Tepper hired a private investigator to look into Deshaun Watson

[NanuqoftheNorth]

Let's say Watson's legal issues were resolved in his favor, why would he want to be traded to Carolina? 

The number of teams interested in trading for Deshaun would presumably increase if his legal issues disappeared.  So Watson would presumably have options.

A franchise QB in relatively high demand wouldn't accept an offer from a team that is in as bad or worse shape than the one they're currently with.  No franchise QB is looking at a cellar dweller like Carolina and thinking, "That's a well coached/managed team destined for greater things (Super Bowl)".

[TheSpecialJuan]

Apparently Deshaun’s agent is the only NFL team he follows on Twitter 

[BurnNChinn]

 

[BurnNChinn]

Just now, TheSpecialJuan said:

Apparently Deshaun’s agent is the only NFL team he follows on Twitter 

Lol was just posting 

[thefuzz]

5 minutes ago, hepcat said:

@Vergesaid Tepper hired the PI back in October. @ellisthen said Tepper was prepared to trade for Watson in November, regardless of the status of his criminal charges. 

Maybe he did have hesitation before he hired the PI, but if Ellis is right, whatever hesitation Tepper had seemed to have gone out the window given whatever the PI was able to report. 

Maybe the case against Watson is being dismissed, who knows. Either way, the reports Watson refused to waive his no-trade clause for the Panthers seems to ring true. And my comment about the Panthers simping for Watson despite the fact he already rejected them, DURING his criminal investigation, says a lot. 

Watson doesn't want to come to the Panthers. 

I'm not claiming it is, just saying that he did, and likely does still have hesitation...or we would have made the deal the moment he was open to coming here.

My hunch, the accusations don't match the evidence...we shall see.

[ellis]

17 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I'm just not sure at all how Carolina would both offer an "embarrassment of riches" for Watson AND convince him to come here. It would be his Texans' situation all over again - elite QB surrounded by straight trash. That's without even getting into the concerns about the staff and an owner who very well may be completely clueless on how to run a football organization. It's a lot of hurdles to overcome. 

At the end of the day, I suspect that much like the Lions likely did with Stafford, our offer will just be used to get better offers out of the actual contenders.

Oh, look, I don’t think it’s anywhere close to a lock that he would be willing to come here, and I think you raise a great point. They are already behind the eight ball in terms of assets and giving up more of them, including a couple of core players (presumably) makes Carolina even less attractive as a destination. It’s a catch 22, and while Watson’s options may become more limited, he’ll still have a few suitors, and I can’t think of any who would be less attractive than Carolina. I realize he’s from Georgia, and he played at Clemson, and that’s not nothing. But it’s also not everything.

[thefuzz]

9 minutes ago, ellis said:

Oh, look, I don’t think it’s anywhere close to a lock that he would be willing to come here, and I think you raise a great point. They are already behind the eight ball in terms of assets and giving up more of them, including a couple of core players (presumably) makes Carolina even less attractive as a destination. It’s a catch 22, and while Watson’s options may become more limited, he’ll still have a few suitors, and I can’t think of any who would be less attractive than Carolina. I realize he’s from Georgia, and he played at Clemson, and that’s not nothing. But it’s also not everything.

We need to consider who we actually may be up against...who is really vying for his services?

Pittsburgh?  Indy?  New Orleans?  Panthers?

I'm not sure who all is interested currently...but it does seem that we will likely have the least amount of ammo...unless we are talking about trading veteran players like Moton, CMC, DJ, Burns, etc...

Then we have a talent gap similar to what he had in Houston, and a franchise that is being run just as poorly.

[AggieLean]

47 minutes ago, frankw said:

But we live in a time where there is little room for such distinction. And the NFL in particular is a league that has had a lengthy list of abuse. If people have been watching all this time it is reasonable to point out the hypocrisy. It is a very American issue as we all have blinders on to a degree.

The NFL as an organization just got in trouble for “race-norming” when it comes to concussions. The NFL decided at some point, that race would be one of the determining factors in settlement payouts. Every team decided on that. It’s only so long people can’t run with the “well, my team doesn’t do it, so blah…”

[hepcat]

14 minutes ago, ellis said:

It certainly runs counter to the made for TV event, during I believe rush-hour traffic, In which the owner commandeered a crew to hoist Jerry Richardson’s ridiculous statue up into the heavens on a goddamn crane, and loaded onto flatbed, In the name of culture change. 

I had no problem with removing the statue, Jerry made that bed, so there’s that. 

It would be fun if Watson was not what is being accused, because he’s an outstanding player, and would immediately make Carolina relevant again. But until nearly 2 dozen complaints are resolved, and more importantly, the criminal element is deemed non-existent, these are terrible optics. 

Counterpoint: they reportedly hired an investigator, this is not new news by the way, and they have been taking their time on it. And, this is the brutal truth of it, Dave might just be willing to overlook a lot of what some of us wouldn’t to make this all happen, because at the end of the day, I can unequivocally say that he wants a star QB that bad. 

 

I think you're 100% right about that. Tepper has proven to be impatient, willing to make aggressive splash moves (as we saw with the early season trades last season), and he's also a very proud man to the point of arrogance. He's clearly embarrassed his decisions have turned the team into a laughing stock of the NFL, with other franchise calling the operation "amateur-ish".

So Tepper doesn't have many options right now. Trading for Watson is the best one left on the table, even if it comes at the cost of having to salvage the reputation of an accused sexual predator, regardless of the outcome of the criminal charges.

And it's just so f*cking sad this is what the Panthers have become. I am already not a fan of David Tepper because of what he has done to the Panthers, but for many long-time fans, trading for Watson would probably be the last straw. The mo

And there's very little guarantee the move produces a winning team. The 2020 Texans were a mess despite Watson's elite QB play. It goes to show you can't put the carriage before the horse - the Panthers roster is not ready to compete and will be even further behind after a trade for Watson.

[Mr. Scot]

2 hours ago, Ornias said:

Naw, just hack his twitter and Gruden him. 

Pretty sure he doesn't have one.

There's a guy named David Tepper who gets messages aimed at the Panthers owner pretty frequently, but it's not him.

[Mr. Scot]

1 hour ago, ellis said:

David Tepper is not afraid to overextend for whatever he wants. Did the same thing with his current HC. 

Yeah, not a fan of that.

I've said before I think Tepper believes he can just "big ball" his way to a championship team then turn around and tell everyone to bow down to his superiority.

And that might work, except that when it comes to football he's a total dumbass.

As far as Watson, if it does turn into a bidding war I don't really see us being in any position to win it.

Edited March 10, 2022 by Mr. Scot

[hepcat]

22 minutes ago, thefuzz said:

We need to consider who we actually may be up against...who is really vying for his services?

Pittsburgh?  Indy?  New Orleans?  Panthers?

I'm not sure who all is interested currently...but it does seem that we will likely have the least amount of ammo...unless we are talking about trading veteran players like Moton, CMC, DJ, Burns, etc...

Then we have a talent gap similar to what he had in Houston, and a franchise that is being run just as poorly.

Like others have said I'm not even fully convinced the Texans will trade him unless Watson has truly made it clear he's never playing there again. Despite what he's said in the past I could still see him playing there again. 

If he's being traded, there's other teams with far more resources than the Panthers that can make a deal. The Eagles have 3 first round picks just this year. Seattle has more resources now. Pittsburgh is a far more desirable franchise to play for. New Orleans might make a push. I highly doubt the Texans trade Watson to Indy though. 

[amcoolio]

The Tepper hate is way overboard on here. He's only had the team a few years, he did the right thing by not immediately making changes like a lot of owners do but evaluate the current regime, he's been aggressive in trying to get a franchise QB according to sources and doesn't mind paying any amount for the coaching staff. He took a gamble on Rhule (who was a hot coaching candidate btw) and possibly lost, and now he's a "football dumbass"? Is there anyone on here that really could have done better? Almost all of you would have hired Rhule and exactly all of you were orgasming over the Joe Brady hire. 

[thefuzz]

3 minutes ago, hepcat said:

Like others have said I'm not even fully convinced the Texans will trade him unless Watson has truly made it clear he's never playing there again. Despite what he's said in the past I could still see him playing there again. 

If he's being traded, there's other teams with far more resources than the Panthers that can make a deal. The Eagles have 3 first round picks just this year. Seattle has more resources now. Pittsburgh is a far more desirable franchise to play for. New Orleans might make a push. I highly doubt the Texans trade Watson to Indy though. 

I don't think that he plays there again...could be wrong, but I think that bridge is burned to ashes.

Were I him, first I'd want a good team...don't mean with a winning record...just a well run team.  Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Indy (but that is interdivision) I certainly wouldn't want to go to a badly run team...like Carolina, Miami, WFT, Jets, Jags, Philly, etc...

That said, he may need a soft landing spot...he is a little "different"...and Carolina could provide that.  I think it's a total longshot unless we are willing to completely sell the farm...and Tepper isn't smart enough not to do that.