top dawg

I mean, why laugh? The next QB draft is looking like it's going to be better. I mean, honestly, I'll take Minshew over Carr straight up, if we're going to go that route. He'll command a whole lot less for probably similar if not better results.

Honestly, as a Panthers fan, I've learn to not expect anything until the season actually starts. People have offered different reasons for it, but Reich didn't actually light the world on fire last season before getting canned. Reich has admitted getting off to slow starts (and Lord help us if he does that the coming season). I like how he has built the staff, but I'm still lukewarm on his play calling and his head-coaching to be perfectly honest. He's going to have to show me that he's in the top tier of coaches before I believe it.

But that's debatable. If it's a bridge QB that we're looking for, then maybe.

I mean, I can see some similarities, and Trubisky is the better runner, but Carr has been the better QB. Now I will say this: I think Trubisky's career got off to the shakiest of starts due to instability and awful coaching. I see Carr as more of finished product (as in you know what you're getting) and Trubisky as still a project. If your point is that Carr is a lit closer to Trubisky than LJ, mission accomplished. At the end of the day, I wouldnt inquire about either one of them (Carr or Trubisky).

No, just getting lost in unnecessary words. But, my bad.

*whether

I didn't. You're the one trying to pretend that you can't get a decent QB "borderline top 10." Hell, Hurts was a day two pick not that long ago. I'm just not one that falls into that line of thinking. It is better to pick higher because you have the pick of the litter, but it's more important to scout and draft properly. And, considering the hit rate, sometimes you just have to be lucky. On an off note KC obviously thought more of Mahomes than others because they actually moved up to 10 to get him.

Fitterer has had good drafts, regardless if you see it or not, and that was notwithstanding Rhule. He's also amenable to learning, is not ego-driven, comes from a personnel/scouting background, and is well-connected That's why he is still here and Rhule isn't. Fitterer is the Panthers GM, rather you like it or not.

Perhaps, but I highly doubt it. This is a new day with smarter heads and a more realistic outlook. Fitterer has the final say in personnel decisions, but us supported by Reich and an excellent staff.

Tabor and Campen were obviously connected to Fitterer. Fitterer is a GM now---a legitimate GM. Get used to it.

Oh, now you're suggesting that Hondo doesn't know the Raiders? That's bullshit and you know it. Are you suggesting that Rapp Sheet doesn't know what he's talking about either? Come on, dude. Plaschke got it wrong, and anyone paying attention knows it.

No, that's not what I said. For the last time, "It's a collaborative effort." I just don't understand why this bothers some of you so much.

Do you really believe that Mark Davis is broke? I have a hard time believing that they "literally can't afford to fire" McDaniels. That would be unprecedented. Hondo, I love your work, man. I read this week that Mark Davis is not firing Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler because he is broke. Is Mark Davis and the Raiders broke? --Thanks, man, Kyle T. He isn't firing Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler because Mark Davis craves stability. Mark Davis understands what McDaniels and Ziegler are doing to make this franchise a sustainable winner. As far as the report of him being broke, according to an NFL source close to Davis: "That is complete bullshit. It is laughable, but I bet it got a lot of clicks." The source added:, "This isn't the Oakland Raiders, and these are the Las Vegas Raiders. He made a move because he does have plenty of dough now." https://www.si.com/nfl/raiders/the-black-hole-plus/josh-mcdaniels-dave-ziegler-mark-davis-derek-carr-darren-waller-las-vegas-raiders Further evidence that that's bullshit. https://raiderramble.com/2022/11/19/raiders-owner-mark-davis-cash-poor-nfl/ https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/looks_like_espn_panelist_was_wrong_about_mark_davis_being_cash_poor/s1_16460_38154152 https://www.google.com/amp/s/heavy.com/sports/las-vegas-raiders/josh-mcdaniels-mark-davis-money-poor/amp/ When it sounds like it doesn't make any sense, it probably doesn't make any sense. They didn't want Carr because they didn't want Carr. It has nothing and everything to do with McDaniels if you understand what I'm saying.

If you're going to use that argument, then you probably want to eschew the NFL altogether. I'd add that politicians, bankers, entertainers in general, many business owners, Wall Street wolves, etc. are grossly overpaid depending upon one's perspective, particularly when juxtaposed against Joe Schmo in the proletariat. But, this is the world in which we live. Nothing ever changes until the people---largely dumb and/or apathetic---the working stiffs get tired and decide to change things. Until then, we may as well take solace in our largely meaningless entertainment on some level---entertainment like the NFL, Iphones, Netflix, alcohol and drugs which is used to placate and pacify the masses.

Sure, but it's still a collaboration; Tabor and Campen are the epitome of that collaborative spirit, and should at least suggest to people what's going on.

I mean, if averaging almost 80 yards a game last season is "washed," I'll take it.

Who said that he was the "driving force" behind the rest of the staff? I said and have said that this entire process has been a collaboration. I said that he was a driving force for the hiring of Frank Reich. You must ask yourself why you are so invested in not giving Fitterer (or Morgan for that matter) any credit. It's a collaborative effort. Campen and Tabor just didn't land in Carolina by accident. Reich likely is a driving force, or the driving force behind his coaching staff, but that doesn't mean that the GM who is now a real GM, especially one that lauds collaboration and is not ego-driven, much like the coach that is in his charge, doesn't deserve credit for any names that he has dropped, research that he has done, or calls that he has made. We simply don't know any specifics and can only speculate, but we don't have to speculate as to it being a collaborative effort because we've been told that it is. And honestly, neither Reich, Fitterer, Morgan or even Tepper have given us reason to believe they are liars.

He has issues with the Ravens, which anyone paying attention has figured out, but, more importantly, he hasn't tested (nor been able to test) the market.

Where have I ever said that he should get a fully guaranteed contract. In fact, what I said is that I think that he's going to have to compromise, and that he probably was going to be disappointed with the market if he wants a contract that is too over the top. Just what exactly have you been reading? It surely hasn't been my posts.

Great point. I didn't even think of that. Rhule was the hot name at the time, and many actually thought that he'd make a great coach. Even after the first year, many a Huddler, as well as many NFL types were pleasantly surprised and given reason to be guardedly optimistic. Now, after the disaster, some want to engage in revisionist history. I didn't flat out turn against Rhule and definitively realize that he didn't know what the hell he was doing until the past season. If anyone wants a hand because they realized earlier than others that Rhule was an unmitigated disaster, here you go.

So, what? It takes time to learn. There is no substitute for time. No one said Tepper is a genius, but he appears to be an adept learner, not prone to knee-jerk reactions. He came in at a disadvantageous time (right before TC), had to get his bearings, took a big swing however ill-advised, and did all these things while learning lessons about the NFL. You can fault him for it, but I'm not. It was never realistic to think that a guy like him would come in with a scorched-earth mindeset. That's not how smart businessmen generally deal. Fitterer is not "Rhule's GM," that's laughable; Fitterer is Tepper's GM. Rhule was likely an albatross around Fitterer's neck. Fitterer has been on the business side and the personnel side of football longer than Frank Reich. Don't forget that.

He mentioned flopping and then staying injured. There was a delineation, and that's how I addressed the statement. Within that context, being injured and actually being a flop are separate issues. That being said, if you want to look at injuries as flopping or leading to flopping, then fine. The risk of injury is just a part of the game. Regarding system fit, I believe that Lamar Jackson can fit lots of systems unlike some here trying to suggest that he can't throw or can't throe from.the pocket blah blah blah. He's an adept thrower as his career passing rating indicates, and he's certainly far from a Michael Vick or even Cam Newton level as far as that goes. More importantly, Reich already said in so many words that we all see in which direction the NFL is moving pertaining to successful franchises and successful QBs. The days of statues in the pocket are diminishing. If you want to know about our system and whether LJ would work in it, here is what Reich said (courtesy of panthers.com): "It's a passing league but you have to run the ball to be a championship team. There's exceptions to that. When you look at the analytics and the statistics over the years. You got to be effective running the football and efficient running the football. That's of the reasons I'm excited about this roster. I know we can do that. We'll get the pass game right. I know we can run the football and we're going to run the football. Because that just builds off the play action. Off the RPO stuff. All the movement stuff. That's what you want to build. What offensively you're always trying to do is to create conflict in the defender. Put a seed of doubt in the defender's mind. Is it run? Is it pass? Is it the RPO? Is it the first level RPO? Is it the second level? Are they going deep? Compliment everything together. It starts with running the football. Then the second principle is you have to get the ball vertical down the field. You have to get chunk plays. All the statistics. All the analytics. That's one of the reasons why I'm excited to work for Mr. (David) Tepper, because if anybody who knows analytics, it's him and all of his businesses. He gets this as much as anybody. It's hard to go 14 play drives all the time. You got to get chunk plays down the field. We need to be able to run the ball, have play action, get it vertical and have the kind of players and quarterback that can do that." Now you may engage in all the mental gymnastics in the world, but there is no way that LJ is not a system fit for that. But, if for some reason, you want to fool yourself, here is a part that they did not include in the official transcript, but NFL.com didn't leave this part out. "Reich acknowledged that every quarterback must, at some point, win from the pocket but sounded as if he'd like to run an offense that includes a dual-threat option." "We all know the way the game's going, right?" he said. "We all know the game is going to a more movement-style quarterback. I embrace that. I love that. We worked with some in Philadelphia, worked with Carson Wentz, and we did a lot of good things with movement, RPOs, play-action, all that stuff. Same thing in the years in Indy. We had some dropback, some movement guys. Ultimately, we can adapt to whatever, but where the game is going, most of the guys coming out in college have more movement, right? That has some advantages." So, system fit would NOT be an issue. Like I have said before, the only real issue with Lamar is injury. But you can use injury as a reason not to acquire many players. Unfortunately it's a part of the game, and it's not like Jackson has had anything major. Personally, I don't believe that that's going to be the sole reason for stopping anyone, much less us for at least trying to get a deal done if it comes to that.

Yes, it is in regards to Lamar Jackson suddenly becoming a bad player. And you know it, just as well as everyone else knows it. It's simply a preposterous notion.

Some people just don't want him no matter the price. They may as well fess up to it. The things they say about him and the players that they compare him to are a dead giveaway.