DARNOLD

[Jon Snow]

4 minutes ago, CRA said:

Jacoby seems like the most logical choice.  He offers something to a draft pick and Corral.   He knows the O. Also, he has been on and around successful teams and QBs.   

He would be my top pick for a vet warm body. 

Plus, he wasn't part of the horrific Rhule era.  Which this team needs to be cleansed from.  Sam Darnold is basically the posterboy of it. 

I'm not saying you are wrong.  It could end up that way for sure.  I guess we will have to wait until after the draft to find out.

[Khyber53]

Darnold may well be teachable with the right coaches and tools around him. I think it would behoove us to give him a one year prove it contract starting with back-up QB rates and some heavy incentives for  number of starts, win percentage and play offs. If he can get us to those, he deserves the extra money and a better contract. In the meantime, you work with Corral and Eason to develop them to their potential, perhaps one of them wins out.

Grabbing another good QB in the third is a good move, in my opinion, Bennett, Tune or Duggan could be great value picks.

In the draft this year, there will be at least one of the big name QB prospects available at #9. Be smart, trade it away to a desperate team. Move back in the draft, pick up another second, maybe another third in the process. 

And here's what I would do: Grab RB Bijan Robinson who can be the do everything CMC replacement at rookie wages, look to run him hard and often, then let him head to the free market after four years. In the second, use our top pick on Darnell Washington, the TE out of Georgia who could well be even better as a RT (think of reducing cost of Taylor Moton or finding that big target we need). With the next second rounder, dip into the DL pool that is so deep and look for that NT we are going to desperately need if we move to a 3-4. Mazi Smith out of Michigan might just fit that bill perfectly and still be on the board.

In the third, grab one of the three QBs listed before, one or more of them will still be there.

After that, it's too much of a crap shoot as to availabilities.

This should be a building year for us, and it is also a get out from cap hell year, if we are smart and don't overdo it in free agency or resigning players. The biggest part of that will be going in with little attention paid to the hype machines or the buddy-buddy relationships in the NFL that  can drive up demand and prices. Fitterer needs to reign in those long term deals that carry soooo much potential dead cap with them.

[TLGPanthersFan]

9 minutes ago, Jon Snow said:

So? That is already known. Who do you think they will go with?

They want to go to the playoffs next season. So it can’t be Darnold. 
Also, no. I don’t think a new coaching staff can “fix” Darnold. 
He is unfixable. 

[Jon Snow]

17 minutes ago, TLGPanthersFan said:

They want to go to the playoffs next season. So it can’t be Darnold. 
Also, no. I don’t think a new coaching staff can “fix” Darnold. 
He is unfixable. 

Never said anything about "fixing" Sam. I asked you who do you think they will go with? That you didn't answer.

[stratocatter]

People saw what he did last year. Most of it was good. Some was really good.  I think Wilks did him right in bringing along slowly.

  I am going with, because I can’t overlook it: he has the prototypical physical gifts a passer needs and he is mobile.  And 25.  And we have a supposedly top QB whispering staff.  I just don’t see trading up for some kid who wouldn’t beat him out in a legit competition, as being ideal. Maybe I am wrong about the guys in this draft, but I haven’t forgotten about Darnold. 
Who knows how this goes. 

[axl-69 2.0]

Bring Sam back for the first 4 games. During camp and preseason let Matt and a rookie battle it out. Whomever is better at that point starts from 5 on out. That way we get Sam's good games out of the way, then the other only have to play the rest. Is this a stupid fuging idea? Oh yes. But at this point its no worse than any other idea. 

[Wundrbread33]

Another angle to this, is that if your plan is drafting a QB, and developing him or Corral to take over as the future, bringing Sam back makes sense more than a splash FA or blockbuster trade for a vet QB. 
 

If Sam plays well or continues to improve under this staff, it’s found money, and worst case scenario he can game manage before turning the reigns over with no controversy. 
 

I think his contract would be indicative of that too. 
 

Someone like Carr, getting paid what he’s getting paid, means he’s the guy for the foreseeable future, at least in theory. 
 

If you don’t like Sam in this scenario, then substitute another middling guy like Brissett in his place. 
 

 

[Jon Snow]

1 minute ago, axl-69 2.0 said:

Bring Sam back for the first 4 games. During camp and preseason let Matt and a rookie battle it out. Whomever is better at that point starts from 5 on out. That way we get Sam's good games out of the way, then the other only have to play the rest. Is this a stupid fuging idea? Oh yes. But at this point its no worse than any other idea. 

It's so crazy it might actually work!

[frankw]

Sam Darnold wishes he was Jared Goff. Stop the insanity. He is who he is and that's not a good starting QB but a serviceable backup. Move on!

[bythenbrs]

18 minutes ago, Wundrbread33 said:

Another angle to this, is that if your plan is drafting a QB, and developing him or Corral to take over as the future, bringing Sam back makes sense more than a splash FA or blockbuster trade for a vet QB. 
 

If Sam plays well or continues to improve under this staff, it’s found money, and worst case scenario he can game manage before turning the reigns over with no controversy. 
 

I think his contract would be indicative of that too. 
 

Someone like Carr, getting paid what he’s getting paid, means he’s the guy for the foreseeable future, at least in theory. 
 

If you don’t like Sam in this scenario, then substitute another middling guy like Brissett in his place. 
 

 

Splash free agent vs Darnold, Minshew, Brissett is the tip off to whether this coaching staff thinks they can contend this year for the division or will build instead for the longer term future, using bridge free agent and the anointed franchise savior rookie.

Edited March 1, 2023 by bythenbrs

[Wundrbread33]

27 minutes ago, TLGPanthersFan said:

They want to go to the playoffs next season. So it can’t be Darnold. 
Also, no. I don’t think a new coaching staff can “fix” Darnold. 
He is unfixable. 

To be fair, the team was able to go 4-2 with Sam Darnold under a weaker staff (on paper).

 

It’s not unreasonable for him to game manage this team into the playoffs in this weak ass division. 
 

And regarding “unfixable”…that’s kind of vague. 
 

Reich has historically squeezed better than expected performance from quarterbacks he has had. 
 

I’d be surprised if Sam got worse or stayed the same under Reich and co. 
 

Safer bet would be he would improve, but who knows. 

[NanuqoftheNorth]

If the Panthers are in talks to bring Darnold back:

1.  They may see untapped potential Sam's previous coaches were unable to coax out of him.

2.  The bridge/backup QB options may be really bad this year.

3.  Panthers are simply doing their due diligence by exploring all options at QB. 

[frankw]

If the coaching staff actually believes reclamation project redux is going to turn this franchise around I'll instantly lose any of the confidence built over these last several weeks. But I just don't see it. It's easy to sit on the internet and say you'd roll the dice on a Sam Darnold when it's not your job at stake.

[Mr. Scot]

Now this...

It's possible Kleiman has heard something more from David Newton, but if all he's doing is citing Newton's recent tweet that mentioned "preliminary discussions" with Darnold's people, I think he's overstating it a little bit.