saX man

I expect a top-12 secondary with this group, increased takeaways. LB group with strong development from Brandon Smith. Shaq & Xavier are the leaders, with hopefully Brown becoming one as well. Also, if we keep running these odd formations 3-2-6, 3-3-5, etc., Derrick Brown & YGM need to step up their run games in a BIG way. Those formations leave us susceptible. We got the LBs we did to help with things, Chinn to operate in the box in these scenarios, and I think Wilson & Smith will be huge for us in that respect. Line wise, Haynes also needs to keep it up and step into a bigger role. Key Growth Dudes: Derrick Brown - Needs to improve YGM - Is great when he plays, needs to stay out there and healthy Brandon Smith - Huge potential & ceiling. Step Up/Important Increased Role Players: Frank Luvu on the outside Marquis Haynes as our pass rusher to replace Reddick CJ Henderson/Taylor as CB3/4

If we go 8-9/9-8, no playoffs and Baker looks good enough, it puts us arguably in the toughest spot to be in. This is the season we need to decide: Are we simply able to win a bit with the guys we have or do we have guys that can lead us to where we need to go (staff and core players)? If it's the former, then we need to move on. That's the deciding factor for Tepper this season from my view. Would a season with that record and an above average season for Baker really merit signing him to a multi-year deal? Also, the floor expectation for Baker is different than the floor for Rhule which makes it tricky. So if Baker looks good, but the overall team underachieves again, do we really rework contracts, move on from other talent to throw a fancy contract at him? And then possibly find a new coach? It's just a tough spot even if we improve a bit. We need to outperform expectations to feel successful and my expectation is a winning season and playoff berth. Maybe we pull it off. I'm lukewarm.

Again, we've elevated our team, it's a solid roster, could be a wildcard. Some great core pieces and the defense (especially DBs) is promising. But where is this hodgepodge of a situation going? I don't see how asking that is some off-putting take, it's reality. Could be decent, elevated our floor, but we're not contending. And I'm sorry, but I don't see what this bigger picture overarching plan/process is. It doesn't take disliking Rhule to see this, hence why my posts are referencing an outsider take of one of the most in-depth sports podcasts in the country. People see what the deal is. We've reworked the offense (again), new QB (again) new OC, and it seems more promising than the first few attempts. I'm not saying they need to spell anything out for us, it just doesn't seem like there's been much of a multi-phased plan. It's pretty clear, just different swings each year. What's the plan on offense? Heck, what type of offense do we want to run? What is the ideal personnel? Where does this "build" we've done actually go? We're over the 2023 cap with only Corral's rookie deal on the books at QB. We've just been taking different stabs at different QBs, we've had continuous turnover. I just don't think we have a plan. I mean, the new OC has had 1 consulting position for 1 season in the NFL since 2017. I will give the situation time, and we could have a winning record with a good find in Baker, but is that going to look like a long term solution? Baker & Rhule? I'm ready to go, ready to see some better football from us. We'll see, but they've got more to prove than to sustain.

This is the concise core truth of the last 3 years.

Success will utlimately fall on: 1) Coaching Improvement 2) Defensive talent following through 3) OL, CMC, Baker & DJ staying healthy If those three things coalesce, we've got a shot. Who knows, I can see anything from 6-11 to 11-6. Realistic ceiling being ~10 wins. Just think we need someone to step up outside of CMC and Moore to keep this offense moving along.

Yup. He's saying we're setting ourselves up to be competent rather than a contender. So in a way, your bolded is correct. Issue being, it may be a job saving approach rather than contender building approach and our build with him seems messy, reactive, and ill-planned. However, you're right in that it doesn't mean he can't improve, if we win, people could change their tune on Rhule. He was really liked after the AZ game his first year, and again after 3-0 last year. My biggest concern is we've been operating like a fringe/high-level contender with the way we've been throwing around our assets and not really seeing results/we keep stopping our own momentum. My memory gets fuzzy pre-99ish since I was 12ish and it's just hard to clearly think back on that long ago, but this team does look to be the best we've fielded in some time. So the experience of the new staff and experienced players may propel us to 9/10 wins. I'll stay hopeful, but it's an odd spot to be in. Rhule on the hot seat, Corral being our only QB signed on for 23, will need some roster movement/cap adjustments to make room for Baker, but he's still TBD. If we go 10-7 wildcard and he has a 4000/28TD/14INT type line, are we happy? I just don't know. 9-8 just miss out, Baker looks decent is the base line expectation considering this roster. Time will tell! Excited for the year regardless.

We've built a top-half of league roster that can be capable of winning ~10-9 games in a best case. We're set up for a dead end; maybe finding a QB in Baker. But Baker is most likely what we've seen from him, it's unlikely he'll become some 35 TD QB instantly for us so are we really gonna dish him $35+ mil next year? Mays put it best on The Athletic Football Pod; the Panthers have a middle of the league roster built with no plan, and to what end? He emphasized we'll be competent, entirely respectable this year, but "to what end" a few times and that it really doesn't seem like this regime has a plan in place. Joked about Rhule talking about "establishing the run" then doing the opposite. Outsiders see it. for what it is. Mike Sando asked him in what circumstance he could see Rhule staying? He said "the entire fabric of the universe needs to change" lol.

I could actually see Hubbard on the outs all Mrs Rhule jokes aside. Shi and Higgins are golden

He can improve for sure and I’ll support him if he does. I’m not of the opinion he’s this unchangeable coach but he is who he is to a certain degree. I will not forget how over the moon and back many current anti-Rhule were after we went 3-0 last year and they changed in the other direction. People who supported him lost hope but it doesn’t mean hope doesn’t exist. Winning cures all. Hoping for the best outcome—he becomes a great coach and Baker balls out. But as things stand from my perspective, he is currently and still not an legit coach. I’d prefer not to wait on that in what is year 3 but I’m not just all off the rails against him.

I hope we have success with him for the foreseeable future but it’s just so hard to accept that it means Rhule stays in the picture. He’s just so out of his depth and it will be true even if we do well. Coach & QB means everything. I’d love for this version of the team to surprise. The NFC is wide open if Stafford’s injuries linger and TB can’t sustain.

He was heavily recruited by Matt himself and signed to Baylor. When Matt got the Panthers job, he decommitted and transfered to Penn State. They stayed in touch while he was in college and Matt and him are *tight

Some of y’all should look Rhule’s history with Lovett and then you’ll know why he’s here and could stick

He’s been showing out that’s fo sho

Kicker down in his own net!!

That doesn’t exist. He’s our slot.

No trades. Just no trades. I’m for one excited for the Moore-Robbie-Shi (X-Flanker-Slot) triad with Higgins coming in 4 WR sets. We good.

If Mayfield balls out, he could get cold come January. Because his balls are exposed to the environment. But aliens.

Levis is old and inaccurate, doesn’t have the liberty of a long mer development period like Allen. Richardson is unproven, this will be his first full year, McKee should be better and isn’t. Van Dyke is young, hitting the measurables, trending up. He’s the one to peg high. I’ll be interested to see him. The Jurcovek BC kid sucks IMO, he’s a paper champ. Haener in-game is something to watch tho. I’ll back that dude to the moon and back savage garden style.

Levis, Richardson, McKee and Van Dyke are the high ceiling types but a lot rides on their seasons. Jake Haener is a personal fave of mine. Reminds me of a prime Eli with a bit more juice. From what I’ve seen I’d probably take any of them over most of this past draft, so with a few likely having duds, can see maybe 4 1st rounders at most and a few 2-3rd rounders. It’s a mixed bag after Stroud and Young with either injury history, small sample size, or not hitting the modern measurables.

Kurt Kittner

Kubiak and Rick Dennison got dudes to do it to perfection back in the day and their legacy lives on

Offensive splash plays. We need them, and I don’t think we have the guys that can bring them. Shi is our closest thing to a burner. If we need to move the ball quickly, I wonder how at-will we can do it. McAdoo also concerns me from a playcalling standpoint. Playbook will be dope, but we’ve never had an OC with a good feel and cadence to calling plays in line with a game’s flow. Henning, Davidson, Shula, all meh. Chud was close…maybe McA prove me wrong.

People can’t do gimmick posting right anymore, believe me, I know from experience. Well not me personally but this guy I know, he got it on wooooeee

Still haven’t today, will they be speaking to the press after practice? If not today, then it’s going to start budding in on week 1 prep

Also, Sheldon Rankins DT could be a surprise in NYJ. He’s 28, had a good 2021 but it’s an easy cap save for them with little penalty with a similar situation as DET. New regime, budding younger guys, may just not be needed.