Krovvy

Remember when Cam Newton didn't have receivers? Oh yeah, he was the MVP that year. Meanwhile Sam Darnold is throwing rainbows to defensive backs and we have our number one receiver having to take their heads off save the interceptions.

Can someone explain to me how Sam Darnold still has "potential" but Justin Fields is supposedly a certified bust?

This is some clown poo. We actually have posters still arguing one of the worst quarterbacks in the NFL the last 5 years deserves another contract. Sam Darnold, in his best 'year' is "average" if you extrapolate the metrics from 6 games where the team put up historic rushing numbers.

You guys do realize Sam Darnold is not a rookie, right?

That is a very low bar, especially given that the NFL is now 17 games.

Here's a Windy City Gridiron thread for example.

Yeah, so let's take his career year and extrapolate then. He had a 58% completion percentage, 1,100 yards, 7 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and 6 fumbles in 6 games. So, Sam would have 3238 Yards, 20 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 17 fumbles in the now 17 game season. Keep digging holes boys.

Apparently.

Looks like my post hit home.

By every conceivable metric Sam Darnold is not an NFL starting quality quarterback. It's plain to see in his career that he doesn't have it. The only people supporting him now are stubborn fans who dug their hole with blind support. A lot of these same fans for some reason really hated Cam Newton.

What fan forum? Every fan forum I read from Chicago (reddit, sbnation) is heavily in favor of keeping Fields and those that aren't are generally mocked (though probably unfairly). Please link us to what you're reading.

I don't think this about people wanting to trade D.J. Moore, but about what Chicago will want. I personally would much rather go back to the Cam days of having terrible receivers, but a great (potentially) quarterback.

Why not? He tried with Watson. Fitterer knows this is his last chance. If he doesn't find a quarterback this off-season, he's toast.

Oh, and I guess the alternative to this is Tom Brady, or miss out on both and probably actually go into tear down tank mode next year. I don't think Lamar Jackson will seriously be available. If the tear down scenario happens we'll have a mini-circus with quite a lot press conferences, referring to whatever 'plan' they'll have to spin. But that would be the worst case scenario for Tepper. He wouldn't be able to show his face in public.

The plan will be trade up for a quarterback or bust. Chicago will try and move back one spot with Houston, if possible, to acquire more draft capital. From there, they'll probably want to move the second overall pick with a trade to Indianapolis. Now, this doesn't mean we don't have a shot, it just means it's going to cost a lot. Okay, so a few things can happen to make the scenario more or less likely. Free agency being very important for Chicago. They'll try to move to improve their interior defensive line, which will be possible. If they can target and sign the players they want then the Colt's DeForest Buckner will start to look much less enticing than our D.J. Moore. Especially since wide receivers won't be readily available in free agency as interior defensive linemen. Beyond free agency there's also a small possibility that Indianapolis starts to covet a defensive player, or alternatively eyes a second-tier quarterback such as Levis. This will weaken whatever offer they manage, which I imagine will be the fourth overall pick, next year's first overall pick, and DeForest Buckner. There's also an outside possibility of the second-best defensive player in the draft being rated not far behind players available at Carolina's pick by Chicago. Now the Panthers, Tepper, I feel are in quarterback or bust mode. Regardless of what the next coach thinks, they're not getting the full 3 (7?) year rebuild. We're already five years deep into the franchises worst losing streak, all under Tepper's control. Tepper will be willing to move quite a lot of picks, and possibly players (D.J. Moore) to finally acquire a young, talented, quarterback. Watching what Chicago does in free agency will be very telling as to Carolina's chances at moving up.

*FreeFua* would have never been dumb enough to trade for Sam Darnold.

Tepper wants a quarterback, bad. He saw how the team missed out on Herbet, when Hurney was denied the go-ahead trade with the Giants — rumor. He reportedly wanted to trade up for Burrow as well. Then there's the talk about Tepper also wanting Fields but being denied again. Then we have the well reported off-season where the Panthers tried trading the farm for Watson. I cannot imagine a scenario where Tepper goes another year being denied a quarterback.

Yeah, I didn't think Tepper had the balls to pull the trigger. Jim is insane, but he's no pushover. Tepper wouldn't be able handle someone with actual bravado. He'll want someone he can control, someone who he can 'collaborate' with and point the finger at when things go south again.

I mean, maybe? I've been through a lot of traumatic events, and yet I wouldn't be so grim. It's just a game.

The reality is this is yet another losing season. The posters that are acknowledging this fact are in no way less fans.

What do you mean? For entertainment. If the Panthers get to the playoffs, okay, I'll pull for them. Though there's this creeping, nagging, thing — reality.

It does if they also consider getting blown out in the playoffs to be meaningless. This was a losing season either way.

Guys, the context is the entire season, not just today's game. Today's game just sort of signifies what the Panthers are about.

This isn't those years. The amount of quarterback needy teams have exploded with franchise faces retiring, and teams like the Colts, Panthers, and Washington being at the breaking point from trying to find one.