Trading KB, the silver lining

[Leeroy Jenkins PhD]

I was just as surprised, confused, and angered as any Panther fan when the Halloween day news broke that the Panthers had traded Kelvin Benjamin for a few draft picks.  Since that time, I have come to understand that it may have actually been a pretty good move.  Let me explain a few points.

 

For starters, the Bills essentially traded a 3rd and 7th round draft pick for the rights to KB for 8 games. No one thinks KB is worth the money he is going to receive for his  5th year option. He just hadn't played at that level.

 

The Panthers desperately needed the cap relief.  This move, paired with a few other Panther vets restructuring or being released could allow for Lotulelei and Norwell to re-sign.  For a team that prides itself on winning the trenches, these two are essential.

 

Marty is forcing Shula to open up the offense. Funchess and KB, when paired as our wr1 and wr2 were lethargic. They could not separate from receivers fast enough to be reliable options in the passing game. Teams were stacking the box against the run, and still able to cover these two due to lack of speed. 

 

The biggest question I have is, if Marty Hurney felt the only way to change the offense was to trade away one of the WRs, he and Shula must not be communicating well.  This move does not make me believe Shula is on good terms with the GM. Maybe we see a change at OC sooner than many people think. 

[iamhubby1]

    All in all, a pretty good assessment. 

 

    Maybe, just maybe, if the Offense still struggles with KB gone, will that put another nail in Shula's coffin?

 

    Then again, if the Offense picks it up? Where does that leave us, coaching wise?

[beastson]

1 minute ago, iamhubby1 said:

    I don't get the Fuch hate. Many of us have been saying for a while that he gets open plenty. Yet, a poo ton of folks are claiming he can't get open. 

 

    Also, Samuel, and Shep were on the field with Funch plenty last week. So we were trying to get more speed on the field. But again, folks will gloss over that as well.

 

    I believe there are two factors going on right now. Folks are frustrated, so they are not seeing with clear eyes. They are harping over things that are in the past, or things that haven't even happened yet.

 

    And two, folks appear to be under the impression that everyone involved with this team must be perfect. That is just not going to happen. Not here, not anywhere. Mistakes were made, and mistakes are going to continue to be made.

 

    We are 5-3, and sitting in good position. Until things actually do fall apart. I am going to continue to believe we are a pretty darn good team.

Or... many people don't like Marty Hurney and don't feel he's making good moves.

[trucpfan]

Or we run through Ron and he always plays vets but Shula saw the huddle and realized he needed speed out there before we fly that banner on his ass and told Ol Marty look out and get rid of the "vet" so I can show the world my offense is potent when run right 

[iamhubby1]

1 minute ago, beastson said:

Or... many people don't like Marty Hurney and don't feel he's making good moves.

 

    I did not mean to post that. And have taken it down. Now, having said that. So what if folks don't like Hurndog? There is no earthly reason to go on a witch hunt before anything actually  goes wrong.

 

    Folks are bitching over their fear of what happened in the past. That is not only unhealthy, it is a waste of energy.

 

    You learn from the past. You do not fear it. And this place reeks of fear.

 

    Hurndog extended Davis Sr., and Olsen. Then traded KB. If folks are using those moves to bash him? That seems pretty short sighted to me.

[TheRed]

You don't trade away a starter to force the hand of an already in over his head offensive coordinator. Especially when your receiver depth is as iffy as ours currently is, and has been off and on throughout the last several years. When you realize on top of all this that we have been able to establish zero ground game with our recent 8th overall pick, this is a prime recipe for a shitshow against Atlanta.

[Panthers Fanatic]

Pretty much the same I felt/am feeling minus the hope for a change at OC. Hurney would have to fire Rivera at the direction of JR and I can't see it happening unless we tank the season from here on out. 

[Daddy_Uncle]

how many of these threads are we going to have?

[PanthersBigD]

It would kill the season to fire our OC without someone to replace him. Ron's a DC, he'd be out of his depth, and none of our current position coaches have shown any inkling that they're ready for Shula's headset, sad as that seems. I personally have a seething hatred for the moves Hurney inflicted on our team the last time he was GM, so I have real trouble believing he could actually be shrewd enough to make a move like this, but I could see the logic in it. Can't fire the OC without tanking the season. OC won't adapt/bench WR1 who's playing like a WR2. Trade him, get picks, make cap room, put OC in a position where it's sink or swim and see what happens. It's still a big gamble, but less so than firing Shula and handing the reins to Dorsey or Taylor.  

[bigdog10]

The silver lining I found is this:  the KB trade is a win win for panther fans and here is how:

Scenario A:  if our offense continues to be awful, it will force Marty’s hand to fire Shula at the end of the year. Not wanting to be the fall guy for the failed trade, Marty cans Shula to save face. 

Scenario B:  If in fact this move does work and our offense starts playing lights out, we are going to the playoffs and will win when in it due to great defense. 

 

So in other words, we get the option of seeing Shula shown the door or the playoffs this year and all we had to do was sacrifice a receiver who wouldn’t have been part of the long term plans anyway. 

 We (panther fans) are the real winners of this trade. 

[iamhubby1]

1 minute ago, Daddy_Uncle said:

how many of these threads are we going to have?

 

    Think about this. If we lose to atl, what do you think this place will become?

 

    Actual football discussion has taken a back seat to the fear people have of Hurndog. They just know things are going to go into the dumpster. And you are not going to talk them out of it.

 

    If we continue to win, they will bitch about the fact the coaching staff will probably stay. If we lose, they will bitch about our coaching staff ruining our star players careers. LOL

[LinvilleGorge]

We've already picked up the option. KB is getting $8.5M next season. That'll make him the 21st highest paid WR in the NFL. Yes, he's worth that.

[iamhubby1]

1 minute ago, bigdog10 said:

So in other words, we get the option of seeing Shula shown the door or the playoffs this year and all we had to do was sacrifice a receiver who wouldn’t have been part of the long term plans anyway. 

 We (panther fans) are the real winners of this trade. 

 

    Folks have been complaining about KB pretty much since he got here. Yet Hurndog trades him, and all hell breaks loose. Ya gotta love the Huddle.

[LinvilleGorge]

Honestly, if it takes losing KB to free us of Shula, I'm okay with this.

That speaks volumes as to what I think about Mike Shula.