The Big Picture, The Panthers Draft, and You - A Synopsis

[chknwing]

59 minutes ago, NAS said:

Yes why is there no Carolina Huddle youtube channel or podcast?

if you ever heard Igo talk in person, you know why.  Its better to read what he says then hear him say it. 

[top dawg]

Fitterer and Rhule obviously believe in value. Last year's draft gave us some good value, but they upped the game this draft. Perhaps that jump was a direct result of our new GM, but Rhule and Fitterer seem to have an amazing working relationship. We've heard Rhule preach about every part of the organization being on one accord in reference to the overarching vision, and Fitterer and even Tepper seems to have bought in 100 percent. 

[TheRumGone]

17 minutes ago, davos said:

I really like the draft but the Horn pick just makes me feel uneasy for some reason. I’m going to of course root for him but I just don’t know about him. Don’t know what it is, but with Slater & Fields just felt like a really huge opportunity was wasted high up when this draft had a lot of DB talent.

I think it’s because corner is one of the hardest positions to get instant impact on the team. And we spent a top ten pick on one. I’d stress to people to not throw this dude under the bus immediately. It’s gonna take a couple years before we really see him take off if he does at all. He’s gonna take his lumps and people will be screaming bust prematurely. He’s the most talented corner on our roster day 1 though. 

[Snake]

Shi Smith out of S.Carolina is another WR that has a great vertical in the end zone for his size. Definitely could be a sleeper.

Edited May 2, 2021 by Snake

[top dawg]

21 minutes ago, davos said:

I really like the draft but the Horn pick just makes me feel uneasy for some reason. I’m going to of course root for him but I just don’t know about him. Don’t know what it is, but with Slater & Fields just felt like a really huge opportunity was wasted high up when this draft had a lot of DB talent.

There was markedly more OT talent than DB talent, and the dropoff in day-one starter's level DB talent was was pretty stark from what I've heard. 

As for Fields, he was obviously not as valued as highly by a significant number if NFL scouts as many NFL fans thought. And though perhaps unpopular with some Huddlers, some notable analysts always said that Darnold would be at worst the second QB taken in this year's draft if he had been in this class. 

The Slater and Horn thing is perhaps a matter of philosophy in regards to team building, or maybe just as simple as believing that Horn was a better player--a better fit--for our situation. We'll have to wait for the results, but it's not a stretch in the slightest to say that Horn may turn out to be a better CB than Slater will be an OT. 

In general, I think there's a lesson to be learned. Pre-draft hype is good for message boards and football talking heads, but professional NFL evaluators aren't moved by it, at all. 

[NAS]

42 minutes ago, chknwing said:

if you ever heard Igo talk in person, you know why.  Its better to read what he says then hear him say it. 

i never have, now I am really intrigued! 

[davos]

9 minutes ago, top dawg said:

There was markedly more OT talent than DB talent, and the dropoff in day-one starter's level DB talent was was pretty stark from what I've heard. 

As for Fields, he was obviously not as valued as highly by a significant number if NFL scouts as many NFL fans thought. And though perhaps unpopular with some Huddlers, some notable analysts always said that Darnold would be at worst the second QB taken in this year's draft if he had been in this class. 

The Slater and Horn thing is perhaps a matter of philosophy in regards to team building, or maybe just as simple as believing that Horn was a better player--a better fit--for our situation. We'll have to wait for the results, but it's not a stretch in the slightest to say that Horn may turn out to be a better CB than Slater will be an OT. 

In general, I think there's a lesson to be learned. Pre-draft hype is good for message boards and football talking heads, but professional NFL evaluators aren't moved by it, at all. 

Oh I don’t disagree with what you’re saying. I trust they had a reason both scheme and talent wise they picked Horn over Surtain and had both probably ahead of Slater on their big board. It comes down to team scouts and how they view the fits. Lots of factors.

Horn just makes me feel uneasy though, can’t explain why but he’s a Panther now and I hope we have an absolutely lethal defense.

[Black&BlueBubba]

From the draft network: this goes a long way to improving the weaknesses Zod points out above. 
 

CAROLINA PANTHERS

Round 1: Jayee Horn, CB, South Carolina

Round 2: Terrace Marshall Jr., WR, LSU

Round 3: Brady Christensen, OT, BYU

Round 3: Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame

Round 4: Chuba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State

Round 5: Daviyon Nixon, DT, Iowa

Round 5: Keith Taylor Jr., CB, Washington

Round 6: Deonte Brown, IOL, Alabama

Round 6: Shi Smith, WR, South Carolina

Round 7: Phil Hoskins, DT, Kentucky

Every single selection deserves a round of applause for general manager Scott Fitterer. Each player taken has the potential to carve out major roles within an improving Carolina roster.

Grade: A+

[jfra78]

I hate giving you pie but damn.  That's my EmNEffin CEO

*cries*

[jfra78]

10 minutes ago, davos said:

Oh I don’t disagree with what you’re saying. I trust they had a reason both scheme and talent wise they picked Horn over Surtain and had both probably ahead of Slater on their big board. It comes down to team scouts and how they view the fits. Lots of factors.

Horn just makes me feel uneasy though, can’t explain why but he’s a Panther now and I hope we have an absolutely lethal defense.

Horn is Gamble with attitude 

[LegioX]

If you read the huddle two days ago. People were calling Rhule the worse coach in NFL history. People these days are in-depth with “winning now” and not letting the process take hold. 

[WarPanthers89]

2 hours ago, Zod said:

Good day fellow Carolina Panthers fans. Today I would like to take a step back and look at the 2021 Carolina Panthers draft in a big picture context and try to uncover why things transpired as they did. Won't you join me? 

The Problems

The 2020 Carolina Panthers were a rag tag group of players that put together an admirable effort that inevitably ended in a season we all thought they would have. However, not every aspect of their game was an issue. 2020 yielded some very good things. Unfortunately, the problem areas contributed to the EIGHT losses incurred by a score or less. 

The most glaring problems were as follows:

- A QB unable or unwilling to push the ball down field. 

- A defensive secondary unable to challenge better wideouts

- An offense unable to impose its will on short yardage situations

- An inability to score touchdowns when in the red zone

You add this all up and you get a 5-11 team. A team that really isn't horrible, but a team that just can't win close games. 

 

The Solutions

Unlike in years past, Matt Rhule and Scott Fitterer have actually tried to find solutions to he problems stated above via sweeping personnel changes. The following solutions correspond to the aforementioned problems. 

- Sam Darnold has the ability and willingness to push the ball down field. At 23 years old he now has, for the first time, adequate coaching and supporting cast at a professional level. There is some concern about his offensive line. But remember, even last season the offensive line was ranked smack dab in the middle, perfectly average. It has improved slightly from there this offseason. 

- Obviously, Jaycee Horn is an instant and significant upgrade to the cornerback position. The Panthers can now press some of the better receivers in the league and not simply pray for a misthrow or drop. But it is so much more than that. Horn provides a trickle down improvement to the entire defense. Edge players will not have a half second more to get to the quarterback. Linebackers won't have to overcompensate on helping the corners and will be able to focus more on their own assignments. The defense is an organic living thing and such a drastic improvement in one area is far reaching to the entire body. 

- Last season, when Teddy Bridgewater reached over the goal line and fumbled he cemented his future, or lack thereof, on this team. He broke a golden Rhule. The Panthers head coach had warned him that is something we just don't do. Now the issue of being unable to impose our will when needed was addressed in round 3 of the draft with the selection of Tommy Tremble. Alex Armah was decent for a converted defensive player, and Chris Manhertz was always below average to terrible on any given play. In Tremble, the Panthers now have the best blocking H-Back in the draft that has drawn comparisons to George Kittle. Paired with a healthy CMC and a strong young QB and 4th and 1 should be nearly a guaranteed first down. 

- Scoring touchdowns in the red zone was a two prong problem. One was the quarterback just not seeing the field or making the wrong throw. The other was receivers just not getting open. Lock down Robby Anderson in the red zone and the others were easily handled. That is what we saw. So, Joe Brady and the Panthers drafted one of the best red zone threats in the draft, LSU's Terrace Marshall. You can safely expect to see him in the game whenever the Panthers are on the fun side of the 20. 

What about the rest?

The rest of the 2021 Carolina Panthers draft was not to address any significant problems per se, aside from possibly 3rd round tackle Brady Christensen who could develop into a starter this season. The rest of the draft was mostly about increasing the physical talent of the Panthers depth this season and possibly a starter or two moving forward. If you take a gander at the Panthers roster last season and compare to now, one could argue the biggest change is the quality in the depth. This exponentially increases the chance of finding a future reliable starter and also drives up competition, demanding even better from the starters entrenched in front of them. 

Conclusion

It has been interesting to watch a front office recognize and address glaring deficiencies so quickly and efficiently. I have heard talk of "a process" for decades in the organization but have seen little evidence to back it up, until now. 

Will it work? We will soon see. Nothing is a given. There is a chance that the Panthers again fall well short this season. However, If I had to predict the future I would say a significant improvement is in our future resulting in a winning season. 

 

[SizzleBuzz]

NY Post gave them a solid A- grade.

Only 7 teams graded higher and 21 graded lower.

Not bad.

Of note:  Saints at #29 and Texans DFL at #32.

https://nypost.com/2021/05/01/2021-nfl-draft-grades-for-all-32-teams/

[Black&BlueBubba]

2 minutes ago, SizzleBuzz said:

NY Post gave them a solid A- grade.

Only 7 teams graded higher and 21 graded lower.

Not bad.

Of note:  Saints at #29 and Texans DFL at #32.

https://nypost.com/2021/05/01/2021-nfl-draft-grades-for-all-32-teams/

Yeah.  That round 4 pick next year will be the 1st pick in the 4th thanks to the Texans.