jayboogieman

Those second contracts are based off their play and growth, not draft positions.

All but four teams have gone to the Superbowl, so that's not a huge accomplishment. Winning it on the other hand is a huge accomplishment. Individual awards don't mean much when the team still posted a losing record that year. I won't argue that the team was mismanaged back then. It's yet to be determined if that streak is going to continue or not.

Part of me thinks everything they have done is in an effort to make up for the total botch they made in handling Teddy this offseason and pressure from the owner's box. It might not end well either. Different staffs and owner now vs the Cam and Jake years. People always complained about Ron's talent evaluation skills. There is a chance the current guys are just as bad or worse instead of better. They might think Darnold is their franchise guy and be all in on him. And as I replied to ForJimmy, a lot of their actions could be in an effort to recover from the botch job they did of handling Teddy this offseason. And Teddy was signed for three years, not two.

And the Panthers braintrust may think Darnold is a franchise guy.

Can you read minds? How do you know they weren't all in with Teddy or thinking they are all in on Darnold? The Panthers signed Teddy for over 60 million. Cam was making less when he was a Panther. Going by the contract, they were all in on Teddy. Just because the Jets haven't traded the pick yet doesn't mean they couldn't trade it draft day and still get a QB they want before the Panthers pick. The Panthers brain trust might have a different opinion than you do about Darnold. They might think he is a franchise guy. The Panthers had a legit star caliber QB with a crap Oline. How well did that work out for them? How many back to back winning seasons did they have with that star QB? How many superbowls did that star QB win for them? You're assuming other teams won't take that good OL late in the first or before the Panthers pick in the second.

Much better organizations usually have an older established vet at QB, a better overall team, and can afford to let a guy sit for a year or two. The Panthers aren't in that position. Being all in on Darnold is no more dangerous than being all in on an unproven rookie draft pick. New England and Green Bay had established vet starters and could afford to slowly bring a guy along. And exactly how many of those New England guys have been successes outside of New England's system? What if the staff think Darnold is a bona fide NFL franchise QB and don't see the need to draft a QB? What if they draft a rookie who plays and he ends up beyond mediocre? LT is such an important spot to get right that IF YOU DON'T HAVE ONE, when you're in position to take one, you do so if you believe in him. Now replace LT with CB, guard, center, safety, etc and you have the current Panthers. The FO may believe Darnold is a franchise QB. If that is the case and Sewell or Slater is there, the team should take whichever is there instead of trading back.

Said QB had been run into the ground because the previous regime didn't believe in providing him with a good protection. People don't want just any kind of help like Scott and Erving at LT, they want a very good to elite LT. People are hung up on LT because they want to see someone that can anchor the position for years and not the poor patches that have been offered up the last decade or so. As for things not going according to plan or injuries, the same could be happen to whatever rookie QB you want. I wasn't aware the Panthers were picking at 5. Even if Atlanta or SF don't pick him, he would still have to last until 8. Other teams could trade up for him.

The FO might feel different about hesitating due to not liking whichever QB falls. At the start of last season people talked about Fields being 1B to Lawrence's 1A. Since the season ended, he has slipped down boards for some reason. The most I've seen against him is the college he went to and something about processing speed. There might be more that I've missed. Lance went to a small school and played against lesser competition. He is also supposed to be raw. Wilson has injury concerns and only one really good year from what I've seen. Jones is supposed to be a product of his school and the talent around him. All have question marks and most of them probably wouldn't be top ten picks in any other year. This year is just the perfect storm for QBs. I've said I prefer taking a tackle as that is a huge hole that has needed to be addressed for a long time. I wouldn't be mad if the Panthers take a QB, but I would be disappointed as I feel tackle is a bigger need. I would feel the same if they take a CB, WR, or Pitts over Slater or Sewell if they are there. Every first rounder has a greater chance of success than later picks. That's why those guys are in the first round.

All four of those guys were also picked by pretty good teams with established starters at their position.

If you want to be technical, Thomas Davis is the lone safety drafted in the first round by the Panthers, even if he ended up a LB. And yeah, Gamble was the last CB taken in the first. The Panthers have never drafted a TE in the first. Watch Pitts be there and this be the year even with QB and tackle prospects there. But if you can't just go by first round picks, the Panthers should be able to find a franchise QB with a later pick.

The Chargers Oline was hampered by injuries more than anything else last year. It was supposed to be better than it ended up. I do remember seeing that they cut bait with Turner, so I'll give you that they have holes in their line. The Browns had a pretty good line before they drafted Baker and it has gotten better since then. The Bengals have drafted guys for their line before Burrow as well, but again, injuries took their toll. The Panthers haven't put in top or first round talent in their Oline since Jeff Otah in 2008 and only three Oline guys(tackles) have been drafted in the history of the franchise. They have drafted five LBs and four RBs in the first though. The Panthers have also only drafted two QBs, but both were top five picks that didn't fall in their respective drafts.

The difference between those teams and the Panthers is they were in a much better position talent wise. The Chiefs in particular were a QB away. The Panthers are not. Fields or any other QB won't matter if they can't protect him. I'd rather wait on the QB and make sure he can be protected rather than ruin him. There was this Cajun named Jake that did pretty well after being the league as a backup for 3 years.

Let's try this then, most of the team couldn't get the ball in the ocean if they were a foot away from it.

This Cavs game is just sad. Dell said earlier that it was a defensive struggle. Is that the new code phrase for these guys can't shoot?

The fact that writer got paid to write the same speculation that people have been posting here is just sad.

I'd be happy with either as well. But, if both are gone for some reason, I'd take Pitts in a heartbeat.

That might scare off a couple of the older owners.

Yep. I've said I prefer Sewell or Slater as the pick, but if it's Pitts, I won't be upset.

True Different coaching staff. That said, they did sign a guy to be that TE weapon, but there is no telling how much they will use him. If Pitts is the pick, I can see them using him all the time, especially if he can block.

I was thinking medical reasons, but that works too.

If he fell to 8 there would be something seriously wrong with him.

No LB as thunderraiden explained. Also no QB as the Panthers already have one project QB and anyone that would be there at 8 would also be a project. Use the pick to get an impact player than can play this year. Preferably a LT.

Could be and I wouldn't doubt if you're right. I sort of think the 49ers have broken the market and set a new bar and I hope teams won't be as desperate next year. The 49ers gave way too much up to just get the number three QB in this draft. As for next year's class, there could also be another guy or two that is not being talked about that has a great season that suddenly gets talked about as being a top prospect.

I'd be ok with that. I'd also be ok with the team trading up for Howell if Darnold is bad, but not bad enough to get a top pick as long as the team as a whole is better, especially if the Oline is fixed. Even with a rookie QB, we may end up wondering how long the rebuild will take. You could also trick yourself in thinking there is hope if they are making good decisions to give whoever ends up the QB as much of a chance of success is possible. That could mean one of the top two tackles, Pitts, or a top WR prospect. I'm not in either guy's fanbase, I'm a Panthers fan and want the team to succeed. That said, I don't want them to take another QB at 8. I would much rather put that pick to use on one of the top LT prospects. That position has been a turnstile for way too many years.