If Fox does leave, the Carolina job will be much in demand...

[Zod]

Carolina would have one of the highest sought after job openings in the entire league.

1. Top notch ownership, provides all means necessary but stays out of the day to day. JR is one of the most respected owners in the league.

2. Stout defense

3. 2 thousand yard rushers behind a solid OL

A coach could come here and start winning right away. All the pieces are there with the only question being QB, although Moore may actually be an attractive prospect to an offensive minded coach taking a look.

[CatMan72]

Agreed, at this point all the pieces are in place for a new coach to be a winner. I can honestly say I have NO IDEA who the Panthers would be interested in as a HC. I was thinking Cowher would be desirable because of his resume and his link to the Steelers organization, but it sounds like that's not going to happen now.

I find it really odd that Cowher would be interested in a team like the Bills and not the Panthers???

[Matt Foley]

Carolina would have one of the highest sought after job openings in the entire league.

1. Top notch ownership, provides all means necessary but stays out of the day to day. JR is one of the most respected owners in the league.

2. Stout defense

3. 2 thousand yard rushers behind a solid OL

A coach could come here and start winning right away. All the pieces are there with the only question being QB, although Moore may actually be an attractive prospect to an offensive minded coach taking a look.

I agree, but not for the reasons you listed. Ownership is a question mark...Big Cat's health, both sons fired as presidents...not exactly stable. Defense has a couple of studs, but name me a team that doesn't?

The running backs and the line, if healthy, are definitely strong selling points. But this team needs a franchise quarterback. Matt Moore can hold the fort until you get that guy.

The main reason Panthers job is attractive....weather, up-and-coming city, NFC South perceived as winnable division, proximity to Zod.

[Hairless Cat]

A coach could come here and start winning right away

No doubt - nexty year will be the year of a soft schedule.

[Matt Foley]

No doubt - nexty year will be the year of a soft schedule.

Panthers are going to finish third, which means the Saints will get the East winner and the Vikings. The Falcons will get the Packers and the East second place team, and the Panthers will get the Giants and the Bears. Other than that, won't the schedules be identical? You have to finish last to get the Rams/Lions/Redskins gift package.

[Zod]

Listen to Meat, he is the authority on packages.

[Mekeritrig]

No doubt - nexty year will be the year of a soft schedule.

This is an important point. The majority of division winners typically do not repeat the following year. The tougher SOS for division winners is a big barrier to staying on top. Finishing third this year does have some benefits for next year in that regard.

[Hairless Cat]

Listen to Meat, he is the authority on packages.

most likely, but arent all of his wrapped in styrofoam and seran wrap?

[Matt Foley]

Laugh it up while you can. Only one more day until the Meat Decade.

[Zod]

Laugh it up while you can. Only one more day until the Meat Decade.

Pipe down or I reveal to the world that you are processed.

[Matt Foley]

Strength of schedule is a relic from before realignment. With only two games in any season being determined by where you finish the impact on your schedule is less than the overall up and down nature of the league.

True, but if you're a last place team that finished last for reasons other than that you are absolutely terrible, the schedule CAN help you in that situation. See the NFC South where the last place team came back and won the division all those years in a row. The Panthers finished last because they quit on Seifert, then had the Morgan/Jenkins/Smith draft, followed by Peppers/Foster/Witherspoon. The Falcons finished last because Vick got hurt. The Bucs finished last because Cadillac got hurt. Etc etc.

I don't think the Bucs are strong enough to capitalize on that next year, but watch out for the Rams (if they get Suh and a quarterback) and the Redskins.

[Davidson Deac II]

All the NFC South teams should have a slightly weaker schedule this year, since they are not playing the historically tough NFC east as much. But our strength of scheduled should be roughly equal with the other teams in our division. Maybe even tougher. I don't think Minnesota will be as strong next year, and Chicago might be stronger.

[Davidson Deac II]

BTW, while its true that Carolina might be a sought after job, its also true that Fox might be a sought after coach.

[Matt Foley]

All the NFC South teams should have a slightly weaker schedule this year, since they are not playing the historically tough NFC east as much. But our strength of scheduled should be roughly equal with the other teams in our division. Maybe even tougher. I don't think Minnesota will be as strong next year, and Chicago might be stronger.

It's a crapshoot, isn't it? I mean, the Packers were stout two years ago and this year. Last year they sucked. It's like you're in the middle of the ocean, bobbing up and down, and you never know if your opponent is on his way up or down when you play him. That goes year to year as well as game to game.