45catfan

My favorite Ozzy tune

Oh yeah, then there's this. Levis to miss season due to shoulder surgery. The Titans were backed into a corner. They had the #1 pick they could use on a QB, versus taking stab in a crappy FA QB market while dealing with an ineffective incumbent QB with a bum shoulder needing to be medically repaired. What choice did they really have? Most Big Boards of course had Ward the QB1, but few had him prospect #1. Position group#1 and overall#1 don't always align, even at the QB position.

Sometimes the most simple answer is the best one. Anybody that follows the draft knew this was a rough class for QBs. The media tried like heck to prop up Sanders just to make it interesting. In most QB classes, Ward would not have gone #1 overall. You know that and I know that.

My hope is that nearly all the top QBs return for another year. With NIL, the need for a quick money grab is waning. Only a couple of the top guys will not be eligible for returning in '26. We need to see what Bryce looks like with no excuses and short of a full face plant he'll get to year 4 with the Panthers. Year 5? That will be a different story and one if he's not a lock as the future of the franchise for the next 10 years, we can hopefully find his replacement in the the '27 draft.

I would have put him in the 4-6 range in the '24 QB draft class. Ward was being discussed among the rest of the QB class before deciding to stay in college and if I remember correctly, that's about where he stacked up on average (4-6). I mean, a 5th round draft pick being the most discussed QB should be all you need to know about the strength of this year's QB draft class. It's not Kenny Pickett's draft class weak, but not that far behind.

Had there been a better QB, he wouldn't have been #1. Where do you think he stacked up verses the six first round QBs in 2024? He's okay, but not #1 overall quality. The Titans should be happy, with fanfare and media scrutiny usually comes lofty expectations. Ward flying under the radar shouldn't be an issue for them.

The Panthers begged him to come back so Bryce can have his security blanket once again. Without AT this season, Bryce may have regressed. The young WRs may be the chunk yardage or 'shot' guys, but AT will the the 3rd down (4th down) chain mover. If there is a must have play, Bryce won't be looking for the young guys, he's looking for AT.

I believe... his ceiling will be average.

This is the Buc's division to lose. We come out on top only if the wheels come off if Tampa. I agree we can be--and should be--better than the Saints and likely the Falcons. A 9-8 season would be nice, but it isn't great. It's mediocre and that something the Panthers haven't been in nearly a decade, but would be reason to celebrate. Heck, the Steelers will likely fire Tomlin over a 9-8 season because they are tired of being mediocre.

Yet being the best part for now. I see more similarities in these two other than their height.

I was at that game. Man, what a time to be a panthers fan!

The past 7 seasons have definitely left a mark.

And we will hang onto Bryce with an average season or two only to part ways in time for the '28 draft which probably will mirror the Kenny Pickett QB class. You know, one borderline franchise QB in the back half of the first round.

Yes, please. Wanted to draft him years ago anyway.

One word to describe next year's QB draft class...DEEP! To me, this is Bryce's make or break year. The organization probably doesn't feel that way and will likely anoint him as the starter to at least 2027 no matter what. Some of these dude's will likely stay in college, but the bulk of them will be coming out. Manning and Sellers are two probably staying. That's not to say that the 2027 QB class will be crappy or thin, because I honestly don't know. It usually does skip at least a year--or more, but rarely two bumper crops of QBs in consecutive years. https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2026/story/_/id/45453107/2026-nfl-draft-quarterback-class-top-prospects-klubnik-sellers-manning

Another case of a great college athlete and not a great football player. His hype was all about potential, not necessarily his tape in college. GMs that bet on traits over tape will get burned like this 90% of the time. Dumb move for a very underdeveloped prospect in the top 5 at a niche position.

Bryce has no excuses. His butt better be a Pro Bowler and have us in the playoffs. Yes, his supporting cast is good enough too....maybe not household names. but they aren't chopped liver either.

How hard is it to find 3 things in common relative to another occurrence in any given year? Even if the trend holds true, we make the SB and lose.

...a creeping death

An upgrade over Tremble makes a lot of sense, injured or not. I had no idea he was injured and wanted to draft a TE.

At least Mini-Moose he had played football at a high level and wasn't signed off the street. I chuckled when people came at me for scoffing at the Granger signing.

Clarification--drafted as a 'tweener and pretty quickly settled in as a LB. As mentioned earlier, TD couldn't handle both roles, so we stuck him at LB. I think with the right coaching he could have done both roles, but we stuck him where we thought he would fit best for the long haul and that wasn't at safety.

TD came in as a 'tweener from college, but struggled until we settled him in strictly as a LB and stripped him of any safety responsibilities. I liked the TD pick and was hopeful for him as a safety, but he looked lost that rookie year trying to balance both roles. That's why I am astonished that Jeremy Chinn was so adverse to playing LB besides that one season...where he flourished. All he had to do was take a page out of TD's book.

Samuel was definitely a 'tweener. I would argue he would have had a better career as a RB in the NFL, especially as the 3rd down back. He was projected to be a better RB than WR at the next level by many draft gurus. Your right though, he was a poor man's CMC and the reason we opted to make him a WR because CMC was eating up the RB reps.