Pass rusher at 6

[TylerDurden]

2 minutes ago, Varking said:

Having him and Brown up the middle should free up Burns and DE2 to kill the QB. 

Yup, and tbh, we have always struggled getting pressure up the middle.

[Jon Snow]

I'm of the belief that there are only 3 positions you draft in the top 10. DE is one of them.

[Smithers]

DE is a need for sure - IF we don't land Watson and can manage to sign a LG or LT (moving BC to whichever spot we have open), then taking a DE makes perfect sense.  

[Khyber53]

1 hour ago, Growl said:

so you’re making a “hope for the best” pick and it isn’t a QB?

 

Not so much a hope for, but this is a good time for a great utility pick. Grab a foundational position player, not necessarily something flashy. I've been saying forget draft position and take Linderbaum at center. No matter what else happens to the organization, you'll have the best center in the draft and a foundational piece for the line going forward.

No one ever cheers over the pick of a center, but we've sure as poo seen how bad it is when you don't have a good one over the last couple of years. A smart center is a QB's best friend. We don't have that QB yet, but it would be great if we had a top flight center with a year's experience out there next year for him.

[Growl]

Just now, Khyber53 said:

Not so much a hope for, but this is a good time for a great utility pick. Grab a foundational position player, not necessarily something flashy. I've been saying forget draft position and take Linderbaum at center. No matter what else happens to the organization, you'll have the best center in the draft and a foundational piece for the line going forward.

No one ever cheers over the pick of a center, but we've sure as poo seen how bad it is when you don't have a good one over the last couple of years. A smart center is a QB's best friend. We don't have that QB yet, but it would be great if we had a top flight center with a year's experience out there next year for him.

No one ever cheers over the pick of a center because you’ve wasted an opportunity to acquire a truly meaningful talent at a position that’s hard to address for a low risk-no reward option whose only benefit is allowing the guy making the selection to say “see? I didn’t draft a bust, don’t fire me.”

it is a such a waste of a selection to the extent that the panthers would be better served not selecting anyone in the hopes that a division rival ultimately ends up taking the Center and forfeiting their opportunity to make a meaningful acquisition to their squad, and to make such a pointless selection at the expense of an opportunity to take a shot at a franchise QB or a play making  DE is how you carve out your own personal niche of suck 

 

[Aussie Tank]

If Watson goes to the Saints or Falcons bloody oath you take one him and Burns can meet in the middle 1 high 1 low 

[Fright]

If we swing and miss at Watson I think we do it. Rhule can then take credit for a solid defense and blame the O if the offense is still stagnant.

 

We’re stuck with Sam and could possibly bring in Cam again, so why not make our D nasty AF.

[Khyber53]

46 minutes ago, Growl said:

No one ever cheers over the pick of a center because you’ve wasted an opportunity to acquire a truly meaningful talent at a position that’s hard to address for a low risk-no reward option whose only benefit is allowing the guy making the selection to say “see? I didn’t draft a bust, don’t fire me.”

it is a such a waste of a selection to the extent that the panthers would be better served not selecting anyone in the hopes that a division rival ultimately ends up taking the Center and forfeiting their opportunity to make a meaningful acquisition to their squad, and to make such a pointless selection at the expense of an opportunity to take a shot at a franchise QB or a play making  DE is how you carve out your own personal niche of suck 

 

After Elflein and Paradis do you really think that Center is a meaningless position?

There are no franchise QBs in this year's draft (okay, there's always one but it may be someone wayyyy down in the pecking order). The top LTs will be gone most likely. And even if we were to get a decent DE, this coaching staff would pretty much ruin them. 

Center, however, runs the line, calls the protections and is generally responsible for making the hits on the second level of the defense on running plays. Whether you want to believe it or not, it's a valuable position on the team. We've got little draft capital going into this mess thanks to Rhule, Fit and Tepper, so take the value pick that will also be least likely to be crippled by the bad coaching that will be inflicted upon it.

[RumHam]

I'd rather take a MLB. No more corners. Last time we took a DL high he hasn't shown up. 

[firefox1234]

12 minutes ago, RumHam said:

I'd rather take a MLB. No more corners. Last time we took a DL high he hasn't shown up. 

Hurney, is that you?

[AU-panther]

33 minutes ago, Khyber53 said:

After Elflein and Paradis do you really think that Center is a meaningless position?

There are no franchise QBs in this year's draft (okay, there's always one but it may be someone wayyyy down in the pecking order). The top LTs will be gone most likely. And even if we were to get a decent DE, this coaching staff would pretty much ruin them. 

Center, however, runs the line, calls the protections and is generally responsible for making the hits on the second level of the defense on running plays. Whether you want to believe it or not, it's a valuable position on the team. We've got little draft capital going into this mess thanks to Rhule, Fit and Tepper, so take the value pick that will also be least likely to be crippled by the bad coaching that will be inflicted upon it.

even if it isn't meaningless there are more things to consider.  

Cleveland just released Tretter, who by most accounts is a top-10 center, for cap reasons.  His salary this year was going to be around $8m.

#6 pick is going to cost $8m a year, why would you use an $8m pick to draft a guy that at best saves you about $8m in free agency.  If he turns out average you are losing value.

A top-10 LT or edge will cost you $20m in free agency, if you draft a LT and he turns out just average you are still adding value at $8m.

People get caught up with this idea of importance, you also have to look at replacement cost.

Positional value relative to winning and losing on the field isn't the same as positional value relative to cap dollars.

another way to look at it:

Lets assume Cross and Linderbaum both turn out good.

Draft Linderbaum for Center and sign Armstead for LT, total cost will be around $28-30mm

Draft Cross for LT and sign Tretter for Center, total cost will be around $16-18m.

You just saved $10m that you can spend on another player.

 

 

[Growl]

51 minutes ago, Khyber53 said:

After Elflein and Paradis do you really think that Center is a meaningless position?

There are no franchise QBs in this year's draft (okay, there's always one but it may be someone wayyyy down in the pecking order). The top LTs will be gone most likely. And even if we were to get a decent DE, this coaching staff would pretty much ruin them. 

Center, however, runs the line, calls the protections and is generally responsible for making the hits on the second level of the defense on running plays. Whether you want to believe it or not, it's a valuable position on the team. We've got little draft capital going into this mess thanks to Rhule, Fit and Tepper, so take the value pick that will also be least likely to be crippled by the bad coaching that will be inflicted upon it.

I can buy players who can do all those things for pennies on the dollar, and I can buy it without having to coach them to do it.

im not making a pick because I’m worried about Matt rhule or david Tepper, that’s absurd.

I still have to manage my draft with an understanding of value over the long haul. Can I obtain an elite passer or pass rusher in free agency? Can I do it inexpensively? No? But can I do it with Center? Yes? 

why would I even care about my center’s ability to call protections? That’s like evaluating a wide receiver’s ability to read defenses. You generally expect it out of them, and most do it well or well enough-but the guys who are drafted high are drafted there because they can do things other guys can’t. 

 

 

[amcoolio]

I would be ecstatic with any of Neal, Ekwonu, Hutchinson, Thibs, Walker, or Cross. Math says one of them should be there at 6.

However we have a lot of holes so its a near certainty we trade down if we keep the pick to get a 2nd rounder back. They'll spin it as getting Darnold for free

[Peppers90 NC]

5 minutes ago, amcoolio said:

I would be ecstatic with any of Neal, Ekwonu, Hutchinson, Thibs, Walker, or Cross. Math says one of them should be there at 6.

However we have a lot of holes so its a near certainty we trade down if we keep the pick to get a 2nd rounder back. They'll spin it as getting Darnold for free

Yea or the Giants dropped 9 spots and got 2 additional 4ths and a 1st. That would be more ideal if we decide to trade down.