panthers55

That is the thing, we were very competitive on offense at the end of the year but our defense was terrible and rarely gave us short fields or defensive points. The number of wins is totally dependent on the defense and lack of injuries on both sides of the ball. We could easily win 8 if our defense is competitive. Brown being back alone is worth a win or two. Add some pass rush and run defense and who knows. But I am oddly not worried about the offense for the first time in years.

You don't move on unless you can trade him for good value. But you do bring in competition for the position and let the best man win. He is still on a rookie contract but you wouldn't pick up his 5th option unless he earned it this year and next.

Won't count under the cap if he isn't one of the top 51 salaries

I read we drafted him to be our return guy. Ran fast and has wiggle. For a 4th rounder it was a good choice.

Weren't you in on McCaffrey with me too? Maybe it was someone else. With Canales being an offensive guy, there is always hope. With Warren and Sanders on either end we can run or pass from the same look and dominate either phase of the game.

I look for guys who are productive but also physical mismatches who can't be replaced later in the draft. If we pass on Warren who could be our next Greg Olsen and actually mentored by the same, for a tweener who we have to fit into a role, we will have made a big mistake. Warren is a pretty sure thing and limits the need for a number 1 wr. Then again I wanted Olsen when he was drafted and they never listen to me.

I am looking for a strong home campaign. If we can go 6-2 at home and steal a few on the road I will be fine with that kind of progress. Sure would make going to the games a lot more exciting. Like it used to be.

Kris Jenkins part 2. Great talent but doesn't play with enough passion.

To me defensive coaches need to be aggressive and want to dominate their opponent. Blitz and go for it rather than die by degrees and bend until you break prevent type strategies. I hope Evero felt he had no choice but to play that way rather than he played that way by choice. Canales said they would be discussing the defense including scheme and strategies. No matter who plays out there, the defensive coordinator creates the culture out there every day. Somedays you can win even if outgunned if you play for each other and not for yourself.

At 8 I want someone who you can't find a comparable player for later in the draft. So I want a physical specimen who is a beast but also was productive and has that dog in him. Stuff you can't learn but makes it easier to be successful. Obviously Graham is a beast and Warren can get pressure and could contribute immediately. I know folks hate Hunter at 8 but he may be the best defensive player in the draft and could start on either side of the ball. Then again I like TEs who can dominate out of the gate so don't take my advice....

Most folks know that in close ballgames the difference comes down to one team executing on key downs and the other not. 2 years ago our defense was not good but our offense was terrible. Last year we started out terrible on both sides of the ball and the offense really gelled toward the end. Honestly there is no reason to believe our offense will regress. I think it will improve playing together and developing chemistry with each other. And the defense will be better because Brown and Brown will be a wall and shut the middle down while still collapsing the pocket on passing downs. Something that never happened last year. Pressure on the qb makes the back seven much better as they don't have to try and cover for 5 seconds on every play until someone comes open. We still need some linebackers who can bring pressure, tackle but also cover TEs if needed. Is that too much to ask? What I hope is that whatever position we choose, we find more dogs who like to scrap and work hard. Everybody working together without a bunch of prima donnas.

What I hears is that they want a guy that has toughness, is hardworking and likely has good character. At what position depends on who is BPA with those traits

Being optimistic is a choice based on looking at the positives rather than the negatives. The idea that optimists dont see the reality of the situation in that we have had really bad teams since Tepper arrived is totally wrong. Not only do they see the obvious but get reminded daily that they were wrong and foolish for believing in the team. When that happens year after year it is easy to turn to the dark side. Most have. But they like being positive and look for opportunities to be positive about the team. They are just as upset when things go wrong, but have the emotional control to take things in stride and come to the realization that we are not going to turn the corner this season without throwing in the towel on their fandom. Frankly on a message board, optimists should be appreciated because it takes a lot more effort to be optimistic and state it publicly knowing you will be taking a beating if thinks turn ugly in December, than it does to go along with all the doom and gloom. But to think that an optimist is deluded and not a realistic is looking at it backwards. They see the reality and understand that half empty and half full indicate the same amount but the expectations are different. One is a scarcity mentality while the other is a hopeful mentality. While it is totally understandable to be negative or at least taking a wait and see approach considering our dreadful results, I would think that in April we would be more positive given there is lots of time to be angry and upset if we suck once again. I for one am looking forward to the draft and training camp. I am optimistic we will be better. How much I don't know, but I hope it is substantial. But that's just me...

If we do stick to BPA which in my mind always includes being the guy who can help us the most which implies at a position of need, we will be picking guys at positions which are deep in this draft. I expect to draft two linebackers one at edge and on the inside, a safety, a running back, wide receiver, likely a TE and maybe another DE. W need to draft positions that are too costly to acquire in free agency.

Reich's problem was that he brought in a bunch of highly regarded coaches who had different experiences and personalities who all thought they knew how to fix things. But they weren't on the same page. They weren't cohesive and supportive of one another. There were lots of stories about coaches going over Reich's head to Tepper, fighting openly, and more. It is like having a bunch of superstar players who all play for themselves and not each other. It fails most times. Reich wasn't able to manage the coaches let alone the players. And I think he didn't want Brice and had his success with established guys not like Canales who may well be a quarterback whisperer. Reich was a good coach for Indy and I was supportive when we got him. I never thought he would only last 11 games.still between his guaranteed 4 year salary here and what Indy still owed him through 2026, he made 10s of millions while becoming the only coach to get fired during the season In back to back years.