Appears that B.Bell may be watching from bench if things don't improve

[pantherclaw]

Were they in pads today/yesterday?

[rayzor]

I agree, but this would Be an ideal situation. Sure it would be great to be at that point, but it is not as dire as some make it out to be.

Big picture, our line was shaky at best last season. We ended up 12-4. There are ways to get around a weak line. I could be wrong but I personally think the interior line is much improved than last season. Even not, we can win with the line as is. Every other position has been upgraded so there is no reason for me to think we could not repeat.

yes, we can win with the line as it is, we could also see cam get destroyed and hurt bad bc we had guys starting for us on the outside who really should be just back ups.

 

i agree that the interior of the OL is better and is pretty good, tbh. it was also stronger than the outside of the line heading into the draft. 

 

i think this team has only one glaring defect, but it's a big one and i think it is pretty dire. that defect is OT.

 

i think people are downplaying how big of a deal it is and acting like it's almost unrealisitic that we should have the OL set heading into TC like it's uncommon for that to happen. it's not, though. esp. at OT. what other team,  esp legit playoff team, is still trying to find out who their starting OTs are going to be on both sides? one side....i can see it, but both sides? it's kind of ridiculous. and we have most other position groups pretty much set. we haven't had it set for years. we've had gross and kalil and then the rest has been a revolving door. i'm hoping that the interior is now set for a few years with silatolu-kalil-tailor. we still need more than the 2 jags competing for those two spots and adding williams to the mix is barely worth mentioning because it does very little to strengthen the competition. those two spots are weak and we have no competition for the jobs. i hope there is some FA activity soon so we can expand the pool of potential players beyond just those couple guys.

[pantherclaw]

It's.only both tackle positions, cause our starting RT is in the mix for LT.

Im sticking to my prediction at the end of last season.

Chandler will be our starting LT (whixh I'm excited to see), while Bell will play RT again. Hoping for a better season out of Bell, regardless which side he'll be playing.

[rayzor]

Were they in pads today/yesterday?

it's not allowed until training camp.

[KendrickPanther]

This all sounds like nonsense. Even worse it's second hand nonsense. I remember a few years ago Seyji Ajiritutu started at Wide Reciever in OTAs and Minicamps.

[carolinarolls]

It's just a mini.

Things will continue to iron out as time passes.

You have to know where everyone is before camp cuts begin.

[ChinaPanther]

yes, we can win with the line as it is, we could also see cam get destroyed and hurt bad bc we had guys starting for us on the outside who really should be just back ups.

 

i agree that the interior of the OL is better and is pretty good, tbh. it was also stronger than the outside of the line heading into the draft. 

 

i think this team has only one glaring defect, but it's a big one and i think it is pretty dire. that defect is OT.

 

i think people are downplaying how big of a deal it is and acting like it's almost unrealisitic that we should have the OL set heading into TC like it's uncommon for that to happen. it's not, though. esp. at OT. what other team,  esp legit playoff team, is still trying to find out who their starting OTs are going to be on both sides? one side....i can see it, but both sides? it's kind of ridiculous. and we have most other position groups pretty much set. we haven't had it set for years. we've had gross and kalil and then the rest has been a revolving door. i'm hoping that the interior is now set for a few years with silatolu-kalil-tailor. we still need more than the 2 jags competing for those two spots and adding williams to the mix is barely worth mentioning because it does very little to strengthen the competition. those two spots are weak and we have no competition for the jobs. i hope there is some FA activity soon so we can expand the pool of potential players beyond just those couple guys.

 

The Saints had Charles Brown at LT last year for the majority of the season. GB had a rookie 4th round draft pick at LT last year. 

[SauceBoss]

Team Chandler.

 

Team Free Agent

[AceBoogie]

The reason we have slow starts is because we spend the first few games of the season figuring out who is going to play.

[DaveThePanther2008]

But, haven't you heard? He's left handed!!! Evidently that's pretty much all that's needed to play LT in the NFL.

 

I will be the first to admit I thought it might be a factor for him.  It is obvious, (what I have heard because I haven't seen it myself) that he is not showing very well. 

 

I think most of us that felt that he might do better on the left side because DG and RR felt he could do the job. 

 

It isn't always the wrong idea when the people that know it best say it could be.   If he fails than he fails.  I want what is best for the team.  Hell if we could convince Gross to come back I would but that isn't going to happen so lets take what we got and run with it.

[SCP]

The OT position is very bad right now. It wouldn't even be a top 3 OT combo in the SEC. The Panthers were fools to ignore it, even if Hurney forced their hand.

[CheeseCP]

The OT position is very bad right now. It wouldn't even be a top 3 OT combo in the SEC. The Panthers were fools to ignore it, even if Hurney forced their hand.

Not trying to be contentious, but if you were GM how would you have handled the offseason differently? I don't know that I would have done much differently so far with the hopes that a stop gap player becomes available after cuts. You're working to clear off some of the bad deals and setting yourself up for a big improvement next year while still fielding a potential playoff team. Just curious how you would have approached it.

[SCP]

Not trying to be contentious, but if you were GM how would you have handled the offseason differently? I don't know that I would have done much differently so far with the hopes that a stop gap player becomes available after cuts. You're working to clear off some of the bad deals and setting yourself up for a big improvement next year while still fielding a potential playoff team. Just curious how you would have approached it.

I'll probably get killed for this but whatevs. I probably would not have franchised Greg Hardy so I could have done more in FA on the oline. I'm fine with the WR moves and the secondary moves. But Gettleman had to know Gross was retiring and to hope Bell and Chandler can step up to protect our franchise QB seems a little short sighted. Would letting Hardy walk have been a mistake? Who knows, but at least we had experienced back ups at that position.

[CheeseCP]

I'll probably get killed for this but whatevs. I probably would not have franchised Greg Hardy so I could have done more in FA on the oline. I'm fine with the WR moves and the secondary moves. But Gettleman had to know Gross was retiring and to hope Bell and Chandler can step up to protect our franchise QB seems a little short sighted. Would letting Hardy walk have been a mistake? Who knows, but at least we had experienced back ups at that position.

I think that is an understandable approach. If you knew that Ealy would fall to you in the 2nd then it would have made even more sense. Who would you have targeted in free agency to improve the line? Was there a franchise LT available in your mind or would you be looking for a stop gap? Would seriously weakening your defense be worth anything less than a franchise LT?