panthers55

Or your line can't run block or your running back sucks. But yeah being pass happy doesn't guarantee success.

The Browns were the most pass happy team at 65% and the Eagles the least at 43%. It seems that most teams were somewhere in the 60-40 mix. Interestingly we were the 9th ranking team passing the ball around 59%. So every team needs an effective running game to avoid being one dimensional. And defenses need to be build to defend both the run and pass to avoid being easily exploited like we were last year.

Delhomme was average physically but his fire and competitiveness meant he often showed up at big moments. He relied on others to get the yards. Bruce is similar. His strength is his processing speed and elusiveness in the pocket. He won't overwhelm you with athleticism and needs the team to do the work for him. Like most teams their quarterbacks are average. If everyone got 30 tds to 10 into, then that would be average. You know who else had average physical skills? Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

Meltdowns???? He was pulled by Canales because he wasn't executing the game plan after 2 games into the season so he could watch Dalton execute the offense and show Bryce the windows available in the NFL, how to push the ball down the field and how to step up and move around when blitzed. When Young came back 5 games later he clearly watched and improved. Enough he was named the future starter. He doesn't have a history of meltdowns nor is there any reason to assume he will have one. From what I have read he is mentally strong and emotional stable. He may have bad games down the road, everyone does. But this is all a learning experience for him and so far he seems to be making progress. I can understand being hesitant on anything Panthers, but Young has surprisingly been able to gain his confidence after a disastrous start. You aren't alone in being cautious but I think he is the future. I thought he was too small and too short to succeed in the NFL. Honestly I was pleasantly surprised last year and am optimistic about the offense for the first time since Wilks and Dalton were decent.

What I saw was huge improvement going from terrible to one of the top 10 qbs by year end. I don't just want good play, I want continued improvement as he spends year 2 in the same system with the same guys (with a few upgrades) and Canales goes into year 2 as a head coach. I want Bryce to continue to show that he is worthy of the top pick in the draft. I think I will be disappointed if he is just good unless he keep getting better as he goes. He is finally got the talent and coaching he needs. Given how chaotic Tepper'reign has been, I think we have really lowered our expectations. Which is totally understandable to avoid abject disappointment each year.

Bryce can be average to above average and lead us to great seasons and a Super Bowl. How many QBs have won a superbowl ring and not been that fantastic that day and relied on the rest of the team. Or played average all year and elevated their game in the playoffs? The team wins or loses and it isn't dependent on the qb to be all world. What I see is hopefully a team that runs the ball and passes when they need to. I think Bryce showed when the pressure is on he now steps up where before he crumpled. Teams who blitzed him at the end of the year paid the price which is huge. It isn't total stats but how you do on third down and making big throws when everyone knows you are going to pass. I think that transfers from year to year and improves with a strengthening cast and experience. And something he did consistently in college.

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.

Whether it is due to inconsistent play, injury, or trying to get a look at a new acquisition, we have not had a quarterback play every game of a season since 2017 with Cam Newton. it is also the last time we made the playoffs. Bridgewater played 15 games in 2020 but otherwise it has been very disjointed and inconsistent. When was the last time we had the same starting QB going into a third season? Again Cam Newton in 2017. Does that mean Bryce will be successful or we we will go to the playoffs this season? We hope so, but as we look at the reasons we have struggled under Tepper, I think poor coaching and inconsistent qb play are the biggest. With Canales finishing strong and Bryce coming on, it feels like we have a chance for consistency and more success this season at least on the offensive side. Obviously injuries play a huge role in determining ultimate success but I am optimistic that we can have a very stable and productive offense. BTW, when was the last time we had the same offensive coordinator for 3 seasons? Mike Shula in 2017. Since then no one has made it more than their second season.

The goal of building a team is to find complementary parts which when put together are greater than their individual parts alone. Each year the team is different based on its composition and how well they work together. Just the fact that the offensive players have a year in the system as well as Canales has a year of experience as head coach will make them better. And how do you make the worse defense in history worse by adding upgrades at several positions. Brown being back alone is worth a few less points surrendered. No, we are going to be improved this year. How much is up for debate.

I don't agree that they went into 2024 knowing it was going to be awful on defense. 2023 was pretty good and they thought who they brought in would be enough for Evero to be competitive while we focus on offense. Obviously when injuries hit to Brown, Shaq and others we had no depth and we had JAGs starting. And our free agents underperformed or were overused as we couldn't get off the field playing prevent defense - bend until you break. But I agree that you win games in the trenches especially if you like to run and stop the run. And am glad to see the additions. Thr biggest addition will be getting Derrick Brown back who by himself collapses pockets and snatches runners and tosses them. Canales said that he would talk to Evero about the defensive scheme. I hope he convinces him to adopt a more aggressive style. Seems all the best defenses play more aggressive than we do.

Bryce trended steaming cow patty last year. .w What a difference a year and good coaching can make.