Captroop

I thought this graphic from the NFL network previewing the Bills/Panthers on the subject is relevant: Overall, the deep ball game is definitely diminishing.

A couple LBs and EDGE have been relegated to rotational guys now. We could probably pick them up for a pick swap.

Peanut should be in the Hall, because he literally has a widely used football move named after him. If you fundamentally changed the game, you should be enshrined.

Our opponents have poor records, but that should now overshadow just how impressive this defense has been. Yeah the Jets are winless, but they can put up points in bunches. So far this season, the Panthers are the only team to hold the Jets to single digits in points:

You have to credit Bryce for one thing, he paradoxically increased the trade value of our trash receivers. Teams were thinking, "these guys only look like crap because Carolina's QB situation is so bad." Little did the know, they were just crap. Lookit Bryce! Little by little helping us claw back the draft capital we frittered away on him.

TOOOO FUUUUURRRSTS! Memes aside, it was spectacularly mismanaged. I'd love to have him, but we had way too many holes at the time to spend a fortune on a premium position. As soon as it was clear we couldn't afford him in the long run, we should have shipped him off.

Hate it for Evans. Solid, solid player. At his age that might be where you call it a career.

I know it's not in fashion as much these days, but man would I love to confuse some defenses with dual-HB sets!

The risk with FAs is we don't know what kind of shape they're in. All these guys are on NFL rosters now, so they're in playing shape. Carson Wentz Taylor Heinicke Mac Jones Jimmy Garoppolo All of these guys are expendable on their current teams, and would be an improvement over our current QB room. I don't think any of these guys are demanding more than a 5th and maybe swap one of our backup QBs.

Flacco was acquired for a 5th/6th pick swap...

Here's where I'm at. As crazy as it sounds *deep inhale*... I think we need to seriously need a QB to gear up for a playoff run. I know! I know! Hear me out. Windows and Parity. Windows are fleeting in the NFL, and we seem to have surprisingly found ourselves with a pretty complete team. We have a deep bench of receiving threats. We have a defense that, while maybe not world-beaters, is still capable of keeping winning within reach. We have a really solid game-clinching kicker. And we have a genuinely scary running attack. Teams like that don't come around all the time. And again, while this team, on paper, is not championship caliber, that leads into my next point. Parity. This year is really strange in that the top flight of the league from the last few years (Chiefs, Ravens, Chargers, Bengals, Eagles, 49ers) seem more beatable than they have been for several season. Outside of the Colts, I don't see any team in the league that the Panthers couldn't beat if the ball bounces the right way once or twice. And currently, we're only 1 win behind our division leader. I think with Bryce, we're a 7-11 team. But if you add a above-average QB to this particular team in this particular season, I think they are capable of making a playoff run. Bryce is hurt this week, so now is the time to make the move without it completely looking like an indictment of Bryce. And if you get a win or two (especially against the Bills and Packers) then I think you just keep rolling with him.

You should win the games you should win. This honestly seemed like the kind of game the Panthers would lose so I'm pleasantly surprised. Considering the way the season started, I'm genuinely shocked to see us with a winning record.

He might be able to string together some wins, but I still feel like the team is winning in spite of him, not because of him. He could be a long-term starter, and he might even win more games than he loses. But we'd be fools for not looking for an answer for the future and a legitimate star.

I'd rather Bryce develop a rapport with the receivers of the future. If we had AT, we wouldn't know what we've got with Tet. Horn Jr. wouldn't be on the roster. And I guarantee you we wouldn't know the name Mitch Evans. I am grateful for AT for the time he spent here, and for helping to develop Bryce. But he was the training wheels that we needed to take off at a certain point.

We're 2-0 in games my wife prayed for in church. Be sure to leave an offer, people!