MHS831

Throw the checkbook at him, Tepper.

I think we should have taken a look at him as a TE. He would not want that, but he is not playing. Having his leadership, charisma, and attitude in the locker room could be good (and it could be counterproductive as well).

I would love the challenge of rebuilding the Panthers. I am sure Morgan feels the same way. As for thouse who think he is not going to be effective because he worked under Fitterer and Fitterer sucked, we do not know what he said to Fitterer. We do not know what Tepper said to Fitterer. He had a role and no subordinate is empowered to form a mutiny if he disagrees with the boss. First of all, I think the first thing you do is build the offensive line and weaponry. No emphasis has been on the TE position--there needs to be. WRs will be the priority, however. The OL will improve with healing and better coaching. A better scheme. They are going to build it around Bryce, and they should have done that before they started him--and I am very frustrated in the way Young played--but he was behind a bad line with no open WRs and in a scheme not really devised for him. He had no TE to speak of--for those of you who want him gone, what do you recommend that he do? Make the DL miss? Throw the WRs open? Call less predictable plays? He faced the very toughest challenges and he failed. Maybe we can take away those challenges and see what we have before tar and feathering the guy. Regardless, there will be improvement and all you need is a stud WR or two and a stud TE. OL depth and better coaching. A scheme that helps you hide your weaknesses and plays to your strenghts. Sounds easy, but I think we are 4-5 good players away if we change the culture.

Well written, and I agree with most everything. However, I would say that the core of the 2003 Super Bowl Team was not formed by Hurney. To me, the three best players were Morgan, Jenkins, and Smith Sr. All from the same draft (2001). Moose was next, and he was drafted around 1999. MH was part of that, however, as a front office employee. Marty Hurney's first round picks were not the problem--it was when he started trading them that became a problem. The Otah trade started it all. It was as if MH only focused on round 1 and seemed to relax afterwards--as if he could reach, etc. I would say that the year Fox was a widely-known lame duck (2010) was the draft where he was not aided by the head coach. That is the draft where Marty tried to trade up into round 1 for Clausen, was tricked by the Colts to think that they were going to draft Armanti Edwards so he traded up for him (he had been to Boone personally to scout Edwards), and he drafted Eric Norwood (he had personally been to South Carolina to scout Norwood). Norwood did not fit the defensive scheme, unless he thought the Panthers were going to a 3-4 after Fox was fired-but why would he think that? In free agency, he re-signed Jake Delhomme about the same time after surgery and then cut him. He did not retain Julius Peppers, who left for Chicago. It was about the same time Marty started (at the time it was pretty much understood) overpaying to retain Panther free agents from a team that went 2-14. He overpaid for Charles Johnson and gave DeAngelo Williams a HUGE contract for a RB (over $40m with over $21m guaranteed) only to do it again the following year with Stewart. Historically, few RBs have the productivity to justify their second contracts. Marty was desperate because big name free agents were avoiding the Panthers (remember Jerry RIchardson's pie chart press conference? Not a player-friendly gesture). With a massive need at DT, he counted on third rounders Terell McClain and Sione Fua to man the middle. Joke. Marty imploded. He was then rehired. He imploded again.

I imagine the fan base in Philly is about as pissed off as we are--maybe more so.

Sorta misleading. If the Moton deal was back loaded to cost nearly $30m in 2024, and you anticipated Burns needing a new deal in 2024, it really focuses on their salary timeline--not to compare the overall contracts. I would have paid Moton $17m over the 4 years and not tried to back load it.

I think they have twisted the concept. I do not know what goes on behind closed doors, but I know that the way it should work is this way-- The person responsible for the decision meets to seek insights and input from all stakeholders. Then that person is empowered to make an informed decision. The way it seems to be going--- The person responsible presents his case, along with other stakeholders, and Tepper uses that information to make the decision. That is bad. In fact, that is not good. It is bad.

Naw. I mean, it's just a game, right?

They all need to wear t-shirts for the entire 2024 year that say that on the front.

I am sure she sees herself as a co-owner.

Good point. Moton getting $30m as a RT and Burns is more valuable that 2 first rounders but not worth what Moton, the RT, is making? Not sure I see the logic.

I think he served 2 tours of duty in Nam. Seriously, this team acts like it is a minor league franchise. I rarely comment here but I read the posts--just not a huge NBA fan. So this is the perspective of the casual fan: This was about contracts, I suppose, and cap space (which means little to NBA teams in large markets)--but at some point, you have to make a move. The hornets seem to have a rising star locked up in Ball and Miller-that is a solid combination. I think there are role players who have hot and cold nights because they are asked to do more than their talent dictates. Gordon is just milking the money out of the franchise--nobody is hurt that much. So when the Hornets get rid of the dead wood, and Rozier is nearly 30--maybe too much talent and salary cap in the back court to bring in an additional star front line player. I dunno, but I would like to see a plan. Furthermore, getting rid of Rozier could guarantee that the Hornets get a lot of ping pong balls.

Question to ponder before entering deep, intelligent, objective discussion: After hiring Morgan, if we hire Evero, will it appear that Tepper could not get anyone from the outside to board his wrecking train?

A better list is one that features players we passed on in positions of need. To me, taking a flyer on a player when there were few other options is one thing, but drafting busts and watching those picked after them at the same position prospers is agonizing. I can't watch Houston now because it pisses me off. I am one of the few who have not totally given up on Bryce, but I am not feeling very good about him right now.

Good point. There is something about a former player/team leader in that position because he knows both sides of the business. Morgan comes from a player personnel background. I wish him the best of luck.

I had several concussions when I played in college and I turned out just-time for dinner. Where was I? Oh yeah, the 3-4 Defense and the RPO offense. I disagree.

As an educator, I can say that college kids I taught in 2003 are much different than the 2023 students. My approach had to change--or I become a joke to them--You are farther from their worlds than ever before--if you don't keep up, you are an artifact of days gone by. When I saw Campen on an interview, he started cursing and said that he can't control it. People laugh about it, but to me, it demonstrated a person who feels that he doesn't have to prove anything to anyone, he is who he is and is not concerned about self-control or reflection. It is as if the job is a lifetime achievement award instead of something that you must attack like a hungry wolf every day. He lost touch, in my estimation based on what I have seen.

I am not sure they have many options, but not many teams give up on the #1 overall pick after 1 season when so many other problems were raining on this 22 year old kid. I am not defending Young or predicting that he will turn it around, but I know that impulsivity has not really been that effective. There are not many QBs who would have done well here-- We did not take Baker's 2022 and build 2023 around his skill set, but Tampa Bay did. Who is better off? If we had done that last year, you would have called it bonkers.

Baker Mayfield is a good example of how the system and supporting cast can make a mediocre QB good. He was not good here with WR Moore and the OL was considered better than average. The defense was good. He goes to Tampa Bay, and leads them to a playoff berth and win. They want him back. I think Bryce will improve with weapons and in a new system that will probably be designed to accommodate his skill set. In college, Bryce was good (footwork) when he had time to throw. The OL will get better when BC and Corbett return, and I think Ekwonu needs an offseason of work on technique and focus. He had 10 false starts in 2023 and 4 holding penalties--all because he was not confident in his ability to block an edge rusher. Mechanics will improve this. Will this be enough for Bryce? We will find out.

I used to coach OL in high school, so that makes me an expert and unquestionable authority on all things between the Tackles. Seriously, I was excited to get Campen, but I am also a graduate professor who works with students who are about the same age as our OL. Campen is an old school, foul mouthed, experienced coach, but when I saw clips of him in interviews and at practice, my thought was: How is he going to relate to Ekwonu and a Mormon on the left side? Can he effectively communicate with them? I struggle to reach some of these millennials, so I have to strategically design lessons that appeal to their social dispositions. This may sound ridiculous, but it is far from it. I saw young players (Mays, Zavala, Jensen, Ickey, and a few others who seemed lost. Their mechanics were terrible (waste bending, head dropping/lunging, poor footwork leading to holding penalties, etc), they were not interacting during stunts etc, on the line, they made way too many pre-snap errors (false starts). they telegraphed plays. These are things I worked on as a high school coach, so I see them. There is no reason pros should be doing it. 65 sacks, second most in the NFL? (Statmuse) The Panthers were 3rd in the NFL in False Start Penalties with 27. 22 of those were on the OL. Mechanically, they were terrible. Chubba Hubbard and Miles Sanders were tackled for a loss a total of 40 times. Yikes. I think we have a decent core and our focus HAS to be on WR and TE. I think of Evan Mathis, how we gave up on him too early and he became an All Pro G for the Eagles. Maybe Ickey is a G. Maybe BC is a swing T (reserve) and nothing more. If Corbett fully recovers and we have the right people in the right places, the OL might not be that huge weakness we think it is. I think we should address depth.

that kid from Tulane (QB) Pratt could be a diamond in the rough if given a year or two. I doubt he will be there, but Bo Nix had 60 starts in college and demonstrated at Oregon that he can complete over 70% of his passes. He could be there at #33. I see him going to Denver or Vegas, but I also heard that Payton likes McCarthy, and Penix could end up in Vegas. Very early, however, but you never know--it is highly unusual for 5 QBs to go in round 1, and there are 6 who might.

There are a lot of ways to approach this, but remember, the new coach may watch film and decide Ickey goes inside to G. Corbett is in his prime. BC? Are we keeping Moton and that $30m cap hit? You could be right. I am looking at WR or TE at #33, because I think the line was poorly coached. I am not sure Campen was able to effectively communicate with these young players. He is as old school as they come, and I saw NO growth across the board.

Any respectable new coach will not want to come to Charlotte under the mandate or expectation that he must spend a season or two developing Bryce Young unless they feel that they have something there to develop. Nobody is going to fall on the sword for Fitterer. This is where Tepper is likely to become a problem. Is he going to insist that the new coach play Bryce? Is that going to be a deal breaker if the best coach possible interviews by saying, "I will need a legit QB.?" Or will the new coach come to Carolina because he sees this as an opportunity? He thinks he can make Bryce legitimate? If that approach is the only approach Tepper considers, then we are in trouble--again. Tepper's arrogance will push him to prove to the world that he and Nicole were right, instead of admitting you were wrong. Tepper is never the smartest person in the room, but often the loudest voice in it. Here is another perspective: The playoffs are also places where discarded or forgotten QBs returned to take center stage--Goff, Tua, Purdy (discarded in draft), Love (called a bust for a few years), etc. made a good showing Take a retread and don't try to draft the next QB in round 2 of any draft. We can assume that the Bears will draft Caleb, leaving Fields available. We can assume Washington will take Jayden Daniels or Maye, leaving Howell available (had a bad situation in DC--could be developed by the right coach/system-Rivera sucked). New England? Not sure we want him, but Jones was playing with the pressure of BB and in the shadow of the GOAT on a team with modest levels of talent. Give Bryce his shot, but bring in a guy and allow him to sit for a while and think. Opportunity will present itself. If we are not going to take a QB in this draft and 2025 looks bleak at QB, and not many teams move on from their first round QB selections after 1 season, maybe we should go after Fields, offering a 2025 third rounder or something like that. I think Fields can be coached up and the right system could help him. He rarely had protection and only had 1 good WR part of the time. I would add that the second tier of QBs in this draft might be as good as the first tier last year. Nix, Penix, and McCarthy. This might be the year to take another QB, especially if the coach is not hired based on his love for Bryce's potential.

It would be easy to overreact, but injury, scheme, and lagging development devastated this OL--do they need to be replaced? Moved? Maybe, but an overreaction is as bad as doing nothing. OT: I think Moton needs to be restructured if possible. I can see him playing another 5 years and he is our best OL. If we can trade Moton, that would probably be the play, and I think BC could play RT in 2024. Ekwonu needs to be coached up. I may consider putting him at G, but his problems are mechanical. I would give him another season at LT. Am I happy about his development? Nope. The lack of development from the young players on this line speaks volumes about Campen. He may have been great in his day, but these kids today are a different breed. Maybe his ability to connect with them has faded. Personally, I think Brady Christensen could be the LT in 2024 if he is not moved to RT in the event of a Moton trade or cut (which would be stupid) and Ekwonu could be a G. People need to remember that BC has significant athleticism and he might be better at T than G--stay tuned. If we go with Moton and Ekwonu on the outside, and I think that is likely (depending on Ekwonu's development in the area of mechanics), BC is an average LG who was making progress. As an OL, he is entering his prime. Bozeman is difficult to analyze because he looked terrible at times. I think part of that was the backup guards beside him. I still expect to see him as center in 2024. Corbett is a good RG when healthy. Tough to say how he has recovered. His age is not a factor yet--most good OL peak between 28 and 32. We need depth at every position. With Moton, Ekwonu, and BC's ability to play T, I feel OK about Tackle and do not see it as an urgent need. Of course, Moton at $30m? Dang. I think I would bring in a free agent G who can play C. Not much more than that. As for drafting 2 solid OL, when? Rounds 4 and 5? I think I would develop the roster. I am not sure Zavala, Jensen, and Mays were coached up very well. I think there is some hope. I was excited about Campen when we signed him, but after watching the players demonstrate repeated mechanical and mental mistakes on the OL, I realize that he did nothing with the talent he was given. They all regressed, if you ask me. HOW DO YOU MAKE THE OL LOOK BETTER? 1. Get healthy. Our biggest problem was IR. The OL was pretty good in 2022, but when you lose your top 3 guards and have a 5-10 QB, defenses feasted on A gap. Our scheme kept Bryce in the pocket. 2. Get a YAK guy. A RB / WR who can catch screens and get yards after the catch. Our screen game was not good. 3. Get WRs who get open. Adam Theilen at this stage of his career should not be your team's top WR. He should be a Proehl, not a Smitty. I was pleased with Smith-Marsette and he has potential. Mingo has the makings of a #2 WR, with a quiet 400 yards on about 45 catches--not bad for a a rookie. We need 2 more, and I suggest that we draft a WR (good, deep draft at WR this year) and sign one not named Chark. We need a fast, quick, speedster who can get open--most of our WRs are on the big side. When Tua got Waddle and Hill, he got better quickly. 4, We need a TE that defenses have to respect. I am impressed with Tremble's potential --he will be 24. Hurst? He sucked, but we will probably keep him on the roster in 2024. I wonder about his heart after the concussion and his comments to the media. The other TEs? We do not need them. 5. Discipline. The OL's biggest weakness, aside from forgetting to block people, was stupid pre-snap mistakes. That is a sign that they are not prepared. Campen did us no favors, folks. 6. Clock management by the QB. How many times did we take the play clock to 1 second before snapping the ball? Tough on the OL to stay in stances that long, and it suggests that they are not prepared at the LOS. We are reacting to the defense instead of the defense reacting to us. 7. Communication. When the G waves his hand to let the C know the QB is ready, then the C snaps the ball to said QB, it is like signalling to the defense, "OK, we are getting ready to snap the ball." When this becomes routine, you can time the snap. The OL advantage of knowing when the ball is going to be snapped with the G waving his arm and the play clock at 00 is removed. When you remove the snap advantage, the better athlete (defensive linemen) wins. Duh. Just my rant.

Cam signed my son's jersey after an OTA. He was starting to walk away from the crowd and saw the #1 Jersey out of the corner of his eye. He stopped, grinned, and walked back to him and signed it. I remember thinking Cam was a show boat, playing it up for the crowds and cameras, but when we watched him at OTAs, he was like that all the time. He LOVED practice. Nobody LOVES practice. Ron Rivera used Cam to save his career. The fact that Rivera never had 2 winning seasons in a row with Cam at QB tells you all you need to know-Cam made Rivera coach of the year twice and got him a contract extension. Rivera cut 5 to 10 years off Cam's career by running him like a Fullback.