MHS831

Leo Chenal is going to be the guy--I am guessing a 3-year deal for $21m--I am not basing this on anything other than my hunches.

The only way I would trade XL for him is if I was DONE with XL and I thought a new situation might benefit Thomas. In other words, it is better to think you might have a problem in Thomas than to know you have one in XL.   They were drafted at the same spot, fwiw, so the contracts are the same, basically. 

I love this draft because they picked the right OL.  It is possible that we have 2 rookies starting on the OL.  I would take Utah's Lomu as well, but for those who think you find the OL in free agency and not the draft, here is all I have to say:  We cannot give $110m to the 5 starting OL.  We need an infusion of youth on the OL as well.  If Ickey returns and can play, I imagine that he takes over for Hunt at RG--in 2027 or so.  Currently, our 2 guards and right tackle make up over 20% of the total cap.  We have to add 2 starters, but if Cade Mays was too pricey at around (anticipated) $8m, then we plan to draft a C, it seems. I think we draft an OT and C now because we will need a G or 2 and a RT soon.  While they were good in 2026, they were not elite.  For that kind of $$, we need elite.  Is starting a rookie LT and C ideal?  Nope.  But if we can get better than Nijman and Mays, we should be OK.

I think we will pick up an ILB in free agency and add an ILB.  Who we draft (Mike or Will) will depend on who we sign.  Rodriguez is a favorite of mine, but if Golday is there, Morgan is going to take him.  Morgan will love him.

I do not think we need to overpopulate the edge position right now because we have 1 edge returning from injury (Jones II), one rookie from last year ready to step up and could be really good (Scourton), and another who could be ready to step into the situational pass rusher role (Princely).  2 hold the edge very well and if we had a situational pass rusher to join Princely, we could be much better. I think rookies at Edge tend to jump considerably from their rookie seasons to years 2 and 3.  (Charles Johnson, Mike Rucker, and Greg Hardy were that way-and all became very good in time.

Safety seems omitted, but we shall see.  That could be another free agent acquisition.

8 minutes ago, Davidson Deac II said:

I am not sure how much we should screw with the receiver room.  We have had wholesale change each of the last two seasons, and both times we started off poorly.  If we tweek it a little bit, so be it, but nothing more than that.  

If you bring in a head case (and it sure sounds like that may be Coen's take on Thomas Jr), imagine what that might do to XL.  WHen I see drops and a coach complaining about a drop in production, I think we should drop the idea.  I see him going to Denver or Baltimore.

If a coach does not want a 23-year old WR who was a first rounder, I might not want him.  It suggests the issues were mental and/or attitudinal.  Just guessing.

18 minutes ago, strato said:

I smell something fishy.  Why would they do that? He had a less than good 2nd season but he had a really 1st season. 

Here is what I found:  

"Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen and WR Brian Thomas Jr. are facing scrutiny due to Thomas’s "sophomore slump" in 2025, characterized by high drop rates (5+), reduced production, injury issues (wrist/ankle), and apparent hesitancy in 100% contact."

13 minutes ago, strato said:

I smell something fishy.  Why would they do that? He had a less than good 2nd season but he had a really 1st season. 

me too--he is 23 and had a 700 yard season

So we are getting rid of our Ginger and possibly bringing in a Howell?   

28 minutes ago, TheSpecialJuan said:

8 minutes ago, ECHornet said:

We’re going to undo our Corrall mistake and bring Sam Howell home, aren’t we?

I was thinking Trey Lance (younger than Malik Willis--did anyone know that?). Howell, or Minshew.  Then i was thinking they would draft a QB on day 3

Seriously--with Bryce's play and his looming contract, we better have a plan B and that is not a 40-year old Ginger.  We need a player who can be developing this season so that we have options.  The WORST thing that can happen is we have to give Bryce a big contract because there is no other viable option.  

5 hours ago, OldhamA said:

You can't draft for need.

That's what FA is for. 

I have considered free agency.  LT?  Either not good enough or too expensive.  Besides, this is a good OT draft.  (I would rather have a free agent, mind you, but the Panthers' reality suggests we can't do it without neglecting other positions).  What LTs are available in free agency, and what do you expect to pay?  Any Ickey-level OT is going to cost over $20m.   How much do we already have invested in our OL?  I get your point, but I do not think you can spend over $100m per on your OL. We have 2 guards and a right T who pull in about $75m per season.  We don't have a center yet.  Teams just don't let good LTs hit free agency, and when one does on rare occasion, he is expensive.  If you want a third of the Panther cap going to 5 Offensive Linemen, free agency is the way to go.  We still need S, ILB, Edge, WR, etc. I think we'd need more than Nijman--and I would understand if we went free agent for a T--but that is putting a TON of your cap at OL--so considering our situation, I do not see that option as preferable.  You may disagree.

If I was not talking LT on our line and thinking about the cap, I would agree 100%.  

12 hours ago, strato said:

It went straight to the front of the line for me. But I’m not sure we could get true plug and play talent at 19.  There is maybe a decent option in FA but the money just compounds the imbalance.

I looked here: 

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap/carolina-panthers

Without specifying details, 

Icky, Lewis, Hunt and Moton are right at 80 million dollars. No C accounted for. 

Walter from Green Bay is estimated at 4 years 88 mil. I just don’t know how you could do that unless you will maybe get Moton and even Hunt off the books ASAP. 
 

Moton looks like he doesn’t have a lot of time left playing well. The legs… 

We have to figure something out. 

 

If they were really going to go young at C RG and RT they could work it I guess so that they could get Walker and take a Moton 2027 replacement guy and a C and be done with the OL for a while.  
 

 

good post.  this is the season when I get stressed over the cap and then remember, it is not my problem.

9 hours ago, Aussie Tank said:

Id rather Edmunds over old mate from the jags

I was going to make the same comment--better in coverage, only 27.  Jags LB is going to be overpriced.

10 hours ago, Aussie Tank said:

Says alot about how the NFL view this upcoming draft 

Great point.

I think Ignoring OT in round 1 or 2 is a mistake.

24 minutes ago, Daddy_Uncle said:

I feel the complete opposite about him

I wish I could--but I like the guy.

5 hours ago, ProcessBlue2 said:

Cam Jordan will be a free agent. Coming off a 10.5 sack season at 36.

Man that would be funny 

great guy--oozing leadership. I hate the saints, but have always loved him as a player and person

2 minutes ago, strato said:

If XL doesn’t come in with a chip on his shoulder and being real serious about getting his spot back, do what you want to with him. 
Because if he doesn’t respond to this setback he never will respond. 

To have all the tools and you still can't get the job done--BUT if the light does come on--and some WRs take time--we could be scary.

8 minutes ago, PleaseCutStewart said:

Yeah - Tremayne was very reliable at catching the ball when it was thrown his way. Still not sure he is able to get open at a good rate, but at least he seems to have his head on a swivel (unlike XL)

Yeah, you have to assume he was not facing many shutdown CBs

10 hours ago, PleaseCutStewart said:

I like Tremayne on the outside and wish he would get more of XLs snaps

he catches everything thrown to him....had 17 targets and 14 receptions for 160 yards. XL has the tools to be really good--not sure about inside the helmet though

1 hour ago, Mistuh Jones said:

about the same as urrbody else here, and nobody remembers Jeremy Chinn either. Yes, Seattle and other teams have deployed these versatile weapons. All I'm saying is we suck at it in Charlotte. That's a fair assessment 

Yeah, that is my point--we all are just shootin from the hip.

Jerry Jones has realized that his days are numbered.  Supposedly, he is mortgaging the future for a ring today--he mentioned that he only has 1 ring, but that team was not one he built--(did not mention that part).  Desperation, ego, and wealth--a dangerous combination.  Lets see what he does.

30 minutes ago, Jay Roosevelt said:

He's going to get paid. No way we can afford to sink that much into a WR with our defensive needs.

I was expecting to see more cap room moves by now, which may be to suggest that we are not going to be that aggressive.  I have mixed emotions about that (because I think we have 3 needs on D and 3 needs on O--starters).  If you look to the draft for 3 starters, that is ambitious.  We need 6

So I am guessing we go with:

TMac

XL  

Coker

Tremayne (17 targets, 14 receptions, 160 yards--not bad)

Horn

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