Reason to be Optimistic about Re-Signing Our Players - Thomas Davis Story/Quote

[mj4life]

I really try to avoid being disrespectful to guys on here, but do you have any clue as to how a 3-4 defense is run? Davis, Beason, Connor, and Anderson would be the worst LB core for a 3-4 in the history of 3-4's. All of them are built like 4-3 OLB's with the exception of maybe Connor who is a little bit thicker.

You guys that think having 4 pretty good linebackers means a good 3-4 keep cracking me up.

or that's it's so easy to convert to it. the steelers have drafted players to fit their scheme for years. we have drafted guys who fit the 4-3 since fox has been here& more tampa 2 ish the last two yet some people want to blow it all up & start from scratch(NO THANK YOU, I"LL PASS)

[Peppers90 NC]

switching to a 3-4 would set our defense back a year or two, unless we made drastic changes in personnel.

[Gazi]

I still cringe when I think about how we had to wait a year or two to build our D to stop Michael Vick

[Gazi]

Anyways, bend or break cover 2 only works if you have someone like Manning running your O because you get put in a lot of bad field positions.

[Proudiddy]

I really try to avoid being disrespectful to guys on here, but do you have any clue as to how a 3-4 defense is run? Davis, Beason, Connor, and Anderson would be the worst LB core for a 3-4 in the history of 3-4's. All of them are built like 4-3 OLB's with the exception of maybe Connor who is a little bit thicker.

You guys that think having 4 pretty good linebackers means a good 3-4 keep cracking me up.

I know you're right, and most 3-4 guys are really built like DEs in a 4-3, but there are a few exceptions... Lawerence Timmons, Stephen Cooper, and a few others are built similarly to someone like Beason... But, then you got mammoth athletic guys that surround them like Harrison, Woodley, etc.

And we would need a massive NT, which we don't have anymore... Brayton and Johnson would be DEs in a 3-4, but guys like Hardy would be wasting away in a 3-4. And still, our guys just are built for it at LB outside of maybe TD and Norwood...

As a SN though, I would like to see what E.Brown would look like as a LB in a 3-4, I think he's better suited for that.

We obviously don't have the personnel for a 3-4 across the board and as I said, we'd be wasting a lot of the guys we do have that are built for a 4-3... What I would like to see is us take advantage of all of our guys talents and go with like a hybrid defense like Philly runs with all kinds of different looks.

[Davidson Deac II]

I really try to avoid being disrespectful to guys on here, but do you have any clue as to how a 3-4 defense is run? Davis, Beason, Connor, and Anderson would be the worst LB core for a 3-4 in the history of 3-4's. All of them are built like 4-3 OLB's with the exception of maybe Connor who is a little bit thicker.

You guys that think having 4 pretty good linebackers means a good 3-4 keep cracking me up.

Connor is the smallest of our linebackers, so not sure what you mean by this. Davis is 6 feet and 240 lbs, Beason is also 6ft and 237 lbs, while Connor is 2 inches taller and 10 lbs lighter. So how is Connor thicker?

Admittedly, I have never seen any of them up close, but that doesn't seem logical.

[holderoftruth]

I would be a lot more optimistic if Beason/Kalil/Williams were the ones saying they are confident in finishing their careers as Panthers...........

[panthers55]

Keep in mind that many of the guys we have on the defensive line were obtained from teams that switched to a 3-4 and they didn't fit in anymore. As for linebackers- go back to their scouting analysis and pay attention to how well they shed and control blockers particularly offensive linemen. If that wasn't one of their strengths then they won't be good in a 3-4. Yes they could have learned it in the pros but they haven't had much experience doing it in a 4-3.

Just sayin.......................

[Kevin Greene]

So he has spent about a year on IR from two leg injuries and he is hopeful about a contract extension?

Stop the presses.

Truth is he will be lucky to play anywhere.

Would you be after a LB that just spent a year on IR from two ACL tears? Nope.

He needs to resign at a reasonable contract with incentives. He is not worth top money at this point.

100% agree on this one.

TD is no more likely to be handed a lucrative, long term contract next year than Sean Merriman is.

[Davidson Deac II]

None of our starting linebackers have ever been in a NFL 3-4, so we really don't know how they would do at it.

I have no doubt that Beason, Conner, and Davis (if healthy) could learn it. Not as certain about Anderson, but the question would be how long would it take for them to learn it?

[Icege]

The man is going to get paid what he gets paid. Anybody with a pair of working eyes (and a functioning noggin) can see what's on the table:

back-to-back IR on the same ACL

Connor + Anderson stepping up

TD knows his only chance to get some extra dollars is to be able to get some PT this season. While the odds are heavily stacked against the team in terms of playoffs, if he can play lights out when he does come back, he can give the team further incentive to not only keep him, but to pay him as well.

I don't see why you would let him walk. If anything, this team needs leaders and veterans.

If I were to speculate, I'd say that TD, Beason, DWill, and Kalil are all resigned (in no particular order). Unless Marshall steps his game up or comes back to reality in terms of what he's worth, he'll be walking.

[DawgzLife]

Great post. I've never been 1 to believe the Panthers are going to continue the cost-cutting ways on proven players on our team. I know JR is prepping for the CBA, but the rest of the NFL &/or fans do not have as much info on what may happen as he does.

It's a good thing that he is an 'insider', but a bad thing that it keeps all of us in the dark & ticked off @ the 'apparent' insanity & carelessness of his moves. We can add the HC in this discussion as well as players; not that he will re-sign Fox or that he won't...just that JR is 'keeping his options open'.

[grateflday]

I would be a lot more optimistic if Beason/Kalil/Williams were the ones saying they are confident in finishing their careers as Panthers...........

Agreed..... in the past these three guys would have had deals already. I think Beason might have a couple more years left on his deal but with Kalil and Williams both going into free agency if the CBA issue wasnt looming the Panthers of the past would have those two signed already.