MHS831

that would be cool. I want to get a Hoover Jersey--I dont want to spend $30 (weal NFL jewsees friend) or $200 for a jersey everyone else has--Make it a conversation piece. Not a "one and done" vet either. Nice call.

it can happen to anybody.

I like him better.

My record of predicting successful NFL QBs is so bad, I can say this: At the SR Bowl, they really got impressed with his timing when throwing to WRs covered by CBs with their back to the QB (Man coverage). back shoulder, dropping in the bucket, etc. He was really reading the defense-this from an article about the Jets being "intrigued" by the young QB--some say he will creep into the back of the first round--Jets need an OT and they could take one at #7, then trade up a bit to get Dart in round 2 late 1.

Well stated--and it is not really Cam's fault. Go back to middle school--the coach probably just put Cam at QB and told him to run with it. In high school, he was praised and put on a pedestal. At the age of about 16, when everyone tells you how great you are, when you can do no wrong, when success comes naturally to you--it is difficult to develop emotional quotient. Football is not just a small part of what you do, it is all of who you are. There are few healthy relationships, even in the family. Remember when his dad was negotiating for illegal payments from SEC schools? Nobody tells you the truth, and everyone likes you for what you are and not who you are. You are the best athlete in the room, on the field, in the league--no matter where you go. And suddenly, you are injured and the band stops playing. People push you aside for the next flavor of the month. Your life, as you have always known it, is over and you can't control it any longer. All athletes go through this to some degree, but without a support system, it is difficult to maintain. Who does Cam choose to father his children? How does he start dressing? Cam is struggling to reinvent himself in a world in which he might be the "loser." Maybe that explains his confusion and bitterness. Inside, Cam is a good person and I don't think he is fake, based on watching him practice. He is just unique, and that makes some aspects of his life different. And he has to be narcissistic and lack empathy---most top athletes are and they have to eliminate empathy to compete. He is transitioning. I am not defending him--just trying to understand it in a way that does not attack something we all created.

I agree--same thing. Deon understands how to promote players and programs, knowing that publicity helps him. After his first year, I think he had 23 (going from memory) portal additions. I think you have to choose a side with Hunter. I would probably draft him, but I am confident he will be gone. You could have him as a starting CB and bring him in on 8-10 pass plays per game, but I would use him as a decoy more often than not. If you started him as a WR, part time duty at CB is a bit more difficult, but not impossible. I think he will be a good player, but his value is part novelty. I am looking for hog mollies with a hand in the dirt--so I am not really taking Hunter that seriously as a potential Panther--and he will be gone.

Experts are projecting him to edge in the NFL--I am not even sure he'd be hybrid here. Playing both in college, his overall PFF rating was 90. When he was positioned as an edge, however, it dropped to 74 or something. Merely as an edge, he is probably a developmental player with a high ceiling. In my experience, being a hybrid player works to your advantage as a player because it is more difficult to game plan against you; a good DC puts you in position to exploit a weakness. Take that away from him, and Evero might, Walker is not as effective. So I am not sold on him. Comparing him to Luvu was for the purpose of illustrating the only example we have of Evero working with a hybrid player--and Chinn, under Evero, became less effective than the year before. I was not comparing positions.

JETS supposedly intrigued by Dart. That is a bit ironic.

That made them release a statement that said they were not moving on from him---

I am in the "overthinking it" stage, but I will share where i am mentally right now, excluding my therapist's most recent diagnosis: Jalon Walker makes me nervous because if his versatility is his most redeeming quality, that versatility may not be as effective in the NFL. I am not sure Evero would use him correctly, but that is not fair to Evero. James Pearce Jr. scares me. He just does not knock me over like Carter and I am not sure he is NFL ready right now. Don't ask me to explain it, but I watched for him in games and did not come away overly impressed. Not sure his is top 10 either. However, I would love to have him on the team, just worried that he might be a great college player but would be figured out in the NFL. I also think we should start drafting first rounders who did not grow up within a 50 mile radius of Charlotte. (this includes Walker). Thank God we are not in need of a starting QB.... Travis Hunter is a great story, but how much of his rankings and celebrity is based on his dual role contribution? While it has been tried at times in the NFL, never really worked. I think he is a good athlete, no doubt, and a good CB--but not worth a top 5 pick when there is a better CB and a better WR in this draft. Having said that, I think Will Johnson would be a great pick if we don't sign Mike Jack back. He is probably a better CB than Travis Hunter. What bothers me? Having 2 injury-prone CBs. I think we should sign Mike Jack,draft DL and edge and pressure the QB--that makes all CBs better. Tyler Warren is a great TE and offensive weapon in many ways, but TE is not a top 5 need on this team. Maybe after free agency I would be interested, but he is no Brock Bowers (picked 12th); very, very few TEs are taken in the top 10. Many don't transition to the NFL that well, and TE is a position that can usually be found later in the draft. Too many needs (right now) to be chasing a TE. T-McMillan might be the best WR in the draft, but he would probably be drafted at the end of the 2024 draft, fourth or fifth overall. I think we need to after 3 studs at DL and edge. We have to be careful because we drafted XL knowing he was raw, and he was not that bad if you compare his stats to rookie WRs. Let Coker and XL grow, and draft a WR later. I would not be mad if we drafted Walker or Johnson--but Jeremy Chinn's usage and Horn's injuries have me hesitant. Having broken this down, I would love Graham, take Walker, Warren, or Johnson, and I just realized that taking an OT might be smarter than I thought. My take would be, Graham or trade back. If I took OT, I would trade Moton to save cap room and to get younger and a player at a need position. It could be a Win-win-win.

In his career, he has missed 2 full seasons with groin injuries.

Moton, even at 31, is still the team's best Offensive lineman. Technically, and OL at 31 is actually in his late prime whereas a RB is headed for Shady Acres. However, maybe the are having difficulties extending him--maybe he wants too much and too much guaranteed money--I dunno. But the Panthers are building for the future, more or less, and Moton is not a liabilty on the field, but he is on the spreadsheet. I think the OL is essential, but you do not keep Moton and draft a T at 8. Currently, there are about 8 teams desperate for OT help--and Leeroy's point about KC demonstrates the cost of not having an elite OL. These days, RT is about as important as LT, since most of the dominant edge rushers are playing Defensive left end--Crosby, Watt, Bosa--etc. If I draft a T, I immediately call some of these teams who need OT (Ravens, Texans, Dolphins, Chiefs, Rams, etc) and did not find one in the draft and shop Moton. I save about $17m and add a draft pick or even a player. I have 2 tackles and only 1 would be nearing a second contract. That would make the Bryce deal easier and give the team a fairly youthful OL, with OTs and the C in their mid 20s or lower. You might end up getting and saving more from drafting an OT and dealing Moton than if you traded back with a team that needs an OT. I have not done the maff.

Good points--and if he can play both, great. I am liking a few edges who are at 280 and can move inside to a 5T for the same reason...but you need to make sure the scheme does not take a player away from his primary skill set--your point. I think walker is an Edge right now.

I get the BPA approach, and I know it works for teams that are successful. however, we are coming off a half decade of having 15-20% of our cap in the dead cap trash bin and we have 8 or more needs for starters. I think KC or Baltimore can live by the BPA creed, but I am not sure we can yet--unless we overspend in free agency...Morgan has a full plate.

Ravens, Chiefs, Dolphins, Texans, Bears, Rams--all desperate for a T to protect their franchise QBs--and the free agent market sucks. We could get a nice haul.

Yeah, this kinda makes it fun though.

I saw him too!!! Here is the photo I got at the Hornets game!!! I found a pink backdrop too. He looks smaller without the pads on.

I trust your insights 100% and will not doubt a word on this topic--ever.

Personally, and those using stats are on point to do so, I think it is fairly misleading to judge a DL/OLB based on sacks. How well does he hold the edge? How many times does he pressure the QB? Can he cover if he needs to? You can have 4 sacks in one game because some third string emergency hybrid OL from the practice squad was pulled up for a week. If you get one sack every other game after that, you have 12 sacks and you are negotiating your contract based on that number. Derrick Thomas of the Chiefs faced Seattle and he had 7 sacks in one game. FYI, the average number of sacks for an NFL edge is 10--I found that to be a bit high, but the internet does not lie.

It would. That is why what looks decent on paper is not necessarily the best move. The most successful CEOs know that the culture is more important than the bottom line. In my doctorate of Organizational Leadership classes, I used to teach a text that said--"if you make decisions based on side effects, you are not addressing the core that leads to those side effects. No company or business or school was ever successful without a shared vision and a supportive culture."

yeah, most of us are so tied to DL (DE, DT/NT, Edge) or WR for this pick, we sorta have blinders on. As I said 2 posts earlier, they might add a future draft pick, knock $17m off their cap number (because the option is to extend a RT with a possible knee issue), and get younger. He could play swing T for a season to learn both sides, moving to RT (or having Ekwonu move to RT) and Moton's deal is voidable in 2026. However, it is my opinion that we do not need a T right now, and later in this draft we should draft a swing T. However, other teams need a LT and they will be willing to trade up. I think the presence of an elite college OT when we pick could get us a nice trade back package offer.

While I would not like the idea of this, I might put my emotions aside to analyze the logic and strategy behind it. Understand that Moton (followed by Hubbard and Coker) might be my favorite Panther, so I am struggling here: Moton is starting to have a few knee pains--could be nothing, but knee pain is not ideal for a 320 lb OT who is 32 on his next birthday. He has value now, so we could trade him for a third rounder in 2026, for example, and dump a lot of his cap hit (up to $17.5m). That money could be used to pay for a stud DT, and we know that our T position is still solid. Not sure if he can play RT, but I will assume he can be taught. So we would get younger and add a stud free agent or two and get a day 2 pick. I don't like it--I think we have enough to fix without fixing that which is running fine--but there could be an argument made for a strategy/logic behind it.

Cant trade our way to being competitive--gotta fill spots and draft the best. I'd love to have him, but we lose to much and pay too much. I think we need to use free agency wisely. We need to sign free agents and draft people. If we give up draft capital to take in huge salary, what are we doing?

Mays stepping up was huge. Expect him to improve. He seemed to be accepted by the OL, especially Hunt. that is a good sign. He had a 75 PFF pass blocking grade and a 67 run blocking grade. That is starting material for a developing center.

Milton was not good vs the run, per PFF.