Panthers Rhule

What I like about it is that it was done so subtly that no one realized they were doing it until this draft ended with 11 picks and a 23 year old former 3rd pick at QB. In the last months I've even read posts by people complaining that we should be rebuilding the team instead of trying to win now which is wrong and will leave us as a middling team forever. Yet, in reality, they made this team as competitive as they could in the first season, fixed our cap problem that we've suffered since what seems like forever, signed a lot of interesting FAs and brought in a plethora of rookies at positions of need and creating what should be some challenging battles to make the 53 which should finally give us good depth on offense and defense. By the end of this season we should know who has worked and who hasn't, keeping the good players and having lots of cap room to make even more improvements in FA and hopefully another solid draft. This team is now almost completely different than 2 years ago and it never felt like a rebuild. That's been a real joy to see even if I only recently realized it.

These are good points and I agree. Brady being able to bring several players with him that he knows well and feels comfortable playing with in big games is a pretty big deal too. Another thing people don't talk about enough is that TB was on the verge of not making the playoffs even with all that talent because of the coaching staff insisting on winning there way. It wasn't until they realized they might be eliminated from the playoffs and having a disastrous season that they finally checked their egos and gave over to Brady. Brady was able to say this his how we'll run MY offense and we will win. They started using motion which they never did before and letting Brady read the defense and call the plays. That's when there offense completely changed. It's the same way Manning was able to win that SB for the Broncos. I'm not sure Rodgers can do that as I don't think he ever has which may be what this is really mostly about. I think he believes he can and wants the opportunity and GB will never give him that. I think that's what Wilson wants too. In the Future, I think we will see more of this but important QBs will start demanding this before they sign those big contracts with their teams. They will start telling the league, hey I'll come play for you if you agree to do it my way and let me run the offense. It's the NBA approach. It will be interesting to see how that plays out and just how many QBs teams will be willing to give that kind of power to.

I wasn't here for last season so I can't comment specifically about what was being said her but I know in general, expectations for our defense was very low and it was largely doubted we would even be close in many games but people liked our WRs and CMC and many thought Teddy good do pretty well with that. And with 3 1k yard wrs that went pretty well actually but CMC missed 3/4s of the season so that hurt. The lack of TD was a bad surprise though. However the defense while not good was much better than expected and we were close in a lot of games which was a very pleasant surprise. Then the coaching was already a clear improvement in just the first season. That mixed with what many like myself feel has been the most exciting off season we've ever had with a draft that was just so completely new and refreshing it's just really hard not to feel optimistic about this team. Many of us feel like we are finally getting what we've always wanted from our team. And really, the only people I see who aren't optimistic are the guys who dreamt of Fields for the last year and a half and didn't get him even tough they could have. Even some of those have been coming around as the days have passed.

I always like The Golden Calf of Bristol. He's a good person and he was hated by so many people but he never did anything to deserve any of it. The only thing he did was take the shot he was given and yeah he was never that good but he played above his abilities and that's why he got that shot and even with all the hate I've never heard him say a bad thing about anyone.

I'm extremely optimistic about the direction this team is going and I do expect us to be a in yearly playoff contention very soon. Do I expect it to begin next season? No. Is it possible? Yes but we are so young we must be willing to accept some growing pains and mishaps along the way but we have the pieces mostly in place to find our lineup moving forward by the end of the season. I also don't believe it all hinges on Darnold. Not this season. What I want to see from him this season is for him to play settled down. I want to see him regain his confidence in himself and to play with confidence in his team. His goal this season should be to demonstrate that he is able to play QB in this league. Put up a solid season. Get the TDs and yards up and the Ints down. Make some big plays. Build and maintain some leads. Win some games at the end. Become a leader on offense. If he can come in and have a season like Mayfield had for the Browns last year then that would be a good start for him. That's would be something that we and he can grow on in 22 and especially as all these young players keep getting better too. If he can have a solid season, CMC stays healthy and our defense shows even modest improvement we could squeak into the playoffs. And if either Darnold, or the defense really blows up then we could actually even be a little dangerous.

I think you are being to black and white here. Yes, most of our FA moves weren't long term but about getting enough talent on the depleted roster to get a fair assessment of the young players we had. However, the all defensive draft and doubling up at positions where we had absolutely no young talent was definitely for the long term. We needed young DL and DBs for sure and we got them. After that year's evaluation we went complete long term in FA and the draft for this season. This team is now full of athletic players who have underachieved and/or have a high upside that if half of these players reach their full potential will be good, solid players that we got at incredible value. We will have the cap space to resign the FA who do and the contracts are such as we can move on from the ones who don't and the rooks will have a little time to show if they too can shine or not without being pushed out on the field before they are ready. The balanced approach we took last season combined with the all in approach of this season has set us up for the long term. It's not complete and there will be more changes along the way but we now have a young foundation to coach and evaluate. For the first time that I can remember we actually have multiple players at most positions who have the possibility of becoming our guy instead of only 1 and praying that he's the one.

I think all the talk of Tepper pushing for this or that is all bullpoo. He hasn't shown that quality at all since he's been here. He took 2 seasons letting things continue as they were while he fixed the business side the way he wanted. Then when he focused on the football side he still went slowly. Got his coach and kept the GM for 1 season so he could see what was up and then he decided the Rhule did know what he was doing and then went out and got the GM that fit best with Rhule and his Vision which also fits what Tepper imagines for his team. He's been slow, patient and methodical. Never thinking he knew more than he did and set up situations to learn on the way and is involved in a supportive way. He gets the people he wants in place and then lets them do their job and he just wants to be a part of it as you can tell he thinks it's fun.

I honestly don't want him. He is on that Brady train like Wilson. They want to have too much control. We have a great thing starting here and I for one am perfectly content to keep moving along with the nice little wagon we already have. We're building a culture and I'm in no rush anymore. No shortcuts. We're ok where we are and great things are coming our way soon enough. Let someone else take him. Even if it's the Saints. Our super young and fast defense is going to be bringing the heat this season and these old QBs are going to feel it this season and the season to come.

Fair enough. But that's a very general statement without much in the way of supporting arguments. So, please educate us all by explaining exactly who was on our OL last season that isn't on the roster this season and was so good that the possibility that any of these new additions couldn't possibly match their level of play is "dumb homerism" and why. I'm more than willing to consider your point of view if you can support it with an explanation.

This something I have mentioned in passing once or twice myself and it's one of the reason I strongly support the trade downs we did for more draft picks and hope we continue drafting in this way to some degree or other depending on roster needs. One mistake we, and most other teams too, have always made is resigning good players for more than they were worth. It's an easy trap to fall into. If a player is really good you want to keep them. If you have nothing waiting behind them then you "have" to resign them. This is how teams get into cap trouble. Especially when those players are getting older and especially at certain positions where injuries are common as the player reaches a certain age. Everyone knows that depth is important when a starter gets injured during the season. But it's also important when it's time to resign players. No team can afford to overpay everyone on their rosters so teams must make a list of players value to the team and not just their ability. We should list 2-3 players as "must keep" and pay them accordingly. If/when we have to resign a player who isn't a "must have" and they ask too much, we must be able to let that player go and replace them with the next man up. It will be even better when we reach a point where we are able to anticipate that situation a year before it arises to trade those players for assets whether it's other players or draft picks. Even if the next man up isn't as good but is good enough it will allow the team to keep the overall team level up. Having 2 or 3 good players is better than having 1 great player and 1 or 2 average players A team should only pay a player top money if that player is essential to the success of your team and if they are only a piece then the team would be better off finding another piece.

Then I recommend limiting yourself to 5 in the future. 6 is clearly 1 too many.

Yes,. you're right. It's true. However, I'd also like to point out that they rarely have the chance to restart so soon. The Jets became the first team in modern draft history to draft a QB in the top 3 twice within 3 years. Has there ever been a QB traded to another team so soon and so young after being a top pick?

Yep! I totally agree and think that makes perfect sense. He has the talent, he's young enough that I don't believe he's been ruined. Carolina is the perfect place for him and I'm personally expecting this to be looked upon as one of our franchises best decisions.

This is just dumb. I won't even waste any more words or time on this as it speaks for itself. Dumb.

If I had as many as we had I would if it also ensured we had a very important, if underappreciated need to fill with the best at it.

Yes, I think Smith is going to be great and I LOVE TREMBLE!!!!. I think his evaluation is too low and I think we see him much better than that (obviously I guess). His blocking is vicious. His ability to take out defenders at the 2nd level is going to increase CMCs big play possibilities a lot I think. I also thought his route running was already pretty could as well as his catching ability and both will only improve with time and coaching. He's only 20. Plus as a 12th man hybrid type he will really allow us to run some different looks at defenses and catch them sleeping a couple of times a game. WHEN his receiving games improves a little he will be a problem. He's lateral moves are great and I can see us sneaking him into wide open space during a game as the get used to him running across the line to pancake someone but every once in a while instead he slips up field into an empty space for a big gain. Plus he should really improve our redzone offense. I think that pick is a sleeper A. One of my favorite picks

WE DO!!! BRO!

This is the way a player is supposed to act when he gets drafted into the NFL. I love this guy. His interview is great too. "Am I ready? I'll walk my happy ass to Carolina dude!!!"

You're right. its not just missing out, it's YOU missing out. YOU are a big miss. Obvious miss and yet, YOU WON'T be missed

After what I witnessed this weekend, having a trade or even 2 between now and then wouldn't surprise me at all. Start collecting those 2022 picks now hahaha

I have to strongly disagree with you on this one. He's only 20. Runs good routes, shows pass catching ability that can be improved with coaching and he isn't a good blocker, he's a great blocker that moves very well laterally. I think you fail to see the many different possibilities he will bring to our offense as a "12th" man player and what his ability to flatten defenders at the second level will do for CMCs big play ability. I think in a couple of season he will be loved in Carolina. Awesome pick. Solid A.

Rhule said in the presser that he sees him as a man cover CB. Good size and speed. Says he can cover TEs and WOs. So yeah we want to run more man coverage schemes or perhaps man/zone combinations. We'll have Horn on the the first target and could use Taylor on a second target in some coverages early on and especially on 3rd downs. Bring him in to make those 3rd down conversions more difficult and if he develops he could become Jackson's replacement.

Everybody keeps talking about that but we already signed a K before the draft. Panthers sign former Oklahoma State kicker Matt Ammendola (usatoday.com)

I love this pick too. Great run defender and tackling machine. He's a good ST guy and can offer us depth at MIKE which is something we need.

Dude, they didn't draft an LB last year. Round 1, pick 7: Derrick Brown, DT, Auburn Round 2, pick 6 (No. 38): Yetur Gross-Matos, Edge, Penn State Round 2, pick 32 (No. 64): Jeremy Chinn, S, Southern Illinois Round 4, pick 7 (No. 113): Troy Pride Jr., CB, Notre Dame Round 5, pick 6 (No. 152): Kenny Robinson, S, West Virginia Round 6, pick 5 (No. 184): Bravvion Roy, DT, Baylor Round 7, pick 7 (No. 221): Stantley Thomas-Oliver III, CB, Florida International