MHS831

So does Philly take a QB in the draft or do they go with Hurts?

I think the secret to Rhule's success is going to be grabbing a player or two at end of the draft and undrafted free agency who can make this roster. We are not used to that a lot, but last year we had several players contribute from this pool of talent. These folks put together a nice list and they provide rationale for each player's inclusion. Enjoy. (Proehl caught my eye, but several others did as well. I think Proehl is the ideal slot WR, maybe the second slot---because he has good, strong hands and runs excellent routes. Samuel was more athletic, but we really need that sure-handed route runner who can find the cracks in the defense and get you first downs. Enough of Proehl-- Loved some of the OL, LBs and DBs too) https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/gallery/panthers-2021-nfl-draft-sleeper-prospects/

He does, and I realize that this is suggesting that we develop a qb that was not developed by other professional coaches--highly unlikely. But I think of it as a chance to take advantage of an impatient owner, a coach on the hot seat looking to roll the dice, etc. Darnold was 20 when he was drafted into an organization that needed a savior and did not have the leadership or supporting cast. I am a firm believer that if you put Lance or Fields or Wilson into a bad situation, you will only get bad results. Do I think Wilson will turn NY around? Not without help. And if you ask too much of him, you get errors. Goff, on the other hand, did not have the greatest offense, but he had a good defense on a good team. Tanneyhill did not suddenly become a good player; he suddenly got a team with a good defense, OL, and a pretty good RB. Makes all the difference. Maybe we should bring in one of these unloved, discarded QBs and spend our resources on the OL, TE, and D. Maybe we should trade back and build a young dynasty around a QB who can grow up with the team instead of carrying the team.

Here me out--just analyzing all possible angles in a positive light--perhaps it would help to look at the stats from the first 2 years or so of QBs like Terry Bradshaw, John Elway, and Josh Allen. Think about how they improved when their supporting cast improved. Now--let's take a look at some castaways that could become gems. For this exercise, I speculate over what is there to be had by teams in the top 7? Just an exercise to examine possible alternatives to drafting a QB. 1. NY Jets. It is really looking as if they will take Wilson. Why might this be a mistake? Darnold is 23 years old. There are rookies coming out this year who are older. He was young, playing in NY, and he had a terrible coach and a terrible offense. He still completed about 60% of his passes. I know he seems to be a bust, but he is still a kid, and if you built a line, put CMC behind him, added a TE, and gave him those WRs--is there not a chance he would be good? 2. Miami, the #3 overall pick: Tua, coming off an ACL injury that takes time to recover. It is safe to say that transitioning to the NFL is difficult, but doing so while rehabbing an injury is very tough. He is left handed, and that would make Moton the blind side protector. If ever a player was in position to improve from year 1 to 2, it may be Tua. He has been under Fitzpatrick's wing for a year, and he is smart and classy. If Miami stays at #3 and picks a QB, a trade for Tua might be an option. 3. Philadelphia. Apparently, they could be going after a QB, showing signs of shopping Wentz. If they trade Wentz to Chicago, as rumored, then you have Trubiski. (Moan, right?) Trubiski could be picked up without much invested--but his throwing percentage is very good when he has a clean pocket. Add a QB, spend picks on the OL, and see what he can do. That does not mean you are out of the QB hunt. 4. Detroit. If the Lions draft a QB, would they trade Goff? Would Goff not be good with Brady as the OC? Would he be better than TB? Some times, a QB just needs a new setting. Again, you have to speculate that damaged goods can be repaired and effective here. We would have to commit to the OL and get a TE.

I am thinking that we have to go after Miami's pick if we want a QB.

That's one window for every TD he gave up.

See, that is an important fact==we could be seeing anxiety. I have not heard this, but if true, I would throw out any negatives about Fields based on this. Question: If we draft Fields, would we give a draft pick from Georgia the #1 jersey? Discuss.

Lance all day long. And I agree with Snow, but I am not looking for bad character, I am looking for body language. What they are doing is part of the leadership--one seems to accept the role and one seems bored or preoccupied--that could be personality and a total misread---I would talk to people around him.

Colts just makes too much sense. That is where he goes--they have a good line--add a WR....

Fixed. See if you can find the addition. I see Wentz in Indy as well.

I recently posted that it is possible that the first 4 picks are QBs. The niners? Big market team getting aggressive while the small market teams sit back--most mocks go that way. OK, let's say we did get these 2 OL. (I want Myers or Humphries in the second round, by the way. Myers has time at G and can play there for a season beside Paradis.) but lets say we get Leatherwood and Surratt as well. I agree that would be a heck of a draft. Ok, so what to do about QB? Darnold would be available, I would think. The Patriots get their QB (Jones). Here is what we need to do--stop looking at wins and losses and stats--look at skill sets. If this happens, I would go after Darnold and hope that the blocking and the WRs weaponry would make him better--but I bet Robby Anderson has some opinions on Darnold. I still say this: If you can't get a QB, trade back, add a first rounder in 2022. Then you have the capital to get a QB in 2022.

I think this guy would be a perfect replacement for him--had a good SR bowl, but maybe a 3rd rounder (based on the mocks I have seen)

He may have been a jerk at times, but if we could bottle Smitty's mojo, we would be rich.

If you are a new GM and your first move is to pluck some buried guy off the practice squad of the team you just left.... Safe to assume that you know something. He knows that they had a gem buried behind gimpy Olsen and Co.

I am starting to see it. His job was to put the ball in the pre-determined area on time. 3 stud WRs, a stud C, LT, G, RB---hard to imagine screwing up.

18 with big boobs and ass for days--why are we not more popular?

My wife came in to see why I was laughing so hard. She called me a child. So be it.

They would never make me run laps---those fries don't cook themselves.

If this is 100% accurate and my impression is also accurate, I disagree with the practice of yelling at coaches in front of players at practice or any other time. Not on the pro level--that can backfire because we all have our dignity and many of these coaches will not respond favorably to that. It also hurts their credibility in front of the players. It may make you pound your chest and snort through your nostrils, but beyond that, it is a bad practice that is unlikely to have ever paid off for him--probably hurt him.

The next 2 seasons of Roster management here in Carolina are going to be critically important; so glad Marty will be in Washington trying to grab a beer with an old chum. We seem strapped right now, but if we shed the dead weight and sign some young rookies to take their jobs, we could be sitting pretty by 2023. Once we stop paying RBs like LTs, and once we stop paying backup QBs like established starters...but cutting the big contracts is not going to take much away from this team----Short? Paradis? Thompson? And we can't pay Moton? Let's take a look at the situation (and this cap figure is assumed by OTC): Currently: Under the Cap figure (OTC) $7,100,000 CUT NOW Michael Palardy $1,900,000 (Charlton plays for over a million less) Stephen Weatherly $6,000,000 (no brainer) KK Short $8,600,000 Note: Panthers could go ahead and cut KK Short now, which would save $8,600,000 as opposed to $13m+ post June 1. Since KK money seems to be needed now, that could be the play, but I am including his cap savings here and in June 1 cuts as well. Signing Moton: If this is all we do now—cutting these 3 players which seems very possible, the cap room climbs to about $23.5m. Since we need to sign Moton if we can, we need to restructure some contracts to add Moton and a veteran or two. Those Bridgewater and CMC contracts were crazy. Bridgewater should have been paid on a one-year “prove it” deal and CMC’s contract does not sequre his time here, it threatens it. Guessing that we need about $9m for rookies. June 1 Cut Options KK Short $13,200,000 (If not cut now) Shaq Thompson $11,000,000 (is he worth $14m? —trade if possible) Matt Paradis $8,500,000 (our only starting OL under contract….) Teddy Bridgewater $8,000,000 (I do not see this happening with a rookie QB coming in) Notes: KK will probably never play another down here, but if we can cut him after June 1, the benefit is over $4m….Shaq is a solid LB who should be drawing an average LB salary. I am not sure that he is a great fit in Snow’s scheme. Regardless, nothing makes sense with him before June 1, and he, like Paradis, could get a year by default…Paradis is likely to be flanked by a rookie G, a current bench player, or and a veteran free agent G. It is possible that 2 new faces at T cap the ends of the OL. I doubt they move the only returning starter under contract, but the option is there. Get this…. A Post June 1 trade of Bridgewater would save the Panthers about $18m. There are so many teams seeking a QB, might a team need a guy with decent stats for a season? Cutting him Post June 1 saves about $8m.

It really is time to pay the band. I see a closing window--or closed one--if you look at their roster, cap figure, and draft capital. OTC shows Taysom Hill with a cap figure of $16m. Let that sink in. The same as their LT and within 3 million of the cap figures for Michael Thomas and Cam Jordan. Hill has the 4th highest salary on the team if Brees retires.

It is very conceivable ("Stop using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.") that the top 4 QBs are gone by Atlanta. If teams do not want a QB, they will be given trade offers. I could see (after Trevor goes to the Jokesonville Jags, NY Taking Wilson, Miami taking Lance, then Atlanta taking Fields. Cincinnati would then take Sewell, the Eagles would take a WR (Chase is my guess), and Detroit would take a WR (Smith) or CB (Farley). So what does Carolina do in this situation? Do we trade back and hope for the fifth QB on our board falls to us? Do we reach and take Jones? First, we have to assume that the Panthers are interested in any of the top 4 QBs--they would all be upgrades, so let's assume they are. That makes life easier. You have to be ready to overpay to move up. Many teams may be trying to get your guy--since it is a QB, the most valuable player in all of sports, you pay more. I would send #8 and #81 (or so, 3rd rounder) AND my second rounder in 2022 to Cincinnati IF no QB is taken by one team in the top 4. You gotta pay to play. If the Jets take a QB and Miami takes a QB, we are in the unenviable position of trying to trade up with a division rival. Not ideal. So it is my impression that we have to move up to #2 or #3 to assure a QB, but I think it is a good bet that we would get one at #5---consolation prize? Sewell LT.

Yeah, QB inflation. It will be interesting to see how we start positioning ourselves to enter free agency--that might reveal what we are hoping to accomplish in the draft. We have some June 1 cuts that could save us a bunch going into the season signing waived players, etc. or it could simply carry over to 2022, where we are bigger players in free agency. While we are in bad shape, we are probably in better shape (cap, contracts) than the rest of the NFC South

As I was reading this, it was eerie that nearly every main thought confirmed my hunches. I think we end up with Lance, trade back in the second round and take a few OL and maybe a CB. I see depth at those positions this year.