MHS831

He seems like a great guy---a real pro. We are lucky to have him

Just having some fun as indicated in the opening sentence. Off season. Never touched drugs or alcohol, but I don't do normal.

I call it a gift. this is half "crazy." You should see me when the fair comes to town.

OK, switching gears here a bit because I did not want to start a thread about uniforms again because this is tongue-in-cheek humor----or is it? Background Information: My wife is a Taylor Swift fan (A Swiftee). She says that Taylor Swift puts subtle "clues" in her videos and lyrics, hinting what might be coming soon. Here is an example of clues that may indicate future releases or upcoming events: I see a lot of similarities between Dan Morgan and Taylor Swift. They both spend a lot of money and time on their hair. They both have the same vowel (a) in their first names. Taylor Swift has 11 letters in her first and last name and was born in 1989. Morgan was born in 1978--11 years earlier. Eerie. So it is probable that Morgan drops hints when he is on Television. Most recently, I noticed a shot during his appearance on Pat McAfee's show. See if you can notice it. I will give you 30 seconds (30 second pause). OK, did you see it? In the bottom left hand corner of the photo, it appears that he has a canister of roll-on deodorant. I am guess "Axe" scented. Just to the right of his shoulder, I see a smoothie mixer, probably a Ninja "Bullet." "Axe" and "Bullet?" We are going to war, it seems. Then there are two mini helmets, one being Morgan's alma mater, but it is also a symbol for "hurricanes." Fall is hurricane season, the season during which we shall go to war. Between the two helmets, there is a framed, blurry, red herring clue--Morgan's gold-plated volunteer junior deputy badge. But the real clue is there, in the far right hand corner of the picture---a WHITE Carolina Panther helmet. Not silver. WHITE. Hmmmm. A WHITE Panther helmet in the GM's office. What could that mean? Men with war axes wear helmets. Men going to war with bullets wear helmets. Men in hurricanes wear helmets (I am speculating). White helmets to usher in hurricane season. The calm before the storm. Uncanny.

Your comment about STs is spot on. I coached one season with a former UNC LB (Dwight Hollier) who played with the Dolphins and Colts as a player. He said, "If you want to stay around in the NFL, you better make some noise on special teams." He said (paraphrasing) "The special teams coach has a voice when they are making cuts. You want him going to bat for you. A backup LB with no ST skills is a nonfactor, but a backup LB who makes plays on special teams is valuable. "

He did. I remember watching a game and asked, "Who is that?" Windmon's stats in limited play were solid. I remember commenting on him here at the time. He had 3 pressures as well in 128 snaps. PFF game him a pass rush grade of 64. I do not see any help added right now.

I think you are absolutely right. I think there will be some "reluctant" cuts in August by other teams and, in my view, that is the best time to pick up some depth. We grabbed some last year and added to our depth.

I see the design and intentions. However, all have to play to their abilities and beyond it. No slumps, no major injuries, etc. I have not been this optimistic (perhaps my standards are low, like a drunk man picking up chicks at a Tupperware party) in about 7 years.

I think you all make good points, but Kungfoodude, in my view, hits the nail on the head. We play him, Wallace gets pined for a season. Wallace (and Cherulus for that matter) are trending up. Not sure we can say that about Pratt--we have seen his peak--we need to find out what we have in Wallace. He needs reps and I am sure he will be better later.

It is hard to gauge a kicker until you need him with the game on the line. My kicker in college went on the NFL for a 10-year career--he wanted the shine. We knew we had a weapon. I don't know what it is like to want to go for it on 4th and 5 on the 34 yard line because your guy can't nail it.

He is a form tackler and, based on this, looks comfortable as a coverage LB. With aggressive safeties in Ransom and Moehrig, he really opens the door for some coverage options in blitz packages...He runs a 4.62 40, but he seems really instinctive---like Ransom and Moehrig--I think Dan looks at that quite closely. When I saw this I was thinking, "Special teams missile" with developmental potential. Odds are against it, frankly, but after the first round, odds are against all prospects.

This is 2 weeks old, and I apologize if it has been seen or run through the Huddle. Some don't read the Huddle as religiously as others, but if you are looking for some hope/optimism, this has it.

Since we are talking LBs, I think we have 2 developmental players on the UDFA pile--Martin-Scott and this guy, one who could make the roster as a special teams player and become a rotational player later.

Good debate. NOW I agree with you, but if you asked me last year at any time before November.... I think our defense was horrible, but the offensive skill positions, when compared to others last year, was equally weak. WR? AT should not (at his age) be your best WR. XL struggled, and a UDFA was pulled up to salvage the WR room when Johnson left. Our best TE was Tremble. We had Hubbard, but behind him, Sanders sucked. Our QB began the season (first 2 games) throwing for a COMBINED 245 yards with 3 interceptions and 6 sacks. it was abysmal. I mean, the souvenir shop started selling black nooses with the nike logo on the back and "Just do it" in small blue lettering. I really like what Morgan is doing now. He gets it. His eye for defensive players is obvious (I think he has found a few eventual starters in the past 2 drafts in the third round and later: Ramsom (4), Wallace (3), Princely (3), RIchardson (UDFA), and maybe even Cam Jackson (6). To find 5 eventual starters for the defense in rounds 3-UDFA in 2 years is impressive. That is how you build the roster.

Good question. Some are rotational, but my guess? (New starters in Bold, key depth in blue) Edge/OLB: Wonnum, Scourton (we might see Jones at first, but he would also be a new starter). Key Rotational depth: Princely DT/NT: Bobby Brown. Key Rotational Depth: Cam Jackson,Tuttle. DE: D. Brown, Wharton, Robinson, Ray (Man we need to cut Ray) ILB: Jewell, Wallace, Rozeboom, Cherelus CB: Jackson, Horn, Smith-Wade, Bartholomew, Evans. S: Moehrig, Ransom. Key depth: Richardson, Scott (I am guessing Scott will lose his job to an UDFA) My guess would be 5 on defense. On Offense? I see only Tet McMillan as a new starter, with M. Evans (TE), Horn (WR), and Etienne (RB) getting some looks in rotations.

By the way, when I read that a 29-year old LB is taking "poor angles" and "missing tackles" (despite his stats) I wonder if he has lost a step. Not saying he has and I agree that he would make us better on the inside, but you have to think about the rebuild--does he take away from developing players (Wallace and Cherelus, for example)?

Here is what I think (and I agree): They like ILB and Rozeboom is good depth. Cherelus was solid for a reserve (PFF score 63.8 in 158 snaps). They like what they have seen from Ransom and Richardson at S so far, so we could have 3 starting-caliber safeties--no sense burying the young guys. (I think we are going to like our Safeties as they are--I also think we will add one of our UDFA with great ST abilities. They signed some really good athletes as UDFA safeties). I just do not see Scott making the roster if they watch any of his 2024 film. At CB, they think they have 3 with two who played a little bit last year (each had fewer than 35 snaps--they held their own--both scoring in the upper 50s on PFF). I think, if we add a player, we add a young CB much later who was cut during the preseason. I believe they want a preseason to see what they have in Bartholomew and Evans and Thornton, for that matter.

AND if you are looking for reasons NOT to sign him, here are a few: "Germaine Pratt has faced criticism for his performance, particularly in coverage and tackling, despite his high tackle numbers and turnover-generating ability. He's been described as struggling to cover ground in a nickel base (Hmmmm. Wonder if we play that?) and having an aggressive play style that can leave gaps in the defense. Additionally, there were criticisms about his missed tackles and poor angles in pursuit, particularly in the 2024 season" Don't get me wrong--his stats are impressive. This must be a move to get a certain Edge player signed.

He was also trying to get a new deal and he and the Packers were far apart. I don't know the details, but after signing an $80M + contract with $30M signing bonus, I have to wonder what this guy was expecting. Playing fewer than half the games in that contract, he still felt he had negotiating power. I did not like giving Horn $100m for the same basic reason.

I think Ransom will be a solid player for us. He played beside Caleb Downs, the cornerstone of the Ohio State defense last year and some have him as a top 5 pick for the 2026 draft. He was characterized as the smart, instinctive, versatile safety. I just don't think S will be a liability unless we have injuries. I am very interested in seeing what they have in the three UDFA safeties; I see one making the roster. As for CB, I think they are higher on Wade-Smith than most of us are. Again, depth is a concern. We have to hope Jackson has another solid season and Horn does not injure his leg or toe on one of the yard lines. I am not sure I would compare it to last season's DL because this year's DL will cover a lot of deficiencies, but I know what you mean---our weak link.

With Morgan, I see a plan. No, you don't measure the GM at this point in terms of wins and losses--but we will later. I thought Hurney sucked in free agency and was sub par after round 1 of the draft. When Fox was a lame duck and did not inform the GM, Hurney drafted Jimmy Clausen and moved up for Armanti Edwards. He started trading away future first rounders when he got desperate (to get Otah and then drafted Everette Brown the following year) Gettlemen was the "one-year contract" guy. The players hated him. Fitterer was terrible. It is too early to tell with Morgan, so you have to look at the pieces. Our OL was bad, now our OL is good. WR was a weakness--now WR seems to be a strength. DL was bad, now DL should be very good. Pass rush was bad, we have 2 solid rookies and added Wonnum and Jones. I think Morgan has had 2 solid drafts, especially in rounds 3-7. He has had 2 good seasons bringing in UDFAs, imo. The team went from terrible in 2024 to taking the two super bowl teams down to the wire late. The energy is positive. The wins will come.

https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/panthers/2025/06/04/panthers-2025-otas-dave-canales-cornerback-free-agency/84016482007/?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=6840193aa1ae9c000185ac12 I have been curious about the position, wondering if Jackson, Horn, and Smith-Wade were going to be enough. The reporter asks a good question, especially in light of all the Jalen Ramsey rumors. To me, the big questions concerned depth players Evans and Bartholomew. As for the UDFA, I have been waiting to hear about Thornton and Reid, but there does not seem to have been a lot of urgency to draft a CB or bring in a free agent. Morgan basically re-signed Jackson and locked up Horn. A few highlights from the article: Canales mentioned Evans, Bartholomew, and Thornton by name. He seems satisfied that Evans and Bartholomew are the key reserves. Thornton, based on reading tea leaves about his comments, has flashed, but might be on the outside looking in. Personally, in the limited action Evans and Bartholomew played last season, I was optimistic, and it seems Canales feels the same. He mentions that Smith-Wade is playing inside and outside. If he steps up, that is good news. It seems as though they really like Jackson because Canales seemed to focus on CB depth in his answer. Coaches have to be careful answering questions like this one--If the coach mentions your name, great, but if he does not, it hurts morale. If he says, "We'd like to upgrade the position" it can also hinder motivation. Canales did not mention SDSU CB Mike Reid. IN RELATED NEWS I recently read that the Canales likes the battle between Ransom and Richardson for the other safety position beside Moehrig. Not sure we will be upgrading that position at this time. Remember, the DBs play better when the front 7 plays better. PROJECTED DB ROSTER ENTERING CAMP CB: Horn, Jackson, Smith-Wade, Bartholomew, Evans--Practice Squad Candidates: Thornton, Reid S: Moehrig, Ransom, Richardson, xxxxxx- I expect Henderson, Gifford, or Thomas (all UDFAs) will battle Scott for the final safety position.

I figured that he is trying to put some distance between the player and the executive. He meant "player" obviously, but I imagine there is some stigma associated with a former player coming back to take a front office position. I did catch the comment.

I met him at an OTA when he was rookie. I liked him, and so did my small children. I got a photo of him with my kids, and his nylon stretch shirt was ripped off his shoulder and down his side. I remember thinking, "This was an OTA. He must have been battling so hard (going full speed) that the OT grabbed him and ripped off his shirt." Normally, there is a "rule" that you stop when you are not in full pads when the other player shows that he controlled you or is in position to--like pulling up and not hitting the RBs. I got the feeling that he was going full throttle. Just speculation, but it was consistent with what we would learn about him.