App State QB Armanti Edwards on Michigan upset, ‘dark times’ with Panthers

[ladypanther]

Featured on Scott Fowler "Legends of the Carolinas".  Interesting comments about his time with the Panthers.  The reason he says that Gettleman gave him for cutting him brings back memories of another player.

Here's what he said about his time as a Panther:

SF: Marty Hurney, then the Panthers’ GM, would make you a third-round pick in the 2010 NFL draft, trading away a future second-round pick to do so. And then the team immediately switched you to wide receiver. Do you think you should have stayed a QB in the NFL?

AE: Of course. From age 6 until my NFL career, I always played quarterback. It was second nature to me. I loved it. But at the time, (the Panthers thought) prototypical quarterback size was needed...........

But at the same time I was told… I would get some opportunities to do some Wildcat (formation, where Edwards could line up at QB for a series of plays from the shotgun). Not once or twice a year; some actual packages for games. And that never happened. So that was a hard time for me.

 SF: You played for the Panthers for most of four years, from 2010-2013, never scoring a touchdown after accounting for 139 of them at App State. How do you characterize that experience overall?

AE: That was the darkest time in my football career, at Carolina…. At the beginning, a guy that I looked up to on the team who knows a lot of the ins and outs — he told me the only reason they brought me in was to sell tickets because I’m from App. And I didn’t understand it at the time. It went over my head. But as the season goes on, I’m not even getting the opportunity to play and we’re losing. You’re starting to see it. You start to hear that the coach (John Fox) didn’t even want to draft you…. I felt like I wasn’t getting the help I needed to be a returner, let alone learn how to play receiver…. It was a lot of hardships. A lot of dark times.

Once Coach (Ron) Rivera got there (in 2011), he felt genuine. I liked him… He tried to really look out for me…. I got my opportunity to play punt returner, but I’m not getting (enough) practice, so I’m not really getting anywhere… No disrespect to the receiver coaches, but they didn’t help me. They really just went and coached the guys they knew were going to play… The first time I started getting help was when Ricky Proehl got here as the assistant receivers coach. He actually took his time outside of practice, and in practice, to actually help me.

 SF: What happened when you got cut from the Panthers in 2013?

AE: I really started feeling comfortable then, in my fourth year. Coach Rivera deemed me the most improved player in camp. He was excited…. Cam Newton started calling me the “Silent Assassin,” because he along with the coaches was seeing a massive improvement from my third year to my fourth year. But then I got hurt — a hamstring problem. So I didn’t get to play in the final preseason game… We had a new GM (Dave Gettleman) that year…. It (Edwards’ release) was 100% his decision.

 I didn’t handle it well, for the simple fact I was given for the release. I was looking for the straight-up answer. If you tell me, “Hey, you’re not panning out to what we expected. We want to give other guys a try” — I can handle that. But during this time, my aunt passed during (training) camp. She was like the head of our family. She held the pieces together…. She was the closest sister at that time to my Mom. So that was devastating for her. So I’m not practicing, and I asked if I could go to the funeral. They let me go.

I come back. I’m still not practicing (due to the hamstring). And I’m easing myself in (to practice)…. They were literally drawing up plays for me....

 The reason (for being released) that I got from Gettleman is that I was never the same after my aunt died. That’s what he told me to my face.... So that left a sour taste in my mouth.

https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/sports-legends/article273732900.html

 Takeaways-poor player development.  Draft a QB you traded up for to turn him into a receiver and then do little or nothing to help him learn the new position. Complete was of a draft pick.

-Is Gettleman a jerk?

[shaqattaq]

5 minutes ago, ladypanther said:

-Is Gettleman a jerk?

It sure seems like it.

[csx]

Gettleman is a piece of poo

[Ricky Spanish]

Jesus Christ.

If that's true, WOW. What a dick.

[Manna]

Gettleman seemed to have responded the same to DeAngelo and KB. I wonder if this kind of vindicates them both as they never really recovered from losing their mothers (understandably so).

[MechaZain]

15 minutes ago, Manna said:

Gettleman seemed to have responded the same to DeAngelo and KB. I wonder if this kind of vindicates them both as they never really recovered from losing their mothers (understandably so).

Add Smitty to his pile of terribly handled player relations

Edited July 12, 2023 by MechaZain

[scpanther22]

A lot of executives act like this and we tend to let them because we think they're the smartest person in the room  

[emcannon]

I know AE gets a lot of flack from a certain subsection of the fanbase, but he was absolutely electric as a QB at App State and I know I’m not alone in wondering what could have been if his NFL career hadn’t been badly mismanaged by the front office and coaches. 

[Murph]

He was mainly drafted to sell tickets? John Fox didn’t want him?  We gave ip the 33rd pick in the following draft to get that? I’m hoping he is exaggerating or was misinformed because that is horrible.

[Tbe]

4 minutes ago, Murph said:

He was mainly drafted to sell tickets? John Fox didn’t want him?  We gave ip the 33rd pick in the following draft to get that? I’m hoping he is exaggerating or was misinformed because that is horrible.

So who was calling the shots then? Richardson was meddling?

[ladypanther]

1 minute ago, Murph said:

He was mainly drafted to sell tickets? John Fox didn’t want him?  We gave up the 33rd pick in the following draft to get that? I’m hoping he is exaggerating or was misinformed because that is horrible.

Sounds like little was done to develop him.  Foxy had 1 foot out the door when Edwards was drafted (2010).  He (Foxy) acted like he didn't give a sh#t so not surprised about that.  Rivera not an offensive guy and was a little in over his head.  Edwards landed at the wrong place at the wrong time.

[Sgt Schultz]

1 minute ago, ladypanther said:

Sounds like little was done to develop him.  Foxy had 1 foot out the door when Edwards was drafted (2010).  He (Foxy) acted like he didn't give a sh#t so not surprised about that.  Rivera not an offensive guy and was a little in over his head.  Edwards landed at the wrong place at the wrong time.

2010 was a complete waste.  Fox was a dead man walking, everybody and their brothers knew that, so nothing happened to develop anybody.  Whatever chance Matt Moore had to become a viable starter was pretty much torpedoed by Fox's malpractice that year......and the malpractice was just as much Richardson's fault as his.

Edwards was drafted in the middle of that fiasco.  That was aggravated by the fact he was over-drafted.  That was the most irritating part of it.  Teams draft a "home town" guy pretty often, but usually late in the draft. 

I say we over-drafted him because, regardless of what anybody thinks of Edwards potential as a WR, we drafted LaFell earlier in the third round.  And let's face it: over-drafting was a Hurney trademark.  Trading up to take a guy who is a QB with the idea they would turn him into a WR and gadget QB is not exactly a great value or risk.

So, Edwards walked into a perfect storm and still almost survived it, anyway.  Before I pass judgement on how his release was handled, I'd want to hear someone else around the team when it happened speak up.  The danger is jumping on the bandwagon based on the recollection of the guy who was released is about the same as jumping on the bandwagon based on The Process' account of his dismissal.  Even though I don't feel like I need a shower after reading what Edwards says, his view is biased.  He may be right, but I can't conclude that based solely on his account.

[ladypanther]

I agree @Sgt Schultz It is interesting that there is a bit of a repeating theme.  At best, sounds like Gettleman sucked at releasing players.  Not a people person.

[Sgt Schultz]

1 minute ago, ladypanther said:

I agree @Sgt Schultz It is interesting that there is a bit of a repeating theme.  At best, sounds like Gettleman sucked at releasing players.  Not a people person.

Gettleman and Hoodie (Belichick) would be a great pair to invite to your holiday party this year.