Is Matt Moore a starter and can the defense survive without Pepppers???

[Jpjr]

Well it's not like Matt Moore is a complete unknown. If you think about it, he's just as much of a known comodity as Mark Sanchez is for the Jets. Sanchez may make a lot more money and has a few more starts, but the Panthers coaching staff has been around Matt Moore for 3 years now, so they have a pretty good idea how he will handle just about every situation that comes up, on and off the field.

For the record, I think Mark Sanchez was the weakest link on the Jets last year by far. His numbers speak for themselves. They had a great running game and a great defense which carried them almost to the Super Bowl. With a more experienced quarterback they probably would have been in the Super Bowl. The guy gets way too much credit, basically because quarterbacks always do. This season expectations are MUCH higher so we'll see how good he really is..

As far as Moore is concerned, I'm a Clausen fan but even I think Moore deserves the starting role for now. It will all be up to him and whether or not they win games. However, I do think there is a big difference between "managing" a game (aka not losing) versus winning a game. To be a winner, he's got to add something to the offense i.e., a legit passing attack. If Carolina is a one trick pony again this year they won't be as successful as last in my opinion.

[Cyberjag]

Well it's not like Matt Moore is a complete unknown. If you think about it, he's just as much of a known comodity as Mark Sanchez is for the Jets. Sanchez may make a lot more money and has a few more starts, but the Panthers coaching staff has been around Matt Moore for 3 years now, so they have a pretty good idea how he will handle just about every situation that comes up, on and off the field.

I hear you, and will add in that they not only drafted Clausen, they drafted Pike too.

[panthers55]

I hear you, and will add in that they not only drafted Clausen, they drafted Pike too.

They used the same tactic at receiver,quarterback, and DB this year that they did a few years at right guard. Bring in a bunch of guys in order find a few that can play for you. Hopefully they went a long way towards fixing the offense this year. I don't think it was a no confidence vote in Moore as much as it was not putting all your eggs in one basket as we did with Jake over the past several years. I think it was a smart move myself.

[Jpjr]

They used the same tactic at receiver,quarterback, and DB this year that they did a few years at right guard. Bring in a bunch of guys in order find a few that can play for you. Hopefully they went a long way towards fixing the offense this year. I don't think it was a no confidence vote in Moore as much as it was not putting all your eggs in one basket as we did with Jake over the past several years. I think it was a smart move myself.

It was part of both. On the one side, the Vikings would have loved nothing more than to draft a Clausen/The Golden Calf of Bristol/McCoy, but they couldn't out of fear that Farve would take it the wrong way and retire. The guy is literally holding the team hostage in that regard.

On the other side, despite what you think about Clausen or Pike, they were the best guys available in the draft at their respective picks. Clausen was expected to go high round 1, Pike was expected to go in the 3rd or 4th at the latest. Edwards is another example where they took a QB to play receiver (as opposed to a receiver outright) because he was the best pick available. I think they did a great job in this regard with the draft.

[CarolinaKat]

I think Matt Moore will surprise alot of people one way or another. But I'm more excited about the fact this team finally drafted a QB. Please no more undrafted QB's Jake and Matt have done the job but I've always wanted this team to have a name brand QB.

[panthers55]

I think Matt Moore will surprise alot of people one way or another. But I'm more excited about the fact this team finally drafted a QB. Please no more undrafted QB's Jake and Matt have done the job but I've always wanted this team to have a name brand QB.

That is what I think is funny. Many folks like you have been clamoring for us to pick up a quarterback with a high draft pick for years. We finally do that with actually three guys and suddenly we have wasted picks if they all don't make the roster, we are dissing Moore who deserves to start and a myriad of other issues. For me I am glad Fox and Hurney have really gone out and tried to fix the offense. And hopefully between Moore, Clausen, Cantwell, and Pike we have found the franchise quarterback we have looked for. Honestly I don't care who it is as long as it one of them.

[pantherclaw]

I honesty don't understand the whole, they don't trust matt moore.

Moore earned his shot to run the team. He's getting that chance. He has this season to prove he can be our franchise qb. If so, they will surely lock him up long term, regardless of the rookie talent.

That being said, ya don't put you eggs in one basket. Who would thought clausen would have fallen to us in the second round? Nobody! Ya pick him up and now the team has insurance in case moore gets injured, or worse, fails.

as far as our defense is concerned, the best defense is a good offense! Specially with a smaller, faster defense. An offense that sustains drives, and can put up points, keeps the defense fresh, and in attack mode. This defense, while young, can turn out being very good as long as our offense lives up to their own expectations.

[monstercat]

I couldn't care less about draft status or hype. The best QB should be starting, but if they're pretty equal, you go with the most experienced guy.

[Jpjr]

I couldn't care less about draft status or hype. The best QB should be starting, but if they're pretty equal, you go with the most experienced guy.

I would argue that Moore doesn't have enough experience to be called "experienced" and therefore if they are all good you go with Clausen as a name brand franchise QB who is will bring more media attention and inevitably revenue to the franchise. Of course, they won't all be good and the best player will eventually win out...

[monstercat]

I would argue that Moore doesn't have enough experience to be called "experienced" and therefore if they are all good you go with Clausen as a name brand franchise QB who is will bring more media attention and inevitably revenue to the franchise. Of course, they won't all be good and the best player will eventually win out...

Yeah right. Like the national media is gonna give a poo about the Panthers. They only pay attention to us when something like Smitty's broken arm happens. The Carolina Panthers could win the Superbowl this year, and Dallas could finish dead last in their division, and Dallas will still get more coverage the following season.

Anyway, NFL history is littered with highly drafted and overhyped QB's who have failed, and one of the biggest reasons for that, is that there is so much pressure to get the "brand name" guy on the field, whether he's ready or not. The Panthers should be in no hury to play Clausen, because he has never faced an NFL defense in his life, while Moore has been practicing and playing against NFL defenses for 3 years. He is light years ahead of Clausen and Pike right now.

[Jpjr]

Yeah right. Like the national media is gonna give a poo about the Panthers. They only pay attention to us when something like Smitty's broken arm happens. The Carolina Panthers could win the Superbowl this year, and Dallas could finish dead last in their division, and Dallas will still get more coverage the following season.

Anyway, NFL history is littered with highly drafted and overhyped QB's who have failed, and one of the biggest reasons for that, is that there is so much pressure to get the "brand name" guy on the field, whether he's ready or not. The Panthers should be in no hury to play Clausen, because he has never faced an NFL defense in his life, while Moore has been practicing and playing against NFL defenses for 3 years. He is light years ahead of Clausen and Pike right now.

The national media pays attention to stories and not teams. Who paid attention to the Colts before Peyton Manning got there? The Panthers are lacking headline players in what has become a passing leauge. It has nothing to do with their market or franchise IMO.

Of course, you are right that Dallas will always be popular, but that is because of their fanbase and not the media. For example, Tony Romo has the highest selling sports jersey of any athlete in the United States including Lebron, Kobe, etc. They just have a lot of fans..

As far as Moore goes, lightyears ahead of Clausen and Pike is like saying AJ Feeley is light years ahead of Bradford. I guess these college QBs can time travel because Bradford will be starting asap without ever having faced an NFL defense. Part of it is experience but a big part is business.

[monstercat]

The national media pays attention to stories and not teams. Who paid attention to the Colts before Peyton Manning got there? The Panthers are lacking headline players in what has become a passing leauge. It has nothing to do with their market or franchise IMO.

Of course, you are right that Dallas will always be popular, but that is because of their fanbase and not the media. For example, Tony Romo has the highest selling sports jersey of any athlete in the United States including Lebron, Kobe, etc. They just have a lot of fans..

As far as Moore goes, lightyears ahead of Clausen and Pike is like saying AJ Feeley is light years ahead of Bradford. I guess these college QBs can time travel because Bradford will be starting asap without ever having faced an NFL defense. Part of it is experience but a big part is business.

Dude, do you really believe that Bradford will be starting ASAP because he's ready to play? He will be starting because they are paying him a boatload of money. He will most likely take a beating and lose more games that Matt Moore will. Is that worth getting a little more attention?

The reason that Clausen was such a good draft pick for us, is because he's not a first rounder and won't be getting a $70 million contract. The Panthers would be stupid to rush him when they already have a QB who has proven that he can win games. And if Matt Moore plays this season like he did the last 5 games of last season, then Clausen should not see the field at all.

And BTW, if Steve Smith and Julius Peppers were not enough to get us more attention, then what makes you think Jimmy Clausen will do the trick?

[Jpjr]

Dude, do you really believe that Bradford will be starting ASAP because he's ready to play? He will be starting because they are paying him a boatload of money. He will most likely take a beating and lose more games that Matt Moore will. Is that worth getting a little more attention?

The reason that Clausen was such a good draft pick for us, is because he's not a first rounder and won't be getting a $70 million contract. The Panthers would be stupid to rush him when they already have a QB who has proven that he can win games. And if Matt Moore plays this season like he did the last 5 games of last season, then Clausen should not see the field at all.

And BTW, if Steve Smith and Julius Peppers were not enough to get us more attention, then what makes you think Jimmy Clausen will do the trick?

Of course Bradford is not ready to play! That's my point. He's playing because business is business in the NFL. Yes they paid him a lot of money, because he will fill seats and market the franchise. The better player was Suh all along.

Steve Smith and Julius Peppers are good receivers on a team without a premier quarterback. Did any casual pro football fans really know or care what Larry Fitzgerald or Anquan Boldin were doing before Kurt Warner came to town? Same thing in Carolina, so yes I think Jimmy Clausen can do the trick whenever it makes sense for him to get his shot.

[carolinarolls]

I will not be surprised if Matt Moore turns out to be very efficient and thrives in the offense

I will also not be surprised if he falls flat on his face and two rookies battle it out all season to 5-11.

this season is gonna be fun.

It feels like the summer of 1995