Comments from other GMs about the Panthers draft options

[Jaxel]

18 minutes ago, OldhamA said:

But they didn't. 

Yeah, and a lot of them are still looking for their guy.

[OldhamA]

1 hour ago, Mr. Scot said:

For his latest FMIA column, Peter King talk to a dozen GMs about this year's draft.

Here's what three of them had to say about the Panthers pick (and about GM Scott Fitterer).

ON CAROLINA WITH THE SIXTH OVERALL PICK

GM4: “[GM] Scott Fitterer is well-respected, and I feel bad for him. I’d hate to need a quarterback this year, with an owner all over you to find one, and have to draft one with this group. No one feels great about any of these guys. [Pitt’s Kenny] Pickett is probably the best one, and he’s a maybe.”

Is the key one for me.

If Tepper is putting pressure on him to take a QB in this Draft, then Fitterer should walk away. Basically "trust me to do my job, or get someone else to do it". 

[Mr. Scot]

20 minutes ago, FuFuLamePoo said:

Just seems like all these dudes are operating under the assumption that Carolina is going QB which runs contrary to what we're hearing right now.

This is very much worth remembering when you look at stuff from various draftniks...

Actual GMs may have a better sense of this, though even at their level there's a lot of smoke being out out.

[Mr. Scot]

4 minutes ago, OldhamA said:

If Tepper is putting pressure on him to take a QB in this Draft, then Fitterer should walk away. Basically "trust me to do my job, or get someone else to do it". 

From what I've read of his comments though, I think Fitterer wants to draft a quarterback so that he can build around him. Rhule seems like the reluctant one on that front.

Now whether or not he really wants to do it this year is a valid question.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Mr. Scot

[Mr. Scot]

53 minutes ago, Davidson Deac II said:

Glad there aren't any generational talents.  Most qb's that are called generational talents end up not being as good as advertised.  

I've seen a couple of people on here suggest that Malik Willis could be a generation talent.

I call that a pretty extreme projection myself.

[OldhamA]

6 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

I've seen a couple of people on here suggest that Malik Willis could be a generation talent.

I call that a pretty extreme projection myself.

A generational talent that couldn't cut it at Auburn and had to transfer to Liberty.

Yeah, seems unlikely. 

[Mr. Scot]

Here's Albert Breer's perspective from his latest MMQB

Just as last week was important for the Panthers, this week is too. Just as the team had the quarterbacks in en masse last week, Matt Rhule, Scott Fitterer & Co. are having N.C. State tackle Ikem Ekwonu and Mississippi State tackle Charles Cross in to Charlotte together on Tuesday. And I think there’s an interesting dance that’ll play out in the aftermath with the sixth pick. As I see it, the Panthers can gamble, barring someone trading up (which I think is unlikely), that they’ll have their pick of quarterbacks at No. 6. What’s hard to forecast is whether any of the top three tackles—Ekwonu, Cross or Alabama’s Evan Neal—will be on the board when Carolina’s up. If those three are gone, maybe it’ll be simplified for the Panthers and they’ll take a quarterback. But if one or more of the tackles are there, it wouldn’t stun me, or others in the league, if the Panthers grit their teeth and go with the offensive lineman over the quarterback—with perhaps the idea that they could go and get Jimmy Garoppolo after the first round, or even Baker Mayfield, who’s been seen internally as a sort of redundant gamble to what the team did with Sam Darnold last year (and would probably require the Browns eating a whole bunch of his $18.858 million base). Having Mayfield and Darnold, the top two quarterbacks in 2018 (both of whom were drafted before Allen and Jackson), together would be interesting, for sure. But right now, my guess is the Browns would be pushing that more than the Panthers are looking for it. Which, again, could change, depending on what happens with the sixth pick.

[mrcompletely11]

8 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

I've seen a couple of people on here suggest that Malik Willis could be a generation talent.

I call that a pretty extreme projection myself.

Generational talent?   Don’t see that at all.   

[Jon Snow]

22 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Actual GMs are a much better source.

I agree, but this is something a blind person can see. The GM's are just confirming what we are seeing. The disfunction we see publicly is what is actually going on behind the scenes. 

The suckage will continue until new leadership is brought in.

[PanthersGTI]

10 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Here's Albert Breer's perspective from his latest MMQB

Just as last week was important for the Panthers, this week is too. Just as the team had the quarterbacks in en masse last week, Matt Rhule, Scott Fitterer & Co. are having N.C. State tackle Ikem Ekwonu and Mississippi State tackle Charles Cross in to Charlotte together on Tuesday. And I think there’s an interesting dance that’ll play out in the aftermath with the sixth pick. As I see it, the Panthers can gamble, barring someone trading up (which I think is unlikely), that they’ll have their pick of quarterbacks at No. 6. What’s hard to forecast is whether any of the top three tackles—Ekwonu, Cross or Alabama’s Evan Neal—will be on the board when Carolina’s up. If those three are gone, maybe it’ll be simplified for the Panthers and they’ll take a quarterback. But if one or more of the tackles are there, it wouldn’t stun me, or others in the league, if the Panthers grit their teeth and go with the offensive lineman over the quarterback—with perhaps the idea that they could go and get Jimmy Garoppolo after the first round, or even Baker Mayfield, who’s been seen internally as a sort of redundant gamble to what the team did with Sam Darnold last year (and would probably require the Browns eating a whole bunch of his $18.858 million base). Having Mayfield and Darnold, the top two quarterbacks in 2018 (both of whom were drafted before Allen and Jackson), together would be interesting, for sure. But right now, my guess is the Browns would be pushing that more than the Panthers are looking for it. Which, again, could change, depending on what happens with the sixth pick.

One thing is for sure. Every pick of the draft before us is going to have us biting our nails. I wouldn't be shocked at almost any name they call up there at #6 ( or announce a trade back ). 

[NCTHFL0567]

21 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

I've seen a couple of people on here suggest that Malik Willis could be a generation talent.

I call that a pretty extreme projection myself.

Orlovsky (I don't care how to spell his name). Legit compared him to Josh Allen last week. So there hype is getting up there, sadly. 

[Shocker]

1 hour ago, TheCasillas said:

lol.. this number goes the other direction if they include just first round. Since they chose "top 6" that leaves out:

Patrick Mahomes
Josh Allen
Lamar Jackson
Mac Jones

Also, the "maybe" on Tua and Kyler is such an interesting comment. 

Could that be because they went to better situations and teams?

[SmokinwithWilly]

If we hadn't already invested so heavily in Darnold and given up our 3rd this year for Henderson, I wouldn't be so against taking a chance on one of these guys. But we really can't afford to do that now with all the holes that we need to fill. Unless we get one of the top 3 tackles, the move needs to be a trade back and recoup some picks just to recover from the debacle that is that trade and 5th year option. 

[ForJimmy]

1 hour ago, PanthersGTI said:

I mean I know Darnold ain't it....but what has Mitch shown? 

Until Mitch proves himself up there,  I don't think Tribuisky and Rudolph and worlds better then Sam and Walker. They all stink. 

The Steelers have a strong enough team to be competitive with Mitch as a stop gap. Hell they won several with Rudolph.  We don’t want a rookie learning from Sam and being developed by Rhule and Co…