frankw

Well yeah two 1k receivers says it was our most productive season since the first half of 2018. We were actually in a lot of games in that 2020 season. Although it must be pointed out the reason Bridgewater was such a topic of tense debate was his penchant for checking down and in late game scenarios when we needed chunk plays to put away teams it never transpired and it's why he washed out of the league. But ever since Cam and his arm that fateful season we've been desperate to see more of a real spark in the deep passing game. I mean even Kyle Allen briefly showed off some of that. Hopefully Canales has the answer.

Oh poo......

Alright now this is what Morgan was talking about in his introductory press conference.

You mean sifting through the Jacksonville Jaguars rejects wasn't a foolproof approach to building a contender?

The distinct lack of any level of consistent deep ball in our offensive wheelhouse will remain a key point of contention until Bryce or whoever the QB is establishes a connection. You'd think the Carolina Huddle's most outspoken Teddy Bridgewater defender would already be pretty familiar with this concept.

Tua tying for 2nd on that list is interesting

That's cool I guess. I'd really like to see comeback player of the year for him if he's being voted for anything personally. What's that old saying? Just win baby. Well it didn't take long for this thread to turn into two factions shouting at each other. Just a heads up to the "I'm a better fan than you" crowd. The harder some of you guys try to police the fanbase like you keep a big ass Punisher sticker somewhere on your car the worse dialogue will remain here.

At this point he needs to be one of the better running backs in the league by the end of the season. Otherwise we could have drafted a center and added an RB in the later rounds. But I will give him the opportunity to prove himself.

2015 team had veteran leadership across the board. We've got a long ways to go for that to say the least.

It's not an either or between the two. But only one of them is on the wrong side of 30. For me it's about building for the future and developing younger talent.

Is there an updated list of our cuts so far? Seems like we're doing an awful lot of agonizing over the roster for a previously 2 win team when we could be spending this time fixated on the waiver wire and actually bettering the bottom of our roster.

Cutting J Matthews so we can I'm guessing inevitably keep someone who has done absolutely nothing in Ian Thomas while we also cut TMJ and keep Mr. Running in Molasses Adam Thielen will be a decision to keep an eye on as the 17 game season progresses.

Laviska Shenault too. Finessererererererererer At this point with our depth though we might as well bring back Henderson cheap.

I loved the drive overall. I think this is one of those things where we're seeing positives and different possible outcomes in plays bc we have a staff that is actually scheming receivers open. It's basically sorcery for us at this point compared to what we've had to witness the last few years. The 4th down throw on the run is still a stellar play that has me eager to see what else he can do under Canales tutelage. The bar has been raised as far as I'm concerned.

Diontae Johnson is definitely getting open out there.

Good eye sir. I just posted about this play in the QB School thread. It's preseason and we don't know what the coaching staff is or isn't looking for on these plays but man we've got to turn this scenario into completions in the regular season. Instances like this are on the 2023 tape. And after all the talk of the OL doing Bryce Young no favors this is a glaring situation where you say while the pocket isn't picture perfect ideal the opportunity is there. As a QB1 you have to at least attempt that throw. We'll look for it in the regular season.

There is a lot to like about the drive. The fourth down play in particular impressed me. However at about 5 mins in when he is going over the play where Bryce had the opportunity to fit the ball into a window downfield that's the play we need to see turning into a completion consistently if we want an indicator we have a franchise QB on our hands. That's the throw that defenses have to account for and it would have been nice to have it on tape. Why he didn't pull the trigger is something that can be debated but we saw it at times last season and it's something that has to happen one way or another if the offense is to make strides. As for Thielen. Either way he's not in our future plans after this season. Need to start developing your young WR core. It would be different if he were some generational talent at the position but cmon.

Corral has off the field distractions he's been dealing with. Maybe he would have had a better chance under Canales. Hopefully he gets his life together. Some things are more important than football.

I do not dismiss the validity of your point. But nuance and grace are generally going to be in short supply in most instances involving any kind of sports fandom. Especially if the team in question has been stuck in a cycle of perpetual losing for years. It's been what 8 years since we've even been to the playoffs? The Panthers org made the decision to trade a fortune for one QB. No it isn't Bryce Young's fault as he did not draft himself. But what's done is done and expectations are what they are and that's the same for any team in the NFL. The fanbase has been restless. There are a few who might just want to watch the world burn but most are just wanting to see something to give them hope. In the end we can all do better. There just needs to be a step in the right direction. If anyone is wanting to see less complaints then start praying to the football gods this team and specifically the offense looks competent in New Orleans in a few weeks. That will go a long way in building some good will and letting the bad energy that has plagued this team the last several years begin to subside.

Maybe try sobering up for awhile.

Overpaid in the sense that he is too costly to cut at this moment even at the expense of the development of our young receivers. Your definition of good clearly varies from other people. That's perfectly fine. Though to be clear I don't see anything "weird" about it as you dismissively put it toward others for whatever reason. Let's break it down. Thielen is 34 years old. He was 10th in receptions and 14th in targets last year. Yet he was 48th in YAC and just barely eclipsed 1k yards. We finished with the worst passing offense in the entire league and one of the worst passing offenses of the last 20 years. Idk why you're so intent on going out on a limb for his production like it was anything other than mediocre. If Dave Canales is worth his salt as the coach we hired him to be then his first season with the job should not hinge on Adam Thielen who won't be here next season anyways. P.S. I get the sense the biggest reason you're going to the mat for this guy is bc he was Bryce's favorite target last year. That's cute. Here's a hint. If Bryce is going to develop into a franchise QB he has to do so outside of his comfort zone. Spreading the ball around is the first step.

Let's be honest. Whether Bryce Young does or does not have a bounce back season it won't be because of Adam Thielen. I still can't believe people talk him up bc he got 1k yards in the worst offense in the entire league. You guys want to watch us force him passes again? No thanks. Cut him now or trade him later doesn't matter he has no future here and we should not take snaps away from any of the younger wideouts in need of development just because we overpaid Thielen.

There's an awful lot of QB's looking good in preseason against backups this year. I wouldn't risk money on more than a few of them actually panning out in the regular season if it comes down to it. It just goes to show how easy it can be to score points in the NFL now with all the advantages toward offense. Panthers are only just now joining in as wild as that is. Better late than never I suppose.

I do not no. I'm not pretending to or making claims of such just to be clear. All we have to go on is the official word from Mr. Tepper and we all know how well that is to be trusted. At some point Reich and other former coaches will speak out. Could be years from now who knows. But behind closed doors there were definitely things going on we are still not privy to. Especially in relation to the ultimate decision on who to draft with the first pick. From there we've already long known Tepper is very meddlesome. He was all about getting his face in front of the cameras after we traded up to the first overall pick and following the draft. Talking about point guard we don't need to invest heavily in WR's now yada yada. He was holding weekly meetings with Reich. It was not meant to be regardless. None of this absolves Reich in any way he was poo here there's no denying that. But Tepper unequivocally played his role in the whole fiasco. Just how much we will not know until one of the former coaches speaks out. We'll get the full scoop one day.