Gapanthersfan

When team building, coming away with 3+ solid/very solid starters is FAR more advantageous than getting 1 stud and 1 third stringer. Here’s how that hurts more than it helps. Team is dog doo and manages to sh*t their way in to a generational stud in the draft. The team is still really really bad, but dude on his own studness wins a couple games the team really didn’t deserve (strip sack defensive TD, win by 2)… because he is a man among boys. future draft position while he is doing his thing is now royally screwed. You’re supposed to be 1-2 win team but with him … now a 4-5 win team. That sucks. Dude is on his way to the HOF, our team is stuck in purgatory. I want to trust the draft savvy of the shot callers, but right now I have a really hard time doing so. Please go conservative, Dave T/Dan. Trade back for a mid round 1st swap, get their second and next year’s third. Go BPA in first 2 rounds and draft for need in rounds 3+. This draft HAS TO come away with at least 3 quality starters to begin a ‘window’ build.

Panthers trade #8 for a mid round 1st swap and a 2nd. amass some ‘solid’ starter level/quality depth. This team is still paper thin when it comes to quality depth at very key positions. WR? LT? Center? QB? CB? Edge? The next few days have to be about amassing as large a quantity as possible of dudes that can at the very least do their damn job. Blue chip dudes are vital to winning championships, but If they end up with 1 stud and 1 practice squad guy it’s actually a step backwards. The stud may win you 2 games that you don’t deserve and screw up next season’s draft. It screws up the window timing. I’ll take 4 solid starters all day long.

The corollary in all of this: the 2001 and 2002 drafts enabled the 2003 team to go toe to toe with the GOAT in what was one of the greatest SBs of all time…. But then they were never able to put quality depth on the team to account for key injuries. Those back to back drafts will never hit like that for us ever again, but it sure would be nice.

Unforgivable. 100%. Oh, we also let Darnold and Mayfield walk. Oh yeah, we also turned down a kings ransom for Burns that could have REALLY fast tracked a rebuild. There is no way football people piloted that ship. This is illustrative on just how destructive it is to whiff on first and second rounders at all, but especially numerous years in a row.

2017 had 2 all pros, 1 damn fine receiver and an RT who would start on most teams and has been a beacon of consistently good play for almost a decade.

2013 got disrespected on that list. Star and Short were pro bowl/all pro caliber and Klein was a hell of a player who would have started on most teams.

I doubt it. I don’t think Tepper has the patients to play the ‘long game’ with the draft and team building (hopefully I’m dead wrong). He has been largely radio silent, which is good, but the draft has to be like Christmas to him. I think he likes his (singular) guy, and is going to get his guy. Trading back is an even bigger gamble that his guy is still going to be available.

Cracking this cold one open again since the ‘what do we do with Ickey’ conversation has again resurfaced. Some good commentary. I’ll temper some of the shade I may have thrown at him. I am trying to generate optimism in his progression to reliably pick up speed rushers like the big boys do.

The needle is trending positive and I like the guy. I will continue to say it, the veteran leadership they infused last offseason was worth every penny, regardless of what it cost. I don’t envy Dan at all. This is like Phil Ivey just shoved on you on the turn and you’re holding top 2 pair. Sweating bullets. Ickey is a quiet, low key dude who is improving but it’s hard to fade the memories of him getting straight exploited and beat like a drum in his sophomore slump. He had no answer for speed rushers…. And that is what will keep Dan awake in this decision. Biggest Ickey questions: has he found a way to handle the speed rushers and does he have that dawg in him. If the answer to those 2 questions isn’t a resounding yes, I don’t see how they can throw huge money at him.

Yes, and it also gives them time to shop him if they can hit lotto in the draft this season and score an LT of the future. If they shock everyone and go LT in the first or second round, it will send a crystal clear picture of how they see Ickey. The prospect of having him play LG… that ship has sailed. It’s just not in his nor the org’s best financial interest. He is going to get LT $, like it or not. This team can’t afford to dish LT money to a guard. Horn got his because he is that dude and is a DAWG through and through. Him sprinting down the sideline last season to take on defensive lineman in the ruckus… that’s all I needed to see.

You beat me to it. Charisma. You can hear how much Greg LOVES football. He’s enjoyable to listen to. I could only imagine seeing him and Luke team up on a Fox crew. Brady was awful. Smug. Greg could be a devastating offensive coordinator if he chooses to get back to the field.

I have no doubt that he will show improvement this season, but to what is the motivation attributed to? Has the fire been rekindled or does he know there is a contract on the line. There is no doubt at all that he has been stuck in a God forsaken situation since he was drafted. Judging him off the last 3 years is unfair which is why this is such a hotly debated subject. Dan has been in the biz long enough to know that paying the wrong guy franchise LT money is career suicude. It’s salary cap devastating. sit a guy that expensive? Yeah, right. He’s also the one most likely to get the QB killed if he doesn’t do his job. Ask Cam (I think Watt came from the blind side). If Ickey turns himself in to a top 15 pass blocker and rips off a few glorious unnecessary roughness calls for unbridled violence after the whistle then by all means please pay the man accordingly.

And this is it. To me, it’s 2 things: 1. Can he get in to the top 10 in pass blocking so that this team can take that next step? 2. Is he a DAWG? Does he eat, sleep and breathe football. Film junkie. The consistently good franchises in the league have DAWGs at LT who are top 10 pass blockers. ‘Good’ or even ‘pretty good’ doesn’t cut it. This is one of the most expensive and longest term contracts a team will sign on to. Mess up and sign a guy who just ain’t it… at LT = multi-year purgatory. The cap hit is too big, and no GM/coach will sit a guy that expensive. Career suicide. Team purgatory. This season is IT. If he doesn’t find himself in the top 10 in pass blocking then Dan has a real tough decision on his hands. Top teams have straight up dudes at LT. ‘Good’ LTs can get you to the playoffs, but there will always be another Von Miller on the other side of the line. Just imagine Ickey 1 on 1 with Miles Garrett. Choose wisely.

He’s Jordan Gross part 2, just on the other side of the line. He shows up week after week and does his damn job. Well. He doesn’t show up to training camp out of shape. Rarely does he miss extended amounts of time. He’s just a low key dude. He leaves on his terms unless his performance falls off significantly.

My concern is not talent, but as has been said, it’s coaching. Successful teams that run this scheme all seem to have superior defensive coaching staffs. If guys aren’t good enough or miss assignments, the plays end up going for big gains. The margin for error is much smaller than a traditional 4-3 scheme.

1 kick return fumble. 1 punt return fumble. That’s strong. All returners cough the ball up. I don’t think either were turnovers but I’m not sure. He plays smart. No stupid backpedal 15 yards bs. He is an adequate RB3. Role player. Hoover-lite. He does his damn job. Teams need dudes like this. Glue guy. I’m glad he’s back. I’m sure he’ll have competition in TC.

I do not yet trust our people to be savvy enough to pull off a trade that doesn’t screw us in the first and/or second round. With things looking like they might be coming together, they absolutely HAVE TO hit on a stud in round 1 and hopefully 2… and hopefully hopefully unearth a diamond in later rounds. If they are to create a window, this draft has to go gang busters. This coming season looks promising, however, they have to go in to the 2026 season as the clear favorite to win the South. ‘Windows’ happen for traditionally bad teams with the culmination of 2-3 really good drafts IN A ROW, snagging a good head coach and a few key free agent acquisitions. Busting on first and second rounds will destroy the chance of this occuring. Cokers don’t come around very frequently and haven’t even drafted. There are contracts coming up in the next 2-3 years at the most expensive positions on the entire team. Bryce and Ickey. I know, not for a while, but good franchises have a long lens. If it comes to crunch time and Ickey hasn’t evolved in his pass blocking, do they drop mega $$ in his lap? Have they groomed someone that can step up? Do they happen in to a franchise LT and put press On Ickey to step his game up or he becomes trade bait? In closing, at 8, screw need. No trade. Pick the guy who has future all pro dna.

I want a guy who analyzes every molecule of the upcoming opponent to find where he can exploit. A tell. Flaws in fundamentals. This is what the greats do. All-pros. HOF’ers. This shows that they live, eat, sleep and breathe football. It’s the details. This is how Thielen at his age continues to be money. Always open. Guys that think they’ll get by on raw physical ability alone (there are a lot of these) get a very rude awakening. The ‘all I got to do is play my game’ guys… hard pass.

UGA men already got dat dawg in em… I’ll see myself out

I’ve long held this belief and said it from the beginning. It was plainly obvious. Why would he take the job, assemble an entire coaching staff and then check out on day 1 of TC?

Last season was my lowest point. Burn it down, sell the franchise type low. To go from the doldrums of despair last season to hanging a 40 burger on the birds in the forbidden temple, matching the 2nd most points they’ve ever scored on those clowns… it felt good. Something that could be built upon. It was finding a viable franchise QB, but it equally important locking up a good and young offensive line that gives him a chance.

Luke was forged by the hammer of Thor to be the greatest MLB the NFL has ever known. He was truly the best football player this team has ever had. I will rephrase my initial attestation. SS89 was the biggest game wrecker this team has ever had.

Very compelling and well said. It is the main reason why he has yet to receive his gold jacket.

cordially disagree. with the football in his hands, from anywhere on the field, he was always 1 broken tackle away from putting 6 points on the board. if Steve ever had a bad day, and I’m sure he did at some point, I can’t remember it. His spirit was completely unbreakable. There was no way to scheme around him. He caught everything and ran great routes. Jam Steve at the line… lol, good luck with that. He played every play like his life depended on it. The bigger the game, the bigger he played. We’ve had all time great defenders who take games over and wreck shop, but they aren’t a threat to put 6 on the board on every play. Steve was. SS89 kept head coaches awake at night more than any other Panther ever had. Was he a good teammate? Hell no, and he’s admitted to such. Just my thoughts.

Best PLAYER this team has ever had, IMHO…. But… He’s obviously a very complicated man. I can’t judge him.