SB Nation's Mick Smiley juxtaposing us against the Bills

[top dawg]

I can't be mad at this article which I think pretty much sums up our relatively recent experiences (and perhaps ironic twist). He thinks that we should be jealous of the Bills considering the circumstances, but also hopeful.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.derp/platform/amp/2021/1/18/22236622/why-panthers-fans-should-be-both-envious-and-optimistic-about-the-success-of-the-buffalo-bills

[I hope the an inferior site moratorium is dead & done with. Apologies if they aren't]

"Had Carolina’s ownership and front office made some hard decisions just a couple of years ago, perhaps the Panthers would be the team enjoying a deep postseason run instead of being relegated to watching their relatives to the north."

 

Yeah, maybe.

 

"Franchises that are set up for sustainable successThe success of the 2020 Buffalo Bills should fill Panthers fans with both envy and optimism. We should be envious that two of the three key pillars in Buffalo — McDermott and Beane — were poached straight from Mint Street. The Panthers had two young, bright, high-potential leaders of the future on the payroll back in 2017, and they let both of them slip through their fingers. need three key elements: A smart general manager, a strong and adaptable coach, and a quarterback with Pro Bowl capability. The Buffalo Bills currently have all three of these components. The Panthers currently have three question marks, and it all started in Charlotte back in 2017."

 

I believe we have at least one of these components in Rhule! He at least talks the talk, but perhaps doing things like  benching Greg Little and Tahir Whitehead is indicative of his adaptability in action. Moreover, if reports of Scott Fitterer are on point, then he is a smart GM. Fitterer may be a believer in volume drafting which has produced good results in Seattle. As an aside, this philosophy appears somewhat at odds with Dave Gettleman's desire to "rather have a dime than two nickels" or Marty Hurney's proclivity to trade up.

The element that is absolutely missing is the Pro Bowl-caliber QB.

The author goes on to point out that Jerry Richardson essentially chose a dated Ron Rivera and psychoanalytically-challenged Dave Gettleman in favor of young up-and-comers Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane. I get the sense that Smiley feels that Richardson's decision to let Beane and McDermott go will "haunt the Panthers for years to come", but, as for me, I'm already over that, and I know that the current front office, coaches and players likely aren't thinking about what effectively predated them at all!

It's time to move forward! Sure, maybe Tepper could've cleaned house a season ago, but it is what it is. I know that some disagree, but I like where the franchise is heading. And though it's not lost on me that "Panthers North" is one game away from the Super Bowl, they are actually ahead of us on the rebuild curve, and it may have been that way anyway depending upon the circumstances in Charlotte. Comparing football franchises to football franchises is fair I guess, but it still may be an example of comparing apples to oranges (or lemons).

I at least have to give Tepper, Rhule and Fitterer more time to keep building before thinking that Beane and McDermott were "the ones that got away."

 

 

 

 

[Mr. Scot]

I probably don't want to see us compared to the Bills right now.

Maybe in a couple of years...

[Panther Believer]

not even going to lie, after the first paragraph I got sad and couldn't finish it haha. Thanks for the info though.

[TheBigKat]

Guys like McD can come and go but he is a gem of a coach (reminds me of John Harbaugh)

 

the real loss was Beane.... devastating. 
from 98-2016 he was with the Panthers.... 18 years!!!! The cracks were already there with Gettleman and if there’s a true tarnish to Richardson’s legacy it wasn’t jeans day, it was letting Beane slip out of Carolina