would provide nice depth on the DL. Would be a nice pick in FA or trade for later round pick.

5 minutes ago, TheWiz said:

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1375108475743825930

I mean...I wouldnt be mad whatsoever.

 

 

Same here.  If we didn’t have other major concerns e.g. QB, OL, CB or made the additions at LB, I’m sure he be at the too of the list @ #8.

35 minutes ago, blueandblackattack said:

That's the pot calling the kettle black. Some of you really should learn how to use Google an check your facts first.

The floor price for a starting quarterback is around $20m according to Spotrac https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/rankings/average/quarterback/

Teddy ranks only 16th in average salary, and the only ones below him are Rothlisburger(after a huge restructuring), backups and qb's still under their rookie deal.

$20m might have been top 5 money 10 years ago, but thats just the floor these days. It's called inflation.

We took a calculated gamble because he was familiar with the system Brady was installing, and did well in it the year prior going 5-0. It didn't work. Life sucks, get over it.

You can cry in your beers all you want, but some of you armchair GM's need to check your facts first and start looking at the team long term.

Bridgewater has a voidable year after this year, and we're about 1 year away from being a complete team. But the bricks are being put in their place, and theres a light at the end of the tunnel.

I know it's hard to be patient when your definition of success is a Superbowl or we're trash, so you might wanna start lowering your expectations and get with the process, otherwise you're always gonna be disappointed.

Nice breakdown sir. Wish more of our fans understood this. It’s a process. Looking at the contract structure itself gives you an idea of what the organization had in mind when they signed him: a veteran QB familiar with a new offense and a bridge (pun intended) to an eventual successor. Makes sense to me. 

23 minutes ago, blueandblackattack said:

That's the pot calling the kettle black. Some of you really should learn how to use Google an check your facts first.

The floor price for a starting quarterback is around $20m according to Spotrac https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/rankings/average/quarterback/

Teddy ranks only 16th in average salary, and the only ones below him are Rothlisburger(after a huge restructuring), backups and qb's still under their rookie deal.

$20m might have been top 5 money 10 years ago, but thats just the floor these days. It's called inflation.

We took a calculated gamble because he was familiar with the system Brady was installing, and did well in it the year prior going 5-0. It didn't work. Life sucks, get over it.

You can cry in your beers all you want, but some of you armchair GM's need to check your facts first and start looking at the team long term.

Bridgewater has a voidable year after this year, and we're about 1 year away from being a complete team. But the bricks are being put in their place, and theres a light at the end of the tunnel.

I know it's hard to be patient when your definition of success is a Superbowl or we're trash, so you might wanna start lowering your expectations and get with the process, otherwise you're always gonna be disappointed.