BrianS

We can't take that kind of risk. Our roster is bad. While the upside is there, we cannot afford to get our draft picks wrong if we ever want to win again. Grab whichever of Carter or Walker is still available at 8 and let's get this team pointed in the right direction.

I know you think you're being funny, but seriously, if we didn't have so many problems on defense that guy would absolutely be a candidate at 8. He's a really, really good player and would give us a legit WEAPON at TE. Sanders is great downfield - no doubt - but Warren actually blocks. He's not a GREAT blocker, but he gives excellent effort. And as a receiver . . . man, he just makes plays. I don't see us pulling the trigger, especially with Sanders on the roster and Tremble returning. But Warren is worthy of a top 10 pick.

I saw an interview yesterday with Mike Mayock talking about edge rushers in the draft this year. Mayock is saying that he actually has Walker ranked above Carter. His reasoning was that because of the way Georgia used him, Walker actually had fewer pass rush opportunities. In Mayock's opinion, when Walker got his chance to rush, he was possibly more effective than Carter. I really like the idea of getting a guy like this. If we can get a guy to impact the QB, along with all our other changes, Evero is out of excuses.

Evero honestly has a mountain to climb. As a defensive coordinator, he has NO HISTORY of improving a team. He inherited the #3 scoring defense in Denver . . . and took them to . . . . 14th. In Carolina, he inherited the #19 scoring defense and took them to 29th and then 32nd. If he fails again this year, he'll be out here and not really have any sort of resume to continue with as an NFL DC. I'm sure he's a super guy, but we need a DC who can turn something around. Evero hasn't shown that to this point.

Stops the run. Makes tackles. Available. Sounds good to me.

He did work in the front office that assembled two SB teams. For all Gettleman's bluster, the core of that team was Hurney picks. So yea, until the current regime proves that it can build a winner, Hurney's FO was the best we've ever had. Take that however you like.

I'm wondering if that remains true. We have been historically awful as a 3-4. It's possible we move on from Evero if our defense remains bad this year, which could see us move back to the 4-3. I wouldn't hate it. I know the 3-4 can work . . . but we've never really SEEN it work here with the exception of the Dom Capers years.

Honestly, I wouldn't hate any of those guys at the right price.

Exactly. If other teams see him the same way - valuable backup - we should be able to keep him. If another team sees him as a starter, then we should let him go.

First off, he's not even eligible for a contract yet. You have to play three years. And thank goodness! All we saw last year were glimpses. Yes, those glimpses were enough that I think every fan wants to see him come back next year. But bottom line is that so far, with only a couple games worth of exceptions, he hasn't yet shown that he's a FRANCHISE QB. He hasn't shown the consistent ability to elevate the players around him. He could be the guy. After week two of this year, just saying that much is a massive, massive positive swing. But let's see him put it together for 17 games. Let's see him make the people around him BETTER. Then we can talk about extending him. Let's not lose sight of the fact that thus far in his career, in no season has BY exceeded the rookie stats of MAC JONES. We should be excited for the possibility, but we certainly haven't seen yet what we need to see to declare we have our guy.

Use Beason, TD, Morgan . . . whomever you like. 59 was just the most recent (and likely greatest) in a long line of excellence. The point remains that you cannot draft a guy in the top 10 who you can't really decide what his fit in the NFL will be.

Our weakness last year was run defense. An ILB who excels against the run would not go amiss. I would take a shot on day 2.

Is he Luke Kuechly? If he's not 59, we shouldn't be taking him in the top 10. Yes, he seems like an A+ human being but the real question is "Will he be a difference maker in our scheme?" The answer must be yes to justify the pick. If we have doubts about his position, we shouldn't pick him. Sounds like pundits and insiders are a little uncertain, and that doesn't bode well. We had another outstanding player and A+ human being here with somewhat ambiguous position fit and it just didn't work out with this coordinator and scheme. I don't want to see the second coming of Jeremy Chinn.

We're going to have our own minefield to avoid both next year and the year after. It will be interesting to see how we navigate that.

Marty, is that you? I remember how you love those athletes and were willing to convert them. I just wish it had worked. Once. Ever.

It's interesting that the SB fumble keeps coming up. I saw an interview recently with one of the Panthers DB's in that SB who said that he felt more responsible than Cam. He apparently dropped what he viewed as an easy pick 6 very early in the game. The guy felt that would have completely changed the game . . . and he's not wrong.

If there was ever a QB who could be rescued by the right coaching and situation, it's Lawrence.

There are actually some realistic(ish) mocks showing Carter falling to us at 8. I'm pretty sure if that happens it's an absolutely ideal situation for the Panthers. The guy is a monster at perhaps our largest position of need.

It's far too early. Bryce could just as easily fold next season. We have real reason for optimism this offseason - and BY's late season performance is a part of that - but let's not get carried away. If we can just get a full season of consistent, quality play from him next year that would be AMAZING.

Except for he started 17 games for the Commanders this year and had a career year.

How about the fact that Saleh is a Packers coach and we can't talk to him due to the Packers still being in the playoffs? We absolutely did not consider our options . . . because we still aren't sure what all the options are given staff turnover around the league. I have no personal beef with Evero, but damn. The guy had exactly one year of DC experience before he came here. That one year of experience in Denver was taking over a defense that was previously 3rd in the league and they became . . . 12th. He has no coordinator level experience turning around a defense or building one from the ground up. I hope it works out, but I suspect we're going to be sitting here next offseason with the same issues.

We need to restructure and extend . . . but we also need to be sure we aren't just kicking the can down the road a couple seasons. Yes, extend him, but do so in a way that keeps the cap hits more consistent so that when it does come time to cut him we can do so without the pain.

Honestly, I cannot believe that we didn't even have a CONVERSATION with Robert Saleh before retaining Evero. The guy took the worst defense in the league and turned them into a borderline top 10, sometimes top 5 defense. They were on course do be the same again this year before he was fired. But nah, we good.

Did he though? Or are we only remembering what he looked like once he had those weapons. Brees threw for 4400 yards his first year in NO . . . with a rookie Marques Colston as his top target. Brees didn't *need* weapons, but yea, he had them. So far, BY has shown the ability to be a marginal starter in the league. That's it. Where we picked him is no longer relevant. Is "marginal starter" our organizational goal? I hope not.

If he is so fragile that one bad game ruins his confidence, then he is not the QB we need.