DT vs. OT

[MHS831]

Actually, having Cam back in 2020 at his salary is good for both sides--you have to worry, however, if the team wins 8 games with him and decides to move on, if the growth is stunted until a new QB is ready.  With that many wins, you are not in position to draft a QB early.

 

[kungfoodude]

29 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

Personally, I think he would be a great Guard, if healthy.  If you upgrade 2 spots, worth it.

That's another reason to go OL in the first round, IMO. If you whiff on a LT, you may end up with a great RT or OG. Not many other positions do you get to whiff on a primary and still get a useful starter out of. It's the reason that OL has the highest success rates in the first three rounds.

[Raskle]

You take the LT, as there is usually a significant drop off from R1 to R3 LTs, whereas what we really need is a guy who is a big body that can plug the center of the DL, in order to try and help our run defense to stop being a sieve.

 

Take Thomas or an equivalent at OT in the first, grab a young potential starter at C in the second, and move Daley (yes, I think he is better than Little at this point and time) to LG, and you have upgraded or have a quality backup learning at three or four spots on the OL. Next, grab a plug guy like Leki Fotu or Benito Jones for DT in the third, or even Khalil Davis in a later round if need be. Pair him with KK or Butler, if we keep the latter, and look to draft a later-round DE like Nick Coe or Jason Strowbridge from UNC to get that big body on the outside that we've been missing. That should be enough to fix our DL to help win a few more games.

 

The only alternative I see, is if we grab Brown in the first, and get lucky enough that someone like Josh Jones falls to our 2nd round pick, but then we'd be taking a less talented center later in the draft at that point. Of course, we'll have to, because we can't trust that Paradis will be back to his prior form, if ever, and Center is the third most important part of an offense after - you guessed it, QB and LT. Personally, I'd rather go with the more solid plan than the 'lucky' one, but that's just me.

 

Of course, the draft is always a crap shoot anyways, so it may be both these options would flame out as well. But, again, I'd feel more confidence in the first design than the second there.

[Raleigh PF]

How they handle the pick at #7 is going to tell us something about the direction Rhule wants to take the club. I doubt very seriously that Marty is on his own in determining who the pick is going to be. He's going to get a lot of input, but most importantly, from Rhule.

Between now and then, Rhule has to go to the tape to evaluate the talent currently on the team. If he believes the LT position is fixable, then I would expect the Panthers to draft Brown or, if unavailable, Simmons or trade back. DT is an obvious hole, considering the number of free agents they have and the idea that Poe will be released.

If they draft LT, then they have seen enough for them to believe it can't be fixed with the players on the current roster. 

[MHS831]

7 hours ago, kungfoodude said:

I think a lot of scouts have reservations about Epenesa as a higher pick. Seems like most are saying he is really a 3-4 DE and has some athletic limitations.

I have never understood the love for him, but since he is so high on so many boards, I thought if we go 4-3 he could be the LDE who can play 3-4 DE---I have seen what you say, Kfoodle. but I have not researched him much at all.

[MHS831]

4 hours ago, Raleigh PF said:

If they draft LT, then they have seen enough for them to believe it can't be fixed with the players on the current roster. 

For whatever reason, but there is not a lot of Little tape that gives you much need for optimism.  The only way Little is given the LT job is if he is given a clean bill of health and works out for the OL coach--and he feels the answer is on the roster....However, I am guessing that they will not know much going into the draft.  If Thomas is the BPA, then you take him, let them compete, and move Little to G where he and Daley can compete there.  I am speculating a lot.  The first pick will tell us a lot about their opinion of little. They could pencil him in as the starter and draft a T later---I dunno.

[WOW!!]

Both position are needs.. So when ranking it out you go with the player with a higher ranking and upside...

No OT in this draft will be rated higher than Brown.. So I vote Brown..

[The Huddler]

even though we agree to disagree and I laid a dope shopping list analogy on you, I appreciate that our disagreement didn't result in to anonymous dudes personally insulting each other on a message board. good job bud. till next time.  I will now pie you. please accept.  @1of10Charnatives

[thefuzz]

18 hours ago, 1of10Charnatives said:

Number 3 seems unlikely to me given his public statements. If you publicly declare you’re excited to come back and play for the team, but privately request a trade or release, your public statements will have the effect of painting management as the bad guys if they do as you ask. This creates no benefit to you, but a reason not to do it for them.

 

I can't really get a good grasp on this situation to be honest, number 3 is just the most likely scenario that makes the most sense in my mind....but who knows what Matt, Cam, David, and Marty are thinking?

If we are doing a rebuild, and I think that we need to tear this down and start over, then it makes little sense to hold onto Cam at this juncture.  It makes little sense for Cam to agree to play on a 1 year prove it deal, and it makes little sense to me that Cam would want to slog through the rebuild.

I hear what Cam is saying, and he certainly doesn't want to be the bad guy, but I just can't figure out why he is doing it, other than the team has asked him to keep his trade value as high as possible and they will either move him to a team he wants to go to, or will release him so he can pick his landing spot.

Also, don't pay CMC at this time, but that goes without saying if we are rebuilding.