BlitzMonster

here's an interesting question: has there ever been an NFL draft that did NOT have a QB taken in the first round ??

Rich Eisen show - the discussion with Albert Breer Feb 5th some quotes from the very beginning of the interview: at the Senior Bowl: "I don't know if there's a single NFL starter out there. " "this draft class is not great" "the worst since 2013"

What don't you like about him ? The tape above is fantastic against LSU no less. He's definitely got the size at 6-7. As a recent convert from TE he's only going to get better at LT as he plays more. He seems like a great prospect.

I can't disagree with a single word this guy says. The Panthers were a disaster this season.

I could see a late round pick of a QB or two not because of their skill but since the team gets another year of control under the rookie contract for 1st round guys. Given how much of a project they all will likely be, having another guaranteed year of development on the cheap would be fairly attractive.

I don't like to make too much of a single day. But OMG, Kenny Pickett was truly horrible in the rain at the Senior Bowl. He couldn't get the snaps. His throws were off. Just nothing went right for the guy. And all of that was consistent with his ongoing tiny hands story. Which sucks for the kid since he had such a great season. But I'm sure that day will stick in the minds of a lot of coaches and GM's come draft day. Especially if they have outdoor stadiums or frequent opponents who do.

What a coincidence. Those first three weeks the team also had All Pro running back CMC. And as soon as he got injured, the offense could not do anything and the season tanked. A record of 2-12 for the rest of the year. If your team needs to be propped up by one All Pro player, you don't have a very good team. And numerous other franchises have lost great players and still had successful seasons. It just takes good coaching to be able to adjust. Something Carolina did not have this year.

I might not understand X's and O's better than an NFL coach. But I do have enough common sense to realize that Brady Christensen and Deonte Brown should have played a lot at the end of this lost season. Otherwise how can you evaluate them or the team's OL needs going forward. Or that Jeremy Chinn probably should have been schemed more like he was his first year when Chinn was in the DROY discussion. You don't have to be Albert Einstein to figure these things out.

I guess Bill Parcells isn't very intelligent about football since he said "You are what your record says you are." If the Panthers' team had shown clear improvement this season, I'd be willing to give Rhule a pass at the poor record. But the team post CMC's injury was just abysmal. Seven losses in a row to close out the season. Even horrible teams like Detroit and Houston were playing .500 for their last few games. And it wasn't just the losses. By almost any metric the offense was abysmal for the 2nd half of the season. QB play (from his chosen guy Sam Darnold) was atrocious. Rookies we had high hopes for like Brady Christensen, Deonte Brown, Terrance Marshall and Tommy Tremble had no impact (or didn't even play). And top 2nd year players like Jeremy Chinn and Derrick Brown seemed to regress as well. So there was poor player development across the board. There doesn't seem to be a plan here at Carolina. There's nothing the team seems to be building toward. It was just constant ineptitude in the second half of the season. That's what the fans are upset about. And rightfully so.

OMG that video was great. What a mauler ! I especially like where he pancaked his guy and then took out another defender while the RB ran for a touchdown. We need OL that play like that.

memorizing the War Eagle song so I can impress at the interview

I'd draft Malik Willis with #6. Then sit him for the year. It gives him an immediate reprieve. "Willis is making progress. You just can't see it."

After listening to the entire QB portion of this podcast, the grade on almost the entire class this year is really in the 4th round - "let's draft him and see if he can stay on the roster". Which is a pretty damning assessment. Willis seems like the only exception in the group. His ability to read defenses and decision making (probably the two most important traits) are still undeveloped but everything else seems to be there to become a QB1. But it would probably take the guy at least a year to learn those skills. So the team that drafts him really has to be patient and plan on sitting him for most of his rookie season. As a consequence not a single member of this QB class is ready to start next year. And if one believes this podcaster, most probably won't ever be ready.

A very interesting perspective. Thanks for posting.

add Stephen Ross and it's the 4 Horsemen of the NFL Apocalypse

I don't think anyone ahead of Carolina would be taking a QB so the Steelers might be willing to do a deal with us. And a haul of picks like you suggest would definitely be attractive. For those that say the Panthers should just take Willis instead of trading with Pittsburgh - I think Willis could succeed there given the secure coaching staff and rest of the team which is already built up. On the Panthers you've got a coach that might be gone next season and a lot of holes in the roster - especially the OL which would be protecting Willis. So if he came to the Panthers, he might be set up to fail.

Yes, I trust Fitterer much more so than a bunch of guys who know their jobs are on the line. Rhule and his entire staff understand they need to get players who will help them next season, not guys who are best for the team in the distant future. The coaches Panther lifetime is 12 months long. That's it. Anything after then is irrelevant to them. And that timeline is just a recipe for disaster with impulsive, short sighted decisions. It's another reason to justify taking player control away from Rhule.

In general I'm sympathetic to coaches who want full control. Like Bill Parcels said "If they want you to cook the dinner, at least they ought to let you shop for some of the groceries." But the Panthers are coming off of a 5 win season. And after CMC got injured, the team completely tanked with a 2-12 finish. The Panthers had bottom-of-the-barrel stats on numerous measures. So, in my mind, Rhule has lost any justification for full control over this team. The 2021 season showed his personnel choices, contracts given out and player usage were, for the most part, quite poor.

this Willis MIGHT turn into a very good QB given the right team. That team is not Carolina.

If the Panthers were a smart team, I'd chalk it up to drumming up interest for a trade back. Unfortunately the Panthers are not a smart team. Likely Rhule is actually interested in Pickett at #6.

I wouldn't be surprised to see three LT go in the top six picks. It's one of the strengths of this draft and so many teams have a need at that vital position. I think the unexpected move will be somebody trading up in the 1st to get Malik Willis. All it takes is one team to be enamored with his physical skills and charisma to convince themselves he's the next Cam Newton.

Which QB do you think will go in the first round, if any ? I've got to think 2 or 3 will be picked, even if they don't deserve it. Team needs are just tremendous at that position.

le toucher de la merde

Guys with big arms look like gods when it's shorts and t-shirts. It's easy to be seduced by the 50 yard frozen rope. But when the NFL players start flying at you, you win games by reading the defenses correctly, going through your progressions and making the right play with accurate throws. And you only figure out if a player can do that by looking at miles of tape. The thing that concerns me about Willis is that he sat out a season (the perfect opportunity to learn) but didn't get that much better when he started playing. He still seems to be a 1 read guy who most often beats the competition with his great athleticism. And that's not going to work as often in the NFL where everybody is a great athlete. Willis probably needs 1-2 years to get ready. Will he become a film junkie and constantly work on his craft. A Russel Wilson ? A Tom Brady ? Because that's what it will take. And also a secure coaching staff and stable franchise to be patient with him. Who won't throw him to the wolves before he's ready. Like SF has done with Trey Lance or KC with Mahomes. The team drafting him has to have institutional discipline to stay the course. If all that happens, Willis is likely to become a top NFL QB. But so many things could go wrong on that journey. He's a big risk, big reward prospect. As such I think Carolina would do a lot better taking the safer, more sure thing LT. This draft has several of them who are all ready to go from game 1. And with new OL coach Campen giving his opinion on the selection, I think the likelihood of success with that pick is pretty high. It's just the smart play.

The smartest move would be to draft a LT at #6. There are several excellent prospects to choose from all of whom could solve a longstanding problem for the team. Not as good as that would be to take uber athlete Malik Willis and sit him for a year so he can learn the NFL game. But Rhule doesn't have the discipline or patience for that. The dumbest thing would be to take Pickett. His upside is limited. But Rhule loves him. So that's what the Panthers will probably do.