ellis

Looking to get my hands on some tape, but here are some clips, with a little bit of analysis. Again, there’s much more to review, and this is more of the positive stuff than the negative. I will say: I think they will need to find a more sophisticated pre-snap processor than Darnold to operate this way.

here’s one I like:

What are you doing? Still harping on that conversation we had last night? You’re still doing that? Jesus Christ. Apparently, this owner turned his coach into Phil Swift today, and allowed him to parade around and sell his goods and brand, to my surprise, without any type of parameters. Congratulations, you nailed it. If you don’t mind, quit mentioning me on your posts. It’s just annoying, and it would be great if you would not do that. I probably need to go to sleep, because in six hours, I’m on that very station y’all are talking about. 7:20 AM, live with Mac and bone. Tune in, sizzle! And take notes, because I need your feedback on how bad it was. Just like the air I breathe.

Oh, that guy. A couple of weeks ago, he was bashing people for suggesting Matt was a problem, and I called him out on it in a very benign manner, and he blocked me. Which is fine, but just know, he’s now writing articles celebrating Matt’s demise.

All good

Sizzle Buzz enjoys not agreeing with me.

And by the way, it should be a good interview, because I know those guys quite well and they do a good job. Of course, some of y’all might disagree with that, and that’s OK. Everybody wins.

It’s not unprecedented, but I think it’ll be a little more relaxed tomorrow. Do I think there could be a few guidelines? Sure. The hosts have been pretty critical of the coach over the past couple of months, nothing brutal, just pointing out deficiencies. I was agreeing with the post above about boundaries in general, potentially being in play. I should’ve been more clear in my response, though I have seen scripted Q&A’s done before in similar situations.

Yeah, I would tend to agree with this. Especially with the Panthers PR group. i’ve been a guest on Mac and Bone’s show several times this season, and they have been pretty direct and tough on Matt. It’s been fair, but they definitely haven’t been soft. I’m sure the questions will be fine. You’ll probably just get a lot of coach speak.

Worse than I could’ve imagined, and I knew it was bad: But, John…Ron was THE WORT in is department. And, surely, John Fox wasn’t much better, right? Here’s how each of the Panthers last three coaches performed offensively in the third quarter of games, from an EPA perspective:

I just wanted to be sure nobody thought I came in here bragging about breaking news. Seemed like somebody try to twist it that way, and that’s fine. Let’s go watch some football, these games are amazing LMAO. Y’all enjoy. Talk to you later.

No. That’s not something that I would anticipate.

Shout out to the flame and beer emoji’s. My biggest fans LMAO

Yeah, how are you. Happy Sunday. I do have some Intel, and a couple of sources on the situation, but no, this was not my reporting. I was quick to grab it, and share it with our friends on Twitter. Have a great afternoon, and hope all is well.

Yeah, and even Joe didn’t really say he was on the block. I think he said they would be receptive to taking phone calls. The contract is really prohibitive, and McCaffrey doesn’t exactly inspire a ton of suitors at this point, at least for the value Carolina would seek. Would he be part of a potential blockbuster trade? I mean, anything is possible. It would be great to get to a point where Carolina could settle down a little bit, build a core traditionally and with a little less chaos. We’ll see what happens.

Last thing before I head out: I do agree, when you go back a few years, there was a general sense of complacency in terms of digging deep on the reporting side. To be fair, I do think part of that was do to some of the oversight involved. Legend has it that gantt ran into some issues with ownership, and I think the world of his reporting. I mean this sincerely, I think it’s as good as it’s been for a while, in terms of coverage. Joe is much more free to do his thing since leaving the CO. Big fan of Jon Alexander and Ellis Williams. I think Sheena Quick and Vashti Hurt do a great job—a good pod, too. Josh Klein is very good. Nick Carboni is a good friend, and he’s always fair and direct. Hell, I know it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but most of the guys at FNZ have been terrific this year in terms of dialing up the heat when it’s been warranted. I’m down here in Greenville, South Carolina, so I’m not overly interested in being on the beat. Not sure if I’m even qualified to do it LOL. But I have several platforms that give me an opportunity to provide commentary, and having access to game film gives me the opportunity to provide analysis. To a degree, keeping a distance from that inner circle allows you to be more free with your analysis. Jeremy and I talked about this a little bit at camp, when we met back in August. We talked about the frustrations involved in terms of access. Not easy getting in the door, and when you do, it’s hard to operate. Particularly for a guy like Jeremy, in terms of visuals. I’ve been following this team since 95. Was a diehard fan for many years, and passed the torch to my sons a couple of years ago when I started these projects. But I truly want to see fans enjoy the product again, and it’s always more fun covering this team when the product is good. Again, just my two cents. I know folks get frustrated with some reporters, and I know a lot of people get frustrated with me LOL. I do think most people in that room, in those press conferences, are doing the best they can to keep Matt and others honest. Thanks again for letting me rant. Hopefully, the team can show some positive signs from some young guys on Sunday.

Thanks again for letting me share some content here. I don’t post as much on boards these days, but it was fun to mix it up with you guys. We should have some more guests coming up next week, and a new podcast on Monday or Tuesday. I’ll keep you guys posted, and hope y’all have a great weekend. Should be an interesting few days coming up. Y’all have a great night.

Again, this goes back to what Joe said today on the radio with us. It’s been pretty consistent with his reporting on Watson, but this was a fairly definitive statement, in terms of the team still having a high level of interest in his services. I certainly can’t speak for the team, or the owner, or anybody else involved. But people I talk to independent of Joe’s reporting seem to agree with that vibe. I’m not sure if they will go the distance with it, but it’s a phone call they’re likely going to make. I was a bit surprised by Joe’s info on Sam today. I had not heard any reporting that indicated Darnold was on the type of thin ice that Teddy was this time last year. That’s what Joe told me today on air. Again, maybe that’s something that was put out there a few days ago, and I missed it. I think we were all working under the assumption that Darnold was locked in with that fifth year, and playing him late in the season was as much about getting him prepared for being the starter next year as anything. They’re going to have to find a trade partner, or do an Osweiler-type of deal to dump his contract. Otherwise, he could end up being the highest paid backup in the league here.

Agreed. It just feels like a more competitive market right now, with the issues you mentioned above being the key driver. There are several factors, and I’m sure each of those guys have their own criteria, but one common thread would be the head coach. I could see either of those three guys being comfortable playing for Tomlin, or Sean Payton, or even Brian Flores. Stefanski, as well, if they decide to get into this. Until he proves otherwise, I don’t see Matt in that class. So, once again, you put yourself at a competitive disadvantage: not only on the field, but in terms of recruitment at the NFL level. To be clear, I don’t think people around the league dislike Matt. I really don’t think people in that locker room do either. It’s not about “hate”, it’s about trust. Those guys are aiming for championships + streamlined efficiency in terms of offensive systems and schematics. Carolina has a fairly significant disadvantage there.

Yeah, I’m sure that’s part of what will go into the calculation for Wilson, if he does seek a trade. Other than the connection to Scott Fitterer, I don’t see why Wilson would come to Carolina. Especially with the tenuous nature of the protection schemes here. Russell has been dealing with a little bit of that in Seattle lately, and I think he would rather seek employment elsewhere. Hell, he did just say he might stay, anyway.

No, I appreciate the feedback. And thank you guys for letting me ramble a little bit LOL. It’s certainly worth following up on the moral element to Watson potentially coming here, and that’s still a big if by the way. What we tried to accomplish today was getting an insider’s perspective on the power dynamics/ structure, and general sense of next steps in terms of what’s going on in the building. Will definitely be talking with Joe, and several other folks on the beat, in the coming weeks. From my perspective, with all the unknowns about Watson, it would feel somewhat hypocritical for this owner to make that move, given the bravado he showed following the Richardson allegations. I’m certainly not defending Jerry. But someone with Watson’s baggage, whether the allegations are true or false, is an odd element to add to your culture, when you went so far as to tear down a statue of the former owner as a gesture of goodwill to those who felt uncomfortable with Jerry’s likeness, and all that it entailed. Then again, it’s the NFL, what I feel is right or wrong doesn’t really matter. I’ve heard so many good things about Watson, from a lot good people around him from his CU days. I’m not gonna be the one to stand in judgment on either side of this, but again, perception is not unimportant. Yes, it would feel a little hypocritical. I certainly understand those who would have a problem with it, and I certainly don’t want to shame fans who would like Watson here, because winning is the ultimate narcotic LOL. It is a complex issue, with a lot of layers, but at the end of the day… Dave is interested.

I’ve tried to be really fair about Matt. I was open minded this off-season. Covered them every day at Wofford. Had a lot of positive feedback that I passed along to folks on Twitter/Radio/the pod. I thought the practices were well structured, good tempo, nice emphasis on situational football—there was a good vibe. I’ve seen a slow but palpable descent in terms of trajectory, and it really started in October. Matt has not managed games particularly well. The adjustments have been lacking, particularly out of halftime. Too many timeouts burned, too many communication issues on the sidelines, indecisiveness in terms of utilizing players where they belong, unwillingness to bend from his football ethos. We can think whatever we want about Joe Brady, and he wasn’t without his own issues at times. But if you look at the film, the route concepts and general schematics have taken a nosedive since he was fired. I don’t know what they were running against New Orleans, but it was some of the worst conceived stuff I’ve seen on tape in a while. Joe was the best equipped on staff to help Sam develop down the stretch, assuming Sam was coming back to start. Now, that’s gone, and Sam is out there running a high school scheme behind the worst pass blocking line and franchise history. So many bad ideas, and to be blunt, Matt was largely responsible for almost all of them. Almost nobody I talk to in the scouting/player/coaching world truly feels they will trend up under this regime. There’s a consistent theme with most folks with whom I interact, and it’s what I shared a while back: when an inexperienced coach is given the power to help pick the new general manager, that’s a red flag.

Some have suggested Bill O’Brien, and he’s already looking into new HC opportunities as we speak. The idea is to find somebody with a philosophy that can coexist with Matt, but more importantly, somebody with NFL competency at that level. And based on MR’s track record in the NFL, based on the presence of Sam Darnold, it’s not an easy sell. If they had Watson or Wilson right now, it would be more enticing to some coordinator candidates, but that’s a timing issue. None of those deals will get done before the conventional window of hiring assistant coaches begins and ends.

Just to be clear, I think Matt is coming back. I spoke with somebody somewhat close to that situation recently, and nothing definitive has been messaged to him—but on the whole, it feels like he’s probably coming back. From my perspective, I interpret that as an instant warm seat, and definite hot seat if they don’t get off to a fast start. I feel there will be a bit of redistribution of power in terms of roster decisions. The biggest factor, and I can’t stress this enough, is staffing. I do feel Matt will be asked to make some changes, and while he might want Nixon as his guy, I don’t think the owner is going to tolerate that. That’s where I wonder if that could lead to some friction, and if it does, who knows. He’ll need to elevate to a playoff-level if he’s here again. 6/7/8 wins won’t cut it. Again, that’s coming from some pretty solid people in the know. I would just stay tuned over the next couple of weeks. Dave will probably speak after the season, and perhaps that’s when he comes out and gives MR the full vote of confidence. But after Sunday, there will likely be a couple of days of meetings to hash out next steps. Again, this pertains to potential staffing changes for next year, and how they feel about incorporating those changes into Matt’s vision/structure. If Matt is receptive to their suggestions, and I have no reason to believe he won’t be, there shouldn’t be much friction. But if there is a bit of conflict there in terms of Matt not wanting to replace some of his guys, we’ve seen this before around the league. Could lead to a protracted period of uncertainty in terms of next steps. I know that’s a lot of words, but it’s not an uncomplicated situation.

Hard to say. Like I said, Joe seems pretty adamant from his sourcing that Tep and Co will revisit the possibility of Watson this off-season. I’ve heard this from others, Albert Breer being one. Again, nobody really truly knows, but those are a couple of well-sourced reporters. The few people I know around that operation have hinted at this, as well. Ultimately, I think they will look to land Watson or Wilson via trade, potentially offloading Sam somehow, and turn their attention to OL early-ish in the draft (problem being…you’re low on picks). Should that fall through, perhaps they aim to draft Pickett or another rook QB. Plenty of eval coming up from the scouting department on these QBs, and other positions. I don’t know if they’ll pull off the Watson/Wilson thing, but especially Watson, I really think there’s something to it. I’m not advocating it, I think there’s potential to set things back a little bit in terms of roster building and draft capital w a Watson deal, but some would argue his talent transcends all that. Plus, the off the field stuff that remains fairly dubious would concern me. We’ll see. Wilson did say yesterday he wanted to finish things out in Seattle, but it’s early yet. There is the Fitterer/Schneider/Pete connection, and I’m sure they will make a phone call. Again, I’m just trying to view this from a player perspective: do I give myself the best opportunity to win a championship with Matt Rhule and some of their roster deficiencies. It’s a conundrum.