top dawg

I never saw Igo as a print journalist--that might be my bad, it might not--I see him as more of a photojournalist. He is not a beat writer or a reporter for the team. He's more of a freelancer who had good access to the team. Now, since the Panthers have cut a lot of the more independent types off at the knees, they can't (and shouldn't be expected to) report anything. They don't have access! Moreover, it's absolutely true that print media has gone through an evolution. These old newspaper organizations are not necessarily worthless, but they need to get real with themselves and stop trying to make people pay for sports news that they can get free. When a story or a report is behind a paywall, it is effectively worthless. That doesn't mean that the reporters for those organizations are, but if thousands of people can't see your story, then it has no value to them. The Carolina Huddle is a fan forum (and a damned good one)! Sure, I come here for news, but the expectation is that its origins will be from the Panthers or any national organization that has access to NFL teams. It's not breaking news that makes forums go, it's the discussion around the news, and whatever else that forum members may create of interest surrounding the team that drives the Huddle and all football message boards.

Who the hell is Harris?

I'm sure a certain amount of money is guaranteed, but that's just a matter of Tepper paying him what he's owed.

The Rhule contract means nothing in relation to setting the team back. He can be axed today, the only repercussions being those regarding his personnel decisions.

I respect the coaches to make their decisions. They deserve that latitude. But I honestly think that Rhule is full o' poo (just like Rivera) in this regard. But, I'm not a coach.

Said rookie didn't show anything of note during practices. He was basically JAG. People keep bringing up last season, but remember that we didn't even have a preseason (or anything resembling a competent defensive backfield), but this year we've seen what Christensen and Brown can do, and I dare say that they looked better doing it than the guys in front of them.

It's not just Erickson, we signed Mike Horton and the guy we released before, Dominik Eberle. https://nfltraderumors.co/panthers-signing-wr-alex-erickson-to-practice-squad/

The personnel was a little bit of a trainwreck when Rhule took over. He effectively HAD to start the youngins, not that he really wanted to.

Rhule's only saving grace in this regard, is that it appears he may be quicker to pull an underperforming vet: instead of waiting for an entire season, maybe he'll wait like eight to 10 games. That's all I got

Many fans thought Whitehead sucked from the beginning. They were right!

I think we're a PJ Walker away from the bottom, if you get what I'm saying.

Ridder has always been on my radar. I mention him almost every time I mention Rattler.

I'd be happy to get Rattler (or Ridder), but you just can't assume that the FO will decide that it's best to decide to lay out draft capital on an unprovem product as opposed to a proven product. The FO may do that, but it's hardly a guarantee. Personal and legal issues aside, Watson is an established top 6 NFL QB at worst. Most would say he's certainly top 5 and many have him higher, particularly because he displayed the juice on a thoroughly sucky squad where he was the only thing that shined. As good as we think Rattler is, the NFL is a different animal where it takes time to learn, adjust and develop, and the worst of it is that some never make the leap. Watson is about the surest of young QBs you'll ever get the opportunity to acquire. All that being said, the calculations and decisions are up to the FO. I won't lose sleep over whatever decision we would make if it comes to that (as long as it's not another middling to bottom-barrell retread).

Ahem. ESPN used some fancy Analytics, their Football Power Index (FPI) to simulate all 285 games 20,000 times, and for some reason they chose to publish this one as their main projection. Now, of course, they qualify it by saying things never go to plan, but yet they put it out there anyway. Honestly, I generally don't even give projections the time of day, but being that I don't have any idea what to expect this season, I said "What the hell." Plus, I think we may get some interesting--even if expected and routine--responses. Anyway, in addition to below, the Bills defeat the Packers in the Super Bowl (salt in wound), and the Jets get not one, but two picks (3 & 4) in the top five. Panthers earn the No. 1 overall pick There was a moment, early in the season, when it looked like the Sam Darnold experiment was going to work out and that offensive coordinator Joe Brady had fixed the mess that Adam Gase (Darnold's former coach in New York) had made. The Carolina Panthers opened the season 4-1, first beating Darnold's old Jets team in Week 1 and then going on to earn wins against the Saints, Texans and Eagles (with a loss to the Cowboys). But those opponents were not that tough, and the 4-1 record was a mirage. Coach Matt Rhule's team would win just one more game the rest of the way (against the Falcons) and end the season at 5-12 and in a dramatic five-way tie for the NFL's worst record. Carolina needed to lose in its final week to win the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker and earn the No. 1 overall pick -- and it did, as the Bucs beat Carolina 33-7. Darnold is under contract with the Panthers through the 2022 season, but Carolina would likely be taking serious looks at Spencer Rattler, Sam Howell and the rest of the 2022 class' top QBs come next April if things play out like this. https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32133086/simulating-2021-nfl-season-projecting-285-games-biggest-storylines-super-bowl-winner?device=featurephone Have fun!

Not that it even is a pipe dream, but let Darnold suck, the Panthers get shut out on Rattler, probably Ridder, Howell or whoever else, and Watson get off with at most a slap on the wrist of 6 games or so...then tell us all how much of a "pipe dream" it is. And, no, A-Rod and no other QB worth a damn will be a real option.

The "brain checks out" thing is real for some. I think about how I'm only six to seven years out from the age that my late father's early onset dimentia resulting from Alzheimer's became obvious. By 61, he couldn't even appreciate a football game anymore, and he was the main reason I developed a love for the game in the first place.

I can see that.

I'm on the fence. I know that I would've said that 20 years--even 10 years ago.

Just because we don't have immediate interest doesn't mean that we won't have long term interest. That's all some of us are saying. You won't see me crying if we land Rattler or Ridder (for example). Truth be told, I'd prefer it to Watson, and that's even knowing that they aren't guaranteed stars. For me personally, Sam better blow my socks off, or I won't be satisfied with NOT drafting a top prospect.

We weren't that many years removed from wearing diapers when Broadway Joe won. People are still mentioning the '85 Bears to this day. It's one thing to see things from a young man's point of view, but I bet that those who were 50+ then, most of them no longer here, were pleased as punch to see their team as the champs!