45catfan

I know this sounds crazy, but we can roll with Sam or at least make Cleveland think so. Baker WILL NOT be on their roster come camp, even if they have to cut him outright. We have Darnold, as bad as that sounds we at least have that option. Cleveland doesn't have the option to keep Baker, trust me on that. He will become toxic to the locker room and a major distraction. Their front office is well aware of this.

A deal before the draft lets Cleveland off the hook and loses the majority of the trade leverage. Who'd be stupid enough to do such a thing? Wait.......

Obviously a lot of this depends on how these guys play this year, but for as many potential 1st round options on that list, it's a least very promising even at this early juncture. This 2023 class may turn out to be better than the 2021 one that I was wanted to grab a QB. If DJ and Rattler can turn in sharp performances, they can easily jump into the top 10...and I think they will.

Cleveland almost HAS to eat Baker's contract (or a substantial portion of it) if he's not traded by the draft. If the Seahawks take a QB/stick with Locke and we draft a QB or say we're rolling with Sam, the Browns are in a situation of losing their butts in a late offseason trade or taking a complete loss in cutting Mayfield. I think he'll be a Panther, but not by the draft, and we get him for a reasonable package...say a day 3 pick and less than half his 2022 salary.

As long as Cleveland makes his salary more palatable, it boils down to a 1-year "prove it" season. If I were Fitts, I would frame the situation that way. You know Baker is going to want a new deal if let out of Cleveland. However, it would be no different than if he were actually a FA. I seriously doubt even if he were a FA Baker would have received a multi-year deal. Heck, we have several guys we signed this offseason playing on similar one-year "prove it" deals.

They apparently did, however he's only under contract for this year. Baker will have to play out the year on his current deal. I don't think Fitts plays nice this time around, nor should he.

IOL guy that can play center and guard. I think he can play OT in a pinch too. I have yet to see a first round grade on him though. I like the guy as a prospect, but not in the first round.

Darnold starting in 2022 is an option, but the last option. There is a very real scenario that happens. We take a LT at #6 and SF & Cleveland play hardball. Fitts WILL NOT make the same mistake twice on overpaying for a stopgap QB. I don't care how hard Rhule pounds the table for it to happen. I'm thinking it's Baker, BUT has to Cleveland eat a portion of his contract and we DO NOT pick up his 5th year option.

He doesn't. He wants the free media exposure. Even Colin knows he's washed up, but saying he wants to play and no NFL team is willing to sign him (see: white owners and black QB) fits perfectly in his propaganda wheelhouse. If he truly wanted to play for the love of the game he could have signed with a CFL team or in the new USFL. Even though they pay less, he makes plenty of coin with Nike and others. It's not about football and it never has been since he left the League years ago.

Again, it may become a power struggle and may signal the end of Rhule's tenure some point during the season. Rhule can't be the only one that talks to Tepper and if it gets to the point that Rhule is truly in a go it alone situation...against the advise of his staff and GM, then I can't see how he survives the entire season. I think Rhule knows this and why they are bringing in guys to win now in FA, but oddly enough with a ton of short-term deals, many of which are only at 1-year. Fitts is willing to tango, but not at the expense of hamstringing the future of the organization. Rhule's job isn't the only one under the microscope in this situation. If Rhule somehow turns this thing around this year, you may see longer FA deals next offseason.

I stipulated in one of these posts that the Panthers (note Rhule's final personnel decisions) need to display discipline and do what's best for the long term of this team. That said, the scouts, assistant coaches and Fitts himself is going to have to work really hard to keep Rhule from doing something stupid for an apparent immediate fix that could (and probably will) screw this organization over for several years to come, long after Rhule himself has left Charlotte.

This. If all 3 OTs are gone and we find a trade back partner, Howell may be the pick. I can't see us taking a D-lineman or another CB unless we can't trade back and those three LTs are gone.

It's looking like drafting a rookie or rolling with Sam are running away with the poll. Rolling with Sam is actually about drafting a QB too, just not this year. The consensus appears to be this fan base is over retread QBs.

Patience will pay off for the Panthers, if they can show restraint. If the Panthers can get out of their own way and simply eat their mistakes from a year ago instead of doubling down on stupid, there are PLENTY of QBs to choose from next draft.

I'll wait for one of these guys: Covered: 8 Will Levis Kentucky 9 Jake Haener Fresno State

Lol, how? I know Urban Myer is available, but come on... It really can't get worse than Rhule. He's the floor, it can only go up for this franchise once he's gone.

Tank for '23, so I went with 'roll with Sam Darnold.'

The very reason I DON'T want a competitive season this year...Darnold AND Rhule will hopefully be gone in 2023. I could deal with free Sunday's this fall knowing the following year Panthers football will be worth watching again.

Here's one that I'd be happy with: *Pick #180 covered by the banner is Jerome Ford-RB (Cincy)

Don't trade, suck with Darnold and in a year hopefully all will be right with Rhule fired and a high draft pick to take the next franchise QB.

Agreed. Dude is straight up a race baiter. He doesn't want to be a QB in the League, he just wants the platform the NFL would provide him to peddle his nonsense.

Happy Easter everyone!

This is what happens when you WAY overpay a mediocre player...they go full-tilt diva.

Or the injury bug comes back again, which is very possible. With RBs, especially as the League has ever increasingly gone pass happy, mid-rounds usually have some dudes with a good deal of value. They fall due to no fault of their own, but due to the RB position being devalued by a QB driven League. Again, top 3 rounds (assuming we had those picks 2-3) nope, I'd pass...but round 4? Sure if the value is too good to pass up...I'm all for it. If a top 100 pick on our board is there in the 4th round and happens to be a RB, I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger.

Eh, we took Hubbard to be the #3 guy. I'm not sold on Hubbard like apparently Mrs. Rhule is. He lacks vision and has questionable hands. He's an outside the tackles kind of player, which is ideal for a 3rd down back, but that requires good hands. Foreman is a rental. Most of these one-year guys are playing for a bigger payday in 2023. They are playing on the assumption Rhule is a lame duck coach and trying to get snaps/film on them on this otherwise thin roster. Foreman is counting on CMC missing time and getting significant #1, if not short yardage/goal line snaps and taking that to a bigger FA deal in 2023