Interesting stat that could defend Clausen.

[panthers55]

I think what most people are missing here is not why Clausen struggled last year but what is his potential in Chud's offense. The question is whether his skill set is consistent with what we want going forward. San Diego's offense is a vertical passing attack requiring accurate deep throws down the middle of the field and to the outsides. Is this in Clausen's skill set or not? The other question is whether Chud will tailor the offense to what Clausen does do well or try and find guys who fit the system he wants to install. If it the latter, then Chud and Shula will have to decide if he can be that guy or not. With several of the draft picks and a few potential trade or free agents with a cannon for an arm, it will be an interesting decision to see which way we go. If I were Clausen, I would be very active in our offseason strength and conditioning program.

[chef17]

Jury is still out on Clausen. No QB could have thrived with our offense last season. I don't see us going 8-8 last year with Rogers, Brees, Manning, Roethlisburger, or Vick.

Vick went to the playoffs w/ a garbage OL.

Big Ben has gone to the postseason w/ arguably the worst OL in the NFL before.

Manning can get double digit wins w/ poor OL play and a no run game.

I agree the jury is still out......but the only evidence that has been presented to the court is Clausen ain't ready to see a NFL field.

Come on man, really?! Vick roethlisberger and manning. The best running threat all time, a guy on the verge of playing in his third super bowl and Peyton manning? Compared to a rookie? Let's at least judge clausen fairly.

He wasn't comparing them to Clausen. Someone said we wouldn't have went 8-8 with those QBs, CRA pointed out some of those QBs have went to the playoffs with a bad OL. How is that a comparision?

[chef17]

I think what most people are missing here is not why Clausen struggled last year but what is his potential in Chud's offense. The question is whether his skill set is consistent with what we want going forward. San Diego's offense is a vertical passing attack requiring accurate deep throws down the middle of the field and to the outsides. Is this in Clausen's skill set or not? The other question is whether Chud will tailor the offense to what Clausen does do well or try and find guys who fit the system he wants to install. If it the latter, then Chud and Shula will have to decide if he can be that guy or not. With several of the draft picks and a few potential trade or free agents with a cannon for an arm, it will be an interesting decision to see which way we go. If I were Clausen, I would be very active in our offseason strength and conditioning program.

This is the question I wanna know the answer to

[PantherFanForLife]

This is the question I wanna know the answer to

I think the answer is an obvious no. Why would a coach tailor an offense around a guy like Clausen that has not only not shown the potential to deserve such a thing, but also, when doing that you automatically create the problem of having to find another guy JUST LIKE HIM, to back him up and to replace him in case he goes down.

I can understand tailoring an offense around a guy that clearly has shown potential, say Sam Bradford and the Rams, but in this situation, it's Clausen that need to tailor himself and his skill set in order to be an easier fit for your typical NFL offense. After that he needs to give us 1-2 years of positive, consistent outcomes. Then and only then, can you begin considering tweaking the offense to bring out the best in him.

But until then....you don't just build the team around him, give him the franchise tag and the reigns and just hope it works out and he lives up to that name. Screw that! It's a simple as this and it's always been this: It's Clausen's responsibility to prove himself first. Then our team responds to him. NOT the other way around.

Seriously. I'm sick of the "what can our team and coaching staff do to better suit Clausen so he can play good". That's just not how it works.

[Stumpy]

Seems I remember Rivera making some comment about Square pegs and round holes?

The bottom line is if Pickles is the starter going into the season, you have to tailor the offense around him and his strengths. That does not mean we build the team around him. Or change our philosophy to fit his needs. Tailoring an offense is not just to enhance what the QB is good at, but more importantly, to mask what they are not good at.

A big part of the reason that Clausen/Moore looked so bad last year was Fox's refusal to tailor his offense to who was the starting QB. He threw both of them into the same offensive system he has ran for years. Fox got lucky finding Jake, someone who fit his system perfectly. And when his play began to decline, Fox did nothing to adapt our style to mask Jake's deficiencies.

[PantherFanForLife]

Seems I remember Rivera making some comment about Square pegs and round holes?

The bottom line is if Pickles is the starter going into the season, you have to tailor the offense around him and his strengths. That does not mean we build the team around him. Or change our philosophy to fit his needs. Tailoring an offense is not just to enhance what the QB is good at, but more importantly, to mask what they are not good at.

A big part of the reason that Clausen/Moore looked so bad last year was Fox's refusal to tailor his offense to who was the starting QB. He threw both of them into the same offensive system he has ran for years. Fox got lucky finding Jake, someone who fit his system perfectly. And when his play began to decline, Fox did nothing to adapt our style to mask Jake's deficiencies.

Sorry but I think the obvious need here is for Clausen to learn how to not fumble snaps, not throw it away so quick, read defense, wait in the pocket and THROW DOWNFIELD!

We're going to tailor our offense so we have 4 receivers on the field at all times and pass plays are less than 10 yards?

Nah. Not gonna happen.

[Stumpy]

I said IF he is the starting QB. If he hasn't fixed the obvious problems you pointed out, I highly doubt he is the starting QB.

Furthermore, yes, when you have a QB with a less-than-rocket arm, you need more than just long routes. Going back to Fox's system, it relied on the deep bomb. Most of the pass plays we ran were 15-20 yd routes with one guy in the flat. The few games that we ran some slants, or other medium length routes, Clausen actually showed some promise.

[PantherFanForLife]

I said IF he is the starting QB. If he hasn't fixed the obvious problems you pointed out, I highly doubt he is the starting QB.

Furthermore, yes, when you have a QB with a less-than-rocket arm, you need more than just long routes. Going back to Fox's system, it relied on the deep bomb. Most of the pass plays we ran were 15-20 yd routes with one guy in the flat. The few games that we ran some slants, or other medium length routes, Clausen actually showed some promise.

Well that's just the thing. If we just suffered the team gutting that we did, the wasted draft pics that we did, and the horrible season we just have, and we are rebuilding the team for scratch....I just don't see how anyone can justify building a team around a guy that has a problem such as "less-than-rocket arm", and I'm not saying that's Clausen problem.

I'm just saying if we took this big a hit, then we better be sure the guy we rebuild our team around is the right guy. We need to do it because we decided "he's the poo" and it's only going to make us better, not because "he's poo" and this will make him better.

Get my point? I'd be perfectly ok with us not solidifying our offense and setting it in stone, and instead just be patient, and wait another year before we decide what direction we need to go in. Just let Rivera test things out some more before cutting contracts that will have us stuck for years.

We can wait another year or so before deciding who our franchise QB will be. And that doesn't mean we can't find a guy that will help us have a winning season next year, whoever that may be.

[Urrymonster]

I think what most people are missing here is not why Clausen struggled last year but what is his potential in Chud's offense. The question is whether his skill set is consistent with what we want going forward. San Diego's offense is a vertical passing attack requiring accurate deep throws down the middle of the field and to the outsides. Is this in Clausen's skill set or not? The other question is whether Chud will tailor the offense to what Clausen does do well or try and find guys who fit the system he wants to install. If it the latter, then Chud and Shula will have to decide if he can be that guy or not. With several of the draft picks and a few potential trade or free agents with a cannon for an arm, it will be an interesting decision to see which way we go. If I were Clausen, I would be very active in our offseason strength and conditioning program.

Did Chud alter his game planing and philosophy when at Cleveland?

[Stumpy]

Get my point? I'd be perfectly ok with us not solidifying our offense and setting it in stone, and instead just be patient, and wait another year before we decide what direction we need to go in. Just let Rivera test things out some more before cutting contracts that will have us stuck for years.

Completely agree. No one (Clausen, FAs or draft prospects) fits that bill at this point. So lets wait a year and see.

Edit: damn you! editing while i'm quoting you! lol

[PantherPride52]

If Clausen is still the starter next year I guess I'll give him another chance in a new offense to prove himself. I hope I'm wrong but I just don't see him being our franchise QB. Maybe a decent backup QB.

[PantherFanForLife]

Did Chud alter his game planing and philosophy when at Cleveland?

Not sure but regarding the vertical passing in his skill set comment I started laughing because I started thinking to msyelf: Since when did that even become an option in the NFL offense?

Isn't that a freaking requirement?

This isn't baseball where you can have pitchers that can't throw a fastball and still be pitchers!

If Clausen can't learn how to do that right, then he needs to forget the NFL. Period. There's no such thing as an offense that can work around that completely. Rely on it less sure. But at some point in the game, a QB WILL BE required to make the long-deep throw and usually more than once.

Heck if we're going to do that, let's just go ahead and get Carson Palmer and be done with it.

[Urrymonster]

Not sure but regarding the vertical passing in his skill set comment I started laughing because I started thinking to msyelf: Since when did that even become an option in the NFL offense?

Isn't that a freaking requirement?

This isn't baseball where you can have pitchers that can't throw a fastball and still be pitchers!

If Clausen can't learn how to do that right, then he needs to forget the NFL. Period. There's no such thing as an offense that can work around that completely. Rely on it less sure. But at some point in the game, a QB WILL BE required to make the long-deep throw and usually more than once.

Heck if we're going to do that, let's just go ahead and get Carson Palmer and be done with it.

Carson struggles down the field with big play threats on the field so not sure how that would really solve anything.

Also you are fundamentally wrong, you don't to throw deep much at all to succeed, provided you can create mis-matches on the field. As soon as the mi-matches are there, you can generate passing plays with decent yac.

Not many people throw the ball beyond 30 yards consistently, almost always shorter passes where picking up the yardage after the catch generates the 'deep pass'.

The thing is, Clausen doesn;t have a weak arm. At least he didn't. If Rip tinkered things which prevented him from getting as much mustard on it then we have the problem. All he really lacks is that confidence in himself and his receives to take advatage of one on one's.

[CRA]

Did Chud alter his game planing and philosophy when at Cleveland?

No, in Cleveland Chud's offense was a vertical passing attack.

Derrick Anderson had 20 TDs throwing 11 yards or farther downfield. 8 of those 20 TDs where throws 20 yards or farther downfield. In addition to that, most of his yardage came from those type throws.

Clausen doesn't seem to fit what Chud does....just like he didn't fit Fox's. Clausen needs to find a team w/ a WCO.