Comparing our new players to old, better/worse?

[nosuchthingasapanther]

That's exactly why he said that Beason is a better linebacker, and Davis is a better athlete.

what i disagree with is it being a push and not an improvement.

[TANTRIC-NINJA]

Our depth is gone. If Martin or Godfrey go down then its 7th round rookie draft picks starting....uh oh.

Beason will be a better Wlb...although last season TD looked possessed and finally did not look lost every other play. His development has been slow but he had it at an Pro-Bowl level last season...damn ACL's.

I think Goodson will sneak in some role as a wideout and kick returner. Hopefully showcased in preseason and we acquire a draft pick for him.

[SorthNarolina]

Why does everyone just assume Edwards is going to be a great punt or kick returner?

Last year, we had a lot of guys competing for that spot, and we just assumed one of them would step up to be the playmaker we needed. After all, Mark Jones looked pretty decent, right?

Goodson, Munnerlyn, and Moore couldn't do it well consistently. Sutton probably came the closest of all them to doing it at a respectable level.

So far the reports from minicamp said that Edwards has looked more comfortable catching punts that Moore or Munnerlynn ever did. They both set the bar so low it isn't going to be hard to improve on it. That's why I think he will do better. I think he is going to play well but he doesn't really even have to play well to be one of the better PR guys we've had in years.

[SorthNarolina]

Our depth is gone. If Martin or Godfrey go down then its 7th round rookie draft picks starting....uh oh.

Beason will be a better Wlb...although last season TD looked possessed and finally did not look lost every other play. His development has been slow but he had it at an Pro-Bowl level last season...damn ACL's.

I think Goodson will sneak in some role as a wideout and kick returner. Hopefully showcased in preseason and we acquire a draft pick for him.

Football players aren't stock. It's not draft low then trade high. If he plays well during pre-season why don't we keep him and use him?

[SorthNarolina]

Eh, this thread is a big reach. It's way too early to make a lot of these judgments. We don't even know if Armanti Edwards will be better than Kenny Moore yet. Same goes for Lafell over Jarrett. You're also making some pretty big assumptions about Martin after very limited playing time. Who knows how he'll perform as a full-time starter? Not saying he won't be good, I'm just saying it's not really logical to declare him, after only a few games, "BETTER" than a guy who has started for two seasons.

Also

Last year Godfrey was better than Harris in *gasp* causing turnovers.

I am making a assumptions because it's the pre-season. It's too early to make predictions of any kind but it's the offseason and I'd like to have something to spark up discussion.

Before I did the list I actually checked how Harris and Godfrey were doing turnover wise and they were the same which is why I said Godfrey hasn't looked better. Godfrey forced more fumbles but the turnovers they caused were the same.

[SorthNarolina]

Charles Godfrey isn't going to play strong safety, which Harris played. Godfrey will stick where he was at while Martin will replace Harris as our rover.

I'm pretty sure he is. I think Godfrey replaces Harris as the 8th man in the box and they leave Martin back deep since he appears to have the range and ability to stay out on that island.

[CharlotteBeer.com]

So far the reports from minicamp said that Edwards has looked more comfortable catching punts that Moore or Munnerlynn ever did. They both set the bar so low it isn't going to be hard to improve on it. That's why I think he will do better. I think he is going to play well but he doesn't really even have to play well to be one of the better PR guys we've had in years.

I really hope he's at least a competent returner. Those return yards can make a huge difference in the outcome of a game sometimes.

I'm rooting for Edwards in whatever capacity he's used; I'm just also taking a wait-and-see approach with our return game.

[OneBadassCat]

I think Beason is probably the same caliber athlete that Davis is. People like to make a big deal or his 40 time, which like a 4.6 but he ran it injured.

[panthers55]

I am with those that say we have to at least watch some games before we know if our current guys will be better than last year. We can speculate on the positions where we are likely to be better or worse. But the offseason is the time for optimistic speculation. Soon enough we will know whether it is right or not.

Perhaps the biggest advantage guys will have this year is experience in Meeks system. It isn't how each player measures up to the guy they are replacing but how the team plays together as a unit. I like that the defensive line is calling themselves the no-name line.

[Mage]

I'm pretty sure he is. I think Godfrey replaces Harris as the 8th man in the box and they leave Martin back deep since he appears to have the range and ability to stay out on that island.

Want to know why Godfrey still started despite Martin's fine couple of games? Because Godfrey is a better cover safety. Martin may get a couple of interceptions, but it has been said that he is more prone to allowing a big play than Godfrey. I'm positive if they are going to use one as our roving safety aka eighth man in the box, it will be Martin and not Godfrey. Godfrey will stick down deep.

It's exactly why when Harris was out, Godfrey still remained at his regular position and they instead put Teal in. Martin is simply a better fit for what Harris did than Godfrey, if anything just for the fact he is likely a more sure tackler.

[panthers55]

Want to know why Godfrey still started despite Martin's fine couple of games? Because Godfrey is a better cover safety. Martin may get a couple of interceptions, but it has been said that he is more prone to allowing a big play than Godfrey. I'm positive if they are going to use one as our roving safety aka eighth man in the box, it will be Martin and not Godfrey. Godfrey will stick down deep.

It's exactly why when Harris was out, Godfrey still remained at his regular position and they instead put Teal in. Martin is simply a better fit for what Harris did than Godfrey, if anything just for the fact he is likely a more sure tackler.

You are right that they kept Godfrey at free safety but they rarely change a guy's postion midseason to one he hasn't played. For that matter Martin didn't play at strong safety last year either. The cover 1 rover requires a player who understands the defense, can support the run and the pass. Martin was known in college as a safety with corner skills while Godfrey was a corner with safety skills. Martin was a big hitter which is why he played safety. Godfrey played corner because he was the best athlete they had and they needed him at corner.

I still think that Godfrey is a little bigger (10 lbs)and a little stronger than Martin and will fill the strong safety spot better. He is also pretty quick which allows him to move up or back quickly and read the defense. Martin has the cover skills to play deep as a free safety. He was projected in the draft analysis to be a corner in the NFl due to his speed coverage skills which translates in our system to a free safety. THe knock on him against the run is that he gets sucked in on play action and often takes bad angles to the ball carrier. That would not make a good cover 1 rover at all.

I guess we will see in training camp.

[CharlotteBeer.com]

So I asked Chris Harris on Twitter (ChrisHarrisNFL) who would take which safety positions here in Carolina. Here's his reply:

Godfrey will prob move to SS n Martin probably FS

I know it doesn't mean anything, but I just thought you might like to hear his opinion.

[SorthNarolina]

So I asked Chris Harris on Twitter (ChrisHarrisNFL) who would take which safety positions here in Carolina. Here's his reply:

I know it doesn't mean anything, but I just thought you might like to hear his opinion.

well it means a hell of a lot more than any of us lol. I hope he's happy in chi-town that really sucked trading him but at least we got something for him.

[CharlotteBeer.com]

well it means a hell of a lot more than any of us lol. I hope he's happy in chi-town that really sucked trading him but at least we got something for him.

Yeah, I'll miss the guy. Like I told him on Twitter, whoever takes the SS spot is going to have some big shoes to fill.