MHS831

Had we known, we MIGHT have reethunk the Hunt deal---not there yet, but dang he was good. The last game, I did not realize Hunt was not playing

Barno was injured most of the season, but that is part of it.

I read where some said they were going to cut Clowney and Wonnum to save $15m. I don't see it. Wonnum? Maybe.

As if they showed it during movies in the 40s between the war updates to boost morale.

Good point--and we have been dedicated to eliminating the dead cap and paying players past their primes.

I think a lot of people share your opinion of Mays, and I did too at one time. So I decided to watch his last four games--he was very good in pass protection. His form, footwork, and ability to see loops and stunts and blitzes is what made me rethink Mays. His run blocking was decent, but being beside two studs he was getting help or reaching LBs most of the time--Hunt and Lewis did not pull that much, which would have been a challenge for Mays, imo because filling is usually a difficult block for centers, especially raw ones. At first, Mays was susceptible to bull rushes, but he adjusted and using perfect technique, nearly eliminated having his name plate in Bryce's facemask. To me, a center who keeps people out of Bryce's face is the most important trait, and surprisingly, Mays was really good at that. 0: number of sacks surrendered by Cade Mays in 2024. So feel good about possibly underestimating Mays. I think he needs competition but we need a backup regardless.

You know, you are right. Watching on TV, we really don't see the safeties that much, but it I am happy with Richardson--he is going to be a player. Normally, if I didn't make a statement early I don't say, "I said from the beginning..." But I knew when we drafted him--only a 1 year starter at SC--that he was going to be a project. I avoided him in my mocks for that reason. He has size and speed--and he even runs good routes most of the time--but I did not expect much from him this season. I HOPED. However, I will add that I hear coaching staffs talk about developing talent etc. all the time; I just never really saw it that much. With this staff, this season, I saw it. Cade Mays got better every game and was an effective starter. Zavala was a different player between years 1 and 2. A huge leap from years one to two. Coker went from an UDFA to cut to being our second best WR. Bryce Young---what a masterful job of saving a player we all labeled bust. D. Richardson--was effective as a S and should start next season if allowed to play in the box more. Was an UDFA. Wallace (LB) was pretty good for a third rounder and I think he got better despite terrible DTs. Undrafted, practice squad corners--we have not really seen them yet--were pulled up at the end of the season and they caught my eye a few times--Bartholomew and Evans. Watch them. They showed signs of great zone cb technique and even when isolated on Mike Evans in man coverage, they were all over him. I got really excited--like a kid peeking at his Christmas presents for next year. And it is OK for a dude to get a Ken doll. Totally normal if you call him an action figure. Ok, I am back. J. Sanders flashed enough for me to think he will improve by next season. But I can say that we have never seen players improve in any season as we have Mays, Young, Zavala, and Coker. Now I cannot say much about the defense other than Wallace, Richardson, and hope for the two PS Safeties (Bartholomew and Evans). I do not see where growth might occur beyond that. I felt that the DL regressed. I feel there is talent that is not being developed at Edge (Barno, Johnson). I am not sure Jewell was good enough (and with DTs that could change, but he is 32).

PFF is the best system we have, and I have reviewed enough of their scoring to determine (in my mind) that it is pretty accurate. Now, if someone wants to criticize it, then produce a better system of evaluating players. For those who do not understand the process, as a coach, the first thing you do after the game is to grade player performance at your positions. PFF does not know the play calls, so they have to assume in that regard, but you can tell if a player wins, loses, or engages in a draw/tie. For example, a RG might block the LB but the LB makes the tackle. However, did the RG move the LB back far enough for the RB to get a first down? The LB, on the other hand, made the stop 5 yards downfield, so do you give him a "win?" The guard that blocked him was supposed to be stuffed by the DT, so do you fault the LB with a minus? etc. lotta variables that can skew data, but all in all, they are pretty accurate.

How do we have no dead cap, no QB on a second contract, no expensive edge, no expensive CB yet, no expensive WR, etc. and we only have 30m in cap room? It seems to me that we need to extend/rework some OG and RT deals.

I see this, but disagree that we need a C--Mays numbers were better than Corbett's and about on the same level as the two guards. Now, I get that without the two guards he might struggle, but Mays quietly improved this year-as did Zavala. Can Zavala play center? So if you decide you want to retain Mays if possible, what tender do you put on him? He was a sixth rounder. I think (I dont keep up with this crap like some) we can put a second round tender on him at less than $5m, but I think, if you like his play, that an extension is the best bet, giving him about $4m per over 3 seasons. He would take the security, imo. You and others might argue that we could find a free agent who is better. Either way, I think he needs to be on the roster and I think they need to have him compete. (Rahm?) YOU are right about Jackson--he was impressive. A good time to overhaul the Safety positions. If I am a GM on another team, I am trying to trade a day 3 pick for Zavala. He is ready to start in the NFL, in my opinion. Is Tremble worth a second contract? 200+ yards-his best season--good blocker. I am on the fence because I think he was making strides--I am of the mindset that we need an Alpha TE--making Tremble's spot the #3 TE spot that a UDFA can play--maybe Matthews. I agree that Christensen will attract more $$, but if he falls through the cracks, I would sign him and make him a pure swing T. No G, No C. Nijman was terrible, but a young OT in the draft to groom behind Moton might be the smartest option. Moton is getting older and has some knee pain. Not good for a big man--but it could be nothing.

did we have an old anthem? I remember some lame song that featured dudes in sweats running across the field with flags. Then there was this (my favorite, but hard to duplicate): The bar is high.

Nice work. Best player a coach's wife ever drafted.

Tuttle sucked. My list PRIORITIZED without Special team players Jackson CB Mays C Christensen (I would put him at swing T and let him focus on those 2 positions--forget G and C) Dalton QB (needs to be cheap--I would rather draft a QB in round 3 or so, but this year, we need our picks and Dalton and Bryce are tight) Tremble TE Franks TE (special teams) David Moore (Not a bad 5th WR, could be cheap--WR market not loaded, so he could be a one year deal.) Tuttle? Hell no!! Sucks. Shaq? Hell no--body shot, injury prone. will want $$ to play 4 games and go to IR.

why the hell would that source be "anonymous?" "Psst. Hey Person. Got some intel for you, but you didn't hear it from me. His footwork is light years better."

No, you are right. Just ironic if he thwarted the careers of 2-3 other WRs in his efforts--I do not think he was trying to get the best out of DJ--I think he was competing with him--there is a difference, but nobody will know. I also think he did the same thing with Clausen. It is interesting, however, when you start drawing lines between who is cut due to the locker room stuff and who gets a pass--

THIS MIGHT PISS OFF SOME STEVE SMITH SR. FANS: He WAS detrimental to this team. Sure, he is on the hall of fame ballot and is probably our best player ever--but he punched 2 teammates--and that is the tip of the glacier. Remember, I watched him haze and belittle Dwayne Jarrett at an OTA. Jarrett even reacted by giving me a hard hand slap when I mentioned it to him--. I know bullying when I see it (educator who has written books about trauma caused by abuse and bullying) I have commented on the fact that nobody seemed to be friends with Smith except Kasay. He was a bully and the coaches allowed it. Bunch of Alpha males chewing the tall grass. Here is a list of all the WRs Steve Smith 'mentored" after they were drafted: 2003: Walter Young 2004: Keary Colbert, Drew Carter 2007: Dwayne Jarrett, Rhyne Robinson 2010: Brandon Lafell, Armanti Edward, David Gettis 2011: Kealoha Pilares 2012: Joe Adams That is 10 WRs drafted and only 1 had some degree of success, Brandon Lafell, who averaged around 600 yards a season for 8 years in the NFL--it is noteworthy that his numbers increased after leaving Carolina for NE. This proves nothing, but it is interesting and coincides with the list of free agents we brought in during that time. My argument: It is possible that whatever Smith contributed to this team could be a result of bullying others into more diminished roles--Smith called it competition, and in fairness, he was the hardest practicing player I ever watched at OTAs over the years. But it seems he was Napoleonic in his approach to teammates, possibly damaging the unit and keeping young players from developing--transitioning from college to the pros must be intimidating--especially when an established player is constantly attacking (challenging, to Smith) you as you are trying to learn the plays and culture. It was so bad when I saw him doing it to Jarrett, it pissed me off. I think Jarrett was pretty slow and was unsure of the plays etc--it was his rookie OTAs. This is not proof, just an interesting possibility. If you have ever had someone at your place of employment with some authority start harassing you, you might understand how a 21-year old kid might feel.

You don't pay to have cancer.

It is funny that it seems when a player goes batshit crazy, 80% of the time he is a WR.

I guess you could look at it this way: There is a LOT invested in Bryce right now. Do you continue to make sure that his development is improving, or do you abandon that momentum and salvage the defense? He is good, but he does NOT have that big name, big time WR. Going to get a WR we can call a #1 is probably stupid right now. Here is why: Higgins and Godwin, the two top options in free agency, imo, are #2 WRs who got a lot of balls because Chase and Evans were the focus of the defense--I think the system made them better than they would be here--without a #1 to give them single coverages and no safety over the top. THEY would suddenly be the #1, and their numbers would fall. What would their salaries be based on? Production in other cities. It rarely works. Most top WRs in free agency to go places with top QBs--we'd have to overpay the market then overpay the performance. Most if not all of the top free agent WRs were often the second option during the pre-snap reads or check down processes. Put him in the #1 WR shoes, he is more likely to struggle. Some key questions I ask myself: What is wrong with having 5 WRs who can catch the ball and no single person as the true #1? Imagine a group of 5 or 6 WRs featuring well rounded, talented WRs. Not a Rambo knife, a steak knife, and three butter knives--A Swiss Army Knife. Let the #1 emerge and develop on the roster-- What would benefit Bryce more--a #1 WR or a stud #1 TE and a good WR with a good defense? I understand the knee jerk reaction to give him weapons--but be smart about it.

THanks for this, OP. There could be some value here. Dax Milne was a player I thought might develop--Matthews could fill in at TE for a season if we lose Tremble and don't have the capital to address TE this year.....Raym could step up to backup center....Incoom played fairly well down the stretch (He is 25 and in VERY LIMITED play, had a good PFF score--he is where he should be--

Not to intervene--sometimes we can get pulled or pushed on here and it shifts from the Panthers to each other--but I respect both of your opinions--maybe some common ground, where you are 95% of the time? I am out--just a thought.

I heard or read that he was eyeballing the Jags job at one time. We shall see--after that owner threw the GM under the bus on national TV, I might reconsider---It was my opinion at the time that Jerry Richardson's "Pie chart" presser days before underclassmen had to declare for the draft was the reason Andrew Luck went back to school--same effect. If you recall, he made no damn sense, he seemed to hit on Morgan Fogherty and he trashed Darin Gantt.

He cost himself millions of dollars in the last six hours spent on a football field--like in the 30-40 million range. My diagnosis is this: The DCs looked at Jets Panthers tape and realized that they could get into his head--. Sam Darnold is the quintessential front runner--a fair weather friend--the loudest singer in the choir at weddings and the lip sync master at funerals. I would like to add that there were several sacks where I saw 2 or, at times, 3 OL looking dazed and confused. A few times he had 2 OL not touch a defensive player. I think Darnold just became a Colt or Brown.

saw this after my post at about 8:09 this AM---I stole your idea--great minds.

Welcome back, Sam.