Proudiddy

Definitely want Watson infinitely more... so I'm hoping maybe its because we're putting all our eggs in that basket.

He still was capable when healthy. He just couldn't help his foot kept exploding the last 3 seasons.

Could you imagine Rodgers running this offense and hitting Robby and DJ in stride for 70 yard bombs?

Kelce and Devin White

This. And honestly, we had 3 guys at WR who could turn nothing into something on any play they touch the ball, and Teddy still underperformed, so I don't think even a Kelce could've saved him.

Yeah, I was just having a similar conversation with a friend about the Harden deal in the NBA. That deal sucked for the Rockets. Sure, they got oodles of first round picks, but they got them from a team that expects to compete for a championship every year, so you're talking about mid 20s to high 30s first rounders. Those picks are completely different than a team in the bottom third of the league every year. So, yeah, it changes the game a bit if a team like NE or Indy make that offer. But, then again, unless Rodgers moves on from GB, outside of the teams we've mentioned here, most of those teams in the late first have QBs, so they won't be making too much noise in this market for Stafford or Watson, but we'll see.

Stafford is solid, but I don't see him being worth a 1st. And again, he's a definite, significant upgrade and a legit top 10 QB when clicking on all cylinders, which I feel he very well could here in this offense... but I won't be nearly as excited with him as a I would Watson. I would definitely expect us to be a playoff team, at minimum, but I hope we get Watson.

This. Man.... it was such a beautiful time to be a Panthers fan. Cam and Luke were just lights out that year and at that point in time, it felt like it was absolutely our year, and we would be contending every year out from there. My, how things quickly change.

I wouldn't be mad if we CAN'T get Watson and get Stafford, likely for a much cheaper price tag, but I wouldn't be nearly as excited either. I really hope this wasn't the organization's way of softening us up and preparing us for the lesser of the two.

Well, it was bound to happen when you draft a guy #3 overall, he sets numerous rookie records in spot duty, and then you reduce his minutes to the point of not even playing him but 16 minutes in a loss to a mediocre team. Borrego brought this on himself, and if he doesn't fix it, he needs to be fired ASAP. This is why we can't have anything nice in Charlotte/NC professional sports. We always manage to screw it up.

Again, not me. I rage at every loss, as my post history illustrates. I' just convinced of what Watson is and capable of, as well as what Rhule is building.

Dk about the Dolphins, but he definitely seems to be interested in the Jets, as Watson himself liked the post linking him to the Jets. Regardless of Saleh being there, if Watson legit wants out of Houston just to go to NYJ, then sadly, he will get what he deserves. Saleh is a great coach, but that organization is horribly dysfunctional. And if part of Watson's issue is the culture in the front office in Houston, I don't think he's done much research on Woody Johnson lol. This could be one of the dumbest things I've ever heard of... but, Watson has been in NY recently and I'm not sure, but I think his agent may be based out of there, so he might be being steered up there by him with the old false hope of him getting better exposure in that market. Smh...

It does, but we also had a coach who had no idea how to identify talent or develop it when we went through that situation with Cam. Rhule showed an ability to do those things in year one more than any coach/staff had before him. That's really why I support going after Watson regardless of the expected cost (which I dont think will be as high as many anticipate).

Not me at all. He is a winner, and is one of the few players in the league who can will his team to wins like Cam did. I only care about winning, and he will put us on the fast track to doing so with the staff and players in place here. The popularity and interest it would bring is just an additional bonus I mentioned.

And CMC is a running back coming off a season he only played in a couple of games due to injuries. RBs shelf life is already among the shortest in the league by position as it is, and we just paid CMC way more than a RB should ever occupy from a cap perspective... I'd much rather pay Moore with the majority of the offensive cap allocated to Watson, Moore, Anderson, and tackles. Look at teams who have built their offense around RBs with huge contracts and look how it panned out. I love CMC, but if someone's gotta go, it would be him due to all these factors listed.

While I agree it's steep and injuries could ruin any team, it's a risk I want to take. Scared money don't make money, and he is a bona-fide top 3 QB in this league not even in his prime yet with local ties that will skyrocket national and local interest and re-energize the fanbase.

Considering how dysfunctional they are, I could see them easily viewing CMC as a star to replace Watson with. But, tbh, I honestly think speculation about player for player swaps is fairly asinine to begin with. In trades for big time players, it usually almost always only involves draft picks. And if that's 2 firsts and some seconds, or 3 firsts and filler for Watson, that's fine with me.

In hindsight, I don't blame Tepper for keeping Rivera, even if it was the wrong decision at the time. And as many of you know, I'm not much for patience lol. I think Rivera's rep off the field preceded him and endeared him to many, making it hard for Tepper to come in and fire him immediately, even though most of the fanbase, myself included, wanted just that. It could've looked hasty and harsh for Tepper to come in and make that move, so not doing so, especially with his background, is actually a credit to him. And now, being able to publicly acknowledge that mistake will bid well for him when similar decisions need to be made down the road. *ahem, Teddy* And speaking of Teddy, and Tepper's allusion to Wilson being a QB that can get you where you need to go. I still want to know whose decision that was, because again, most football savvy folk here and everywhere else knew Teddy was, at-best, a game manager. That fact alone was indicative of what he would be here in a best case scenario, so the idea that anyone thought he would come in and will us to win games like Cam in his prime still blows my mind. I really wish they would have at least let Cam play out his final year of his contract... Now, if Tepper can somehow land Watson, that will go a long way to repairing the mistakes made this previous offseason. All in all, I'm excited.

I have to say, it's my opinion that the Texans have next to little leverage in this. They can't pick the suitor because Watson has the no-trade clause. If he announces that he has asked for a trade publicly, that further undermines their leverage. And much like the previous franchise player-involving trades, the team thats losing said player most often just has to take the best package of future assets, not current ones. If all we offer is draft picks, that's what they have to take, and if they don't they risk Deshaun just sitting out for nothing anyway, or much like Harden did in the NBA with the Rockets, making things so miserable around there that they are forced to deal him with even less leverage than they would have initially and ultimately sending him where he wanted to go in the first place in the process.

This

I dont want to trade any of our core guys, and if we could retain everyone offensively and add Watson, that will put us way ahead of the game... but, if we were forced, and as talented as CMC is, at the end of the day, he's a RB, and you can find ways go replace that production a lot easier than you can at Burns or Moore's spot.

Oh no, I know it's been bad recently, and they definitely have rode Wilson to more wins he's pulled out of his ass than he should have, but I'm believing in the big hits they've gotten in spite of the misses, and the aggressiveness for upgrades through FA and Trades Fitterer alluded to today.

Well, as I pointed out in my above post, the good news is, Seattle killed it during his tenure there in maximizing value in the middle to late rounds of the draft, they had numerous all-pros, with a couple even coming out of the 5th round, and of course they got their franchise QB in the 3rd. And as bad as a rep as they have at first round picks, when you hit like that and develop talent on the later picks, it really doesn't matter. Same thing with NE. Belichick has been notoriously bad in the first round, and also has always had a penchant for trading back and out, yet they develop lower round talent and UDFAs that make up for the busts in the earlier rounds (it doesn't hurt to have the greatest coach/cheater the game has ever seen either lol). So, that has been my feeling all along... if you know you're getting a sure thing in a trade using your first rounders, you do it, especially if your staff has a knack for developing talent regardless - which Rhule showed the ability to do even in year one... and now we have Fitterer in the mix coming from Seattle's school of thought? I am excited as I've ever been moving forward.

Pelissero: Expect new Panthers GM Scott Fitterer to be 'aggressive' this offseason https://www.nfl.com/videos/pelissero-expect-new-panthers-gm-scott-fitterer-to-be-aggressive-this-offseason