45catfan

So we have a 290 and 305 pound NT? Great.....

But those guys started. YGM will be in spot duty *knocks on wood* unless Houston and Burns struggles to stay healthy. Haynes, once fully ready, will probably be the #3 guy. Barno has too much speed not to give him snaps. We draft Johnson too. YGM is going to have a hard time getting enough snaps to have a "break out year" as a Panther.

Better than Corral, yes. Better than Dalton? No. Grier would not put those numbers up in a regular season game. Remember, their offense made Cooper Rush look like a viable NFL starter during regular season games. I don't like the Cowboys, but their offense is QB stout.

Clemson players by and large struggle in the NFL or at the very least rarely live up to their draft status. A few have produced, but the slew of underwhelming or complete disappointments far exceed those hyped players considering how many Tigers that have been drafted over the past decade in the Dabo era. I was on the Chinn train that pre-draft spring and caught serious heat for hyping the unknown small school mid-west kid over the local Clemson star. I'd said it then and I say it now, it's easier for a 4/5 star kid to show out on a team loaded with other 4/5 star players compared to a 3 star player on a team almost void of 4/5 star talent on the entire squad. If that's the case, and the 3 star is player making all sorts of plays on a pedestrian team, he's the one that should grab your attention.

As a backup/rotational type? I doubt it.

The last CB spot goes to the winner of STO and Taylor. We don't keep both. Henderson is a lock, I think and as long as he's not a starter due to an injury, I'm okay with that. For what he is, a back up in spot duty role, is fine.

NT's are hard to find. Watch McCall ball out in New England. I have a hard time believing our 300 pound DTs masquerading as NTs will fair very well against 320-300 pound guards.

It seems odd that we may not end up 'needing' a traditional NT, but they sure did give it a look, didn't they? Adjusting the scheme to the personnel at this point, I bet. Was it we didn't need a hoss at NT all along or we couldn't find one worth keeping and are scheming accordingly? I think it was the later.

I know he was undrafted, but so is the dude that's supposedly taking his spot. I hope our 'scheme' isn't to give up chunks of yards up the gut all season.

R. Williams is in the driver's seat for the spot apparently and listed at 305.

Reich stated to reporters and I'm paraphrasing: 'he's going to catch on to a team that utilizes a true NT.' That tells me the team is comfortable without a wide-bodied NT. Personally, I don't understand it.

No way we go into the season without picking up a big body. Ends look solid, but he middle is scary. A big body is essential to a 3-4 scheme take up two blockers and freeing up a LB.

So we are going to have some 300 pounder playing NT? Brown is the only one that could fit the billing, but he's at end. Our guards are all heavier than our DL except DB.

Something is up. I wonder what it is? I know there had to be a corresponding move for the Hill signing, but we have dudes much less valuable still on the roster. Has to be an off the field issue.

Got it, but I don't want Corral to make it. The only way he does is due to his draft status, which is dumb. The reason he's getting so much playing time is a) to see what Matt actually has and b) if we part ways possibly a trade to get something out of him rather that an outright cut. Even if he makes it through waivers, PS guys can get signed away at any time. I honestly don't think the staff wants to carry 3 QBs, but giving up on a 3rd round pick in year two without any compensation kinda sucks too.

Mays, Erving and McCray all can play center. Zavala has dabbled there too. Teck is expendable and can be stashed on the PS. Nobody will be claiming him. Rhule may want him on his Nebraska staff though. With the injury to Byrd, Shi smith got a lifeline. We carry six WRs. Ricci can be stashed on the PS. FB/HB/TEs are not hot commodities. We will keep an extra CB. With the emphasis on subpackages and the inability for our secondary to stay healthy, it would be foolish not to.

Nine is bare minimum, especially how dinged up they have been all camp and preseason. This after, two-a-days have been done away with and shorter camps than in the past. I remember years when we carried 10 OL on the 53 man roster. If they can't stay healthy in shorts and limited contact, we better have some depth.

I agree with his QB (no Corral) RB, TE (no Ricci), WR (including Shi Smith) ILB, OLB (with Barno) and S assessments. I think we carry more DL (one after McCall), two OL (Jensen AND McCray--one gets cut when Corbett comes back) and one more CB, possibly STO.

Hah! I'll see your Jordan quip and raise you: Cam Erving validates his first round selection status by solidifying Panthers O-line.

I'm still dumbfounded why the Ravens aren't back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to back Super Bowl Champions since they have been undefeated in preseason since 2016.

The Chiefs, Eagles, Bengals, 49ers, Dolphins all suck, ya know, because they lost too.

At RG?

Jensen may stick over some of the vets we signed/re-signed in the off season. Definitely Jordan and possibly McCray. Erving stays if we can't find an upgrade at swing tackle. Ideally I'd like a true guard to beat out BC and then Brady becomes the swing tackle making Erving expendable. If Zavala can stay off the ouchy list, then that would make the best sense at LG beside his old teammate.

I swear I wasn't tipped off, lol! I posted this in the DJ Johnson thread yesterday morning.

The defense always seems to have the early edge every camp. So that's not shocking. If the trend continues after the next couple of weeks, then sound the alarm bells. Reich even said yesterday that the offense is still doing installs. I'll wait to see how the offense looks once the entire playbook has been implemented before getting too concerned.