Two Schools of Thought

[DaveThePanther2008]

Most of the fans on this forum want a QB.  Which I am included, some want to address the O-Line and LB Corps.

The two schools are draft a QB and let them grow with the current O-line or address the O-line and get a QB later.

I think it is easier to draft a QB and try to mend the line through the latter rounds and free agency than to draft an O-Line (OT) and pray you find a QB.  

Though not impossible, finding a QB in the latter rounds is risky.

That said

If you draft a QB

What latter round O-Linemen and potential free agents intrigue you.

I don't follow college football enough to make an educated guess and the only potential free agent I would like to see back in Carolina in Andrew Norwell. 

If you draft a O-lineman (preferably an OT)

What latter round QB or Potential free agents intrigue you. 

If Darnold is let go or made available I would kick the tires,  Minshew with our weapons could be interesting,  I Do not want Wentz who i saw yesterday where he isn't interested in being a backup in Philly.   Latter round QBs I have no clue.

What about you?

 

[Adb6368]

There’s too much discussion on this board about being locked into picking a qb. The top 2 will be gone when we draft which leaves the 2 second tier players (Wilson and lance) most likely available at our selection

If our decision maker (whoever that will be) thinks one of them is a pro bowl player then we draft them, no brainer. However, we shouldn’t be drafting an average quarterback in the top 5 of the draft when we can get someone with all pro potential at another position of need (sewell, surtain, parsons)

[pantherj]

Unfortunately the more I look at the QBs available when we pick the less I think they're worth the pick. Although we obviously need a better QB than Teddy, I don't really see Wilson as being better than Teddy, let alone worth a top 5 pic. Trey Lance has more raw ability, but his mechanics are sloppy and who knows if that can be fixed or not. 

I agree we might turn our attention to Sewell or Parsons, and a trade down to a team more in love with Wilson or Lance is also on the table. I am definitely souring on the QBs that will be available, but I still like Trey Lance the best, just not in the top 5. What Trey does at the combine could totally change my mind.

[DaveThePanther2008]

28 minutes ago, pantherj said:

Unfortunately the more I look at the QBs available when we pick the less I think they're worth the pick. Although we obviously need a better QB than Teddy, I don't really see Wilson as being better than Teddy, let alone worth a top 5 pic. Trey Lance has more raw ability, but his mechanics are sloppy and who knows if that can be fixed or not. 

I agree we might turn our attention to Sewell or Parsons, and a trade down to a team more in love with Wilson or Lance is also on the table. I am definitely souring on the QBs that will be available, but I still like Trey Lance the best, just not in the top 5. What Trey does at the combine could totally change my mind.

Yes, I more inclined to believe we'll know more after the combine.  I also think how we address free agency in march will also play a big factor in our 2021 draft class.

I however, like Wilson.  He wasn't great against CCU but his targets were dropping perfectly catchable balls and unlike Teddy this boy can throw deep.  

[WarHeel]

We’ve been trying to mend the line since Gross retired. Unless we are guaranteed the best QB this year, which we aren’t, we should go O-line.

[top dawg]

1 hour ago, pantherj said:

Unfortunately the more I look at the QBs available when we pick the less I think they're worth the pick. Although we obviously need a better QB than Teddy, I don't really see Wilson as being better than Teddy, let alone worth a top 5 pic. Trey Lance has more raw ability, but his mechanics are sloppy and who knows if that can be fixed or not. 

I agree we might turn our attention to Sewell or Parsons, and a trade down to a team more in love with Wilson or Lance is also on the table. I am definitely souring on the QBs that will be available, but I still like Trey Lance the best, just not in the top 5. What Trey does at the combine could totally change my mind.

I have a hard time believing that a professional scouting department that has been scouting a player for months/years is going to be swayed by the Combine one way or another, unless the player just flops or something. This is probably even more true about prospective QBs. Scouts pretty much know what they can do before they even step on the field of the Underwear Olympics. That being said, there may be somewhat more emphasis for a guy who essentially only played one season at the position. I think it gives us unkowns a ticket to private workouts, but TL already has that ticket so what he does at the workouts are vastly more important than the Combine, and this can probably be said for most players except the cream of the crop! 

Where I totally disagree with you is that I don't believe that you get into this numbers game with a guy you believe is a franchise QB. I don't care if it's too 5 or not, if your guy is there, you take him! You don't get cute, and you don't get lost within minutiae of the trade valuation chart!

Lance has plenty to love! The question is whether that raw talent can be refined into a professional QB worthy of a high first round pick, and higher than another outstanding prospect (Sewell being the guy at his position comes to mind)!

[DaveThePanther2008]

28 minutes ago, top dawg said:

I have a hard time believing that a professional scouting department that has been scouting a player for months/years is going to be swayed by the Combine one way or another, unless the player just flops or something. This is probably even more true about prospective QBs. Scouts pretty much know what they can do before they even step on the field of the Underwear Olympics. That being said, there may be somewhat more emphasis for a guy who essentially only played one season at the position. I think it gives us unkowns a ticket to private workouts, but TL already has that ticket so what he does at the workouts are vastly more important than the Combine, and this can probably be said for most players except the cream of the crop! 

Where I totally disagree with you is that I don't believe that you get into this numbers game with a guy you believe is a franchise QB. I don't care if it's too 5 or not, if your guy is there, you take him! You don't get cute, and you don't get lost within minutiae of the trade valuation chart!

Lance has plenty to love! The question is whether that raw talent can be refined into a professional QB worthy of a high first round pick, and higher than another outstanding prospect (Sewell being the guy at his position comes to mind)!

I'm more on the Wilson bandwagon but if we chose Lance having TB as the starter next year while he learns the system and refines his skills would be ideal for us. 

[imminent rogaine]

With Marty gone, I think trading back is actually on the table now. A trade back To the middle of the first could very well mean two additional starters.

If we do skip QB early, Desmond Ridder and Kenny Pickett seem like they are worth look later in the draft. I don’t really feel like there is any drop off between these two and the guys we have been talking about.

 

[mrcompletely11]

Last year was the year to draft a tackle.  This year is the year to draft a QB.  I suspect if Marty would have listened to Rhule we would have had our tackle of the future and more picks.  Brown is not a bad consolation prize but it was a top heavy draft for tackles last year and we didnt capitalize.  

[DaveThePanther2008]

48 minutes ago, mrcompletely11 said:

Last year was the year to draft a tackle.  This year is the year to draft a QB.  I suspect if Marty would have listened to Rhule we would have had our tackle of the future and more picks.  Brown is not a bad consolation prize but it was a top heavy draft for tackles last year and we didnt capitalize.  

Brown and the entire draft was Rhule. 

My OP was who do we focus on in free agency depending on which direction we go?

[CanadianCat]

I have a lot of faith in this coaching staff to find players. This past draft was amazing. That being said, if we dont draft a QB in round 1 I hope we dont take any this draft. I really not want to see a 2nd round pick on a player is we are going to be in a similar drafting position next year. 

[LinvilleGorge]

These two schools of thought give the illusion of the luxury of choice. You can't pick and choose when you target players at premium positions. You can almost always throw a pick at an elite RB or non-pass rushing LB, hence why we've had so many if them. But when it comes to QBs, OTs, CBs, etc. if you need one and the opportunity presents itself you have to jump. That's where we've screwed up as a franchise. We've shown no understanding of positional value. We've had a glut of talent at RB and LB while we've almost always had a thing cupboard at OT and CB and fielded trash at QB outside of Jake and Cam. When we have fallen backassward into elite CB talent we've let them walk so that we could pay guy at non-premium positions. We can't repeat that mistake with Moton. Hopefully the "Panthers will let Moton walk" narrative shifts now that Hurney is gone.

QB is by far the most important position in football. If you need a QB and you think there's a franchise QB on the board you draft him. Period. Joe Thomas was the best LT of his era yet the Browns were constantly trash in large part because they didn't have a QB. You'll never have a team consistently be trash for a decade plus while fielding the best QB of an era.

[mrcompletely11]

40 minutes ago, DaveThePanther2008 said:

Brown and the entire draft was Rhule. 

My OP was who do we focus on in free agency depending on which direction we go?

Thats simply not true. Rhule wanted to trade back, marty overruled him.  I bet this was the beginning of the end

[CanadianCat]

2 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

These two schools of thought give the illusion of the luxury of choice. You can't pick and choose when you target players at premium positions. You can almost always throw a pick at an elite RB or non-pass rushing LB, hence why we've had so many if them. But when it comes to QBs, OTs, CBs, etc. if you need one and the opportunity presents itself you have to jump. That's where we've screwed up as a franchise. We've shown no understanding of positional value. We've had a glut of talent at RB and LB while we've almost always had a thing cupboard at OT and CB and fielded trash at QB outside of Jake and Cam. When we have fallen backassward into elite CB talent we've let them walk so that we could pay guy at non-premium positions. We can't repeat that mistake with Moton. Hopefully the "Panthers will let Moton walk" narrative shifts now that Hurney is gone.

QB is by far the most important position in football. If you need a QB and you think there's a franchise QB on the board you draft him. Period. Joe Thomas was the best LT of his era yet the Browns were constantly trash in large part because they didn't have a QB. You'll never have a team consistently be trash for a decade plus while fielding the best QB of an era.

This is a good take.