Gettis & LaFell

[Delhommey]

My number one fear on the offense is that we trade Smitty and it turns out both Gettis and Lafell profile as number two or three guys. I think too many people got way too excited about good rookie seasons where there literally wasn't anybody else to catch those passes. I hope they are both are great and become the next pair of complimentary Panthers receivers like Smitty and Moose, but I don't think either is a sure thing yet.

I say there's about a 10-20% chance that LaFell could end up a #1 after a couple of more years. About a 1-5% chance for Gettis.

[Stroupe-a-loop]

I say there's about a 10-20% chance that LaFell could end up a #1 after a couple of more years. About a 1-5% chance for Gettis.

That seems fair. I mean at the end of the day they were 3rd and 6th round picks respectively. Normally those kinds of picks are made for guys that end up #2 or lower on the depth chart. You sometimes find gems at the receiver position later in the draft, but we should feel very lucky with such an outcome, not that it is the logical next step for these two.

[carolinarolls]

In any case these guys cannot do what Smitty does now and they cannot do it how Smitty did it in the past. So even if he was a willing mentor he cannot serve in the role of one. His game is/was unique.

The only way to make Smitty effective now and see his game as we remember it from a couple years ago is if these two and hopefully a couple more come along as capable pass catchers and we have a QB who can get them the ball, AND we have a Oline that can block for the passer, AND we can keep our run game healthy, AND we can have less predictable play-calling.

Some of these are a bit of a stretch to make an argument with I know but this may be how he is thinking.

[OchoNueve]

If we lose Smitty, he will have to be replaced with a proven vet. Hopefully we could land Santonio Holmes or Sidney Rice.

[Stroupe-a-loop]

If we lose Smitty, he will have to be replaced with a proven vet. Hopefully we could land Santonio Holmes or Sidney Rice.

I would love Holmes but very much doubt he gets away from the Jets. Rice isn't as "proven" in my opinion as his contract is going to call for.

[carolinarolls]

Until see what we have in Cam and Jimmy we really do not have a clue of what type of receiver we will need to acquire and any guesses are fantasy league-based at best.

The best passer in the league (brady)has made somebodies out of nobodies his entire career. The best QB (Manning)in the league has been blessed with really good to great receivers for most of his career. Both are perennial winners and any thought to change them is unthinkable.

Our guys are not either of them yet and will likely have their own style. Until then you will see a lot of TE, check down, and RB routes which are fine as long as they are the best play. We may have what we need for our guys right now. We may need to come off the hip for a Rice or Holmes. I doubt much money will be spent in that category compared to DB and DT though. Partly because those needs are bigger and partly because we are not able to evaluate what we have as passers and how best to make that decision.

[Stroupe-a-loop]

Until see what we have in Cam and Jimmy we really do not have a clue of what type of receiver we will need to acquire and any guesses are fantasy league-based at best.

The best passer in the league (brady)has made somebodies out of nobodies his entire career. The best QB (Manning)in the league has been blessed with really good to great receivers for most of his career. Both are perennial winners and any thought to change them is unthinkable.

Our guys are not either of them yet and will likely have their own style. Until then you will see a lot of TE, check down, and RB routes which are fine as long as they are the best play. We may have what we need for our guys right now. We may need to come off the hip for a Rice or Holmes. I doubt much money will be spent in that category compared to DB and DT though. Partly because those needs are bigger and partly because we are not able to evaluate what we have as passers and how best to make that decision.

Right but if we move Smitty we have to acquire a quality receiver or we are putting a number one overall pick in a position to fail. We don't know who fits Cam's profile perfectly right now, but we have to give him some proven option.

Yeah, but like you were saying earlier Brady had a number of quality options early on (Glenn, Branch, Graham, Brown, etc) and an all time great defense to lead the team. Peyton did have an outstanding supporting cast early on. In both cases, they had chances for success early on either statistically or in the win category, and I think that was a huge factor in how great they became. We have to put Cam in a positive situation like that.

[carolinarolls]

Right but if we move Smitty we have to acquire a quality receiver or we are putting a number one overall pick in a position to fail. We don't know who fits Cam's profile perfectly right now, but we have to give him some proven option.

Yeah, but like you were saying earlier Brady had a number of quality options early on (Glenn, Branch, Graham, Brown, etc) and an all time great defense to lead the team. Peyton did have an outstanding supporting cast early on. In both cases, they had chances for success early on either statistically or in the win category, and I think that was a huge factor in how great they became. We have to put Cam in a positive situation like that.

All great points. To replace him will be difficult. We will just have to sit and wait.

[boo7382]

If SMitty leaves and Gettis and LaFell were our tandem, I would definitely want a vet QB throwing to them.

I think they both have potential, more Gettis than LaFell.

Wouldn't mind replacing Smitty with a vet WR either, depending on what we could get for him.

[mick eye]

I think it would be foolish not to take advantage of what could be a very good FA pool.

When i look at the list of FA's a couple guys i think would help us are.

Jacoby Jones- Has played in the shadow of AJ but could step out.

James Jones- No relation. GB knows WR's. JJ could become a number 1 WR.

Malcom Floyd- VJax is more of a priority and the Chargers could be satisfied with a trade. Ding ding. Smith and Dan Connor for Floyd.

[Snake]

Last I checked they started and ended the season without Smith. So I would imagine they know how to play without him.

[rayzor]

If Smitty leaves he will absolutely need to be replaced. Both WR's showed promise, but as there's normally a drop off for WR's in their 2nd year and neither are anywhere near proven #2's much less #1's, we can't afford to have no main target.

only way he should be traded away is if the end result is us getting an upgrade. use whatever pick we get and package it with another pick to get someone better and younger.

trading him away with no prospects would be about as boneheaded a decision as quitting a job before you have another one lined up (of which i've been guilty of in the past too many times).

[rayzor]

Last I checked they started and ended the season without Smith. So I would imagine they know how to play without him.

they know how to lose without him.

starting and ending the season without him, though, brings up a good point. he's over 30 now. i know that doesn't mean all of a sudden your bones turn to glass, but you aren't nearly as resilient as you once were and certain injuries will be easier to get. i wouldn't say he's had a history of being injury prone, but he's had a lot of them. i can only imagine that getting worse and the # of games missed on the rise as well.

thats got to be something that we consider in whether to trade him or not.

[carolinarolls]

they know how to lose without him.

thats got to be something that we consider in whether to trade him or not.

it's definitely something any trade partners are going to consider