Sgt Schultz

I appreciate the guy's honesty.....and self deprecation.

That would be Dean Wormer.

I agree with this. I don't think he was as good a coach as he was given credit for. He almost refused to adjust his offensive game plan when the run was working or his philosophy was not. His offensive philosophy produced results, but there was a definite ceiling to those. Had Brady and probably a few other pieces not essentially been able to win whether he was on the sidelines or not, the Bucs would not have gotten over that ceiling.

I am inclined to think handling pressure/thinking on his feet/poise is the intangible that separates the keepers from the rest. Darnold's problem right now is he panics under pressure and makes bad decisions. He may make bad decisions when not under pressure, but we really don't know that. Even a QB who can run doesn't necessarily do so out of panic. Cam was pretty composed back there, even when he had to run for his life. And a guy who drops back looking for an excuse to run is not necessarily panicking, either. He just has to be taught to continue to look downfield before giving up on the pass and committing to the run for yardage. That is not an easy habit to break, either, because it has generally been one that has been relied on pretty much the guy's entire football life. But, it is easier to coach out than "stop panicking." Especially if your OL causes panic.

I agree with him, I don't think Pickett or any QB in this draft is top-10 pick worthy. We have other needs that mesh with the available talent in the draft pretty nicely. Like LT. That said, if you believe Darnold will not pan out (and the odds are heavily with you), we have nobody on the depth chart at the QB position that will/should be there in 2023. Heading into next year with a completely new QB room is risky, even if the entire coaching staff turns over. Given my view of the QBs available in the draft and our QB room, it would make a second or third round QB pick almost a necessity (or signing a cheap vet). Again, just my view of the world, the difference between the best of what is available this year and the middle is not that great. So, if we had or acquire a second or third, snag somebody, if Darnold blows chunks, get the new guy some time and figure out if he is/should be #1 or #2 going into 2023 (if #2, you need a #1) and call it a day. That is not a formula for success in 2022 unless Darnold defies the odds, but the fact that the entire team took a step backwards in 2021 put us where we are. We are entering 2022 where we were entering 2021, maybe worse off. The only assumption is that whoever is drafted is better than PJ. He may be better than Darnold right off the street, too, in which case he is the sole survivor on the QB depth chart heading into 2023. If he isn't better than Darnold, he is probably still the sole survivor (unless Darnold steps up or agrees to come back on the very cheap). Obviously, if you or the Panthers think there is a long-term answer available that I am underestimating, my plan is out the window. And if the long-term answer at LT is sitting there at #6, trading down to get a second or third rounder (at least that way) should be out the window. Then there is the fact that Rhule may be coaching for his job in 2022. Although, Tepper tends to look longer-term, so if Rhule and Fits have a specific QB(s) identified in the 2023 draft, some of that pressure may be off, for better or worse.

If they are going to trade back in the first, I don't want them going below about picks 13-15. On the chart, #13 is the magic number where the first and second round pick (roughly 45) equal #6. Unfortunately, I only see three teams with picks near those combinations: Minnesota (#12 and 46), Baltimore (#14 and 45), and Washington (#11 and 47). Falling below those first round picks drops us too far, IMO, to have any certainty from our first round pick in a position of need. And, if there is a run on the top LT prospects in the first 5 picks, do not move, do not pass go, do not collect $200, go directly to the podium.

Mostly the latter. Most owners don't say much to the media. There are some notable (or notorious) exceptions, like Jerry Jones. Personally, I don't care if I hear from Tepper or not. If somebody can show me how him speaking puts more wins on the board, I'll rethink that. But, I agree with something an owner said long ago when the league was marching toward a lockout, "nobody pays to see me own the team."

Hey, if Cleveland can have a river catch fire, Denver can have a stadium do so.

It is a tough question to answer because we don't know how many careers were snuffed out before they really started because the initial situation ruined the QB. It is not always a horrible team, either. I lived in the DC area when the Foreskins drafted Jason Campbell. Joe Gibbs (second tenure) was the coach, which sounds like a great environment. The problem is Gibbs preached to Campbell that whatever he contributed was fine but he could not turn the ball over. Campbell became timid, unwilling to throw the ball downfield and would check down way too early. Campbell had a decent career as a journeyman QB after that, but could he have been more? Perhaps, we'll never know. The knock on him after his time in DC, from what I remember, was he checked down too quickly. I wonder where he learned that. We know about the "busts" and can perhaps guess how many were ruined by their initial experiences, many far worse than Campbell's. Like continual beatings behind terrible OLs. And it is a problem with being an obvious high draft choice as a QB: your first team may be one you have to simply survive. It happened with Steve Young, who was classified as a bust after his first couple of years saddled with Tampa. He overcame it by being picked up by a juggernaut and backing up a juggernaut on the juggernaut before he became the starter. Compare the situation Jones and Lance found themselves in compared to Lawrence, Wilson, and even Fields.

I don't know how many games Darnold can win. Minshew can win more, most likely. Baker may be in there somewhere. But I also am not sold on any of the QBs in the draft this year winning any more, either. The whole group looks like a bunch of solid 3rd round picks, except of course we don't have a third round pick (at least yet). To those who think a shiny new QB can overcome anything, how did Mahomes do when his OL was depleted in the Super Bowl against Tampa? Brady has a history of looking very pedestrian when his OL has been consistently outplayed by a pass rush that did not require selling out the coverage (think two Super Bowl losses against the Giants, and for that matter the game NE won over the Rams 13-3). You have to give any QB a fighting chance. Our OL has looked depleted or outplayed almost every game, and while they look better on paper after FA, we still have no idea whether the LT position is settled or not (thanks to them not playing BC there nearly enough to know).

It is highly likely that none of the four teams chasing him will get there. I don't like any of their chances as of today.

I think they are also closer than what's left of the Falcons and also the Saints. It wasn't like KC, Buffalo, or the 2021 Rams were seeking his services.

I noticed that we were only mentioned in passing twice. It's like we were in the room in case everybody let the room and refused to come back. Count me on the side that thinks not even coming close to competing with what he ultimately got is a good thing. I'm not as cynical as some others (which is rare for me) that is was all about the money. At some point the dollar figures all look the same. I believe the reason he originally is reported to have eliminated Cleveland are probably true. Given the years of futility and the fact the weather sucks, it would not be high on anybody's list. Except, looking at the "final four" they are the best overall roster. They underperformed some last year, but that division is almost completely upside-down from where it was a year or two ago. The final straw was the money, specifically the guaranteed money. The Browns think they are close enough to go all-in. I think, history aside, they are the best team on paper, probably the best coaching staff (at least for now), and offered him the best deal. Like many, I was not in favor of us getting in that horse race for a variety of reasons. Strictly football, we still have a lot of holes to fill (more than we do now that it is a week later) and probably would have had nearly zero ability to fill them. We have even less draft capital than the other three teams thanks to the Darnold trade and assorted other deals.

I think the really need one Samuel Richard Darnold to resolve any issues from Watson's potential absence.

I'd give it a B+. I can understand the A- grade. I'm not concerned about signing a QB by this point. Our OL looks better on paper, but we've seen that before and I want to see them on the field before I call that a success. Getting a LT a #6 would be big. The Ian Thomas signing is the only dirty look I can give it. I get that the TE market has been inflated, which makes me question resigning him all the more. I actually thought Thomas would step up after Olsen left, but that never happened and it left a bad taste with me. Part of my optimism is probably an increase in NFL experience on our coaching staff. That could actually improve things across the board. But, I am from Missouri.....the Show Me state. All these guys need to show me before I will buy in. I'm not ready to proclaim we are Superb Owl bound rather than the Super Bowel alternative.

But, but, but that is just Twitter. I want to see a signed copy of the deal, with approval by the league. He's still in play, I tell you!!!!!!

Arguably our most position the last two or three years.

Yep. It takes about 9 minutes for light to travel from the sun to earth. We're not sure how long it takes news to travel from earth to his planet.

A picture is worth a thousand words.

It's not the worst idea ever. Our QB depth chart after this season is/should be zero, unless we draft somebody (not at 6 please) or sign a low-cost FA. Our 2023 starter is not on the roster. Our 2023 backup had better not be in the roster. If the Eagles are willing to settle for a day three pick, it is low cost at almost every angle. Bring him in, then let Darnold and PJ ride into the sunset after this year and draft somebody next year.

Maybe it is just me being cynical, but every now and then there is a situation that so many people think is so great, it turns into a feeding frenzy, and everybody involved gets screwed. This took on that character about 6 hours into the whole ordeal. It is quite possible that when the dust settles, we may be the ones who got screwed the least. We kicked some cap down the road, but not an alarming amount, and wound up no worse afterwards than we were when we started.....other than some people getting their feelings hurt.

I'm not sure which of these is correct: Superb Owl Super Bowel

Assuming no Watson, we go back to a sane plan. We made a few decent signings so far, shore up the OL in the draft, and try to whittle down some of our big holes. I like the idea of trading down a little, but with who? I would not want to drop below about #13 or so. This is beating an old drum, but our biggest issue right now is we have no idea what we have on the roster. Is BC part of the OL solution? We think so, but the way he was used last year, we really have nothing more than a gut feeling. Let’s get Chinn back where he belongs. How about Brown….either of them? We need to confirm Horn is who we think he is. Can CMC stay healthy? The list of unknowns and uncertainties goes on. Part of this is accepting the fact that our 2023 QB is not on the roster….either the starter or the backup. Then we spend 2022 answering the above questions. Add whether our FA signings that look solid actually pan out on the field. It “ain’t purdy,” but the way we handled 2021 set us back to where we were entering 2021, if not earlier. We just have to take the medicine from all of 2021, including trading away draft choices and such. Bad decisions have consequences. Strings of bad decisions have even more consequences. 2021 put us in a hole…..stop digging.

The grades look fair to me. I think what the Panthers have done thus far is solid and addressing some severe needs. Of course, I have sometimes thought that before and been disappointed, but generally with signings of players older than these guys.

All I can say about this idea is...