blueandblackattack

Got a B grade from WalterFootball, higher than I thought we'd get because of the money: Panthers sign G Robert Hunt (5 years, $100 million): B Grade Bryce Young was terrible during his rookie year, but his offensive line was a disaster. Young didn’t exactly get a fair shake in his rookie year, but it looks like the Panthers will be providing one for him in his second season, at least based on this move. This is more money than I thought Robert Hunt would receive, but I get it. Hunt is a very good blocker when it comes to both pass protection and the running game. He’s a massive upgrade in the interior. The Panthers still have lots of work to do, but this was a nice first step.

He's a RG and I saw a tweet by Mike Kaye that a few league sources said that this may mean they'll move Austin Corbett to Center.

Maybe this means they'll resign Chinn and give him another shot

Looks like power running is coming back, boys!

Yup, we're not a destination team anymore with the instability, so we gotta pay a premium to get players to come here.

I wonder if this means they plant to move one of the guards to Center, like maybe Brady Christinsen? Canales did some o-line shuffling to the bucs last offseason too so that may be in the cards for one of the guards currently on the team.

Smart move. He's the only cornerstone on our o-line and the most expensive on the roster so far, so we gotta keep him but also find a way to make room. Still pretty young and hasn't missed much time. Very reliable. He's the closest thing to a right side Jordan Gross we've had. We gotta make room if we wanna keep this D intact and have room to make some free agent signings.

According to Spotrac, they track his performance as earning a contract of $21/yr. Not that they ever end up that way, but I really like how Spotrac breaks it down how they come to that calculation based on production around players in their similar performance bracket. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/carolina-panthers/brian-burns-29051/market-value/ I thought he missed more time than just a few games, but his best year really was when he had another legit pass rusher on the other side. I love the guy, but he's not a game wrecker without someone else on the other side, at least thus far. But he's 25, so there's still room to grow. I think up to $25/yr is fair, if we can restructure Moton and make room. But if it comes down to either paying out DB or Burns, I'd honestly go DB. He just has a motor that doesn't quit or slow down, and is a game wrecker without much help. But we'll see how things unfold.

Thanks for this. I am still holding out hope that Canales will hire a new Strength and Conditioning coach, especially given how much emphasis Canales makes on fitness in his own life, and was pursuing a degree in Kinesiology to be a personal trainer before coaching. Just seems like we've had the injury bug ever since Rhule hired Jeremy Scott, or at least way more than average than the rest of the league.

We'll see. I saw a Greg Olsen interview where he talked about his one year at the Seahawks and him butting heads with the TE coach for trying to make him change Mr. 3K's techniques that got him 3K, so they gave him less reps in games. Jimmy Graham also went there for a big contract and was basically benched too. Doesn't seem like the TE position is really emphasized there. But we'll see, maybe that was Carrolls influence.

Soon to be former, but maybe not Leviska Shenault is actually crushing this celebrity poker tournament incase anyone is interested. It's live right now https://www.youtube.com/live/AgcTjYXbhCQ?si=UwSSbnKEXhYqka1B

Great breakdown, thanks

Came across this small youtuber doing coverage and reactions to Dave Canales interviews and it's really well produced. Give it a watch

Caldwells only task was to act as a sounding board for Frank Reich and Thomas Brown, who are the ones who were actually tasked with putting the playbook together, and even Frank said that Thomas Brown put together about 80% of the playbook during last offseason. So I don't see how any of it falls on him if the offense did bad. By that logic, would you say Dom Capers was the real architect for the defense last year and should get all the credit over Eviro? I don't think so, he had the same role as Caldwell, just on defense. All im doing is putting dots together between Caldwell, Dungy, and Canales that he may keep him for that reason, but thats up to the coach so we'll see. I wouldn't have a problem with it either way. We can only go up from here after last year.

Jim Caldwell was a winning head coach, even with the Lions, and has worked with qb's most of his career. His temperament is more like Dungy, cool calm and collected, which will be good for a young new head coach doing the job for the first time to lean on. Plus they probably know each other already since Canales is good friends with Dungy too, so there's definitely a connection there. Caldwell doesn't need clout, or angling for a head coaching job, which both of those things combined doesn't tell me he's one of these 'snitches' that were happening last year. He just loves the game.

I'd give him the benefit of the doubt since it only changed when Frank Reich came here, and probably told him to change their blocking scheme to match his playbook, even though our line is built for smash mouth football. But it's all speculation.

Per the Charlotte Observer: Ron Rivera has some advice for new coach Dave Canales — and for the Panthers’ fan base Good article, one of the quotes I like from it are "You have to make sure you are surrounded by people that are going to help you. You want them to tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.” Hopefully Jim Caldwell, or maybe a new hire, will help with that. Read more at: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/nfl/carolina-panthers/article284724866.html

I hear ya, I feel the same way too, it's all been an issue. I think Canales has those tools after being with Carroll for over 10 years, and just his demeanor in his interviews and press conferences, I'll just say I'm cautiously optimistic. The fact is we weren't gonna make a splash in this coaching cycle, given how the last 3 years have gone, so finding someone thats younger that isn't daunted by the project he has in front of him is what we needed, instead of like Reich who treated us as an auto-pilot team.

Make no mistake, there is a problem(among others) in the Carolina locker room, and it's morale. Morale is at an all-time low, and you could see it in their eyes when you saw sideline shots, that players are kinda getting used to this circus, embracing apathy because really we haven't had the consistency or the right head coach to teach them otherwise. I've been very impressed in my deep dives finding interviews by how he commands a room and is able to articulate any question with ease, and I really hope that same positive attitude will land here as well. Cuz a team that believes in themselves and each other is a dangerous team. This has only 382 views as of this post so I know most fans probably haven't come across it yet, so thought I'd post it here to give us a glimmer of what will hopefully turn this thing around. He even address this positivity culture at 3:36 as the interviewer asks him that that can be perceived as weakness, and he had a great answer for that too. Here's part 2

Also Andy Reid went from QB Coach to Head Coach of the Eagles

Just incase it hasn't been posted here yet, here's a vid of NFL following his day to day when he was with the Bills. Definitely a grinder and well respected at the schools he visits, and Beane.

What did Brandon Beane accomplish before being hired by the Bills? IT goes both ways. Just cuz Bleacher Report or the media doesn't report it or know behind closed doors, doesn't mean people on the inside don't know. Or not know. Doesn't hurt to interview.

One of the only good things Gettleman left us was this quote: Sometimes, the answer is on your roster. aka, Brandon Beane, who was considered 'trash' after being twice looked over for being a Marty Hurney, then a Gettleman holdover. Now look where he is and how consistent they've been. It's a damn shame. Give Morgan a shot, cuz you never know. Sometimes the answer is on your roster.

Love This interview with him, he just sounds like a head coach

Another point that may be in his favor is that in between the Commanders and 49ers he spent 3 years as an analyst for PFF, one of the #1 analytics NFL sites. Tepper would like that.