top dawg

Just wondering, why would any Panthers fan hate Smitty? Sure, he was far from perfect off the field, but "hate?"

I am just having a hard time understanding why some of you are taking "any price" literally. But, y'all keep thinking that Tepper is a fool if that's what works for you. Me? I think that our braintrust, including Tepper, will figure things out...and we'll be better for it!

That maybe true, but they will ultimately trade him!

Most times, you get what you pay for.

He's going to be traded! There's too much for Houston to lose.

And there's this, for good measure!

The fact that there is a hard salary cap makes the smarter smarter, not dumber. Like I mentioned, Tepper purchased the franchise at a markedly lower bid than what was offered. Does this sound like a guy that just opens up the Brinks truck for no reason?

Why is everyone taking this so literally? I take it as a sign that we aren't going to be outbid unless someone really earns it!

You sound more like someone who isn't willing to pay anything, than someone who is willing to analyze the efficacy and value of a trade.

I expect the Texans to continue this strategy as long as Watson remains silent. He's at least going to have to say that he isn't playing for them regardless of what they do, before they soften their stance. And of course, if they want to call his bluff, a sit-out may be in order.

Tepper purchased the Panthers at a lesser dollar amount than what his competition was offering! Remember that?

I'm not really worried. Tepper did not get where he is by making dumb deals.

I'm just going to assume that there's some hyperbole going on. There are always limitations! I do think that we may be willing to dig deeper in the pocket so to speak than people may think. I don't think Tepper is going to bankrupt our chance at success for the next half a decade to land Watson. But, he is a thinking gambler (if you will)!

You read that right; we will pay any price for Deshaun Watson according to Tony Pauline of PFN! “This is a person in the know, and they told me that the Panthers will do anything they can to acquire Watson, and they will pay any price to acquire Deshaun Watson. […] Their new GM Scott Fitterer, who came from the Seattle Seahawks, is on board with trading for Watson. More than anything else, and most importantly is, I was told the owner wants to make it happen.” Take it FWIW. It's very interesting! https://sportsnaut.com/nfl-rumors-carolina-panthers-deshaun-watson-210225/

Thinking someone is being coddled is not the same as disliking them. I haven't heard any of that!

Wilson is far from "crazy".

So, we skip Trey Lance in favor of Mac Jones, who, in Keyshawn's words, has "cement in his shoes"? Nah!

Y'all know what it is!

I think we're going to have to move up. There's just too many teams looking for a QB. We have to get to that 2 or 3 spot! I don't trust the damned dirty birds!

I'm driving the Lance locomotive, but if they choose Wilson, I'm not gonna be as mad as some of the people who would talk sh¡t if they choose Lance over Wilson (assuming that we move up)! I've consistently told people that Lance has the highest upside and the biggest arm!

Count him out if you want. But I haven't forgotten him, and I look forward to seeing what he's got in more depth, because we just don't know. I'm loath to call him JAG at this point, as he did flash just a little, and he seemed to have the right attitude when he had his limited opportunities.

I think the best FOs look at the roster and build the team via a combination of the draft and/or free agency on a situational basis. It's not an either-or proposition. Some, like ours, are not afraid to look at all avenues either (like the now defunct XFL or the CFL). I think that the priority is fundamentally to build via the draft, but that you have to have the bigger picture of the puzzle each year, and on the macro level as well.

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/greg-cosells-nfl-draft-breakdown-accomplished-deshaun-watson-has-areas-to-work-on-164552341.html?pt=4 I'm not saying his mouth is the gospel, but he knows what he's looking at and what to look for in film. I believe that he generally won't make a definitive statement as to a potential player's efficacy in the NFL because so much has to do with where they land and a team's system and expectations, but Cosell seems spot-on with his film breakdown (and that's why he's one of my favorites).

He will need teaching, experience and a little time to develop, much like Allen. He's solidly built, but just a tad smaller. He has a real cannon like Allen. It's an interesting--if not apt--comparison. I don't know who it was (probably several), but someone was basically saing, "I don't know what people see in Lance", or something of that nature. Well, like Cosell, Bucky Brooks and others, they see the traits of a professional QB that look to translate well to the NFL. Evaluating a college player (and maybe a QB even more) is about projection. Do you see traits in this guy that will help him succeed in the NFL, notwithstanding what he did in the NCAA? I know that's kind of a complex concept that seems counterintuitive on the surface, but it's basically what Cosell was referring to when he said, "You have to evaluate a quarterback in a vacuum. You have to isolate his traits..." [Listen at 19:09] Bucky Brooks said that Lance can fit any system. He basically said that he can be molded into whatever you want because he has all the traits and can make any throw.

Fields is simply going to have to process things faster and be more decisive, especially as the pocket begins to break down. Other than just being the best athlete with the strongest arm in this class, the ability to be decisive while not making mistakes is one of the reasons that I like Lance more than Fields.