Soul Rebel

This is the dream. Fitts calls his buddies in Seattle to move up to 5 and take Stroud without gashing our draft capital.

His 2022 staff was underwhelming because Sirianni, Gannon and others bolted for promotions. Make no mistake, Reich will pull talented coordinators and coaches on his staff. I think this was one of his more positive traits over other candidates.

This tweet is unfortunate. Wilks did a lot for this team and was on the precipice of the playoffs. If he wins that TB game, we're in the playoffs and I think there's no way he isn't being announced as HC before January 26th. He didn't, there were true concerns that even most fans can see pretty easily.

100%. From a humanitarian standpoint, I feel the same. As a Panthers football fan, I'm happy for Reich and think he will be the better hire of the two. Now..... go get Bradley or Fangio for DC, bring in a competent OC, sign Brissett this offseason and find your QB1.

Not to kick the can down the road nor subscribe to the classic "oh just wait on next year's QB crop....it's so much better than this year" bs, but what if we wait on our QB1 until 2024? We draft Johnston or if someone like Murphy falls to 9. Get our WR1 this year, save our draft capital from moving up and wait on next year's talent. Lots to like there and they are not Ohio State, 'Bama or UF QBs. Plus, we can see what our new HC/OC can do with Corral for a year, while bringing in a bridge QB. If it is Reich, a Brissett reunion + Corral would be interesting. You would have Johnston-Moore-TMJ-Shenault. Maybe snag Kincaid or Musgrave in R2 and then maybe Charbonnet/Evans/McIntosh at 61. Let's deck out the offense around our already top-10 OL add pieces for either Corral or next year's QB and let Reich/Wilks have a year to assess the roster. Truth is that Williams/Maye/Penix/Sanders/Ewers are as good....actually more tantalizing to me than Stroud/Young/Levis/Richardson.

This is my favorite style of offense. I assume great window dressing, no huddle to optimize matchups and seize control vs. plodding along. Have we ever had this in Carolina?

The TLDR 2023 coaching cycle for us summarized....."choose your poison". Wilks - you know what you're getting. Physical, ground and pound football with a suspect DC. Who does he bring in for OC? Turned the culture around, has the locker room and a great local story. Is it not more of what we've experienced for the past 20 years? Reich - Teppers ideal cross of HC experience-offensive background. Very solid coaching tree and won a SB as an OC. Did he fail in Indy or was it a similar situation to Carolina's sh!t show of QB carousel and suspect ownership? Steichen/Johnson/Moore - young up and coming OCs that have had success calling plays, though not for very long. Can they be "thee guy" running the show, gaining respect and buy-in from players...much different than a playcaller. Payton - the most experience, winning history with a ring as a HC and brings a culture with him that players are drawn to. Cost and control is the issue. For Tepper to give up draft capital, top $$ for salary AND control from Fitts/Morgan....no dice. Kafka/Dorsey - just not there yet. Some highs and lows....still a year or two out from HC consideration, IMO. Bottom line is that there is no "homerun" lock HC in this cycle. Hope for the best...be happy that Rhule is no longer here and that Payton & Harbaugh are not coming in to seize control, cost us assets and bring in veteran QBs and players, vs. building a long-term answer. Whoever it is at HC/OC/DC/QB, I will root for. There's reasons to be happy and concerned about all candidates. There is no Tomlin or Belly out there that you can hang your hat on to bring SBs to the Queen City.

Sidebar - didn't realize Reich and McAfee were tight. Can someone that has clout slide into his DMs to get some dirt on where Reich's head is at?

Excellent work Mr. Scot! It's a battle of two coaches with HC experience, had to overcome awful QB situations (one being washed vets; the other being former FRPs that flopped). Both also had rough ownership issues at their respective previous stops that led to unfair firings. I give the edge to Reich because he has won a SB as an OC, has a good coaching tree and brings an offensive approach for the first time in our franchise's history.

Bad HC, solid OC. The AR soap opera begins in Jersey.....Jets making power moves. I wonder if Reich/Wilks would bring in a guy like LaFleur for our OC. HC: Reich or Wilks OC: Mike LaFleur DC: Vic Fangio QB1: Brisett (bridge) - draft Stroud/Young/Levis/Richardson

I do wonder if hired, would Brissett be the vet bridge-QB brought in while Reich's rookie gets acclimated. Not a bad 2019 campaign with almost 3k yards/18TD/6INTs. 6-4, 235 and just turned 30 last month.

Reich as the hire makes sense if you take Tepper on his word from the beginning. He wanted an offensive mind vs. defensive..... and someone with experience. Reich checks both boxes. He was good, not great in Indy and had a much maligned couple years there getting to do things his way. 5 different starting QBs - most at the end of their respective careers. He did have an 11-5 year and a 10-6 year too. What he did with Foles in Philly and never having a young QB to groom in IND gives me hope. He's been around some talented staffs and his up-tempo, RPO-heavy offense (with a few West Coast tweaks) is what I like to watch. If he could bring Fangio and Deuce Staley with him as DC/OC and draft our future QB this year, I think we would be in a better place. I'm unsure if he will ever be a top-tier superb HC, but I would like to see what he can do in Carolina being less hamstrung as he was with the Colts. He helped mold JTaylor into a top-5 NFL RB too. His HC tree looks pretty good so far with Sirriani and Eberflus being HCs and Gannon probably getting a HC gig this cycle. We already have a good base in place...just need to cultivate the young seedlings. Reich's experience could be the answer. My preference is : 1 - Steichen, 2A - Reich, 2B - Wilks

I saw that Jeremy Fowler reported that the Jets and IIRC, the Chargers would like to interview Reich for OC. IF other NFL teams want to bring him in as an OC, I do wonder if a Wilks-Reich pairing would make the most sense vs. giving Reich the keys to the car as HC. Still on Team Steichen....just waiting patiently with bated breath.

Knowing Newton's history with errors, maybe he meant the 93rd pick and not the ninth.....

67% comp rate, 30 TD at NDSU with 1 Int is far from dreadful. In the NFL as a 21 & 22-year old youngster his stats are far from desirable, but as a 21 & 22 year old making a leap....I'm okay with it. It wasn't until year 3 that Josh Allen hit his stride.

That's what I mean in that they would hold out on a HC despite Steichen's virtual. Hold off until they can bring Steichen back in and then make our hire.

So if we interview Kafka today, Payton on Monday and already did with Dorsey yesterday and don't announce a hire by Wednesday/Thursday, would Steichen be perceived as the leader in the clubhouse?

Interesting that he has three interviews the day after getting smoked by the Eagles in a playoff road loss. Should speak highly of how he handles adversity and mental fortitude.

Going from NDSU to Kyle Shannahan is not just jumping from FCS to the NFL, but a much bigger leap. IF it was a day 3 pick(s) going back to SF, I'd take a shot on Lance. He was a number three overall that SF gave up A LOT for. Yes he was injured and didn't look the greatest in his limited time. I think the experience, film room and locker room that Lance was in can't be quantified. Someone will benefit from SF taking on the liability and growing pains. Lance also turned 22 last May....he was always a developmental QB that needed patience. I bet Steichen/Kafka would love to have Lance in the fold here in Carolina.

Steichen, please. Save the draft capital from Payton. Take the QB that is there at 9. Save draft capital from moving up. AR is probably the guy and with a guy like Steichen, I think he fits what the HC wants in a QB1. If Steichen is a QB whisperer (Rivers, Herbert, Hurts) and brings an OC that is in lockstep with Steichen's Air Coryell style, I think we are in a good place. Maybe he brings Minshew with him for a year or two....maybe we bring Carr in for a couple of years.... who knows. All of these HC candidates come with concerns. Every...single....one of them.

Agree with this and hopefully keeping Campen too. I heard Billy and John Ellis talking about the OL Coach in Philly being a legend in the NFL. If Steichen comes, he might perhaps bring Istvan with him.... a guy that should carry on the prestige that Stoutland has earned in Philly.

The article says this was just implemented by the League in October of 2022 and it’s the first hiring cycle since it’s been in place. They will make her do the training, publicly embarrass the franchise like it’s some well-established policy…even though it’s not, and will keep it moving. It does speak poorly about how Tepper runs the show, but not as shocking as the headline was meant to be.

Who's he bringing with him? DC - Rumored to be Holcomb. Nope. OC - Rumored to be Brian Johnson. Great hire....probably a HC in two years. If we want experience, go with Payton. If we want our OC poached in two years and have a mediocre record with spikes of excitement sprinkled in, go with Wilkes. Love Wilkes the man....prefer not to be our HC.

I'm good waiting a year to see what we have with Brandon Smith and if a new DC will play Chinn more like a hybrid LB/SAF. I think Luvu - Shaq - Chinn, with Smith rotating in would suffice for '23. For me, bigger needs at QB, TE, DE, DT and SAF...potentially WR and CB3 too.

Riiiiiiiiight........sure thing there Loomis.