Shaq will more than likely be taking TD's role next year.

[Rags]

Right out of TD's mouth himself.

https://mobile.twitter.com/PanthersBill/status/950395535550185472?ref_src=twcamp^share|twsrc^m5|twgr^email|twcon^7046|twterm^3

(Again not sure how to embed tweets.)

Look for a Deonne Buccanon/Telvin Smith type player to be added or drafted to take Shaq's old "buffalo nickel" role.

[jackson113]

At this point alot is up in the air...

[LinvilleGorge]

I'm actually encouraged that TD thinks Shaq is up to it. If he is, at TD's age it's probably time for them to swap roles.

[Ship]

Shaq gets shook and can’t tackle. I hope we can do better.

[Fright]

Shaq has a ways to go before filling those shoes, primarily in the tackling department. Some of his persuit tackles this season were terrible, but I think he’s more than capable of developing into the likeness of TD on the field.

[g_d0t]

PFF about Shaq in 2016:

 

Shaq Thompson, Carolina Panthers (85.6)

With C.J. Mosley and Jordan Hicks both turning 25 just before training camps open this summer, the pool for quality young linebackers to make this team takes something of a hit. Despite playing limited snaps through his first two seasons, no linebacker under the age of 25 has graded better on a per-snap basis than Shaq Thompson in Carolina. Thompson notched 30 defensive stops in 2016 on just 533 total snaps, and wasn’t beat for a pass longer than 22 yards all season. With an aging Thomas Davis and mild-injury concerns around Luke Kuechly, Thompson’s role should be expanding quickly.

 

He was rated the best player under 25 at the LB position. 

[Jon Snow]

I remember a wise old fat guy who said prior to training camp that Shaq should get more playing time and Davis should play less.  He was fired shortly thereafter.

[Hoenheim]

I dont care about his PFF all I ever see is either him or Coleman whiffing on tackles or getting burned through the air and taking bad angles

[Rags]

7 minutes ago, Hoenheim said:

I dont care about his PFF all I ever see is either him or Coleman whiffing on tackles or getting burned through the air and taking bad angles

That's cool and all but that's also because we used Shaq completely wrong.

I said this in a different thread, but the Strongside/Buffalo Nickel position is not for Shaq. They're for guys like Su'a Craverns and Deonne Buccanon, basically Safties playing the linebacker position or really, really athletic LBs like Atl have. Games he took over for TD and playing the Weakside, he was more than fine 

[Dilla]

As long as Shaq isn't forced to cover fuging slot receivers, I think he'll fill in TD's spot nicely.

[Biscuit]

23 minutes ago, Jon Snow said:

I remember a wise old fat guy who said prior to training camp that Shaq should get more playing time and Davis should play less.  He was fired shortly thereafter.

 

Football Buddha.

 

[SOJA]

Just for the record. TD said this exact same thing last year. hard to take the dog out of a competitor, don't blame TD for that at all

[TylerDurden]

I have always been a detractor, but I've been meaning to say, for whatever reason, when he had to play WLB while TD was out, he looked A LOT better than he does at SLB.  So maybe there is hope, but still, he was a reach and a luxury pick...  And if they're planning on moving him to WLB to lessen TD's role, we still will have to find a really, really good WLB.

[pantherphan96]

TD declined significantly again this year, especially in coverage. Change his role similar to Peppers providing more with limited snaps at DE to stay fresh.