top dawg

Ah, just assumed that was a given, but you're probably right. I'd like to be a fly on the wall for that negotiation though. Does DJ increase his value by NOT signing an extension, or does he push all his chips in now?

Ha! As far as I'm concerned, he can Slyede his ass on outta here.

https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/2021/07/28/panthers-talking-to-2-or-3-players-about-possible-contract-extensions/ Other than that he fact that Tim Weaver is probably correctly surmising that Robby and Donte are probably the ones we're trying to lock up to longer term deals, even though Fitterer didn't come out and say it and some Huddlers have suggested that both may be on their way out, I find it somewhat amusing that Fit said we're talking to two or three players. I mean, why the secrecy? He throws out a little bone that everyone pretty much has the read on, but isn't playing it so close to the vest that he doesn't say anything. Then, he says "two or three" when he's the GM. I mean, which is it, two or three? And if Robby and Donte are two of the three, then who's the third?

Perryman was speeding to Wofford this morning. Nice car.

Sure, the legitimacy of the OL indirectly affects Darnold, but that 2nd is directly tied to Darnold. He better show better decision making, and a modicum of growth and improvement, regardless of whether the OL ranks top 10 or top 20 (like last season), otherwise, the 1st will turn out being spent on acquiring our future QB. That will suck more.

Did I miss something?

I think you're pretty much spot-on, Ellis. Good podcast! The LT thing is concerning. Hell, I'm probably more concerned after listening to your thoughts. Personally I'm more worried about that than Sam, though, like you said, Sam could end up being a big problem too. I think it all comes down to decision making. But, yeah, LT problems could lead to a clusterfug. Hopefully not. It's funny, but you sound like you were just as pained as I was watching Bridgewater NOT throw the ball when he should have. It's worth getting rid of Teddy just to have any semblance of fun again on Sundays (at least we can fool ourselves a little more if nothing else). You didn't come outright and say it like I have, but Robby Anderson is the best route runner on the team. DJ has the highest upside, but he needs to put it all together, particularly in the scoring department. And, unlike some, you sound as though you realize what a nice piece we had in Samuel and that no one receiver on the roster is going to replace his skill set, but we should have enough skilled receivers to replace his production in a different way (if that makes sense). Sounds like Tremble is destined to become a fan favorite if your sources and Greg Cosell is right. The defense has some questions as to who is going to play where and how much, particularly at LB and safety, but we have enough talent to be special. I'm mildly surprised to hear you say that you think that Jackson will play on the outside, but I can't argue with your reasoning (or your sources). He has the speed and skills to cover, and Bouye's tackling against the run is perhaps underappreciated. Nice food for thought, Ellis. Keep us in the loop! I know you will.

Honestly, I don't remember anyone saying that they'd lock Samuel up at the expense of Moton. I think that's just a "cool story" for the bros.

2020 season 2021 Season Ask me what this means, and I'm not quite sure.

I thought of Kenny Rogers' song The Gambler when reading your post. I can see Tepper singing that tune.

Well, it's either been developing, exploring, or delving into relationships--even if just entertaining ourselves with idle chatter among kindred spirits, or it's an incredible waste of time. I choose to believe that relationships, even the digital ones, give life meaning, so hopefully even the sh¡t on the Huddle means something.

Even if I take the tweet at face value, I think it's club-speak and a toeing of the party line. The devil will be in the details. Just like any trade-acquisition transaction, Watson is going to the highest bidder. The market will ultimately set the price, not the Texans. This may be a case of how smart the Texans are, but it may become an even bigger case of how dumb some franchise becomes depending upon what they're willing to pay.

Tepper's all about that value, chief, and Fitterer's all about dat deal! Don't sleep on hungry lions!

I agree with paying Moton at the expense of Samuel, but comparing Curtis Samuel to Philly Brown is ludicrous. Philly was JAG! If he had muscles and was quicker...he could've been Antonio Brown in his prime . Come on dude, everything has to be put within context. Samuel flashed game changing ability amid being hurt--I mean some amazing elusiveness, and was highly productive the one season where he had a coaching staff that actually knew how to maximize his talents. Philly did not have the speed, dexterity or the overall athleticism of Samuel, and that's why he was never taken seriously as anything more than a WR4-6 by any other franchise in the league.

Umm hmmm, I stand corrected.

So all the sh¡t we've done for going on 20 years in the Huddle means nothing? Sounds about right.

Keep an eye on Omar Bayless and Christian Miller. They're both kind of in the same position, with Bayless being the more in peril.

Tepper is still relatively new, but he becomes a more seasoned owner as time passes. Minority ownership in the Steelers or not, he was a greenhorn trying to catch his breath. He has a better handle on things now, and has a clearer vision and plan going forward. "Quickly" is relative, but I'll say that if there's not clearly discernible improvement this season and playoffs in 2022-2023, then Rhule's seat should go from warm to hot. And by 2024 it should be scalding, if not melted away. I think that Tepper is patient, but not to a fault. He's a man of high expectations and results.

The bias is real, GMs, HCs, scouts or not. Not trying to go to deep here, but human psychology and discrimination based on all types of biases are a real thing! Honestly, pertaining to the NFL, it likely takes place every draft season, much less free agency. I'd like to think that Rhule and company are more intellectual and analytical about scouting than your average fans--and, maybe they are--but that's anything but a certainty.

The article I referenced really gave me more perspective in terms of Minshew and Darnold talent wise. I considered Minshew the better choice, especially due to our situation as far as money and draft capital. And, Minshew could simply be more talented...maybe. Now, we'll likely never know. I think in some respects, he was a victim of his draft position. In terms of us making the Darnold trade happen as opposed to a Minshew trade happen, we don't know any details or even if Minshew was available, but I suspect that Minshew was the victim of first round-sixth round bias. That kinda sucks, but it happens much more than even the so-called experts would probably admit (even to themselves).

I can't say it was Weaver totally, (but it says by Tim Weaver) but I know that Panthers Wire was of the opinion that Minshew was probably the best target for us to go after this offseason (and that list included Darnold). The article had solid reasoning and provided stats to back up their assertion. You might think the take sucks, but I found it very reasonable, if not compelling. https://www.google.com/amp/s/pantherswire.usatoday.com/lists/panthers-quarterback-trade-options-sam-darnold-jalen-hurts-gardner-minshew/amp/ Here's a totally reasonable take on Darnold: "The trouble with Darnold is that it’s tough to say how much of an upgrade he’d be over Bridgewater, if at all. There’s potential there, but his production to date is a bit of a yellow flag, even considering the horrible handicap that is playing for the Jets. He’s only thrown 45 touchdowns to go with 39 interceptions so far and completed less than 60% of his passes. He has averaged 6.6 yards per attempt and has a career 78.6 passer rating. "It’s easy to envision Darnold’s numbers improving in Carolina with a potent receiver corps and Joe Brady calling the shots. Still, they might only be in Bridgewater territory. "Still, we don’t hate the idea of bringing him in. Darnold is just 24 years old, his salary cap number in 2021 is under $10 million and picking up his fifth-year option would keep his price low for at least another season." And, here's some of Weaver's reasoning as to why Minshew would have perhaps been the best option for us at the time. And, honestly, it still makes me go "Hmmm..." "Some of the advanced stats suggest Minshew’s a diamond in the rough, too. According to Pro Football Focus, he had the NFL’s third-highest passer rating against the blitz this season. In addition to being sharp against pressure, Minshew is far more accurate than his completion percentage suggests and his on-target throw % was among league leaders all year." Not beating the table for Weaver (or any Panthers writer), but I don't see his takes as any better or worse than anyone else's. He did say that they didn't hate the idea of Darnold and gave reasons why, including the relatively cheap price of acquisition, but he is very much aware of the obvious red--err "yellow" flags (which may be the more appropriate term). In my opinion, his take was anything but sucky.

Perhaps Weaver is worse due to his lack of colorful language, or his lack of seemingly intimate connection with the team (hence, short little articles that seem more like minimally filling a requirement to write something than a real article), but I have a hard time believing that anyone disagrees with the notion that those stats don't cause varying degrees of concern, which is really the only definitive, if not obvious, thing that Weaver said. It's late in the offseason though, so I'm giving Weaver and everyone a pass on that score. My thing is--as stated in the other thread and where @AceBoogiecould have just simply posted "Darnold sucks", as opposed to starting this piece of work--that there's no reason to be overly negative or positive at this point, unless one just likes to troll. And, even if that's the worst case scenario, the Darnold thing doesn't cripple the franchise. Sure, it would suck, especially for older heads seeing another essentially wasted season, as we're one year closer to a dirt nap, but it shouldn't be an off-the-rails scenario.

How did more people not give you fire for this?

I know people love to bike, but the infrastructure in most of this country just isn't set up for it. It's always a risk, in unprotected bike lanes or not. Honestly, it's why I'm a walker instead. We need a paradigm shift as far as transportation is concerned, but it's not going to happen due to our culture. I hope he pulls through.