UNCrules2187

Behind paywall at Athletic, but: Despite the team trading up to draft Young No. 1 overall in April, a team source said that by Week 5 multiple Carolina coaches wanted to bench the rookie for veteran quarterback Andy Dalton. Some believed the team needed a change and that Young required more coaching. The team decided this wasn’t about trying to get wins in the short term but to stay on task with teaching and developing Young in the offense. From all my conversations this past week, the Panthers still believe Bryce Young can be an incredible quarterback. Another team source texted, “He needs better protections and weapons. He has ‘it.’ We do not protect the middle of the pocket. He needs it most in this area because he’s 5-10.” Also says some Panthers insiders have texted Ben Johnson saying how “complicated” it has been to work here: Some in the Panthers organization, per a league source, have been texting Johnson about how complicated it has been to work in Carolina this season. Johnson is expected to be the top coaching candidate in 2024.

Harbaugh isn’t a long-term match with anyone. That said, I’ll take him here even if it’s only for 2-3 years because he’s a proven winner wherever he goes, and lord knows I’d like to see another playoff win in Carolina before we hit a decade without one.

I am okay with getting a culture setter in here even if it means looking for a new coach in 2027. If the likes of Ben Johnson or Frank Smith aren't interested in this gig, I honestly think my top choice would be Harbaugh. He was who I wanted after Johnson pulled out of consideration last year anyway. If he ends up winning a CFP title this year, he has nothing left to accomplish in college football and I think he's itching to prove he can win the big one in the NFL too.

Per this link the only coach estimated to be making $20m or more is Belichick who has 6 rings and 9 SB apperances: https://www.sportico.com/personalities/people/2023/highest-paid-coaches-2023-belichick-payton-popovich-1234747782/ Every other NFL coach above $10m/year has either won or made a Super Bowl appearance (Reid, Harbaugh, Tomlin, Shanahan, McVay, Carroll, Payton). As much as Tepper may want Ben Johnson, he's not going to give him a deal with an AAV greater than $10m as a first time HC.

Think he'll have to offer something like a 6-year, $60m fully guaranteed deal with no offsets. $30m/year is ridiculous lmao. The highest paid coaches make something like $12-15m/year and that includes multi-time SB winning HCs.

I hope Tepper isn't fooled into this: https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/bill-belichick-record-without-tom-brady-patriots-coach/f1cd460945da9e1716173598#:~:text=Bill Belichick record without Tom,with his long-time quarterback.

I don't know if we win but I did throw a few bucks on a Carolina +5.5/u37.5 parlay. Interim coaches usually get a dead cat bounce and tend to cover against the spread in their first game at a high rate (although sample size is small). And I don't think either Carolina or Tampa's offense is going to do much of anything.

I can 100% see why simple game management issues would drive Tepper up a wall. Hell, it drove us fans up a wall seeing Reich waste a timeout then trot Pinero out for a 59 yard FG in Chicago and call those stupid ass timeouts deep in his own territory vs. the Titans. It seemed clear as day that Reich was not the right man to lead this team from a schematic and game management perspective. He was going to be fired at year-end anyway, and while I understand folks being up in arms about him only getting 11 games, it really did feel like he was actively destroying our rookie #1 overall pick QB's confidence by shoehorning him into a scheme to which he clearly isn't suited. That combined with the horrendous gameday management issues I think fully justified pulling the rip cord on the Reich regime early. Now as he said in his presser, the buck stops with him and he made the decision in the first place to hire Reich. So at the end of the day, whether it's Ben Johnson, Jim Harbaugh, Ejiro Evero, or someone else, it doesn't matter whether it's Tepper, a consultant, or a search firm that comes up with the ultimate name, it's GOT to be the right hire.

He ran the ball very well the Buffalo game (15 car, 71 yards and a TD), but his passing stat line might as well have been ripped out of this season (47.4% completion rate, 156 yards, 4.1 YPA, 1 TD, 1 INT, 17.7 QBR). Washington was his best game in that second stint and agreed, that game was way better than anything Young has put on tape so far.

I think Cam is far and away a better QB in his prime, as well as a QB prospect coming out, than Young. I wish he had never gotten hurt and was still the franchise QB here. I was just responding to the "has [he] ever once in his life played as badly" as Young part. The clear answer to that is yes, he has.

Love me some Cam, hate the way this franchise dumped him unceremoniously in 2020, but uh, you did see some of the stats he put up in his second stint here, right? Specifically the ugly game in Miami when he went 5/21 for 92 yards and 2 picks?

If Tepper mandates that the new hire keep Evero and other staff, then I think you're either going to get a desperate first-time or retread HC with no other options (Bienemy, McDaniels) or an internal promotion (whether that's Evero himself, Caldwell, or Tabor). If you want to get someone like Ben Johnson or Bobby Slowik, or hell, Jim Harbaugh, you can't handcuff them on picking their staff.

Johnson or Smith would be my pick. I would say that I don't think Harbaugh should fall under "hilarious" option. He would definitely wear out his welcome within 3-4 years, but he's gotten results at every single coaching stop he's been at.

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I think at the end of the day, Young showing some real growth/progress is the main thing I want to see, whether that's in wins or losses. The 1st is gone, it's a sunk cost, whether it's #1 or #3 or #5 doesn't really matter all that much.

Man, this presser is not inspiring confidence. He just refuses to be forth coming and self-reflective.

I'm shocked at people who are surprised at Staley being fired. This run game has looked like one of, if not the, worst single season run game offense the franchise has ever fielded. If Staley also advocated for Sanders as most people assume, then you have to hold him accountable for that.

Ok. I think we're talking in circles here. I guess my point is I did not see any notable improvement from Hubbard and especially Blackshear when it comes to their offense/RB roles that would make me think Staley was worth keeping around. The stats bear that out, you're saying your eye test tell you they are improved. I can't really argue with your eyes, but I'm not seeing this supposed improvement you are and thus I'm not surprised Staley was sent packing.

Wouldn't this be an indictment of Reich and Staley though? Maybe he'll get more chances because the two guys who are most responsible for which RBs are up and who's getting snaps in the game are now out?

But again, that has nothing to do with Staley. STs being good this season is attributable to Tabor. What about his game log as an offensive player has shown you improvement from last season attributable to this coaching staff?

Huh? Blackshear has been inactive for like 4 games, he's averaging 2.7 ypc and 8.2 ypr. Last year he averaged 3.3 ypc and 9.3 ypr. He doesn't look any more improved as a RB in this offense than he did last year. Last year he at least broke off a couple of big runs and scored 3 TDs. The only thing he's doing better this year compared with last year is averaging 7-8 more yards per KR, but that's a ST stat, not a RB coach stat.

Too many cooks in the kitchen as @Leaky_Faucet intimated. Thin it out, let one person - in this case, Brown, put together a gameplan without input from others (I very much doubt Caldwell will be doing much here).

Jim Irsay landed Shane Steichen after meddling with the previous HC's starting QB decision and installing an ESPN analyst as interim HC. At least Tepper isn't out there saying he's targeted by the cops for being a white billionaire.

My first pick is Ben Johnson (who I was hoping we'd get last year), but I think he will end up somewhere like LA or Chicago. I would be happy with either Frank Smith (OC, Miami) or Brian Callahan (OC, Cincinnati).

Bullshit. That only happened in his last few games there. I give Reich the benefit of the doubt when it comes to having to roll with Brissett when Luck retired right before the season, but I don't think Irsay was the one pushing Reich to go for Rivers, Wentz, or Ryan. I firmly believe all three of those, and especially Wentz, were guys Reich advocated for. People tout Reich's record with 5 different starting QBs as if that's not an indictment of Reich. I think Tepper is probably embarrassed that he bought into this QB whisperer aura when all Reich is proven, especially post Sirianni, is that he can put together a plodding offense with a veteran QB. Not surprised that @Leaky_Faucet has mentioned time and again that Reich wanted Carr here rather than a rookie QB. BTW, Carr looks like garbage in New Orleans too, so that doesn't reflect well on Reich either IMO.