MHS831

Here is how I do it--consider that most teams improve (at least on paper) each year: QB: Can we say we improved here? Bryce is trending up and we got him 3 weapons and no more protection. WASH RB: Adding Dowdy and Eteinne is a pretty significant upgrade. UPGRADE TE: Adding a large TE with good hands and initial quickness over Thomas. Tremble and Sanders should improve. UPGRADE. OT: Ickey is improving each season and Moton (we hope) will be healed up and ready to go. WASH OG: No changes WASH C : No changes WASH WR: Added the best WR in the draft, one that other teams tried to trade up to get. Added Horn, and the Colorado WRs were scary good (making Shedeur look good). XL and Coker will improve. Lots to like. UPGRADE In my view, we needed to upgrade WR, TE, and RB. We did. I am guessing that C and OT are on the table to be upgraded in 2026. Edge: Nic and Princely replace Barno and Johnson and join Clowney, Wonnum, and Jones. Strong room. Biggest Need. UPGRADE DL: We get Brown back, so upgrade without doing another thing. Wharton, Brown III are both upgrades. Cam Jackson as a rookie NT---depth and size we did not have. UPGRADE LB: We added Rozenboom in free agency, and he was a decent addition. I think we will add an UDFA. I think our LB play will improve with better edge, DL, and S play. SLIGHT UPGRADE CB: Horn and Jackson are back, both following their best seasons. We added a CB (Devonshire) off the waiver wire and there are a few UDFAs who could actually make the team. WASH S: Ransom and Moehrig will probably start, with Richardson and (maybe Nick Scott) as depth. I think we are going to like these Safeties. UPGRADE We had desperate needs for Edge players, IDL, and Safeties. We upgraded them all. I am not happy with the ILB situation or CB depth. Special Teams: Too early to tell. BASICALLY, ON OFFENSE WE UPGRADED WEAPONS IN 3 AREAS WITH 4 PLAYERS. THE OL IS UNCHANGED. ON DEFENSE, WE UPGRADED DE, NT EDGE, AND S--4 AREAS WITH 4 DRAFT PICKS (edge, edge, safety, and nose) and 5 FREE AGENTS (nose, defensive end/DT, edge, corner, safety) THAT IS A HUGE OVERHAUL, with starters at DE (2), NT, OLB Edge, and Safety--a total of 6 of 11 players who did not play last season (including D. Brown). We won 5 games last season. I think we can win 8.5 if all goes well.

Smitty probably envies a 6-5 guy and sees him taking his gifts for granted. He had to work his butt off to play outside at 5-9. I think perspective has a lot to do with his evaluation. TMac played on a bad team. He was on the field a lot. Maybe he makes an assumption when he states that TMac loafed when the ball was not coming to him. Maybe he was advised to catch his breath during those plays--conditioning, coaching, etc. could have been an influence. Smitty can say what he sees, but not why he sees it, if that involves assessing TMac's mindset.

A friend of mine, Chip, was taking an exam in a business course that he had failed twice before. He would have to drop out of his major if he failed it for a third time--he claimed the professor, Dr. Brown, despised him, and several others who had Dr. Brown's class with Chip confirmed that Dr. Brown's hatred for Chip was obvious. Before the exam, Chip was up all night cramming, confiding to his roommate Jeff how nervous he was. Jeff was understanding and listened carefully. During the exam (an evening course) Jeff was at work delivering flowers for a local florist. As Chip describes it, a woman (another student who worked with Jeff) entered the classroom with flowers and a card with the words "Dr. Brown" written on the card. The professor immediately sent the girl out; Jeff was watching from the hallway. She left the flowers on his desk and scampered out. Chip laughed because he thought the professor, a man he hated, was being pranked. A few minutes later, the professor opened the envelope, and read the card. Chip was still laughing. He walked toward the students, still taking a timed test, and stopped at Chip's desk, staring at him. Chip stopped laughing. He dropped the card on Chip's desk while snarling at him silently. Chip read the card, "Dr. Brown. I can't tell you how much I have grown under the three semesters of your tutelage and guidance. You are my role model. I will miss you." --Chip Fxxxxx. Chip made a C.

The most important aspect of a prank is that it has no singular victim or is not personal in any way. The genius of a prank is that it might elevate the fun of a rivalry or something like that. This had a victim--and it was targeting an individual so it is malicious and stupid in that his father's job could have been compromised. As stated, I would have thought it was funny at age 22, but I grew up. I think Jared Allen's friends did the same thing to him by calling him from a back room at his draft party---that was wrong too, but they were in their early 20s. In fact the one story I did not share about the pranks between Yale and Harvard (not verified, but funny): https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/a-harvard-stadium-pigeon-prank-that-pavlov-would-be-proud-of

Not trying to pry, but 1 year old is too young to play football. I stand firm on that position. ...Wasn't there a player who was drafted and everyone bought his jersey and then he changed the number before camp?

have not heard about that. Funny that so many people think an Edge helps other edges--they should help the OTs more than anyone else.

When I was in my early 20s, this kid wound have been put on a pedestal. Not only did he get the information from an Atlanta coach, he framed the Saints. He is on a different level. Don't get me wrong--it was stupid-- and if I was his dad I would be pissed--but the nerve--the balls---the unbridled disregard for the consequences of the establishment--few people have ever reached this level. But there are others who were more brilliant, but for these examples, we have to go to the Ivey League and MIT. Let's start with MIT: During the 1982 season, seven members of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) managed to bury a weather balloon under the field in Harvard's stadium over a three-week period. The meticulous planning and technologically advanced prank led to those MIT students (safely) disrupting the Harvard/Yale game during the second quarter. The balloon, with "MIT" written all over it, inflated to eight feet before popping. The student newspaper at MIT covered the event with a simple, fitting headline. "Saturday's score: MIT 1, Harvard/Yale 0." -------------------- Yes, another Harvard/Yale game. This time, though, MIT wasn't involved. No, this clever trick in 2004 was the brainchild of two Yale students with the assistance of about 20 others. Disguised as "Harvard Pep Squad" members, the Yale students distribute red and white placards to the Crimson crowd. They assured the fans that "Go Harvard" would be spelled out on the cards. In reality? "WE SUCK" appeared on the Harvard side. --------------------------

About Clowney. He has developed into a leader and his value might be more than his performance would indicate. Young teams need that, which is why character matters. On the other hand, a veteran player can override the coaching--supposedly during meetings, after the coach would say something, players would look at Rodgers for confirmation. Players are in their twenties for the most part and easily influenced.

You should. My brother-in-law is an OSU graduate and a chiropractor in Columbus Ohio. He is active and religious about Buckeye football. I asked him about Ransom when we drafted him--here is his response: "I really like Ransom! Hard hitter, nose for the ball, high football IQ. Didn't get much attention because he was playing opposite Caleb Downs, probably the best DB in the country & a high first round pick next year."

Keep ICE away from him.

Sell Jeremy, Sell. That surgery you have been saving for can happen. Be liberated!!

Who can't embed twats? That is sad.

I once heard, and have never been able to get it out of my mind, that you are solid if you draft 2 starters (immediate). TMac is a day 1 starter. Scourton is a day 1 starter. I think Ransom has a good chance of starting on day 1. He has the tools the Panthers covet. Princely will probably rotate in, so I won't count him. Etienne will rotate in. Cam Jackson will probably rotate in. Evans will rotate in at TE, if he does not start.

since we are at 98 players, I was wondering if we would have to cut down to 90 now--

DO YOU KNOW when they have to be down to 90? On Google AI I asked, and it replied, "Teams have until the end of the final week of the preseason (in 2024, this is August 27th) to trim their rosters to the 90-player limit. The signing period for UDFAs begins immediately after the draft, but the full roster reduction to 90 is not due until after training camp and the preseason games." (That did not sound right to me...)

tHE BEST AND LATEST LIST i COULD FIND--NOT OFFICIAL UNTIL SPECIAL JUAN SAYS SO. QB Ethan Garbers, UCLA RB Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams WR Jacolby George, Miami (FL) WR Kobe Hudson, UCF WR Muhsin Muhammad III, Texas A&M TE Bryce Pierre, UCLA G Luke Kandra, Cincinnati T Mike Tarquin, Oklahoma DI Jared Harrison-Hunte, SMU LB Bam Martin-Scott, South Carolina LB Mapalo Mwansa, IPP LB Tuasivi Nomura, Fresno State CB Corey Thornton, Louisville CB Mike Reid, South Dakota S Isaac Gifford, Nebraska S Jack Henderson, Minnesota S Trevian Thomas, Arkansas State K Ryan Fitzgerald, Florida State https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2025-udfa-tracker-undrafted-free-agent-signings-all-32-nfl-teams

I have yet to be impressed---they gave him all he should need to be successful. I really did not know what to look for, but he should have no excuses now. Canales could have let Bryce go, and he held on and it paid off. Maybe he thinks it will work again. I dunno.

I did some reading about Evero's defense. On early downs, he likes to send either safety on a run blitz and sometimes slide the edge into the flat in coverage. So we just drafted 2 safeties that are good at that (like Chinn) and can also cover. (not like Chinn). They are smart processors. This opens things up when you don't blitz because the OL is shifting inside when they bluff. In addition, Evero likes DTs who can collapse the pocket, rush the passer with swim moves, bull rushes, spins--almost like Edges. What they just did was got better at NT--because that is where it begins. Tuttle sucked there last year. In all, the edge rushers should get fewer double teams etc. Evero simply did not have the personnel last year, which is why they did not fire him

I can't comprehend it all unless I do this. I have to see it. So I just thought I would share it. You should see the bulletin boards in my dungeon.

I forgot about him. Second edition forthcoming.

If Bryce becomes a better QB than Williams, the Panthers won. If they both play well or Bryce plays worse, the Bears won it. On paper, we lost the trade, obviously.

I tend to process better when I write things out. It is just my perspective on a given day as I see it. In doing this, I was able to sorta figure out what the Panthers are doing and why. For example, shorter QBs tend to struggle more in the red zone (I explain why) and Evero needs a particular type at S that is more akin to a strong safety than other teams might--and I provide the reason in his defense. In doing this exercise, I was able to predict which UDFAs have a legitimate shot at the roster by identifying who it is they need to beat out. In some cases, it is quite possible. So I thought I would share. WARNING: This is long and detailed. You don't have to read it all in one setting or read it at all. It is how I see it--not you--but I am interested in things you see that I may have missed. Enjoy. The Cornerback Room: The current roster features Horn and Jackson on the outside and Smith-Wade at nickel. Depth players (who played at the end of the season) are Bartholomew and Evans–both played OK when given the opportunity. It would seem that they like the depth at CB to some degree because they did not draft a CB. Furthermore, if you give weight to the visit and interest tracker, they listed one CB–Riley–a fourth round projection. However, they signed a CB from Louisville (Thornton) who played across from Riley, the player they showed interest in–giving him a signing bonus as an UDFA. The Panthers also sighed Mike Reid, a tallish CB from South Dakota State. This tells me that they are somewhat satisfied by Evans and/or Bartholomew, but they possibly hoped to add a CB in the draft and didn’t, so they brought in some pretty decent UDFAs. This strongly suggests that center and right tackle will be priorities in 2026, assuming QB is not. The Safety Room. In Evero’s system, the safeties blitz a lot on early downs. They must also have the ability to cover. We have not really had the right kind of safeties here until now. I expect Ransom and Moehrig to be the starters and Richardson to be the primary reserve. The Panthers signed some S UDFAs and it appears that the door is open for one of them to make the roster.Trevion Thomas (Ark St) and Isaac Gifford (Nebraska). (I am seeing different names on different lists). SS Gifford ran a 4.45 40, 36” vert, and a 3 cone of 6.92 with a 4.10 short shuttle. He had 16 reps on the bench. He seems to meet the criteria for an Evero Safety. Thomas had similar numbers, running a 4.49 and benching 225 16 times, but his 3 cone was 7.08 and his short shuttle was 4.38. FWIW. Based on this limited information and discounting roster fluidity, I would say Isaac Gifford has a genuine shot to earn a roster spot as a S.It is going to be fun to see how Evero’s defense looks different with some safeties who are smart, take good angles, and bring the lumber. The Linebacker Room. Perhaps they felt that adding Rosenboom was sufficient, with Jewell and Wallace playing fairly well in 2024. Fighting for the fourth roster spot are Claudin Cherelus, Jacoby Windmon, or John Rattigan, along with 2 (from different UDFA reporting sites) undrafted free agents signed after the draft. Linebacker Tuasivi Nomura (USC, Fresno State) signed with the Carolina Panthers, In 2024, he started all 13 games and led the team with 110 total tackles, the most by a Bulldog since 2019. Pro day: 4.62 time in the 40 and, 21 bench press reps, At 6’1”, 225, he is smallish. Bam Martin-Scott (South Carolina) is 6’2” and 235.He ran a 4.63 40. 22 reps on the bench. A sixth-year player, he is a bit older. Not much to say here. Jewell is the only ILB who seems to make a difference, but with the abysmal DT/DE play in 2024, it is almost unfair to evaluate Wallace. Rhattigan had the highest PFF score (84) but played defense rarely; Cherelus was probably the best backup (63 PFF) and younger Windmon (50 PFF). It is my opinion, unless Martin-Scott knocks some socks off, the Linebacker position will remain as it is after signing Rosenboom. I might add, with the S blitzing on early downs and the DL being much better, that the ILB performance should improve. The Edge/OLB Room: This just got interesting but I do not think it is that difficult to figure out. Wonnum, (28) for the past 3 seasons here and in Minnesota, is on an 8-sack per season pace. Last season he had 4 sacks in 8 games played. Cutting him would save $6m, so it is my view that he is a bargain. He is, however, a free agent in 2026. Clowney, (32) has underperformed throughout his career. At best, he is a situational pass rusher, in my opinion. Cutting him saves nearly $8m. He has a good contract for someone who might need a one-year stop gap, so they are trying to trade him. He had 6 sacks and 28 tackles last year. I don’t think he will be on the roster in 2025. Patrick Jones (26) II had 7 sacks in Minnesota with only 19 tackles. He is on the books through 2026. He should be a key reserve. Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen should take over the position I expect Clowney to vacate. I am confident that they can combine to match his 6 sacks. I see them both on the field during some situations. Barno and Johnson may be offered a PS spot, but I do not anticipate seeing them on the active roster. Based on tea leaves, I see Clowney, Barno, and DJ Johnson gone. Wonnum will be backed by Jones and Scourton will be backed by Princely. I see situations in which Jones or Scourton moves inside and Princely lines up in a 9 technique. The Defensive Line Room: The Achilles’ heel in 2025. I was shocked to see them re-signing Ray and Tuttle–it pissed me off. Ray (signing a minimum deal) can be cut at no loss, but Tuttle’s contract is for one year at $6m; To me, that is a strange, stupid move, but I have a theory. A lot of this is speculation because I do not know how they are going to be used. However, one thing is for sure: Derrick Brown will be playing one of the DE spots and I am confident Wharton will play the other. A. Robinson becomes a key reserve DE. NT will be handled by Bobby Brown III and his backup will be 5th round NT Cam Jackson. This is significant because Tuttle was the NT in 2024 and got abused. His PFF run defense grade was 33.5. So why did the Panthers give him $6m for 2025? Shy Tuttle, in my opinion, will be the 4th DE and could be put at Nose for passing situations. He gives them versatility and depth. I still do not like bringing Tuttle back, but if he was out of position, that could explain a lot. Evero’s love for small NTs seems to have ended. Bobby Brown III is 325 and Cam Jackson is 328. Expect the defensive line to get better pressure on the QB and stop the run too. Imagine that. The Offensive Line Room: With Ekwonu getting his fifth-year extension and Moton apparently not in critical condition for his knees, the Panthers seem set for 2025. However, this draft did not address the fact that: Moton, Nijman and Christensen, all around 30 years of age, will be playing on expiring contracts. BC is respectable, but his pass blocking is a bit suspect. Nijman’s pass blocking is adequate and his run blocking is worse. They signed undrafted free agent Mike Tarquin as an UDFA, and it would seem he has a decent shot at making the Practice Squad. I doubt the Panthers extend Moton, Nijman or BC, unless Moton’s knee issues are behind him, which is fairly rare for a big man. At Center, Mays and Corbett are playing on expiring contracts as well. At Guard, Zavala, Kingston, Lewis and Hunt return for 2026. The Running Back Room. It is not really complicated. We have three good RBs (Hubbard, Dowdle, Etienne), four if you count IR (Brooks). Dowdle is a one-year deal, and maybe Brooks will come back in 2026–we’d still have 3, and Blackshear on a one-year deal. We did (for some reason) sign UDFA Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams, fwiw. His best hope is a spot on the PS. The Tight End Room: Not much to say here either. Tremble, the blocking TE, Sanders, the receiving TE, and fifth round draft pick Evans, the in-line TE with pass catching skills that surpass those of Tremble. In my view, the Panthers will use some 2 TE sets, especially if our OTs are struggling and we want to run it. No Tight Ends were signed as UDFA. The Wide Receiver Room: Oh my. This went from a room with a white, middle-aged, undrafted, Minnesota State product, a horse-riding black cowboy from the outback of South Carolina who underperformed in his rookie season, an UDFA from Holy Cross who was cut and put on the practice squad before starting, and a special teamer who has not caught many passes in a half decade. Tet McMillan changed a lot. Not only did the Panthers add an X receiver, it allows XL to face DBs covering the Z or #2 WR. Furthermore, if you consider that he is listed at 6’5”, he gives Young a better target in the red zone in that he is tall and he high points and plucks the ball like a basketball player snagging a rebound. It can be more difficult for shorter quarterbacks to see in the red zone due to the increased density of players and the lack of space. Now consider that our new IN-LINE TE Evans is also 6’5”, we can show run and have tall targets in the red zone. In 2023, red zone efficiency for Bryce and the Panthers was 50%. By adding Guards, it improved to 62% in 2024. By adding tall targets, it should improve again. The roster now has four WRs who have the potential to be very productive. Bryce has always succeeded when he has weapons and protection. Coker will step into the slot role when AT retires. Without doing anything else, we got much better by drafting the best WR in the draft and a very balanced, tall TE. Then the Panthers took Jimmy Horn Jr. (Colorado). The 5-foot-8, 174-pound Horn ran a 4.46-second 40 at the combine, along with a 38-inch vertical and a 10-foot-8 broad jump. He averaged 10.3 yards per punt return last year for the Buffaloes and caught 37 passes for 441 yards and a touchdown. In 2023, he caught 58 passes for 567 yards and six touchdowns. Horn gives them a different animal to put in the slot or to use on special teams. With six WRs on the roster, the depleted and rather sad WR group seems loaded. They then offered a significant bonus to Jacolby George, WR, Miami and Kobe Hudson from Central Florida. Both, in my view, could be headed for the practice squad. The room is suddenly very young and talented. Is David Moore a liability now? I think so. They could opt for his leadership, etc. but that is overrated at times. If any of these UDFAs wants a spot on the roster, he better hope to beat out Horn or Moore and that the Panthers keep 6. The Quarterback Room: There seem to be a lot of careers riding on Bryce Young’s last 9 games. I think I would want more than UCLA’s undrafted QB as my third teamer. Regardless, we have Bryce, Dalton, and some QB who will never see the field. Conclusion: I have some strong feelings that several UDFAs have a legit shot at making the roster. They are: Corey Thornton, CB Miami (Persons he could beat out: Evans or Bartholomew) Mike Reid, CB SDSU (Persons he could beat out: Evans or Bartholomew) Mike Tarquin OT Oklahoma (he needs to beat out: Nijman) Isaac Gifford S Nebraska (he needs to beat out: Nick Scott) Bam Martin-Scott ILB South Carolina (he would have to beat out: Claudin Cherelus, Jacoby Windmon, and John Rattigan) Ryan Fitzgerald, K, Florida State (he simply needs to win the K competition in camp. Getting Fitzgerald as an UDFA saves the Panthers a draft pick)

I was a bit surprised too. Smith-Wade at nickel is probably not the answer, but he would be good depth. At the end of the season, they played Bartholomew and Evans, and both were decent. That is their depth. Looks like they brought in Mike Reid from SDSU and Corey Thornton from Louisville--giving him a big bonus to sign. Do they have a S they plan to play nickel? About the draft: I liked the value for Ransom. I think he is going to be a starter day 1. I liked the addition of a big, tall, in-line TE with good hands and decent speed. Red Zone. I like the fact that they addressed WR, but I am not sure I would have taken Tet and I know I would not have taken Horn. With the current roster, I would have taken a WR early and then added an UDFA later. I would not have drafted a RB in any round. We have 2 good ones and can find a third holding a cardboard sign on the street corner. We are 3 deep at RB and have zero depth at CB behind our injury-prone $100m man. With our current roster, I am not sure that I would have double dipped at Edge, unless they knew Clowney and maybe Johnson were gone. Jones is meh and Wonnum is an 8-sack guy when healthy. Scourton (and I was like "WTF?" has the ability to be a 10-sack guy. Princely will be a designated pass rusher, I suppose. Cam Jackson is a guy I just knew they would draft late; a good backup for Brown.