something to feel good about in the offseason..."could be something special brewing in Carolina"

[Basbear]

On 5/20/2025 at 4:05 PM, PNW_PantherMan said:

I used to feel the same way, but losers lose and winners win.  There's not a real world example of tanking working in the NFL.  

You don't tank week 1-10, only when the maths states you are out. At that point you have a losing season. In order to ensure that never happens again, you want the best value/odds to achieve the goal. That can come in trade value package or elite players via the 1st pick in each round. 

The worst thing that can happen is drafting 16-19th due to wins that you, I, and fans will never recall in future years....But I bet you remember those old playoff runs, right brother!!!!

Keep Pounding!

Keep Smart!!

[panthers55]

2 hours ago, Basbear said:

You don't tank week 1-10, only when the maths states you are out. At that point you have a losing season. In order to ensure that never happens again, you want the best value/odds to achieve the goal. That can come in trade value package or elite players via the 1st pick in each round. 

The worst thing that can happen is drafting 16-19th due to wins that you, I, and fans will never recall in future years....But I bet you remember those old playoff runs, right brother!!!!

Keep Pounding!

Keep Smart!!

I can only assume you never played sports at any high level or you would know the tiny bump you get moving up the draft is far outweighed by the damage you do to coaches and players whose future relies on sticking in the league and performing. Players see you don't care about them or the team success and will help you tank by giving up. Once that happens your franchise will suffer for years and develop a loser mentality like we have. 

No that would be crappy advice and saying it repeatedly doesn't make it better.

[Basbear]

1 hour ago, panthers55 said:

I can only assume you never played sports at any high level or you would know the tiny bump you get moving up the draft is far outweighed by the damage you do to coaches and players whose future relies on sticking in the league and performing. Players see you don't care about them or the team success and will help you tank by giving up. Once that happens your franchise will suffer for years and develop a loser mentality like we have. 

No that would be crappy advice and saying it repeatedly doesn't make it better.

Not college, but I got plenty of trophies. I worked after school and during college. I stayed in gyms and living conditions with athletes and been in small areas with some of the strongest humans alive. In two over-sea tours working as a contractor, I worked in three man teams and most times by myself during the job. Won go-cart championships with only one other as well. I guess that's me to a T, Im either solo or in a 2-3 man unit. You need to look at this from a different angle than players. Owner, GM, coaches would GREATLY benefit, that statement of yours is 100% false. Plenty of drafts show the difference in value between 1st overall and 9th or recently 2nd and 5th or 3rd and 12th. You can research it and see, but I think you know. 

You are a loser at 2-13, 3-13, and 4-13... No fake fluff late season wins change that. Those "vets" by seasons end are banged and bruised and sprained up, besides they have already lost. Start the next year team plan now, try new plays or calls. Or keep playing those "vets" who lead the 1 win by week 15, makes no difference. The goal is never be in that position, you use your brain and look at the big picture and not feelings, do the smartest and correct plan to your future path. 

[panthers55]

7 hours ago, Basbear said:

Not college, but I got plenty of trophies. I worked after school and during college. I stayed in gyms and living conditions with athletes and been in small areas with some of the strongest humans alive. In two over-sea tours working as a contractor, I worked in three man teams and most times by myself during the job. Won go-cart championships with only one other as well. I guess that's me to a T, Im either solo or in a 2-3 man unit. You need to look at this from a different angle than players. Owner, GM, coaches would GREATLY benefit, that statement of yours is 100% false. Plenty of drafts show the difference in value between 1st overall and 9th or recently 2nd and 5th or 3rd and 12th. You can research it and see, but I think you know. 

You are a loser at 2-13, 3-13, and 4-13... No fake fluff late season wins change that. Those "vets" by seasons end are banged and bruised and sprained up, besides they have already lost. Start the next year team plan now, try new plays or calls. Or keep playing those "vets" who lead the 1 win by week 15, makes no difference. The goal is never be in that position, you use your brain and look at the big picture and not feelings, do the smartest and correct plan to your future path. 

Apparently you must have been on losing teams and it stained you.  There is no justification for purposely losing and a wall of justifications or rationalizations don't change the reality. Any GM or coach that would do as you suggest wouldn't have made it to this level if he wasn't all in on winning.

[panthers55]

1 hour ago, panthers55 said:

Apparently you must have been on losing teams and it stained you.  There is no justification for purposely losing and a wall of justifications or rationalizations don't change the reality. Any GM or coach that would do as you suggest wouldn't have made it to this level if he wasn't all in on winning.

If tanking is such a smart strategy then how many times has it been done in the last 10 years in the NFL and substantially improved the team moving forward? Since this is a copycat league there must be numerous examples with the trend growing each year. Or it is simply a fan concept that the same 4 or 5 huddlers keep bringing up as smart strategies that teams don't employ or consider. I wonder why??

[CRA]

4 hours ago, panthers55 said:

If tanking is such a smart strategy then how many times has it been done in the last 10 years in the NFL and substantially improved the team moving forward? Since this is a copycat league there must be numerous examples with the trend growing each year. Or it is simply a fan concept that the same 4 or 5 huddlers keep bringing up as smart strategies that teams don't employ or consider. I wonder why??

I'd say there are a fair amount of examples of tank attempts by NFL front offices over the years.   It definitely is a thing.   But it's stupid. 

and you can look at  our last tank attempt as why it is stupid.  Tanking is a front office strategy.  One that coaches and players aren't working in agreement with.  So what can happen? Well, you can enter tank mindset as a front office.....and then a Steve Wilks will do what he did to make the CMC trade/tank pointless. 

[mrcompletely11]

6 minutes ago, CRA said:

I'd say there are a fair amount of examples of tank attempts by NFL front offices over the years.   It definitely is a thing.   But it's stupid. 

and you can look at your last tank attempt as why it is stupid.  Tanking is a front office strategy.  One that coaches and players aren't working in agreement with.  So what can happen? Well, you can enter tank mindset as a front office.....and then a Steve Wilks will do what he did to make the CMC trade/tank pointless. 

I think people like 55 are confusing tanking with rebuilding. 

[panthers55]

13 hours ago, CRA said:

I'd say there are a fair amount of examples of tank attempts by NFL front offices over the years.   It definitely is a thing.   But it's stupid. 

and you can look at  our last tank attempt as why it is stupid.  Tanking is a front office strategy.  One that coaches and players aren't working in agreement with.  So what can happen? Well, you can enter tank mindset as a front office.....and then a Steve Wilks will do what he did to make the CMC trade/tank pointless. 

Like you said, teams have been accused of tanking for a specific player but why would players or coaches go along when they know every game is a resume that goes with them. Sure like in our case the tanking was getting rid of quality players for peanuts and teams can trade their assets. But players are going to play hard for many reasons. And get out of dodge as soon as they possibly can.

[Davidson Deac II]

On 5/22/2025 at 7:56 AM, CRA said:

I'd say there are a fair amount of examples of tank attempts by NFL front offices over the years.   It definitely is a thing.   But it's stupid. 

and you can look at  our last tank attempt as why it is stupid.  

I don't think we have ever tanked.  Dumping big contracts when you think the season is pretty much over, in order to reset, is different from tanking.     

[LinvilleGorge]

15 minutes ago, Davidson Deac II said:

I don't think we have ever tanked.  Dumping big contracts when you think the season is pretty much over, in order to reset, is different from tanking.     

Agreed. I don't think most teams tank. The one team that I think DEFINITELY tanked was the Colts on their "suck for Luck" campaign. 

[jfra78]

18 minutes ago, Davidson Deac II said:

I don't think we have ever tanked.  Dumping big contracts when you think the season is pretty much over, in order to reset, is different from tanking.     

I don't know,  John Fox's lame duck season was pretty much a tank set up by the owner and front office

[CRA]

1 hour ago, Davidson Deac II said:

I don't think we have ever tanked.  Dumping big contracts when you think the season is pretty much over, in order to reset, is different from tanking.     

I’d say firing Rhule in season with the #1 overall in clear sight…..and then dumping CMC for peanuts was an in season tank move by the FO to secure the #1 overall pick…..and it failed (because the HC and players aren’t involved in that mindset) 

[DaveThePanther2008]

On 5/18/2025 at 3:40 AM, tukafan21 said:

 

It's not only about the draft spots, the scheduling is a huge factor.

We already have a tough 2026 schedule by playing the North divisions, that's possibly 7 playoff contenders there and a few true SB contenders between the Lions, Packers, Vikings, Bears, Ravens, Bengals, and Steelers (Browns will still suck lol), while also pulling the AFC West for the 17th game.

 

And our division Foes have the same basic schedule.  Win the division.  Get into the playoffs and go for it all. 

If we lose in the playoffs we at least have experience in the playoffs.  I'll take the playoff experience over a couple of draft spots.  We just have to hope DM and DC can continue to pick studs in the draft.

[Stuart Smith]

On 5/19/2025 at 2:54 PM, CRA said:

and we are still way too dependent on what will be a 12th year AT (who debated retirement) and didn't stay healthy last year. 

AT should be a teams #4.  He remains our actual #1 target. 

I may be in the minority with this, but I don’t think we know who our #1 receiver will be at this point. The development of our young receivers will be the key. It could be AT, or Renfro could be more of a factor than we think. If the injury bug stays away it will be interesting for sure.