Seltzer

Last preseason was probably the first time in Corral's life that things did not work out how he thought they would from a football standpoint. It's hard for anyone who has been one of the best players on the field week in and week out all the way from pee wee to the NFL to come to realization that, for the first time in their life, they are not the best player on the field, and every rep you get has to be fought and clawed for. Regardless, I loved Corral's interview this week. Seems to have the right mindset coming into this season. Reich has like what Corral is going through, so I'm sure he's much better to relate to Corral than the short-order cook.

In retrospect, I'm still baffled by how Tepper fell for his act. Beyond his opening press conference (which was objectively good), Rhule was obviously in over his head from the start. I'm sure the Covid weirdness added to the dysfunction, but it was certainly dysfunctional his entire tenure. Never once did it actually seem like there was a strategic plan, even though that was talked about ad-nauseum. Rhule has had success at the college level, but honestly, after watching his awkward and cringe-worthy pressers, it's hard to see how that was even possible. He's just not someone I can imagine players wanting to play for. Pure and simple.

Just listening to his presser and demeanor is night and day vs. Rhule. We finally have an NFL caliber head coach again. Getting actual answers and insight is a nice change. No pretense, no nonsense slogans, etc. I'm betting Reich already has more respect and clout in the locker room than Matt Fraud ever had.

Agree 100%. And 2 things have happened this week that will help Corral immensely. 1) The rule change to allow the 3rd QB to be active (but not count against the 47- man active limit) and 2) Cutting Eason to ensure Corral gets more practice reps. These are moves done by a coaching staff that is actually interested in Corral's development. Corral is getting as fair of a shake as he could ask for given the circumstances (i.e. new coaching staff, drafting a QB at #1, signing a veteran in Dalton). We didn't draft Young to not be the starter, but Corral can still have a good career as a backup (or more should the situation present itself). Backups are certainly not valued less having the 17th game. Every QB (or any other player for that matter), comes into the NFL after a lifetime of being the one of the best on the field up until that point. And then all of a sudden are you not the best player, you're not starting, and then you have to worry of you will even get a roster spot or have a place on the team. It's a mental adjustment every NFL player has to make once they realize that this isn't high school or college. Unless you are a top draft pick, you don't have too many opportunities to prove your worth, and you have to capitalize on the few opportunities you do have. Last season was a cluster for Corral, almost none of which was his fault. He needs to mentally dump all of that and to capitalize on the opportunity this preseason. If he does, everything will work out both for him and the team.

Same, but a 3rd round compensatory pick isn't a bad consolation prize...

Yep. Special Teams was a surprisingly a major strength for the Panthers last year. Hekker was a punt god, Eddy was incredible except for Atlanta, JJ Jansen is going to play forever, and Blackshear was low-key a good kick returner. And ST coverage was solid for the most part. The glaring weakness was at punt returner. It seemed like we had Andre Roberts designated for that role, but then he got hurt and we tried to make Shi the guy but he simply underperformed, both as a PR and as a WR. This is one of the best things about a new coaching regime IMO. No more Temple/Baylor nonsense nepotism, no more stupid signs, no more stupid college cliches. This year is about cutthroat competition and rewarding us long-suffering fans with a freaking playoff berth!

I hope for his sake Shi Smith is just renting something. Team is obviously looking for an upgrade at punt returner, and Byrd & Stevenson have proven more at least thus far. I also don't see how Shi gets much playing time as a receiver in a group with Chark, Theilen, TMJ, Mingo, & Shenault (or Byrd for that matter) I think of all the players who had a significant role last season, Shi is the most likely to not be on this year's team.

First off, I'm definitely not opposed to the Panthers adding an EDGE player- I hope they do. However, at this point, I doubt it happens until closer to the season and maybe even after the season starts. You know what you have with these veteran guys. I think the team is going to give a lot of snaps to the younger guys in camp to determine where the gaps still are before signing someone. I think there are probably people within the organization that believe Haynes and/or YGM can be a starter and they want to vet that out first. If these FA's were flawless, they would already be signed. Yannick Ngakoue- Proven pass rusher capable of getting double digit sacks, generally been liability against the run. History with Reich. Jadaveon Clowney- Probably the best against the run, inconsistent as a pass rusher and locker room concerns. Leonard Floyd- To me, probably the best of both worlds (rush + playing the run) we could sign. Potential issue is that he is going to want $10M+ per season (all of them would). Is Floyd better than Haynes with more snaps? Extrapolating the discrepancy in snap counts, Haynes had comparable stats at $1.4M. So, in summation, I do hope we sign someone (I'm leaning Floyd), but I do think the team is considering the above points and that's why we haven't signed anyone yet.

I was sitting in the endzone where Rosario made the catch with my now wife (we had just gotten engaged) and some coworkers from LA who drove down. The 4th Quarter and ending of that game was insane. I remember the whole stadium cheering at the end b/c all the Charger fans initially thought it was incomplete (Rosario plucked that ball from the sky- it was by far his best career game and catch). The stadium then fell silent once everyone realized what happened. Me and one other Panther fan were standing up in our section cheering. It was amazing. Only the 2015 NFC Championship beatdown of the Cardinals was more fun as a fan in my Panthers fandom. Also, we won every home game that year, too. I was 9-0 attending Panthers games in 2008 until the Delhomme meltdown.

Isn't it amazing (or at least a truism about human nature), that even a multibillion-dollar enterprise like the NFL with executives across the board making 7 or 8 figures annually, still has the same HR issues that you would expect from the local Applebee's night crew?

Jon Gruden too

If Young is a franchise QB, these receivers are most than sufficient, especially with this offensive line. Chark and Thielen were both starters last year. TMJ started the 2nd half of last year and was ascending. Mingo has the talent to be a starter. Shenault provides a niche. Byrd still has deep speed. There is no one in this group as good currently as DJ Moore is, but the overall group this year is at least as good cumulatively, and might be better, than last year's group Chark & Thielen had 8 receiving TD's last year/ Moore & TMJ had 8 also My point being, this might not be the best WR corp, but it's definitely nowhere near the worst we've had (or usually have) for that matter. With this QB, Oline, and coaching staff, we ought to be able to figure it out. I personally think our passing game is going to surprise some people, even if it's more of a group effort than one individual having unreal stats.

Biggest takeaway for me is that the Panthers could easily have a top NFC QB from Day 1 in Bryce Young. Hard not to be excited thinking about where this team is hopefully headed

Plan on taking my son. Sucks losing a home game, but there's no other city I would rather go watch them play. Munich is awesome. Hopefully will be watching 2 of the best QBs in the NFL duel and a potential 2024 SB preview... hey, one can dream.

Honestly, the Panthers have had some of the best success on teams without WR corps that were well-regarded. 1996- Wesley Walls was our best receiving threat as a TE 2003- Probably the best trio in franchise history (Smitty, Moose, & Proehl) but none of them were considered a true WR1 entering the season 2005- Smitty's Triple Crown performance masked the fact that the rest of the receivers were nobodies 2013- An aging Smitty and an ascendent Greg Olsen 2015- Olsen and a bunch of nobodies 2017- Olsen (before he got hurt) and the rest were truly a bunch of nobodies. Cam Newton's best game of his career IMHO was the 2017 Playoff game in New Orleans where he almost willed us to victory in spite of Kaelin Clay, Brentin Bersin, and Devin Funchess sucking something awful. So, to your point, while there is not a bona fide WR1 in this group to start the season, the overall potential of this group is light years beyond a lot of the groups we have had in franchise history.

It's hard to fault Tepper for anything he's done post-firing of Matt Rhule. Wilks was the right guy to keep the ship upright last season, Reich was the right coaching hire, and everything the team has done in terms of trading up in the draft, free agency, etc. has made sense. Ultimately, it comes down to winning, but organizationally, this team now looks like it is run by professionals and not a micro-managing college coach who was in way over his head. I have not felt this good about the direction of the franchise since 2017. I am beyond excited for this season. I'm ready to own the NFC South for the next decade!

I think the only way Shi makes this team is by another guy getting injured. The minute we signed Damiere Byrd again the writing was on the wall. Byrd is a better receiver and returner.

Fair enough.

Seriously... of all the bad contracts, this is the one setting you off? Do you remember Matt Kalil? Paying Delhomme after his 2008 meltdown when it was obvious his arm was shot? Teddy Bridgewater? Sam Darnold? Come on man... This is not even in the same multiverse as some of the bad contracts in team history, even in recent team history.

I think 2 things: 1) Hurst and Thomas will probably be the first 2 guys out in a 2 TE set b/c then you have a good receiving TE in Hurst and a good blocking TE in Thomas. Tremble has shown flashes as both a receiver and blocker, but he is not consistent yet. This is a big year for him, b/c most TE's take time to develop, but by year 3, you kind of are what you are. I think from a coaches perspective, you got a TE group with 2 established veterans now and a developing player, so that's not bad from either a short or long term perspective. I do think Tremble needs to show more this season. If he does, Thomas becomes expendable next year. If not, maybe Tremble becomes expendable, and TE becomes more of a need. Either way, this year should give more clarity.

Still think we add a couple of FA's that will make the team, but as of today, here are the 53 players I think would make the roster. Happy to hear anyone else's thoughts. Think the roster is mostly set. With all the new players, scheme, and rookie QB, I don't see us as SB contenders (although this roster has talent), but I do think and have the expectation that we can win the NFC South. OFFENSE: 25 Total Players QB: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton, Matt Corral Thought maybe Corral would be moved during the draft, but I think he will be on the roster this year, and Eason will be QB4 on the practice squad. He has history with Reich. Dalton is a perfect backup to Young IMO. 5 years from now, the most (and really only) important thing to come from this season is Bryce Young and how he develops. RB: Miles Sanders, Chuba Hubbard, Raheem Blackshear Sanders is obviously the starter, and Chuba showed he could be a legit RB2 last year. Blackshear showed some burst and was also a solid kick returner, so he could very well make this team again. Could see him replaced with Cam Peoples as a short-yardage back or we could sign a FA (Kareem Hunt, Leonard Fournette). TE: Hayden Hurst, Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble Not the best group ever, but better (on-paper) than last year, and better than many of the TE groups we've had in franchise history. Hurst is a major upgrade at receiving TE, Ian Thomas is one of the better blocking TE's, and Tremble is still only in Year 3. Giovanni Ricci has been a serviceable FB, and Stephen Sullivan has shown flashes as a receiving TE but I think with the numbers at WR, we only keep 3 TE's and these are the guys. WR: Adam Theilin, DJ Chark, Terrace Marshall, Jr., Jonathan Mingo, Laviska Shenault, Damiere Byrd I think the first 5 guys are set, and the 6th spot comes down to whether Byrd or Shi Smith can provide more at returner- my money is on Byrd. If for some reason we only keep 2 QB's and drop Corral, Shi probably gets the 7th spot, but I think we only keep 6. The big question is can this group collectively overcome the loss of DJ Moore and produce more? I think so, especially if TMJ continues his late-season surge. Offensive Line: Ikem Ekwonu (LT), Brady Christensen (LG), Bradley Bozeman (C), Cade Mays (RG), Taylor Moton (RT), Austin Corbett, Chandler Zavala, Justin McCray,Deonte Brown, Larnel Coleman The good news is that we are returning all five starters from a Top 10 and maybe even Top 5 unit last year . Even with Corbett missing the start of the season, Mays and Zavala are good options to replace him. I feel good about the top 7. I'm sure Fitterer will be continuing to look at ways to upgrading until the season starts. This should be a team strength provided injuries don't ruin it. Defense: 25 Players Defensive Line: Derrick Brown, Shy Tuttle, Deshawn Williams, Henry Anderson, Braviyon Roy, Marquan McCall Decent group- will be interesting to see how DB does in this scheme, and if we have anyone else who can step up and take this group to the next level. Who would have thought with all the Temple/Baylor players Rhule brought in, that Braviyon Roy might be the one to be on the team the longest? John Penisini and Raequan Williams were both brought in as priority UDFA's who could challenge for roster spots. Outside Linebacker: Brian Burns, Marquis Haynes, Amare Barno, Yetur Gross-Matos, DJ Johnson I think this is the one area we still have to add a FA at, but this is the group for now. Burns has developed into a superstar, but there are question marks behind him. Can Haynes claim a starting spot? Can YGM become the player they hoped for? Can Barno and DJ Johnson make contributions this year? Inside Linebacker: Shaq Thompson, Frankie Luvu, Brandon Smith, Bumper Pool: Shaq and Luvu seem set as the ILB starters. I think Bumper Pool is the one UDFA I feel has the best chance of making the roster- he only has to beat out Kamu Grugier-Hill. I'm also interested in watching more of Brandon Smith this season. I'm including Jeremy Chinn in the safeties group, but he will get plenty of time at LB also. Safeties: Jeremy Chinn, Von Bell, Xavier Woods, Jammie Robinson, Sam Frankin After what seemed like treating this position as an afterthought during the Rivera Era, we finally might have the best safety group (on-paper) that I can remember. Good starters, positional flexibility, and depth Cornerbacks: Jaycee Horn, Donte Jackson, CJ Henderson, Keith Taylor, Eric Rowe Outside of OLB/EDGE, this is the other position where I think adding a FA is still likely. Two things that could elevate this group: 1) Donte Jackson being back healthy & 2) CJ Henderson being capable of effectively playing outside CB so we can slide Donte into the slot/nickel more where I feel like he is better suited. It's probably a long shot, but I would love to see Marcus Peters playing opposite Jaycee. Special Teams: 3 Players Special Teams: Eddy Pineiro, Johnny Hekker, JJ Jansen Must like safety, this is an area we have quietly gotten better at the last couple of years. JJ Jansen is a legend, and Hekker played like an All-Pro last year. Pineiro was great outside of the Atlanta debacle. He doesn't have the biggest leg, but he is overall accurate and available, something we came to not be able to depend on Zane Gonazles to be.

To me, he's got to be a better blocker. Neither are setting the world on fire receiving, but Thomas is the better blocker as of now. People hate on Ian, but he is a good run blocker, especially on plays where he is pulling as a lead blocker. Go back and watch the Detroit game. Ian was a major reason we ran for over 300 yards. Now, Tremble wouldn't have to improve too much as a receiver to pass Thomas, and cumulatively he may very well be better this year. Tremble did have some really good routes, especially later in last season. Tremble becoming a more consistent receiving threat would certainly elevate this TE group.

Yeah, Tremble and Ricci played more fullback/H-back, but I think Thomas made the most difference as a puller in the run game. To me, neither Tremble nor Ricci really looked great in the fullback/H-back role. Ricci is a decent receiver as a fullback, but I haven't been impressed with him as a run blocker. I think Tremble, like Thomas, is better as a pulling blocker as of now. My whole point is that Thomas shouldn't be a starter, but I disagree with those who think he doesn't deserve a roster spot. I also think Tremble is worth another year of development. Many TE's are not a finished product until their 3rd year.

Sign an EDGE and a CB and let's head to camp! Also, Kareem Hunt at a bargain is tempting. Sanders, Hunt, and Chuba would be great. Leonard Fournette is also out there also. I think RB will be a later signing if at all to see how these guys perform in camp. I could also see us waiting on CB, but I do hope we add an EDGE before camp.

You are correct about that. But for guys like Luvu (undrafted), they usually have to put up numbers for several years before they get a lot of recognition. Also, the Panthers are small market and have sucked for the past several years, so he's overlooked. I think Luvu will get a lot of playing time in this scheme, too, since I think he could play OLB or ILB. I could see him used similarly to Chinn in terms of moving him around. Luvu's ability to play multiple positions also will help in disguising coverages. I think if we line up in a 4-3 alignment, Shaq, Luvu, and Chinn/Brandon Smith could be the LBers. I also think Bumper Pool has a really good chance at making the roster, b/c much like DJ Johnson with YGM, we really don't have many true 3-4 ILBers on the roster.