musicman

What options does Cam have next year? Practically none because he's just not the same great player he was. A few million a year to play a supportive yet still "game day active and in the game plan" role, why not. He loves Charlotte and most love him. Cam also came back more humble with a different perspective. If he wants to still play, this probably would be his only way then just being a back up holding a clip board. We have a 90% chance of Darnold being on the team next year, because of his contract. Build the O-line and keep the defense Elite and see what happens. Remember when Tepper hired Rhule he said this could take up to 5 years to start turning this around and into a consistent winner. I think he was going to give Rhule time to figure it out at an NFL level. 1 good O-line signing and 2 top draft picks and the O-line turns around quickly. You can't fix everything in 1 year but in 3 to 4, maybe. I don't think any of us have a choice.

https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/2021/12/25/espn-jimmy-garoppolo-jordan-love-panthers/ In a little imagining of how the 2022 quarterback carousel could spin, ESPN staff writer Bill Barnwell crafted together three distinct scenarios for the upcoming offseason. And one of those timelines (perhaps the worst possible one) has the Panthers acquiring good ol’ Jimmy G for a conditional 2023 draft pick. “If the Panthers strike out in their moves to acquire a superstar under center, Garoppolo is a logical Plan B,” Barnwell writes. “We know that he has more upside than it might seem — the 49ers did make it to a Super Bowl with him, after all — and he wouldn’t preclude them from going after a quarterback in the 2023 draft. This would be a third-round pick in 2023 that could rise as high as the first round if Garoppolo plays 16 games and Carolina makes the playoffs.” We’re still waiting, now at the end of year No. 5 as a starter, on that upside from Garoppolo—whose play hasn’t exactly been inspiring. Speaking of uninspiring, such a move would make Sam Darnold dispensable and lead to—as Barnwell further suggests—a trade to the New Orleans Saints for Carolina’s failed project. The second scenario that involves the Panthers has Green Bay Packers backup Jordan Love packing his bags for Charlotte. This proposed deal would send the 2020 first-round pick over for the same price they got Darnold for—second and fourth-round selections. “While Carolina has attempted to trade for star quarterbacks over the past two offseasons, this scenario would leave the market with none available,” he writes, leaving Aaron Rodgers with the Packers for the future. “The Panthers might not want to use another midround pick on a quarterback who isn’t a sure thing, but facing the horror of going into 2022 with Sam Darnold as their top option, Love would be a low-cost, high-upside alternative. They reportedly took a close look at Love before the 2020 draft.” We got our first real look at Love this season in a spot-start for Rodgers. The 23-year-old, in his first career start, completed 19 of his 34 throws for 190 yards, a touchdown and an interception against the Kansas City Chiefs back in Week 9. So, are you feeling the Love or would you rather shimmy with Jimmy? (We’ll see ourselves out now.)

If you draft a QB in the 1st, you don't get a good OL pick until the mid round. You have Sam and Cam would probably do a deal similar to what he did this year. I'm not saying this is what they should want to do but we may not have too many choices for 2022, with Sams contract and having no 2nd or 3rd round picks. And as a player told me recently, we have a lot of guys to pay for next year.

Somebody I know inside the team (with no football ops connection) suggested that could be a good situation for Cam, and I agree. He's the main back up but plays throughout the game (short yardage especially). Why not? If we don't draft a QB in round 1 or sign a top FA, why not ride with Sam and Cam for 2022. Build the O-line (which everybody under the sun agrees we need to do). In 2023 either through FA or draft when the team is "hopefully" an 8 or 9 win team and ready for the next step and move on from Cam and Sam if needed.

On WFNZ they were talking some teams might run at a couple of QB's and there is a couple of top 5 DE's so getting the Alabama LT could be a realistic option. But trading down a few spots and picking up a 2nd round pick sound even better. Getting a 3rd rd comp pick for not re-signing D Jax sounds even better.

We will probably fall between 5th & 7th in the draft. Bears lose 2 and Giants lose 1 and we probably get the 5th IF we lose out. If LT Evan Neal from Alabama (6-7, 350 pounds) is there, it's a NO brainer, take him. If he doesn't fall to us (which he should), we should drop a few slots (to about 10th or 11th), pick up a 2nd round pick and either take: Tyler Linderbaum, C, Iowa (6-3, 290 pounds) Or even drop a little lower (around 12th-13th) and grab Charles Cross, OT, Mississippi State (6-5, 310 pounds) but not if they think we'll miss the chance. LT or C is huge. C Ryan Kalil was the general for so many years. The QBs are not strong enough to use your only pick in the top 100. Build the OL through the draft and FA and hopefully get a decent one in FA to bide your time. But just like we built the defense, build the offense. I've talked to players on defense and they are proud of the defense they have. If I get what Rhule is trying to build (which is real hard to see these days) an incredible defense and a running offense for cold weather playoff football. Not based on superstars but a collective team of good solid players. Unless you have an Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady, you need a solid team to be and stay competitive. I think we believe they should have addressed every position and there's no way to do that. We whiffed on O-line and QB but did pretty good in other areas, but it's all a crap shoot. It takes time and fans are impatient. 2020 doesn't count as a real 1st year because of Covid and all the restrictions with a new NC, OC & DC, and a ton of new players. 2021 is like 1.5 years to me. I believe we'll see a better team next year. Maybe not winning the Super Bowl, but more competitive, or at least I hope. I don't see them signing DJax and getting the 3rd or 4th round comp pick from him. I hope they keep Luvu, Reddick and Gilmore, even Haynes.

Why not at this point.

They will use some of the money that DJax would have got to pay him. They'll also get a 3rd rd pick for the FA loss. Win-win.

They are NOT going to let Rhule go. Also think that most of the coaches are mostly Rhule guys, who guides the team? He's gonna get year 3 and if shows improvement, he'll get another. Its a 7 year contract. He staying 3 to 4 years at a minimum. Tepper original said it may take 5 years to build a consistent winner so I see 4 as a minimum.

Who knows. A really good line would help Cam or Sam if we have them next year.

It's gonna be Darnold next year vs Cam or a draft pick. Build the O-line and see where that takes you. It's hit and miss anyway.

Its a learning curve. New owner and coach to the NFL and now new GM. It takes time to turn a large ship.

Tepper said this could take up to 5 years to build a consistent winner. Rhule's past has been 3. I say year 3 we make the playoffs and battle for a playoff spot every year after. What I see and think: Investment in both lines while searching for a future QB. They don't resign D Jax and get a 3rd rd comp pick. They have a lot of CBs. I do think they resign Gilmore to a 2 year deal (not too much money) so he can stay close to home. With Horn and CJ, Gilmore, Taylor and Bouye for 2022, you're set. They draft and sign O-lineman and another space eater D-lineman in 2022 and again in 2023. Doesn't matter who the QB is and how good your defense is if you can't take time off the clock on offense and score some points. They need a great Center to start with. Maybe Brown gets a shot at G. - without a big DT pushing the middle, having Burns and Reddick fast on the outside does nothing. QB steps up and throws it. I have a feeling they won't resign DJ Moore to an extension and take the comp pick in 2023. His drops and some poor routes might be a turn off. They showed yesterday an INT was part on him for not running the route correctly and drawing the safety towards him. If the announcers see it, the coaches definetly will. Darnold will compete for QB in 2022 as who knows if they sign or draft his competition. I think they will resign Reddick, but after giving more $ to Anderson (or now injuries with CMC), are they gonna shy away? They may take the 3rd rd comp pick for him too. I believe they will turn this into a consistently winning organization, it takes time. We are just impatient as fans.

Didn't the Dolphins win 3 in a row? I don't see them floundering.

Hopefully we'll see him back after the bye and hopefully we're 6-6 with a slim chance.

We weren't and are still not going to win the Super Bowl this year. But, a try at a playoff run will give these young players some great experience for next year and beyond. Yes, we should try BC at LT and some other guys if we don't have a shot at the playoffs later on. Even though we won't do anything in the playoffs, that experience of trying to, and maybe making it will go along way.

Wasn't he rated higher as a guard than a tackle in the draft? So they had to try. Let's hope he improves and solves the LT issue. Again, he just needs to be consistent, not great.

According to Pro Football Focus, Christensen was on the field for 26 pass-blocking snaps and didn’t concede either a sack or a quarterback pressure. This is a significant positive that also saw the first-year-pro emerge as Carolina’s highest-graded player with 81.1. Maybe we get solid work from that position going forward? Doesn't have to be great, just consistent.

The team will do something they have never done EVER during the introductions in team history. Be in the stadium early, you don't want to miss it.

Just in case it didn't play.

Panther pep rally - Living on a prayer.mov We're halfway through the season and we've got nothing to lose. If you're going on Sunday, be loud & proud. If you sell your tickets, try and sell it to a Panther fan.

If he did play well, he would have wanted a large multi year contract or if he did decently, they would have to take a chance and extend him with a longer contract. It was only a 2 year deal and we know after 1 year how he is. Wasn't really about saving money but taking a chance to possibly save us money. Didn't work out.

I see it as the Panthers took a chance and at least they are trying to get better after Watson and Stafford didn't pan out. I don't think Mac Jones would be as good in our system and along with Fields they have a long way to go before they prove to be franchise QBs. We had almost no choice to extend him as if he played really good, or at least looked like he was headed that way, it would have costed even more. At least the Panthers show they are not going to be cheap in trying to get good players. Some work out and some don't, plain and simple. Reddick and Luvu yes, Erving now. I see Darnold on the team next year, even if it's a back up role with Cam, a new draft pick or another signing.

What I said was...... "If we switched Darnold and Prescott like the movie "Trading places", would Darnold play better with Dallas's O-line, RBs and WRs? Absolutely! Not at Dak's level. And Dak would not play at his level with this team and the play calling, but would be better than Sam" I didn't say Sam was the answer or would be great and he's no where close to Daks level. I was just pointing out the team around you does make a difference and right now EVERYBODY is not playing good. Dallas right now is hitting on all cylinders and we are misfiring. Kellen Moore is also calling great games as a the OC. That's all that was said and asked. I even said we have no choice but to let it play out.

If we switched Darnold and Prescott like the movie "Trading places", would Darnold play better with Dallas's O-line, RBs and WRs? Absolutely! Not at Dak's level. And Dak would not play at his level with this team and the play calling, but would be better than Sam. We do have to give Sam a chance. Injuries did change things from the start of the season. O-line has regressed. The drops are like Covid spreading to everyone. And the defensive injuries are taking their toll. I'm sure the playbook is limited as this was his first year and we lost plays from training camp and preseason without CMC. The Panthers tried to find a QB (Stafford). They were in on Watson until it fell apart. When they hired Rhule, Tepper said this might be a 3 to 5 years building process. And I don't fault the team for trying this, trading for that person or the constant changes as they're trying to see what works. If everybody could make every move perfectly work out, then every team would be champions. Most moves don't work out. Part is timing. You need the right players playing at their top performance level at the same time and staying healthily - see 2015 Panthers. Unless some great deal falls in their lap, I see them rolling with Darnold next year while either developing a newly drafted QB or just building around him. As great as Mahomes is, the team is still losing because he doesn't have the players around him playing well. Anyway, we can't do anything right now and either can the Panthers so let's wait and see.