The optimism thread

[Wolfcop]

50 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Roster looks to be improved, except possibly at quarterback.

The OL could be significantly improved and has a new coach with a great rep.

Coaching staff is likely overall better, though I'm still not a fan of Phil Snow.

THIS

[Mr. Scot]

26 minutes ago, panthers55 said:

We are a QB away from contending. 

I don't buy that at all.

[onmyown]

There are no KNOWN positives. We can rehash all the hopeful ‘positive’ threads from last year and come up with the same things oline, defense, coaching etc. Tell me, how did that work out?  We can say our oline is better, coaching has improved, Horn and CMC will be healthy blah blah. 

In reality, logic says 2022 is going to be bad. The changes largely replace what was lost. At the very least, the changes aren’t going to justify twice the wins to end up over .500. The changes aren’t that impactful. Mainly QB and the dline.

To me there are only two positives.

1. The oline will be better. Yea we can’t know that but I’d bet it all on this. Why? Because we were arguably the worst in the NFL. We almost literally can’t do worse as long as they show up. Is this really a positive? I shall take what I can get.

But more importantly…

2. It’s the make or break year for Rhule if Tepper has any sense whatsoever. Which means we can be done with this stupid experiment. I highly doubt if this season isn’t a winning one Rhule will be kept, despite this 7 year Jay-Z bullshit from Tepper. It’s not happening.

So just get ready for another 5 win season, or by some miracle an overachieving .500 and enjoy it knowing it will likely be the last year of this circus because that won’t be enough.

Edited June 21, 2022 by onmyown

[Toker Smurf]

After going 3-6, Rhule will be fired and Corral will get a shot. 

[ForJimmy]

Campen, Wilks, and McAdoo (like him or not he is better than Brady) definitely improve our staff.  There is more talent on the OL than we have seen in a long time.  Our secondary is full of youth with great physical traits in Chinn, Horn, DJax, CJ, and Woods, DJ Moore has proven to be a great WR who we have secured for a while, Corral gives us a young promising QB to watch in practice/TC throughout the year, special teams has a better coach with a better punter and some stability at kicker.

[joemac]

1 hour ago, Wundrbread33 said:

It’s easy to find optimism with this roster. Young guys developing everywhere. 
 

The main story (playoffs, super bowl) isn’t great right now but the side quests (player development, Corral) are exciting. 

Being a fan of the panthers (and hornets) since the 90’s means finding things to enjoy or being a miserable fug your whole life. 

We're a QB away from making some serious noise in the NFC.  They have quietly stacked our roster with a lot of young, very talented players.  If we somehow can get decent QB play this year, we can challenge for a Wild Card spot. 

[KSpan]

4 minutes ago, joemac said:

We're a QB away from making some serious noise in the NFC.  They have quietly stacked our roster with a lot of young, very talented players.  If we somehow can get decent QB play this year, we can challenge for a Wild Card spot. 

Absolutely nothing Rhule has done supports a team under his command being competent enough to 'make some noise' against actual competition and the staff, while looking improved on paper, is ultimately under his command. Additionally, Snow got better last year but still has not shown the ability to strategize and mitigate a defensive roster that is light on the line and has not made any notable changes in that regard this offseason as well as largely misusing Chinn, arguably the best playmaker on the defense, last season.

A QB playing lights out could go a long way but there are other major questions that can only be ignored if wearing some rose-colored glasses.

[SteveSmithTD89]

Idk man, this is the part of the season where everyone normally has eternal optimism.

For me that offensive line is reason enough to get me fired up. 

McAdoo calling the plays is a massive upgrade to Brady and certainly Nixon. 

CMC healthy - the majority of you calling him injury prone were the same ones clamoring to shut him down. The hammy worried me. The ankle doesn't. Looking forward to getting 22 on the field with gaps I could drive my truck through. 

DJ Moore and the emergence of TMJr.

Matt Corral waiting in the wings - I'm really excited we got this guy where we did. Looking forward to camp and preseason to see how he looks. Hopefully he's more Russ Wilson than Will Grier although at this point I'd settle for Matt Moore. 

 

On defense we've got Brown entering year 3 - the year it "clicks" for most Dlinemen. 

Burns, Shaq, Chinn, DJax all back and looking to build on what they did last year. 

CJ Hendersons development and where he fits into the secondary. 

Jaycee Motherfuggin Horn back 

Edge speed with Haynes, Amare Barno.

New guys like Woods, Littleton, Ioannidis

 

Punter and Kicker look to be a strength and not a massive question mark for the first time since what? 2015 with Nortman and Gano?

[joemac]

7 minutes ago, KSpan said:

Absolutely nothing Rhule has done supports a team under his command being competent enough to 'make some noise' against actual competition and the staff, while looking improved on paper, is ultimately under his command. Additionally, Snow got better last year but still has not shown the ability to strategize and mitigate a defensive roster that is light on the line and has not made any notable changes in that regard this offseason as well as largely misusing Chinn, arguably the best playmaker on the defense, last season.

A QB playing lights out could go a long way but there are other major questions that can only be ignored if wearing some rose-colored glasses.

You can complain about every single coach in the NFL.  The constant Rhule slander here gets stale. Does he suck?  Sure.  If we get good QB play and start winning games, his deficiencies as a coach will start to look a lot less severe.  As long as he's our coach, we're stuck with him.  So no reason being miserable every single week/season just because of who the coach is.  

[poundaway]

1 hour ago, Icege said:

• The team now has an actual starting caliber, NFL offensive line
• CMC will be back with a capable Chuba backing him up as well as a bruising D'onta Foreman to punish defenders on runs between the tackles
• DJ Moore. Enough said.
• Terrace Marshall Jr, Tommy Tremble, and other young weapons are looking like they can be on the cusp of breaking out
• Yetur Gross-Matos looks like he might be ready to be an integral part of the starting defensive line while Matt Ioanidis is going to provide a better push to prevent QBs from stepping up to avoid Brian Burns.
• Jaycee Horn. Like DJ, enough said.
• The division is now without Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Sean Peyton, and Bruce Arians.
• Games against the Browns, Cardinals, 49ers, Rams, Bengals, Ravens, and Broncos give us a look at how the team would hold up in a postseason game should they string together enough Ws to build hope.

And on the flip side, should the team be ass again, then web traffic will be decent still since ppl will be flocking to the boards to rage out.

This.

There's talent on the roster.  Better OL, CMC returns, Horn is back, NFL coaches, rookie QB waiting in the wings for when Sam blows it.    Rhule's teams normally take a step up in year 3.   Rhule is trying to correct his previous mistakes (NFL coaches, OL love, trying to replace Sam). 

 

 

[3838]

2 hours ago, 4Corners said:

Y’all still obsessing on this huh 

Doesn't matter. Another team already beat on that one to....

http://images.thepostgame.com/assets/public/Hogettes%20retirement_0.jpg

[Waldo]

This is not a place for optimism, again sadly. Let's talk when Rhule is fired and we are looking at a new coaching staff without Hurney in the room. That's when optimism re-enters the conversation in Pantherland. 

[kungfoodude]

1 hour ago, Mr. Scot said:

I don't buy that at all.

I don't think anyone actually buys that. Probably not even Matt Rhule buys that.

[Move the Panthers to Raleigh]

A top-3 pick in 2023