Jump to content

  • Welcome!

    Register and log in easily with Twitter or Google accounts!

    Or simply create a new Huddle account. 

    Members receive fewer ads , access our dark theme, and the ability to join the discussion!

     

2016 - Our Biggest Mistake

Ship

By Ship,
in Carolina Panthers

Recommended Posts

Ship Collaborator

Ship

Posted
Posted

I've stewed on this thought for a long time now. If I had to pick one mistake we made in 2016 that truly screwed us up going forward, it was our choice of CB FA after letting Norman walk.

People have lots of opinions about letting Josh walk in the first place, and that really isn't my concern here. What's more important is what we did after. As everyone knows, we made a move everyone thought was pretty smart... for like a couple weeks, in signed Brandon Boykin. He had a lot of promise as a player, but we did a shitty check on his injury history and obviously he didn't even make it to camp. Instead of Boykin, Casey Hayward was available at an affordable price. I don't think we even looked at Hayward. Instead, he signed with the Chargers and has been a CB1 for them since. Had we signed Hayward to a similar contract and only needed to draft Bradberry-- who would obviously be CB2, we'd have a really solid secondary group and I think our defense would be better off overall.

I remember him being signed not long after our Boykin move. I truly believe we blew a good opportunity on a guy who wasn't bad at the time and who clearly had the chops to continue and develop. I think it was a huge mistake and had we signed him, maybe we draft some different guys at Worley and Sanchez's spots that would still be here or be more impactful.

Now, Jackson is great and I'm not certain we'd have taken him if we had two starters, but who really cares? could have grabbed some nice talent at that spot somewhere else too.

Anyway, just wanted to get that off my chest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
The Lobo Grand Master

The Lobo

Posted
Posted

Everything about 2016 sucked ass. I will say, letting Norman walk hurt, but giving him 75 mil (50 guaranteed) to a 29 year old cb was not a good idea. I really wish we stuck with the tag. Drafting Butler was awful as well and then making up for Norman by wasting two other picks on CBS (2 aren’t even here anymore plus trading up for Worley) oh wee mayne. I like Gettleman, but that offseason was his doom. Sheesh

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ras977 Newbie

ras977

Posted
Posted
23 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

Norman has not been the world beater in Washington---he wanted elite money and has only had 1 pro bowl season---his contract year.  CB was not our problem this year, but I would like to have Norman. 

 

Agree to a point,  We also lost an "attitude' when we lost Norman--we still haven't regained it.

Thanks Gettleman-the greatest  GM in the history of any sport.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MHS831 Grand Master

MHS831

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, ras977 said:

Agree to a point,  We also lost an "attitude' when we lost Norman--we still haven't regained it.

Thanks Gettleman-the greatest  GM in the history of any sport.

There was no answer.  You save the $16m, I get it, but answer to the loss.  A second and third round tandem? Rookies?  Ugh.

Bradberry has developed, but the attitude you mentioned made it hard for a CB from Samford to step into those shoes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Basbear Grand Master

Basbear

Posted
Posted

2016 was when the honeymoon with gman was over. His ego seemed to have gotten the better and his magic began to erode faster as well.

  Hayward theory is interesting, Boykin was given 400,000 and a cup of coffee. I remember Dave stating " You can not go into the season with a question mark at punter, I can not do that to Ron" He did what said you can not do- panic by trading 4th for a vet punter. I don't know in what world you think going into the season with 2 rookies starting at CB is "fine: but not an unproven punter. I know they were hoping for Bene to play a role, he took much longer to recover. He's still recovering til his day.

   Free agency is very complicated. Many things have to take place ie the team has to want player X, a contract agreed upon, and (the most underrated part) the player has to want to come. Most have a family by their 2nd contract time. Salary cap plays a role too.  Many other factors coaches, systems, supply/demand. Panthers could have wanted Hayward badly, but one of many factors didn't make it work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • PMH4OWPW7JD2TDGWZKTOYL2T3E.jpg

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • tukafan21
      something to feel good about in the offseason..."could be something special brewing in Carolina"

      By tukafan21 · Posted

      Then don't tune in. It's really not a hard concept to understand, if your making your decision based on your own personal needs/feelings as opposed to what is best for the future of the franchise, then it's a you problem, not a Panthers problem. When the season is already lost, every fan should be rooting for the same thing.  The team plays hard until the final whistle of the season and keeps improving as a team and individually, but in the end, we still come up short and lose games, and preferably because the other team beat us, not because we screwed up and found a way to lose due to our own fault. Look at it this way... If we are up 1 or 2 points with 3 seconds left in the game and the other team is lining up for a FG.  Beyond the joy of victory or the disappointment of defeat, what impact does the other team making or missing the FG have on our team the following season? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING Except where we draft and what teams we play due to our finish in the division. The players and coaches on the team would have the exact same level of improvement and learnings about themselves individually and as a team whether the FG is made or missed.  The ONLY difference in the end is the record in the standings and if the win or loss number changes. If you want to argue if making the playoffs to lose in the first round or just missing them is better or worse, that's totally fair and I can at least understand the other side of it.  But in what is already a lost season, if you're not hoping your team plays well but ends up losing, then you're cutting off your nose to spite your face.  You're hoping for a moment of happiness at the detriment of the franchise's future, and in turn, you're basically then happy for a moment to only set yourself up for future further disappointment.
    • HaricotVert
      something to feel good about in the offseason..."could be something special brewing in Carolina"

      By HaricotVert · Posted

      If we’re eliminated I want the wins more.   The season is already a disappointment and if I’m not pulling for wins why bother to tune in?
    • tukafan21
      something to feel good about in the offseason..."could be something special brewing in Carolina"

      By tukafan21 · Posted

      Two things terribly wrong with this post. First is that not one time has myself or anyone else agreeing with me said that the team themselves should think that way or try and lose for positioning.  Never once have I suggested the team should purposefully lose games, ever.  I honestly can't understand why people keep saying this in posts, not one fan has ever said the players should or would purposefully try to lose. And second, is yes, that has happened and it's happened very recently.  The 2020 Bengals were 4-11-1 and then were playing in the SB the very next season.   And while it might have been 2 years later and they didn't quite get to the SB, the 2021 Lions were 3-13-1 and then the 2023 Lions were up 24-7 at halftime of the NFC Championship game. The season between those two? They finished 9-8 and only just missed the playoffs. Which is why I keep trying to compare us to the Lions in where we are at in our re-build.  Throw out Bryce's rookie year with the Reich staff who just didn't work out and he looked god awful.   This past season when we were 5-12 in Canales' 1st season is that 2021 season for the Lions and their 1st season under Campbell.  This year is their 2022 where they grew a ton and Campbell's culture building was clear, where I'm saying we'd likely be better off in the long run if we go 8-9 or 9-8 and just miss out on the playoffs (which is still a significant improvement from last year).  Then our 2026 is their 2024 when we have a chance to be a real contender after adding a few more pieces and our key players having another year of experience under their belts.
×
×
  • Create New...