TD alt

I was going to say something similar. But I think we'd be remiss not to acknowledge that the O-line leaves a lot to be desired...to say the least. Yeah, Rattler looked very shaky at times.

I did a lot of research on Xavier Legette for the past few weeks, and as some of you know, I was in favor of making him our first pick. I must say that I got tired of going back and forth seemingly every other day about X, and was so ready for the draft to come in order for the team to "put up or shut up" where X was concerned, and enable discussions on X to move forward. X was (is) the most polarizing player discussed on the Huddle in terms pick 33, and that brought a lot of contentious discussion as well as information. See, you never know what to believe during the draft season, and ever since the Senior Bowl, hints and outright stories of the Panthers' and X's mutual attraction appeared and ramped up so easily, that it was almost unbelievable. So, even though I liked X, and really figured that he should be the pick, the ease of which everything fell into place and the outside noise of different analysts made me lose a little conviction. But one ex-scout developed unshakable conviction all the way through. Dan Kelly, who used to scout for the Jets back in the day, chose Xavier Legette as the top receiver in the 2024 draft class. I came across his thoughts weeks ago, but I'm sharing them now just to give you some positive food for thought since X is indeed a Panther. There is no boom-or-bust aspect to X in Kelly's estimation, as X is reminiscent of a damned good one. "This Gamecocks receiver conjures memories of how Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Art Monk — the former Washington star — ran his routes." "Legette's sudden and spontaneous moves win initial route leverage against corners and then he wins again at route breakpoints." For as critical as some have been of X's release off the line, when I look at X work, I can't say that Kelly is wrong here. X certainly seems to get open (though admittedly sometimes he just out-physicals the DBs ). "Legette is the best in this draft class at "Mossin'" defenders — that is acrobatically outjumping corners for passes and coming down with circus catches. Legette isn't the next Moss, but he is darn good. He can go deep or sell the deep route well before settling back underneath and making those vitally important chain-moving intermediate-level receptions (11-19 yards)." https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/scouts_view_the_top_receiver_in_the_nfl_draft_isnt_who_you_think/s1_13132_39987216 On Kelly's own site, First Round Mock, he was a little more specific: "Legette has this spontaneous and impulsive ability to put little moves on corners, whether releasing from the line of scrimmage...or...when going deep. Either way, it’s enough to earn Legette route leverage (position advantage against the cornerback he’s matched up against)." There's that term again: route leverage. Say what you want about X, but he knows how to get it. Lastly, within the scouting report, Kelly really mentions the term again without saying it. "Strong target who showed high-level receiving skills beyond his years...Runs routes to get open rather than well-defined routes which makes him tough to cover. Gets to the spot..." That's ironic, no? X in his roughness makes it ugly for defensive backs to cover him. For me, this was an epiphany when I was looking at some of his clips. Yeah, he may not be the technician that a Diontae Johnson or (dare I say) a Ladd McConkey is, but he always seemed to get where he needed to be. He just simply is not built to be bullied or redirected from the task at hand, and I don't think that's a characteristic or talent (if you will) that can be taught. Sure, he'll be polished up as best that the coaches can, and perhaps that will allow him a smoother release. And I'm sure that the coaches will devise ways to scheme him open, but he's built---physically and mentally to get to where he's going. You saw it last season, and you're going to see it in the pros. Watch what I'm saying. https://firstroundmock.com/2024/02/xavier-legette-reminds-former-nfl-scout-of-these-legends/

We made our choices. WR was needed. RB was needed. LB was needed. TE was needed. After the fourth round, it becomes more of a crapshoot than it already is. It looks like we went BPA at positions of priority. Sorry, OL didn't make the cut this time. We can probably get similar talent in free agency to late round picks if need be. Moreover there will be final cuts that we can shop from as well if necessary. I'm just not gonna worry and second guess picks. The decisions were made and we have to move on. If any adjustments need to be made, I'm sure they'll address it.

It was kind of a sexy draft, and you really didn't even have to get drunk to realize it.

Sometimes you get very valuable information from fantasy football sites. I found an analysis that you may want to read from The Fantasy Footballers. Perhaps you'll gain an insight as to why we moved up and got him. As always, here are a few snippets: "As expected, he dominated in the 2023 season. He averaged an impressive 2.03 Scrimmage Yards per Team Play, which ranks in the 86th percentile among all junior seasons since 2013." "Naturally, after initially playing behind two NFL-caliber running backs, Brooks’ career numbers do not jump off the page. However, his 2023 campaign gave us a glimpse of just how massive his upside could be at the next level. In fact, Brooks is one of only TWO running backs in this class to exceed 2.00 Scrimmage Yards per Team Play within their first three seasons in college." "If you watch Jonathon Brooks’ film, you will find multiple plays in which he created yardage with his quick feet and lateral agility. He is elusive in open spaces and has an impressive ability to stack multiple cuts to avoid contact. Combined with his impressive burst and acceleration, Brooks can be a matchup nightmare in the second and third levels of the defense." "While Brooks is not the most physical running back, he does have a knack for absorbing contact and bouncing off defenders. You see this time and time again in his film." "He showcased a willingness to initiate contact with the pass rusher, the strength to maintain blocks, and the quickness to adjust to the defender’s moves. In addition, per PFF, Brooks was a top-three running back in the 2024 class in pass-blocking grade last season. He was also one of only two running backs in the class to average a 0% pass block pressure rate, highlighting just how effective he was as a blocker." "In short, Brooks has tremendous upside as a prospect. Even with his ACL injury, I would still be comfortable drafting him in the early second round of rookie drafts. In fact, I would not be shocked if he finished his career as the most productive running back in this class. However, we just need to temper our expectations for his rookie year as he slowly ramps up to full health." Marvin Elequin provides more here (including video clips): https://www.thefantasyfootballers.com/dynasty/2024-rookie-profile-rb-jonathon-brooks-fantasy-football/ Basically, Brooks has the potential to be a beast, and was well worth the 46th pick (and most mocks had him going mid second round anyway). He's not JAG. Someone had to make the move and take him, and we were the ones to do it. He's elusive, has good speed and acceleration, exceptional contact balance, and is an outstanding blocker. Just like any nice RB transitioning to the league, he will need to get used to taking what the defense gives him, while also showing discriminating patience, but he has demonstrated some ability on that front in college. Brooks' only real knock is the ACL. But ACLs aren't career ending anymore, or even skill ending as evidenced by Dalvin Cook, Todd Gurley and others. We'll just need to temper our expectations during his rookie campaign while he gets back to form. Once he does, we'll finally have the talented three-down back that has eluded us since Stew retired.

Sanders isn't worth a first round pick.

Yeah, they'll probably take 40 percent of that bonus, maybe even off the top, but that 25K will be taxes like everyone else (maybe around 20 percent.

It's possible, but 97 percent of his snaps were on the outside. But many receivers switch in the NFL. We'll see.

That's the guarantee. I was referring to his $25,000 salary, which most of the people that earn that have to work an entire year to make. For Coker, not so much.

Just think, they've guaranteed this kid $225,000, and a salary that is in line with millions of Americans making a lower income. They must expect him to be around.

Well, he has a very productive season at Holy Cross, and if he's the technician at route running that Smitty says that he is, Coker's got as good of a chance as Norwell and maybe better considering the real and imagined perceptions of our receiving corps.

If Young can't at least play average, then little QBs of the present and future might as well kiss dreams of being in the NFL "goodbye." Sure, there may be what people consider outliers, like Russ and Murray, but Wilson and Murray aren't exactly little guys. Young is the test case.

As constructed now, they'd probably have D. Jackson and Hill on the outside, and either Bootle or L. Jackson in the slot. If we can acquire Gilmore for this season, I'd feel a lot better, but we need depth. Other than possibly Gilmore, we may not acquire any more legit starters until teams cut down to their final rosters.

I can live with them not choosing a center, particularly on day 3 because if AC can't at least be average, then the coaches have some real problems with evaluations. I wanted Sewell, but would've taken Slater as a consolation as well. When they stand out like they did in college, that just screams quality and consistency. But for Horn being injured all the time, I think that I would've been wrong. It's arguable, and Horn is injured all the time. For me, the bigger question was which free agent tackles (if any) were available that offseason. If I were managing, I'd try to keep some reserve cap, an allotment if you will, specifically for the O-line. It's that important to me.

Honestly, dude. "Bent out of shape?" "Circle jerk?" If you don't want to listen to different perspectives regarding the Carolina Panthers and football, then why even come to the Carolina Huddle? Sometimes people are going to---you know---have differences of opinion. Believe it or not, some of us can do it in a thoughtful, if not respectful, manner.

Not really. Fans opinions are all over the place. And fans aren't going to highlight how wrong they were and scream "bloody murder" when they get it wrong. Fans get it wrong a lot, and they also aren't privy to all of the dynamics between drafting players and budgetary constraints. They don't necessarily see the long term picture or the bigger picture. I'd also point out that just because something appears right today, that it may be totally wrong tomorrow. A certain amount of right and wrong when it comes to personnel doesn't reveal itself until time has passed. Lastly, you can't get everyone you want, and no one is going to be right all the time, execs, so-called experts, or fans.

I said years ago that regarding the O-line, what I would do is focus on free agency and acquire established talent. I've always felt that this will bring about more consistent and desirous results. Now of course if you can draft a quality lineman where you can, it's always advantageous due to fiscal reasons, but if you want to stop spinning wheels with the protection of what is supposedly the most important position in team sports, then you're going to have to budget for it to varying degrees. But, in my mind, it needs to be a high priority and you should be willing to pay for it because it's so integral to the offense, and you really can't fake even a satisfactory offensive line. It may have been coincidental, but I'll take it. I want to see what happens when most of your starting O-line consists of free agent acquisitions, decidedly well-paid, as opposed to homegrown draftees.

I think that sometimes fans get caught up in the names and media-driven hype, while the more analytically minded, and the experts---including GMs, team scouts and coaches realize that team building isn't about that.

Burns was another issue.

I forgot to mention that overall we probably received a B. Like some said in the other thread, the real or practical grade comes after the season.

Yeah, I didn't even catch that.

Our Panthers reporter, Anthony Rizutti of Panthers Wire (of USA Today) provides us with a few grades. I've added a couple of more snippets of analyses from some NC guys, including our friend Scott Fowler in Charlotte and a vid from Panthers Playbook's Dennis Cox and Chris Lea in Raleigh. It is food for thought. Of course we all have our opinions, but, me personally, I tend to giive the opinion of hardcore fans and people that actually follow the team a little more weight. Touchdown Wire: B Draft Wire: B+ USA Today: C NFL.com: B ESPN: B- PFF: C Yahoo Sports: C CBS Sports: C+ If you want to read their little summaries, hit the link. But as you can see, the national types have largely graded the draft average. There seems to be an acknowledgement of the fact that Morgan and company were in a hard place due to the malfeasance of the previous administrations, but that our FO did the best it could. One of the "experts" mentioned the "boom-or-bust" nature of our draft, which is an interesting way to characterize it, but I'm good with that. And Charles McDonald of Yahoo Sports may have put it best, which basically alluded to the fact that so much of the grade is simply based upon the unknown: "Even though they’re getting a C, it’s hard not to be caught by the allure of the unknown here. It’s a really interesting class." https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/lists/panthers-nfl-draft-grades-experts-2024/ Tony Pauline, another national talking head, took his page straight out of Debbie Downer's playbook, but it's all about perspective, right? Here's a bone for those that are decidedly negative about the outcome: "You could brand the Panthers as this year’s losers before the event began, considering they frittered away the first pick of the draft last year to select Bryce Young. Trading up one spot for the final selection of Round 1 to select Xavier Legette, a Day 2 receiver prospect, kept things going in the wrong direction for Carolina." One person who has been---perhaps what has been perceived as negative about the direction of the franchise---decidedly sober-minded and what I consider fair about the way things have been going under the Tepper era has been Scott Fowler. By now, everyone should have heard of the contentious relationship that he and David Tepper have. Fowler has called Tepper out on his decided malfeasance (labelling it inTeptitude as I recall), and Tepper, the owner that is a somewhat contentious all own his own by the simplest of "slights," has outwardly acted inappropriate (in my opinion, toward Fowler. But Fowler was decidedly positive about this year's draft. "While nationally the Panthers didn’t get nearly the same amount of attention in this draft as they did in 2023, owing to the controversial big-splash trade and the ensuing selection of Young a year ago, this group may be more significant as a whole." Fowler gave the draft a B+ "This team is going to be more exciting. In particular, I have high hopes for Legette and Sanders. Carolina didn’t get everything it wanted — an edge rusher in the first two days of the draft would have been nice, for instance. But overall, I’m giving the Panthers a grade of B+ for the 2024 NFL Draft. Which, given the team as a whole got an F last year, is quite an upgrade." You may hit a paywall:https://www.heraldonline.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article287830040.html#storylink=cpy And finally, here is Dennis Cox And Chris Lea. I thought they were fair and thoughtful in their assessment. They call Dan and Dave (and company) "The Alignment," because of being on the same page. For me, that alone, is worth the listen.

I'm not necessarily trying to be flippant, but Morgan has been telling you what type of team he's trying to to build. So, if you have no idea, you just haven't been listening. @ForJimmy explained it pretty well. But, if you don't believe that, then all you have to do is go back and listen to all of the pressers since Morgan was promoted. Then go back and listen to Dave Canales' pressers since he's been here. Don't forget to listen to the pressers during the draft. You're complaining because you don't agree with the player---or perhaps players that were drafted, the mail one being X. I have consistently said that they should draft the player with the most upside, and that you can't limit your draft based upon perceived limitations (especially perceived limitations based upon some fans) of your QB, particularly if the QB is unproven. X has the most upside, and he needs to be developed for sure, but what you obviously fail to realize is that all of the receivers that we could've picked were "projects," save for maybe Ladd who is smallish, has an injury history, and would have offered some redundancy with what we already have. Most people consider him a slot guy. We already have guys that can play in the slot. If anything, our choices in the draft probably mean that Mingo is solidly in the long term plans. Whether he succeeds or not will be on him for the most part, as well as the coaches to put him in his best position to succeed. Regarding that, he likely needs to be transitioned to the slot where I'm pretty sure some teams (the Steelers being one of them) would have placed him in had he been available. What we also have is JT Sanders who will be another tough competitor on our side at the catch point. He is big-bodied with high upside, and will provide even another potential beast in the second and third level, and another consistent option for our QB (and any QB). Morgan and Canales obvious put a premium on receivers that can make tough catches, but that doesn't mean that these guys can't be polished up and coached up where necessary. But even if I look at a worse case scenario, if a wideout can make a tough catch, in the mold of Alshon Jeffrey or even Tee Higgins, then YAC is not as important. But the fact is, that both of our newly drafted wideouts have upside to be YAC monsters. So many people were banging the table for a center. I've said it all the way through: apparently our FO on down believes that AC can be a proficient center. It s not like he hasn't played it before. Moreover, we found out (and some of us already knew) that BC could be a backup. Well that's the plan. Until proven otherwise, I'm going to have faith that Canales and Joe Gilbert (as well as Dan Morgan) know what they're doing in that regard. I could be wrong, but I'm thinking that our O-line should at least be average. We'll find out, but I trust that this is not going to be an excuse for Bryce not to succeed in 2024. You've already seen the investment in the O-line, and in the offensive weapons. But Morgan also invested in the defense. We were decent last season, but inconsistent which lead to us being gashed. But the lack of offense also lead to the defense being gassed, which of course leads to being gashed as well. With the addition of the rookies and the additions of Robinson and Jewell, Fuller and of course Clowney and Wonnum, getting gashed in the run game will hopefully be a thing of the past. But the fact is that you can't fix everything in one offseason. However, if you can't see the plan and the vision, you just don't want to see it.

Legette out there dropping dimes.

My son went to high school with Devin Carter.