Ravens safety out for year. Torn Achilles… Panthers may need to do something

[tukafan21]

8 minutes ago, Seltzer said:

I understand where you're coming from, but we need another safety IMHO.

Other positions, especially on defense, dont have ideal depth, but to me at least S is the one position we can't stand pat at even when thinking about the future

You're making conflicting arguments here though.

If you want to say we don't have ideal depth and need another Safety for that reason, okay, that's fair.

But if you want to talk about "the future at safety" then there is only one possible answer there, and he's already on the roster with Ransom.

No FA out there right now is someone who would be a FS of the future for us, they'd all be one year fill-in's until we can replace them next offseason with a long term solution.  So if there is anyone with even a remote possibility of playing FS for us this year and then being our long term solution there, it's Ransom.

Which is why I say throw him out there as the starter in Week 1 unless he severely struggles in camp.  The only way we'll know if we found a cheap FS for the next 3-4 years is by playing him and seeing if he can do the job.

If he proves he can be the guy, then we have a minimal cap hit solution at FS through the 2028 season and can use that cap space and draft picks next year towards pass rushers, LB's, and/or a C or RT of the future.  If he struggles and we see he needs to be a backup SS for us instead, then we turn around and use those assets next offseason to find the long term solution.

But signing a 1 year rental to play there takes that possibility away while also eating into the cap room we could roll over into next year.

Edited 4 hours ago by tukafan21

[TheSpecialJuan]

nah we're good 

[Seltzer]

1 minute ago, tukafan21 said:

You're making conflicting arguments here though.

If you want to say we don't have ideal depth and need another Safety for that reason, okay, that's fair.

But if you want to talk about "the future at safety" then there is only one possible answer there, and he's already on the roster with Ransom.

No FA out there right now is someone who would be a FS of the future for us, they'd all be one year fill-in's until we can replace them next offseason with a long term solution.  So if there is anyone with even a remote possibility of playing FS for us this year and then being our long term solution there, it's Ransom.

Which is why I say throw him out there as the starter in Week 1 unless he severely struggles in camp.  The only way we'll know if we found a cheap FS for the next 3-4 years is by playing him and seeing if he can do the job.

Under Evero we have usually had 5 safeties on the active roster.

Right now, we have only have Moehrig, Richardson, Nick Scott, and Ransom. Not counting the UDFA, that's only 4 safeties right now on the roster. 

Even if Nick Scott is the 5th S primarily for ST, there's still a spot that needs to be filled.

I'm wary of depending on a 2nd year UDFA or a rookie 4th rounder to be the Week 1 starter.

Signing someone else would allow Nick Scott to compete with the undrafted guys/anyone else we bring in for the final spot.

The only question I see is the timing of the move.

Because on one hand, maybe one of these guys can step up. But of course the risk is waiting and potentially losing out on quality guys thay could help you.

So, I guess to be clear, I think the Panthers safety depth is still extremely questionable, and i think it would be malpractice not to sign another S that has logged significant snaps in the NFL.

In terms of the timing for signing someone, that's for someone above our pay grades (Dan Morgan) to figure out

[Seltzer]

I think the plan and hope is that Moehrig, Richardson, and Ransom can be the long-term core at S.

Still for depth reasons I think we need to bring in a veteran safety on a 1-year deal as a contingency 

[Navy_football]

1 hour ago, Seltzer said:

100%. Nick Scott was awful last year. Like, even for a franchise that hasn't historically invested in that position, it stood out for how awful it was.

If he sees meaningful snaps at S again we're cooked. 

Maybe he has value for ST, but I certainly hope we can upgrade.

Jordan Fuller, who was by all accounts an Evero guy, was almost as bad.

Xavier Woods was bad, but not complete garbage. Still did not want him back.

Those 3 guys seriously may have been the worst S group in the NFL. And they all were brought in, especially Fuller, as good fits for this system.

Everyone knocks the defensive line, and they deserve a lot of blame, too, but so, so many times our safeties inability to tackle let 4-5 yard runs turn into 10+. And it happened over and over and over again if you watch the film.

Honestly, Demani Richardson was the only S by the end of the year I remember making positive plays.

I have no issue with Richardson being in the mix and/or competing to be a starter, but we still need another S desperately IMHO who has actually played meaningful snaps in the NFL.

The only caveat/excuse for our secondary was the fact our pass rush was nonexistent for large stretches last year.

Maybe that helps with coverage, but I dont see how that makes any of these guys better at tackling. 

I know it somewhat feels like piling on at this point, but I feel 100% confident in saying this was the worst tackling team in franchise history.

The 70ish yard pass play we gave up to Jamarr Chase where he ran through and past everyone in the secondary has to be up there in terms of most embarrassing plays I've ever seen.

I can't imagine how embarrassed Kuechly must have been watching from the booth...

I think bringing back Evero was a mistake, but for a team that has had nothing but change over the past 5 years, I'm willing to see this through.

I definitely think we added significantly to the floor of this defense with the additions we made.

I dont think Evero has any further excuses if he cant field a unit that can at least somewhat hold their own.

Fixing the safety play is going to be a big part of that.

Agree with EVERYTHING you have here! The dline might help you with covering, but it won't do anything with his ability to tackle. Evero's defense has a lot of gap responsibility from safeties. They either missed their gaps, or (mostly) missed the tackle. I thought Woods did a good job of filling his gaps and tackling. He actually led the with 119 tackles last season.  He just wasn't good at covering.

[NorthTryon]

Ransom deserves a chance to fall flat on his face. The kid comes in and out of cuts quickly and plays well down hill. Rome wasn't built in a day and everything cannot be addressed in one offseason. I still don't think some of the guys on the huddle realize how bereft of talent Rhule and the gang left this organization. 

[Waldo]

I think they think they are great. I also think they are really wrong but they already made that bed.

[Jon Snow]

You guys are forgetting about final cuts during preseason. There will be safeties cut that we will pickup then if need be. There's no need to panic right now.

[SetfreexX]

I think it's more like we're nowhere near TC, there's a decent amount of quality vets a available. 

Let's see what we have in the young guys, and we can always sign a vet, pre, or post camp if needed. 

[MHS831]

3 hours ago, Navy_football said:

Normally I'd go and look at some Bengals film to make myself feel better. But Scott can't tackle. He gets shook worse than a DT in open field. He's willing. Just bad at it. I don't know if you can fix that.

And I think that is opposite of what this team wants.  No guaranteed money--I'd still sign him and give him a shot to beat out the fourth safety  (Dont think he will).