Well, here's something different. Remember J.T. Ibe? I didn't.

[top dawg]

 

J.T. I've moved on because he had to. 

 

"Ibe understands how bad the hit looked, but as he did the day it happened, he insisted he wasn’t trying to hurt Kirkwood, that he simply was trying to make a play on the ball.

"He asked trainers to apologize to Kirkwood and later issued a statement through his agent, Ray Haija, that said, 'Truthfully, I feel terrible for the play. I’m glad Keith is doing fine, but as a teammate, I’m supposed to protect my brothers during practice and I didn’t do that today, and I let the team and coaches down.

'I was aiming for the ball and didn’t think I hit him that hard or launched into him, but looking back at the clip, I didn’t choose the most efficient way.'

Ibe also talked to Kirkwood personally to apologize.

'He’s like, "Dude, that’s just the media. They have to eat that story up. I know you didn’t do it on purpose,"’ Ibe said. "But you don’t hear that side of the thing because it’s not what gets clicks."

Haija said he’s never had a client released that quickly over one play or one mistake.

'The intensity of [the Panthers’] actions was a little more intense than it needed to be for that moment,' he said. 'Generally, they don’t end up losing their opportunity because of that.'

Tarnished images

Ibe still considers himself "physically gifted enough" to play in the NFL. He also feels branded by the image of his hit to the point that no team will give him a chance.

And even if a team did, he likely wouldn’t take it.

'Being honest, I just don’t respect the business,' Ibe said. 'Why would you want to be a part of a business that does that to your image? I understand business, but [what happened to me] changed my opinion of the NFL.'"

 

I understand why Rhule axed Ibe, but I really thought it was harsh then, and I still believe it now. Disagree if you like, but in hindsight that should've been another indicator that Rhule is just kind of a power hungry prick. 

https://www.espn.com/blog/carolina-panthers/post/_/id/36143/j-t-ibe-refuses-to-be-defined-by-hit-that-ended-his-nfl-dream-with-carolina-panthers

[MHS831]

Here is the message Rhule sent--if you are a fringe player, I will make an example of you.  I guarantee that Jeremy Chinn would still be on the team if he had been the person delivering a hit.  Once you cross that bridge and act on something like that, you are simply setting the stage to become a hypocrite.  Rhule is a paper tiger.

[KSpan]

Of course he didn't do it in purpose/mean to hurt Kirkwood. He was released because it was an entirely unnecessary dangerous (intent or not) play against a teammate in the middle of training camp. Complete lack of awareness, and as a fringe player that stuff can't happen.

As to the release itself, might have been too much but we don't know what had been said behind the scenes. I can't stand Rhule as a coach and want him fired ASAP but if player safety and making smart decisions had been a point of emphasis and he still did that, then it paints him as undisciplined and perhaps uncoachable.

Edited February 24, 2022 by KSpan

[Khyber53]

I guess we could go back to Dan Morgan trying to concuss rookie running backs during training camp. 

[t96]

I feel for Ibe but the thing is if he truly was talented enough to be getting a shot in this league other teams would've come calling. I don't think the hit would've had any impact at all on other teams' interest in him. Rhule is a jackass and sucks too but in this particular case I don't have a huge issue with them letting go of Ibe after that hit. He was such a longshot anyways...

[LinvilleGorge]

1 hour ago, MHS831 said:

Here is the message Rhule sent--if you are a fringe player, I will make an example of you.  I guarantee that Jeremy Chinn would still be on the team if he had been the person delivering a hit.  Once you cross that bridge and act on something like that, you are simply setting the stage to become a hypocrite.  Rhule is a paper tiger.

I mean, you're describing life. When you're a valuable asset or a big time producer you get to play by a different set of rules than the average Joe. That's the case in the NFL and it's the case in life. Sucks, but life ain't fair.

Don't take that as a defense of Matt Rhule, the guy is a moron. It's just a statement of reality.

[Panther'sBigD]

1 hour ago, Khyber53 said:

I guess we could go back to Dan Morgan trying to concuss rookie running backs during training camp. 

Don't forget TD. I still remember being at camp the year we drafted TD, and seeing him absolutely clobbering tryout players, but not other starters.

 

[Mr. Scot]

3 hours ago, Khyber53 said:

I guess we could go back to Dan Morgan trying to concuss rookie running backs during training camp. 

Mike Minter hit Rocket Ismail so hard he was never the same.

2 hours ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Don't take that as a defense of Matt Rhule, the guy is a moron. It's just a statement of reality.

I think the thing with Rhule is not that he's consistently too soft on players or too tough on them or anything. It's just that whatever approach he seems to take in particular situations tends to be the wrong one.

All of us have probably known somebody who, one way or the other, just always seemed to screw things up. At the pro level, that's Rhule.

[MHS831]

2 hours ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I mean, you're describing life. When you're a valuable asset or a big time producer you get to play by a different set of rules than the average Joe. That's the case in the NFL and it's the case in life. Sucks, but life ain't fair.

Don't take that as a defense of Matt Rhule, the guy is a moron. It's just a statement of reality.

But as a leader, you lose the locker room when leadership creates division.  It may be life, but on a team, you bond, you don't divide.  The football coach's job is not to emulate life or nature--it is to get 53+ focused on winning a ring as a unit...This was a publicized event (media) and that was not lost on Rhule.  He made a mistake.  It could have been handled many different ways--a leader understands the impact of decisions on the greater good.  Seriously, if Chinn did the same thing the following day and was not disciplined the same way, do you think the team would say,
"that's life?"  I don't.

[shaq]

Sad story, mistakes happen but as a fringe player you gotta do everything right to have even a chance.

[Basbear]

4 hours ago, Khyber53 said:

I guess we could go back to Dan Morgan trying to concuss rookie running backs during training camp. 

 

2 hours ago, Panther'sBigD said:

Don't forget TD. I still remember being at camp the year we drafted TD, and seeing him absolutely clobbering tryout players, but not other starters.

 

 

1 hour ago, Mr. Scot said:

Mike Minter hit Rocket Ismail so hard he was never the same.

I think the thing with Rhule is not that he's consistently too soft on players or too tough on them or anything. It's just that whatever approach he seems to take in particular situations tends to be the wrong one.

All of us have probably known somebody who, one way or the other, just always seemed to screw things up. At the pro level, that's Rhule.

Different game, still its a bad look no matter your view. Panthers need to resign the guy given the huge need at Safety. Already talks they are not resigning burris and maybe move Chinn back to LB. Plus Rhule is tooo big of an idiot to play Krobinson. So that leaves about nothing on the roster, no cap space, no 2nd, 3rd draft picks(great spot to land starting level safeties). It maybe the next largest need after OL.............AND QB...............and run DEs.............AND MLBs/LBs............fug

Edited February 24, 2022 by Basbear

[Ricky Spanish]

Seemed like a rash and emotional decision when he was released immediately. 

The more things continue moving forward with Rhule the further I question every move he's made. 

[Actionman0z]

8 hours ago, top dawg said:

 

J.T. I've moved on because he had to. 

 

"Ibe understands how bad the hit looked, but as he did the day it happened, he insisted he wasn’t trying to hurt Kirkwood, that he simply was trying to make a play on the ball.

"He asked trainers to apologize to Kirkwood and later issued a statement through his agent, Ray Haija, that said, 'Truthfully, I feel terrible for the play. I’m glad Keith is doing fine, but as a teammate, I’m supposed to protect my brothers during practice and I didn’t do that today, and I let the team and coaches down.

'I was aiming for the ball and didn’t think I hit him that hard or launched into him, but looking back at the clip, I didn’t choose the most efficient way.'

Ibe also talked to Kirkwood personally to apologize.

'He’s like, "Dude, that’s just the media. They have to eat that story up. I know you didn’t do it on purpose,"’ Ibe said. "But you don’t hear that side of the thing because it’s not what gets clicks."

Haija said he’s never had a client released that quickly over one play or one mistake.

'The intensity of [the Panthers’] actions was a little more intense than it needed to be for that moment,' he said. 'Generally, they don’t end up losing their opportunity because of that.'

Tarnished images

Ibe still considers himself "physically gifted enough" to play in the NFL. He also feels branded by the image of his hit to the point that no team will give him a chance.

And even if a team did, he likely wouldn’t take it.

'Being honest, I just don’t respect the business,' Ibe said. 'Why would you want to be a part of a business that does that to your image? I understand business, but [what happened to me] changed my opinion of the NFL.'"

 

I understand why Rhule axed Ibe, but I really thought it was harsh then, and I still believe it now. Disagree if you like, but in hindsight that should've been another indicator that Rhule is just kind of a power hungry prick. 

https://www.espn.com/blog/carolina-panthers/post/_/id/36143/j-t-ibe-refuses-to-be-defined-by-hit-that-ended-his-nfl-dream-with-carolina-panthers

He wouldn’t have made the team, hit or no hit…. Move on Ibcus your ass goodbye.