PFF giving Panthers roster some love...

[KB_fan]

So, it's still only mid-July.  Not even training camp yet... and this is only a pre-season roster ranking unit by unit....

AND it's PFF.....   Equals:  TAKE THE FOLLOWING WITH MANY GRAINS OF SALT...  But still, the Panthers are 4 for 4 in the position group rankings that PFF has done so far.  We've got 4 position groups in the top 6.  Best in the league.  Obviously we will get dinged on Secondary, and maybe re: WRs (in PFF's opinion)... but to have elite QB;  Def Front 7; Oline (interior); and RB.  Very very nice.

Here's the tweet I posted with this info earlier today:

Here are all the PFF links to the series entries to date:

QB:  https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-qb-situations/

Def Front 7:  https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-defensive-front-sevens/

Oline:  https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-offensive-lines-entering-the-2016-season/

RB:  https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-running-back-units/

[RoaringRiot]

Wait....so KB_Fan is also PanthersFan_InAfrica? 

[KSpan]

Quote

Key stat: Carolina stopped 34.0 percent of runs for no gain or a loss in base defense last season, an NFL-best.

That's a crazy stat right there.

[PntherPryd]

 I just have a problem with the PFF business plan of quantifying everything based on numbers only.  When do you go back to the eye test?  Granted, the numbers in this example are positive for us but I'm just about done with reading anything on the PFF site.  They hit there peak of usefulness (which I quantify as 21.7% btw) midway through the season, not before training camp.

It is interesting to see them averaged out though, are they doing that or is that your undertaking KB_fan?

[uncfan888]

1 hour ago, RoaringRiot said:

Wait....so KB_Fan is also PanthersFan_InAfrica? 

Affirmative. I just figured that out too haha 

[KB_fan]

4 hours ago, RoaringRiot said:

Wait....so KB_Fan is also PanthersFan_InAfrica? 

Yeah, Panthers Fan in Africa seemed like a nice Twitter handle.  It's a new account I just set up for Panthers-only social media interaction.  In the past I've read lots of Panthers stuff on Twitter, but never interacted because I was using a work-specific account.

I might have done the Panthers Fan in Africa name here when I joined last year, but back then I wasn't really wanting to give out much personal info, so hesitated to use a handle that indicated I'm overseas.

[KB_fan]

3 hours ago, PntherPryd said:

It is interesting to see them averaged out though, are they doing that or is that your undertaking KB_fan?

That was my idea... 

In reality it might be better to weight certain position groups (like QB), but for now, I just thought I'd track which team has the most balanced roster / fewest position holes. 

[KushMcDieselson]

You must have exceptional excel spreadsheet skills with all the number crunching you do lol. 

And QB ranked 4? Did they miss the entire 2015 season? CAMVP and Top 100 #1? I am beyond ready for the Aaron Rodgers love fest to end.

[LinvilleGorge]

I feel like they're overrating our OL a bit. I think we have the best interior OL in the league, but our OTs are below average. Oher is an average OT (good pass blocking, bad run blocking) but Remmers is a below average RT (bad pass blocking, good run blocking). Pass blocking is more valuable than run blocking. Our backups aren't good. We're particularly in trouble if something happens to Oher. 

[KB_fan]

Agree that our Oline depth is pretty thin / suspect, especially since we let Amini and Velasco walk.  Neither were great, but they both did fine as back up last year and know our guys and system.  But as several here have written before, probably most teams in the league are in the same boat in terms of very limited depth.  There doesn't seem enough good Oline depth to go around.  Lots of teams are playing with surprisingly bad lines.

[KB_fan]

So PFF has now posted their rankings of receiving corps (WRs & TEs)

https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-receiving-corps/

We come in at #14.  Not too bad.  Best in NFC South.  This means we're still best roster overall for 5 position groups they've ranked.  But DBs yet to come.... so we could slip out of 1st place given I expect a very low DB ranking!

Here's the write up re: our receiving corps.  Interesting that they include Key Garrett as "key depth"

 

Quote

 

14. Carolina Panthers

Projected starters: WR Kelvin Benjamin, WR Devin Funchess, WR Ted Ginn, TE Greg Olsen

Key depth: WR Corey Brown, WR Keyarris Garrett, TE Ed Dickson

Key stat: Greg Olsen averaged 2.24 yards per route run last season, third-most among NFL TEs.

The Carolina Panthers were one win away from heading into this season as defending Super Bowl champions, and they did that with top receiver Kelvin Benjamin missing the entire year due to injury. A huge target at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, Benjamin had 11 touchdowns—but dropped 12 passes—as a rookie in 2014. Getting him back on the field, and seeing the step forward you would expect, should be huge for the Panthers’ offense. Devin Funchess was solid as a rookie, though his eight drops from 44 catchable targets is concerning given his struggles in college, but at 6-foot-4, 233 pounds, he is another huge target for Cam Newton. The Panthers’ best receiver, though, is at tight end, with Olsen making up for his struggles as a blocker by standing out as one of the best receiving TEs in the NFL. He dropped just four of the 81 catchable passes thrown his way in the 2015 regular season, racking up 1,104 yards—second-most only to Gronkowski at the position.

 

In reality, our WR#5 is more likely to be Hill, Norwood, Bersin or Byrd I would think... but we shall see.

[Snake]

Things like this allow you to compete and eventually we will see a SB when the NFL deems it. 

[bleedsgreenandgold]

Whew...

https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-secondaries-entering-the-2016-season/

 

[KB_fan]

1 hour ago, bleedsgreenandgold said:

Whew...

https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-ranking-all-32-nfl-secondaries-entering-the-2016-season/

 

YUP.  Pretty much saw that coming as PFF had us ranked at #32 back after the draft, and nothing has changed in our secondary.   So bottom of the list it is.

That #32 rank for our DBs gives our overall roster grade a big hit and dropped us from 1st place to 6th, but still looking very solid for 5 out of 6 position groups.  

Also at this rate, there's tons of room for our DBs to be a pleasant surprise.  Hope we see them shock the league.  Yes there will be rookie mistakes, but we've got such great coaches, and such amazing leaders on Defense (TD, Luke, Kurt..., and so many HUNGRY young guys (Bene, Kony, Boston....etc etc.) that I think we'll be ok. 

Here's how the rankings shaped up.  Not sure if PFF will rank Special Teams...