Icege

Light practice today. Will try to catch the thread up with any prior vids/tweets/news/etc. Figured with the game being on Thursday that I'd just put everything into this thread. Wouldn't be surprising for it to be a slow news week with light practices to rest starters. Anyone else amped to see if Bryce Perkins can steal Plummer's spot? ️

Great catch! I completely missed that by Hunt afterwards and after looking at what you had pointed out that ILB looks like he came downhill in a hurry and Hunt should've come off of his block sooner. That would have allowed Chuba to have taken the cutback for a greater gain (or at least, less traffic to deal with). Would have also made Icky's block being a shed a non-factor. Plays like this and all of these little mistakes that we see kicking us in the dick is also giving me hope because it's just a liiiiiittle more development (plus a liiiiiittle bit more luck) away from the bounces going the Panthers' way.

Broadcast replays I mentioned yesterday that I forgot to grab:

Weird to resurrect the thread for that, but way ahead of you: Now if somebody quotes something he posts and I think it's deserving of a poo react, then I'm going to give him a poo react rather than continuing arguments. Curious to both sides this though. I'm not going out of my way to shitpost any thread he's in nor immediately making things personal over a disagreement about the team. That's what people have been talking about in regards to mod behavior in the new reclaiming thread or whatever it's called.

I think with him getting aggressive with his players like he saw Dan Campbell do in Detroit means that there's a little extra pressure on Ben Johnson to prove that his offense can do what analysts were forecasting it can. Otherwise, he's going to be screaming at men who are much larger than him that won't care to listen. Wouldn't surprise me to see the Bears light it up this season offensively, but take a step back in year two with all of the tape gifted to the league.

I can assure you that some of us are doing just that, but the onus isn't on the people helping nor the people voicing that things can be better. The folks that need to be better are the ones that feel entitled to being a ***** just because their football team is bad. The Panthers losing on Sunday does not force me to go on the Internet and shitpost about a player so that I can lash out other fans not as unstable. That's a personal choice that a lot of people are making. The entire "people complaining need to shut up and do something themselves about it" to be perfectly honest is narcissistic and deflective. Sounding the alarm is doing something. As we can see though, sounding the alarm doesn't mean anything if people aren't going to take any personal accountability. Being completely serious, the best thing the board can do is look at the rules and see if any adjustments should be made (not derailing threads by being an asshole should definitely be on there if not already). Post the rules, pin them, and then act on them. I understand that many people don't report things, but I recall last season the folks that did report things having it thrown in their faces. Regardless of whether or not it's a volunteer role, that's unacceptable for a moderator. It creates the impression that it doesn't matter because people with the ability to do something want it to be this way. I know that mods don't want more work, but we can't be dogging out people for doing what they're supposed to and then say nobody is doing it. I'm less interested in airing grievances then I am figuring out solutions (otherwise, I wouldn't be re-watching wk2 preseason all-22... I think I might have a problem :p). I get that the mods have their hands tied, but maybe it's time for everyone to try a little harder to not be shitty to other people that like the same team as them as opposed to just the folks already trying (or complaining about it).

Just realized that the Texans used mostly Buffalo nickel against the offense which makes sense with how the Panthers want to be a run-focused team out of 11 and/or 12. Going to be interesting going back and seeing if the Browns did (and if the Steelers this Thursday do) the same. If it is, we can see how the offense adjusts to attacking it more effectively. Hurray football! It's so close to being back back!

Bring back the Adopt-a-Panther banners. The entire world fell apart when we stopped doing that.

If I get some free time tomorrow I'm going to try and go through the rest of the all-22 for the game to see if there are any tidbits we can take away from it. Stuff like... if Brycen Tremayne is getting more time on offense are Ransom + Richardson getting the same extra looks on defense? What about DL depth? Do Crumedy and Jackson make the roster? Roberts has been pretty good against back-ups. Is there anybody showing that they can be the CB5 that the roster needs or will the team likely look at cuts? Who in the Hell makes the LB room? Any play calls we're seeing that look like they're going to be building blocks for the offense? Does James Mitchell steal Mitchell Evans' roster spot? Does Jimmy Horn Jr find himself practice squad bound? (PLS NO, KEEP JIMMY)

I get it, as unbelievable as that might sound. A lot of fans are terrified of the idea of a Daniel Jones situation with Bryce where he's essentially an albatross around their neck. However, it's a lot more difficult to see the similarities between the situations when we look at the tape. DJ was athletically gifted but had horrible processing. Bryce is not the most physically imposing player but has much, much better processing. For all of those "How many QBs have..." questions with the intent to highlight how unlikely it is that he turns it around there is also a glaring lack of questions like "How many players have responded from being benched two games into the season and reclaimed not only a spot on the roster but their status as a starter? How many QBs were successful behind 6th/7th string starting guards? How many QBs have successful passing attacks with WRs that can't separate? How many rookie QBs have been successful when the coaching staff is practicing for their rendition of 'Mean Girls?' How many QBs have been able to keep their teams in games against SB contenders while carrying a historically bad defense?" If fans can't see that Bryce is trending upward (and not just because of how low he was previously), they just don't want to at this point. I can't think of many QBs that are going to win boat races with a rookie WR1, a project WR2, and question marks at TE. These aren't excuses; they're simple facts. I don't think that many of the fans saying, "No more excuses for Bryce!" realize that in actuality there's no more excuses for themselves. I can't even begin to understand the mindset that playing behind a 6th string + 7th string starting guard duo is just an excuse, but I'm also aware that even the haters know it isn't because they tend to skirt right by that. I like his athletic profile, but I prefer having more instinctual players at LB. Considering the reliance on the DL + DBs as well in Evero's scheme, having a Kuechly-esque type guy would be awesome. It also makes me wonder... what if Shaq hadn't gotten hurt? Would they have brought him back for another year to mentor Trevin? How much different would things be for Trevin if he spent the first two seasons sitting and learning behind the vets (while maybe taking over for Josey this season). ty bby I haven't gotten to watch the all-22 for the defense, but after fast forwarding through the replay to see the first half defense again there were a lot of correctable things that showed up with Wallace. He seems to be getting the same treatment that XL + TMac are getting on offense in that they're keeping him in there to get as many reps as possible since they know they're going to lean heavily on him when the season starts. Things like over pursuits while in coverage, false steps in the run game, and some of the other problems he's shown are correctable (fortunately). Whether or not those corrections stick are another story that we'll just have to wait and see over the course of this season. I don't think we start seeing anything to give us hope for the defense until halfway through the season when these new pieces are finally used to one another. For all of his issues though, there's no question that he's the most talented LB on the roster at this moment. re: Bryce and the first two series, I just finished the all-22 for the second series. I think there's going to be some things in there that might help relieve a little bit of the frustration with Bryce. The only play where I saw his physicality limit him was the very first play when he tossed it 40yds on the run. Considering that most QBs can throw it 50 - 60 yards when planted (only your howitzer-armed QBs are slinging it 70+), it's hard for me to go "Damn... he threw it 10yds shorter than average not because he was on the run but because he's too weak to throw deep in the NFL." I can acknowledge that stronger-armed QBs make those throws, but it's also important to admit that some of those rocket launchers are attached to statues that aren't going to be on the move (and in the case of some players with the arm + legs to make the play, do they have the mind to read and react in a game that gives you less than 3sec to make a decision and take action?). What I'm seeing on the All-22 isn't a team having to compensate for Bryce's lack of physical traits, but Bryce having to compensate for the lack of execution by his teammates. That isn't to say he's perfect as that free play was uuuuuuuugly even if it was the right decision (and there's been plenty of other "BRYCE, PLS NO!" moments).

Second Series - First Play Panthers come out in 12 personnel rather than the 11 they had been in the previous drive (Sanders + Evans are the TEs). Texans look like they're in there NASCAR package, but I admittedly don't know enough about the team to know if this is that grouping. Just making assumptions based on who they've got out there. Carolina starts out in the pistol, but Bryce walks up under center to take the snap. It's a play action shot play with a bootleg to the left. Mitchell Evans pulls across the formation and stays in to help JT0 with blocking, leaving just Chuba in the flat (with a defender lurking) while TMac streaks down the sideline (covered) and XL runs a deep crosser. I... I don't understand this playcall by Idzik. The Texans had only blitzed once on the first series and the run game had not exactly been established yet. This almost felt like a forced deep shot to work on in-game timing with WR1 + WR2. The Texans called cover-3 on this play and completely negated the shot play. Bryce pulled the ball down and scrambled for two yards before sliding. Very surprising to see this, especially after the recently linked Read Optional article that pointed out how leaving in extra protection for Bryce hurts his processing ability because it gives him less options to work with. I think Idzik is trying to get some chunk plays for his WRs here while also encouraging Bryce to push the deep ball. Credit where credit is due though: the OL had a good rep here in protection, but I imagine having seven blockers for four rushers helped with that tremendously. As you can see below though, the LBs were already dropping back into coverage. Verdict: This is why preseason is for coaches too. Idzik was calling the plays again and as much as I'm sure he'd like to get the WRs making chunk plays he still has to learn the finer art of using the jab to set up the crosser (pun intended). Bryce made the right read here seeing that the Texans had dropped back into zone and taken away all three options. Second Series - Second Play Ball on the Carolina 25. Panthers go back to 11 personnel (WRs: Thielen, Moore, Tremayne (!!); TE: Evans). Texans go back to their Buffalo nickel package from the first series (same players). Tremayne motions in a couple of steps to be inline and the ball is snapped. Hunt/TMo get a great push on Sheldon Rankins (knocked him damn near 4yds backwards) while Corbett/Mays push Settle back a yard or two as well. Chuba hits the hole, but Danielle Hunter beats Icky inside to stop it for just a gain of two. I understand the safe play call here after the dice rolling that took place on the previous shot play, but an offense needs to do more to help their QB get as far away from 3rd and long as possible. An inside run likely isn't going to do that, no matter how much the UDFA WR is blocking his ass off. Verdict: Really disappointed with what appeared to be a lack of effort on Icky's part here. Kind of took his time engaging with Hunter who was peeking into the backfield and easily shed the block. This is what put Panthers' fans through the ringer last season... It seemed like every play, somebody found a way to mess up. While sometimes it's because the other teams practices too, you still want to see your run-blocking LT shove his assignment through a wall rather than wait for him to come in and engage (especially when it isn't a draw play!). Also... Brycen Tremayne getting rotated in with the 1s before David Moore is veeerrry interesting. Second Series - Third Play Final play for the starters! 11 personnel (Rico, TMac, XL, AT, JT0) against another Buffalo nickel variation for the Texans (Edwards in for Settle, Speed in for To'oTo'o, three safeties on the field). Shotgun formation, Dowdle to the right in the backfield, trips to the right, JT0 on the left. AT motions to the left and Bryce sees that it's zone. JT0 + AT run medium + low levels concept while Dowdle leaks to the right flat and TMac + XL run a dagger concept with TMac running the dig. Both tackles got destroyed on this play... TMo on his back with his feet in the air like a Reno sex worker after Lou Thesz pressed by Danielle Hunter and Icky once again gives up the inside but this time to Will Anderson Jr. I recall during this play some Huddlers pinching their nipples over Bryce not getting it out to Dowdle in the flat. Some even said he never looked Dowdle's way, which was definitely not true but there was reason to be concerned that he was back to looking to force something out of nothing like what happened during his rookie year under Reich. After reviewing the film though, Dowdle isn't making squat happen if Bryce hits him in the flat. He would have gotten Rico killed by three defenders that were just waiting over top. Verdict: Again, this is Panthers' football at its finest/worst. Each play a different player (or players) seems to fail the rest of the team and kill a potentially big play. If there isn't immediate pressure, then XL is taking this to the house or TMac is being hit for a big play. Just look at what's happening while Bryce is having to run for his life (and sees that Dowdle isn't even looking back at him). Conclusion It was understandably off putting to here that the offense was going to come out for three series, maybe even the whole quarter if necessary, only to see them sit after what was essentially two three-and-outs. However, the team is still relatively healthy as we approach the regular season (knock on wood) and the young weapons are clearly getting additional reps to get up to speed. Personally, I'd like to see the starters come out against Pittsburgh for two or three drives unless the put together a solid, long drive to open the game with. That likely isn't happening though as Canales and company seem to be using the joint practices to evaluate starters and preseason to evaluate depth + fringe players. Parting Hot Take: Don't be surprised if Brycen Tremayne sneaks onto the roster as WR #7 and David Moore finds himself on the practice squad to start the season.

He did it last season beyond a shadow of a doubt. The team went from running a lot of cover-4, 6, and 9 to running quarters less than any defense in the league and cover-3 zone more than any other defense. They lost their best pass rusher in Brian Burns going into last season and as a result needed to blitz more than they had the previous year to generate pressure. When doing this in 2023, he leaned a lot on Shaq to blitz and help provide additional pressure. In 2024, he lost Shaq after just four games and had to turn to a rookie Trevin Wallace. This wasn't long after the defense had already lost Derrick Brown, and now Evero has a gaping hole in the middle of his defense for teams to run the ball through. That's where the cover-3 reliance comes in, because it gets an extra man into the box while also still protecting over the top. This is a big reason why we saw Jaycee "regress" last season. He was quite literally shutting down a third of the field and occasionally coming in on DB blitzes. This wasn't what he had done in 2023 when he was asked to match and follow WR1s. One of the things that has remained consistent is Evero's preference to rotate safeties post-snap. The team statistically started in two high shells and rotated to single high more than anyone else during the 2024 season. However, there's a downside to this... while it can create confusion and cause hesitation for opposing QBs, it also has the safeties coming downhill and having to take angles while in motion. This is one of the reason we've seen so many missed tackles and why the team prioritized Moehrig over a FS in free agency. The best way to see how different the defensive schemes were from 2023 to 2024 is to watch Jaycee's snaps from both seasons and see what he's asked to do. Once the team couldn't stop the run and leave him on an island, he needed to be made available to help in the run game while still taking away a part of the field from opposing offenses. I'm a big fan of The Chinn as well and hated seeing him go to Washington (I have a deep disdain for that team), but his overall PFF grade in 2023 was 57.7 (126th out of 174) and 69.0 in 2024 (50th out of 171). Adjusting scheme to talent also doesn't just mean highlighting different weapons on the defense either. It also means recognizing when a defense doesn't have the talent to run the scheme, which was exactly what took place last season.

Intro Was hoping to be able to put this together this morning after seeing that NFL Pro has been updated to include preseason All-22, but $500+ in car repairs later I'm working on it now this evening. After getting to review the film, I'm not nearly as concerned with the offensive showing as I was. While some fans are looking for 300 yards and 5 TDs in preseason, 0/2 seems pretty terrible until we look at the film. There is a lot of stuff to be hopeful about, but there's also plenty to get cleaned up as well. Let's dive into the tape! First Series - First Play Panthers in 11 personnel, Texans in their Buffalo nickel package. Texans have their full starting defense while Carolina has their current 1st strings (JT0 for Tremble, Mays for DLew). Carolina lines up with trips to the field side and JT0 inline towards the boundary. XL motions from the slot and seems to have trouble getting lined up correctly but Bryce helps him out. This is that horrible throw to start the game. The OL sells wide zone left and Bryce pulls it down. JT0 does a great job slinging Will Anderson Jr to the inside, but WAJ holds JT0 and drags him to the ground as Bryce rolls right. Sanders would've likely been the checkdown option to gain a couple of yards, but is taken out of the play. Flags are thrown, Bryce sees the penalty and the flags, spots XL over top of Stingley (image below), and tries to get it to him. The throw is bad, but it's the right decision. TMac is bracketed, Sanders is on the turf, and going to AT would've been the cardinal sin of throwing across the QB's body. Bryce slings it just before getting hit out of bounds. If he's given the time to plant and throw, that's six. Penalty ends up negating the INT. Below, you can see the moment that Bryce sees the flag come in for WAJ holding Sanders (who is down on the ground to the bottom left). TMac is bracketed above. He spots XL behind Stingley just after this moment and continues to the boundary where he makes the throw. Verdict: A stronger-armed QB possibly makes that throw to XL rather than Stingley, but we see Bryce getting XL situated pre-snap. This is good and showing ownership of the offense by QB1. If not for the penalty, Sanders might be out there in the flats open or at least buying Bryce more time since the two defenders bearing down on him would've at least needed to have one back off to cover the TE. The Texans also are showing TMac a lot of respect by making it a point to bracket him off the rip. First Series - Second Play No personnel change from the opening play. Panthers line up in a similar formation, only with trips to the field side rather than in a bunch. Thielen goes in motion and the ball is handed off to Chuba for just a 2yd gain before Will Anderson Jr collapses the edge from the backside due to coming in unblocked. Looking at this play, while I can't say for certain as I'm not in the room with the team obviously, but it appears like JT0 was supposed to block WAJ rather than going to the second level to block the LB. With the combo blocks taking place, it looks like this was a run play with a designed cutback in mind. This was also against eight in the box. However, looking at the above snapshot I can't help but wonder if Chuba was supposed to hit the hole to the left between Icky and Mays. If that's the case, then JT's climbing to the second level and leaving WAJ unblocked makes more sense. Verdict: However, looking at the above capture, Chuba might have seen #98 Tim Settle sliding into the gap and made the decision to cut back into the waiting arms of WAJ. To me, this is good defense by the Texans. First Series - Third Play Same personnel for both teams again. Panthers line up in the shotgun. Ball is snapped and Mays + TMo get bulldozed backwards causing Bryce to have to drop back more. TMac runs an in route and comes open, but isn't able to come down with it. The throw is a little high, but that's why he was the first WR drafted and went in the top-10. If he doesn't flatten his route as early as he does then he's in a better spot where that ball should be easier to come down with. At the same time, this looks like it's supposed to be an in rather than a crosser. The capture below shows the start and end of the route where the drop takes place with X's and the ? is where his route would have carried him had he not flattened it out. TMac also needs to use both hands. He's more than capable of the one-handed highlight reel grabs, but if he snatches this with both paws then MJ Stewart isn't dislodging it by slapping his elbow like he did here. Verdict: A QB and his rookie WR are still building chemistry. If Bryce doesn't put this as high as he does, it's easier for TMac to come down with MJ Stewart isn't able to break it up. If TMac doesn't flatten out his route too early and uses both hands, the ball is in an easier place for him to shield it with his body. I expect both guys to learn from this tape and work even further on their chemistry + timing. First Series - Fourth Play Same personnel groupings for both teams, except Carolina subs in Rico for Chuba and Brycen Tremayne in for XL (). The Texans go with Mario Edwards in for Settle and EJ Speed in for To'oTo'o. Panthers start out in the shotgun with five wide (trips to the right). Bryce scans the defense and calls for Dowdle to motion into the backfield. Once Dowdle gets back there, Bryce points out the mike (Speed) who has creeped up to the LOS for Dowdle to watch (image below. Corbett echoes the call, points out Speed, and snaps the ball. Speed runs a stunt which Dowdle picks up. Ball is snapped and Bryce first looks to the left at TMac who is 1v1 outside. The deep safety breaks for TMac, leaving the middle of the field open for Sanders who is running an in route (image below). Bryce fires and hits JT directly in the hands and he drops it all on his own. Stingley was unable to make the play on the ball and was draped around JT0's waist. At first glance back at the All-22, I thought that Stingley might have gotten a hand in there to cause a PBU. Watching live, I thought I recalled a slow motion of the play showing that it hits Sanders in the hands and he just dropped it. I've got the capture below showing the moment it bounces off, but am about to put little dude to bed and still have the three plays from the second series to review so I'll have to wait until I get back to go through the broadcast to find that moment (if I'm remembering correctly, of course). Verdict: JT0 has to catch that. Third down, Bryce makes all of the right pre- and post-snap reads/responses, and to not be that reliable safety valve on third down that TEs are supposed to be hurts. Tremble is coming back, and while Sanders is arguably the better receiver it is without a doubt that Tommy is currently the more reliable player (so long as there's no lingering issues from back surgery, of course). I wouldn't be surprised, should Sanders/Evans/Mitchell not separate themselves from the rest of the room and supplant Tremble, if the team spends more resources on finding an impact player for the group. This also shows the type of effect that TMac is already having on opposing defenses. The Texans bracketed him on the very first play of the game, and the safety was clearly making taking him away in this play the priority. As McMillan continues to find his stride in the NFL, things are going to open up even more for this offense. TBD I've got the second series queued up and ready to go after I'm informed whether or not the monsters down the hallway are indeed sleeping and it is safe for me to leave sentry duty to one of the cats instead.

If TMac is half as good as you have claimed then I don't see how Bryce can he as bad as you fear.

I do. He's shown that he'll form scheme around talent and was asked to take a bitter pill last season as a vast majority of resources were committed to the offense. This season, they're giving him help by trying to add pieces to the defense in the same manner. The defense is now in a place where practice squad guys aren't starting, but it's still got depth issues (esp at ILB). Personnel-wise, the biggest question marks to me are Trevin Wallace, Lathan Ransom, and Nic Scourton. Those three stepping up would make a massive difference in the defense. Ransom would allow Scott to hit the bench and Scourton would be a blessing to the pass rush. The sooner Trevin Wallace is diagnosing plays and letting his athleticism take over, the better also.

My current overreactions (and copium) before reviewing the All-22: LB is a huge problem. Not only is depth incredibly weak, we're depending on a second year Trevin Wallace. While having solid athletic traits, Trevin seems to be out of position more often than we'd want our starting ILB. There's also been errors in coverage as well, which was one of his strong points due to said athleticism. Rams LB situation was to basically walk out ST LBs (ie: Rozeboom) and let them do what they can while the DL takes care of the run and the DBs handle coverage. LBs job might be asked to lurk and clean up this season. I'm going to have to go look at the 2023 season as well as Evero's 2022 season with Denver. Wallace does have the skillset though to be a solid blitzer if schemed up. Evero likes to use ILBs to supplement the pass rush sometimes, so having Moehrig/Wallace/Jaycee all able to blitz at any given moment will allow for more options to pressure with. Young weapons need to start stepping up. Having to depend on a rookie WR1, second year WR2 that was known to be a project, and a soon-to-be 35yr old WR3, Tremble coming back from back surgery, and an inconsistent Ja'Tavion Sanders isn't going to allow the offense to truly threaten through the air. The WR room is deep with veteran slot guys, an exciting top-10 pick, a late first rounder, an exciting UDFA that is challenging for WR2, and the explosiveness of Jimmy Horn Jr gives a lot to be excited for. There's going to be some growing pains, but what's most important this season is TMac + XL's development + chemistry with Bryce. The real test is 2026 when it's time for Bryce to play for a second contract and Tillis has the roster set to be able to be reset should things not be going where they need to under Canales. While more comfortable looking, the team can't afford a slow start by Bryce. Going three-and-out on back-to-back opening drives (without all of the opponents' starters) is not giving guns blazing out the gate... and wtf was that atrocious throw today on the free play? Even if you know you've got a free shot that was bad. Also looked like he was already pressing early by not taking the open check down. Can't catch it for em. That JT Sanders drop looked egregious, but I'll get a better idea of what happened when the All-22 comes out (as well as what the hell Bryce saw on the free play). TMac has also made more difficult catches than the one that came his way look simple, but he's clearly still catching up as a rookie. As the season is underway and more targets come his way we'll probably forget plays like that one. Bryce just has to keep trending up and helping his young weapons develop with him. The OL and the run game, the supposed strengths of the offense, have not looked strong. The OL has given up pressures, penalties, and hasn't been getting the push in the run game. As announcers and analysts have also pointed out, the team doesn't look like it's due to break off a big run any time soon. That RB room is deep with Chuba, Dowdle, and Etienne. Etienne especially has looked like he's taken Blackshear's job on ST and the offense. The OL has also been somewhat protected this season, being pulled after just a series or two (and not playing against Pittsburgh on Thursday). DLew being out has also allowed for better evaluation of the OL to see if there's anybody that can make a case to carry 10 OL into the season The pass rush is still non-existent and relying on the duo of Wonnum/Jones II made sense in Minnesota when they were rotating for each other but not both starting. Derrick Brown is a presence, but he doesn't exactly rack up sacks. The team looks destined to be bottom-10 in pressure again. It's a tough pill to swallow, but this season (pass rush-wise) is all about Scourton and Umanmielen's development. The sooner they threaten starting time, the better (see: Ransom/Richardson vs. Scott in the safety room, though Wonnum/Jones II are better starters than Nick). With Moehrig, Ransom, Horn, Jackson, and Wallace available to be sent on blitzes, Evero will be able to scheme up 1v1s and maybe even some open rushers. He's got the personnel where we don't have to worry about asking "is it cover-3 or is it fire zone?" Also, Evero's shown that he can scheme to buy time for the pass rush through confusing QBs with post-snap shifts. Combine that with confusing the OL with where they have to shift to deal with additional pressure, we'll hopefully see more sacks this season than we have the last two. Finally, DB played a single series. BB3 has already shown that he can make an impact as well.

Thomas Incoom got Nic Scourton's spot yesterday... I think that the writing might be on the wall for DJ Johnson. He's been contributing on special teams, but his strength was his play strength and the ability to set the edge. That hasn't been showing up in preseason though... and his inability to log pressures even vs. back-ups. Incoom is the better pass rusher and better special teamer. If DJ's pass rush had developed at all, I could see him hanging around. I can understand why Evero signed off on him due to EJ preferring guys that can maintain lane integrity and win on their second effort that the coverage provides them time for... but it's about time we start getting pass rushers that can win early.

So what are the statistical baselines that players need to hit based on their draft position? I'm not debating that teams want their first round picks to make an impact. I'm just asking for simple numbers and whether or not trading up means that a player has to produce more.

Oh damn. That sucks. Glad the team got him taken care of and erred on the side of caution.

Etienne might have banished Blackshear to the practice squad.

These new kickoff rules have been interesting to see evolve.

I didn't realize ARob led DTs in tackles last season. Gonna be so much better seeing ARob-BB3-DB instead of ARob-Tuttle-Ray as the starting DL.

Seeing DL next to the reporters is always a hilarious reminder for how massive these dudes are.

Etienne has definitely flashed. Sam Roberts as well imo. Ransom and Richardson are showing well for young guys but one of them needs to separate themselves from the other & Nick Scott. Excited to see who it'll be (my money is on Lathan Ransom).

Etienne has definitely flashed. Sam Roberts as well imo. Ransom and Richardson are showing well for young guys but one of them needs to separate themselves from the other & Nick Scott.