KatsAzz

The problem, of course, is money. To cut Bridgewater outright doesn’t make financial sense for the Panthers because he would cost them as much as $20 million in dead money. To keep him doesn’t make sense, either. He’s a $23 million salary-cap hit if he’s on the roster unless he takes a pay cut, and he would probably be a backup unless Darnold gets hurt. Far more palatable would be Bridgewater’s agents negotiating with another team, doing something creative with Bridgewater’s current contract and then telling the Panthers what they’ve found. That, in effect, is exactly what is going on right now.

Where did Kelvin Benjamin go? He was traded from Carolina to Buffalo due to the Bills needing wide receivers for their playoff run in the 2017 season. After the Bills traded Tyrod Taylor and drafted Josh Allen, Benjamin simply wasn't a fit in Buffalo anymore. The Chiefs opting to bring him in was fine, but at the end of the day, it didn't work out. Benjamin did not play during the 2019 season and is currently a free agent. Benjamin also impressed as a rookie with 1,008 receiving yards. However, Benjamin missed his second season with a torn ACL and was never the same.

https://nflmocks.com/2017/02/22/pat-elflein-c-ohio-state-2017-nfl-draft-scouting-report/ Pat Elflein, C, Ohio State: 2017 NFL Draft Scouting Report by Erik Lambert4 years ago Pat Elflein has a chance to be one of the top interior offensive linemen in the 2017 NFL draft. Does his scouting report back up that possibility? Position: C School: Ohio State Year: Senior Height: 6’3″ Weight: 300 lbs History: Elflein was a premier athlete at his high school. Not only did he excel in football and wrestling, but also track and field too. After an injury-plagued start to his college career, he emerged as a quality piece at guard while helping the Buckeyes win their first national championship since 2002. Then he got to showcase his versatility by successfully switch to center as a senior. STRENGTHS: Shows good athleticism and agility. Able to pull out and deliver effective trap blocks while also swing outside to lead the way for his running backs. Footwork really shows up in pass protection. Defensive lineman aren’t going to shoot gaps on him. When hand use is good he’s not allowing much pressure at all. Being able to move in space is becoming essential for modern NFL centers. That means being able to pull out and deliver trap blocks on the edge. Elflein showcases that ability well against Clemson. He snaps the ball and is out of his stance quick, identifies the free defender and gets his body on him without any hesitation. The runner finds his way through the wide open lane for a big play. That is textbook style. Anchor is solid. Even if somebody gets the initial bull rush on him, he has the ability to reestablish position without surrendering too much ground. He has enough lower body strength to generate movement in the ground game. Would help even more if he could add more strength in the arms and upper torso. Plenty of quickness and vision to reach the second level on running plays, often being in good position to spring his backs for huge gains. Zero problems snapping the football. Ohio State operated from shotgun all the time and there were few errant snaps at all during his time as starter. WEAKNESSES: Not always the aggressor on some plays. Can be nasty at time but not all the time. Sometimes doesn’t finish his blocks, allowing defenders to sneak past him for the tackle. Inconsistent with his hand use. More polished defensive lineman have often set him up for some nasty moves that have left his quarterback dead to rights. Size overall isn’t a huge issue but his limited arm length could prove to be a problem against the long defensive linemen he’s sure to see at the pro level. Really struggles blocking in space. Several times when getting to the second level or on trap blocks he took a noticeably bad angle to get the defender. Indecisive at times with where he’s going to deliver his block. Leads one to believe he’s not always clear on who his blocking assignment is. Pro Comparison: Alex Mack When the Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl center entered the league he was followed by concerns of technique issues such as lunging and poor blocking angles in space. Put him in a phone booth though where it was one-on-one and he wasn’t giving up any ground. Over time Mack got over those problems anyway. The same will probably be true for Elflein. In a few years he could be one of the best 5-6 best centers in the game. Projection: 2nd Round Elflein is the best center in this draft but his talent and developments don’t scream 1st round in any sense. He’s a solid Day 2 pick all the way. That doesn’t mean he won’t be an instant starter. He should be and the team who gets him will at least have somebody to anchor the middle of their line for the next 5-10 seasons. If he refines the rest of his game? He’ll be a Pro Bowler.

Anytime we get decent players like OG/C Pat Elflein that can snap, that can play center or guard, there’s a lot of value there. It will be interesting to see how we use Elflein going forward, but to give him a three-year deal means the Panthers brain trust must have been pretty impressed with what they saw from him as a Jet last year.

Cutting the 30year old Richardson saves the Browns $11 million in cap space, per Over The Cap, helping create some breathing room for the Browns after they signed Clowney to a one-year deal that can pay him up to $10 million but includes four void years to spread his cap number between 2021 and 2022. Because of those void years, Clowney's cap number for 2021 is just $3.87 million, less than a third of Richardson's cap number of $12.6 million. With this considered, releasing Richardson wasn't entirely necessary. Cleveland still could have carried his contract and remained under the cap at a fairly comfortable margin. But there is an advantage to be had with existing cap space when looking ahead. The Browns are approaching future offseasons in which they'll need to find cap space to re-sign Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb and Denzel Ward. Carrying a healthy amount of cap space to the end of 2021 will produce a useful rollover number into 2022, when the cap is expected to jump significantly at just the right time for the Browns to spend in order to keep their own.

Overall, however, it was a disappointing season for the offensive line for the Jets. They allowed pressure in 2.5 seconds or less on 28% of their drop backs — the worst rate in the NFL. The line wasn’t creating many lanes in the run game, either. The Jets averaged just 1.1 yards per carry before contact per rushing attempt in 2020 (30th). Easy to see why QB Sam Darnold had issues, considering this dismal Jets offensive line. The rookie they Jets draft this year will have the same problem unless their offensive line is upgraded.

Offensive linemen often don’t get the recognition they deserve because it’s a difficult position to evaluate — one without readily available statistics to pull up in seconds. That's why the PFF play-by-play grading gives us a unique perspective regarding offensive line play, as it separates the play of the offensive line from the play of the quarterback it is protecting or the runner it is blocking for. Using those grades as a guide, this is where each team’s offensive line stacked up during the 2020 regular season, with the important caveat that this list is meant to reflect how each group played this season rather than serve as a projection of future performance or talent.

Final 2020 offensive line rankings | NFL News, Rankings and Statistics | PFF 18. CAROLINA PANTHERS The Panthers haven’t had any disastrous efforts along the offensive line this season, but they also don’t have all that many players to highlight. The clear choice for the best player along their line this season is right tackle Taylor Moton, who enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent along with the majority of the Panthers’ starters on the line. Moton has delivered three straight seasons of quality play as the starting right tackle for Carolina, but his career-high PFF grade of 81.2 this season — third among qualifying right tackles — came thanks to his run-blocking grade catching up to what he’s been able to do in pass protection throughout his career. Moton’s 76.3 run-blocking grade in 2020 was nearly 10 points higher than his previous career-high mark of 67.4 in 2019.

I agree. Just hope the fans don't trash Darnold and throw him under the bus the first bad game he has

This

And half this boards opinion would amount to zero in the grand scheme of things. Critical people are going to do what they do best and that is bitch, piss and moan until they find a new target to criticize.

Offensive Tackle. Penei Sewell | O.T. Oregon or Rashawn Slater | Northwestern. Or trade back in the draft and select the fast rising O.T.Christian Darrisaw | Virginia Tech.

It’s time for the Panthers to get the Left Tackle position taken care of and the 2021 NFL Draft presents the opportunity to do just that. We may have our choice of offensive tackles, Penei Sewell |Oregon or Rashawn Slater | Northwestern. Plus,it my be to our advantage to trade back in the draft and select the fast rising O.T.Christian Darrisaw | Virginia Tech. I don’t think the right quarterback will drop to the Panthers in the first round, but despite the Darnold trade, it’s still a possibility to take one here.

1. Sewell 2. Pitts 3. Slater

I don't have a lot of faith in our current QB backups taking over if they were called to action.

Teddy Bridgewater might be a better fit in New Orleans than any QB they presently have on their roster.

Yes, the fact we wanted Watson, their QB, which did not happen but the Texans wind up with our former QB would certainly be a role reversal and somewhat hilarious.

Luke Patterson @LukePattersonLP “I really think most teams are interested in Bridgewater if #Carolina releases him. The Broncos would be interested in Bridgewater competing with Drew Lock. Either Carolina has to pay some sort of guarantee, or release him.” .

https://thespun.com/nfl/nfc-south/carolina-panthers/there-appear-to-be-2-favorites-to-land-teddy-bridgewater CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 24: Teddy Bridgewater #5 of the Carolina Panthers walks to a new drill during a training camp session at Bank of America Stadium on August 24, 2020 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) Teddy Bridgewater could be on the move fairly soon, as the Carolina Panthers have already granted him permission to seek a trade partner. Bridgewater signed a three-year, $63 million deal with the Panthers last offseason. He didn’t really live up to that contract, which is why Carolina went out and acquired Sam Darnold this week in a blockbuster trade with the New York Jets. Now that Darnold is the projected starter for the Panthers, rumors are swirling about Bridgewater’s future. In fact, the betting odds have just been released for his next destination. As of this moment, the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans are toward the top of the list for Bridgewater. Neither team, however, has better odds than the Panthers. Here are the current odds for the Broncos and Texans: Denver Broncos (+250) Houston Texans (+350) Denver makes a lot of sense considering the front office actually checked in on Bridgewater’s availability earlier this offseason. “Their new general manager, George Paton, was part of the front office in Minnesota that drafted Teddy Bridgewater,” NFL Network insider James Palmer said on NFL Now. “After they missed out on Matthew Stafford, they showed some interest in Bridgewater. My thought would be at the cap number he’s at right now, they’d like that to be different if they’re going to pursue Bridgewater.” Houston, meanwhile, already has a veteran quarterback in Tyrod Taylor. On the other hand, the uncertainty surrounding Deshaun Watson’s situation might influence the front office to go out and acquire another proven quarterback. Where do you think Bridgewater will land this offseason?

https://www.profootballnetwork.com/top-9-offensive-tackles-2021-nfl-draft/ I want a Left Tackle selected with our #8 draft choice. This is an interesting article rating the top 9 offensive tackles in the draft. They had Christian Darrisaw North Virginia Teck as the # 2 rated offensive tackle and Rashawn Slater North Western # 3. I wonder how the Panthers Staff have them rated, since most of us think Rashawn Slater should be rated # 2.

It is going to take a brave team to pass on Sewell with a need at the position. Realistically speaking, Sewell shouldn’t make it out of the top-five. If he somehow makes it past the Bengals at No. 5, then the Panthers would be in-play.

Teams that constantly recycle quarterbacks are often teams that draft bad or hire poor coaches. That is why the grass is greener, quarterback recycle doesn't always work .

https://twitter.com/CatCraveBlog/status/1379415196586934273/photo/1 Robby Anderson on @gmfb Talking Sam Darnold. “I was surprised when they trade was announced. I had some great chemistry with Sam and think his development was not correct with the Jets. Didn’t have the best coaching or supporting cast.”

Fitterer said he talked to Bridgewater and his representatives but was careful not to rule out the possibility of last year's starter staying here in some role. This is where you have to point out that everything is always on the table — "In on every deal" means "In on every deal" — but Fitterer alluded to the possibility of a contract adjustment or a trade, as well. "I think there's things we have to work through, obviously," Fitterer said. "And I've already talked to Teddy's agents. We're going to find the right place, whether it's here or wherever it may be, we'll figure things out, contract-wise as well."

Allowing Bridgewater's representatives to reach out to other teams regarding a trade could help bridge the gap where contract issues are concerned. There aren't any logical landing spots for Bridgewater where he'd be considered a sure-fire starter, but teams like Denver could use veteran options to compete. The Broncos want competition for Drew Lock, and new GM George Paton knows Bridgewater from their time together in Minnesota. The Panthers have insisted that they can still bring Bridgewater back this season, even with Darnold in-house. The truth is Matt Rhule has been looking to move on from the incumbent since the end of the season. If a trade can't get worked out, the Panthers could cut the 28-year-old QB and allow him the freedom to select his next destination without Carolina recouping any compensation.