45catfan

I played soccer for years and for people that never played it, or at least at an advanced level the part they don't get is the unscripted nature of the game. That's where the creativity and wonder comes in to play. The shot that beat Charlotte FC...that shot doesn't happen 99% of the time, let alone actually score. It was a freaking masterful dart of a shot. When I say it was a perfect shot, it was absolutely perfect. That dude probably couldn't replicate that shot if given 20 more attempts. That's the awe and beauty of it! In football...plays are called, basketball you run sets, baseball there are set places to throw depending on where the ball is hit into play and what opponents are on bases. The closest mainstream sport to soccer is hockey (lacross is closer, but not a main sport). People that can appreciate the way hockey is played should like soccer to some extent. In hockey, they don't run plays or sets unless on a penalty. Same with soccer, the only quasi-scripted plays are penalty sets. Best I can describe it is you are trying to outwit, outplay and outlast with stamina your opponents, on the fly, for 90 minutes. Between evenly matched clubs, the difference in a game comes down just one mistake or really, REALLY brilliant play!

Yup, watching a baseball game is like watching paint dry to me. That's one sport I have never understood watching. Crazy thing is they are in a lockout and they lost a ton of fans years ago when they pulled that stunt. Now MLS is growing in popularity and the NHL keeps expanded teams and fans, baseball is going to find itself competing with Cornhole tournaments on ESPN Ocho before too long.

At this point, I just hope we have a shot at Cross. Absolutely NO way Neal or Ekwonu falls to us. If the Jets go LT, we are likely screwed. Our only hope is they fall in love with a defensive guy. Mock after mock after mock after mock....have the Giants taking the best OT left on the board. Why? You can never have enough elite offensive linemen and they know we pose zero threat to take a defensive player in front of them at #7. Yes, most mocks have the Giants going defense almost exclusively at pick #7 after taking the tackle at #5.

Haven't you heard? Linderbaum has 31" arms. Rhule has forbid him to even be put on his draft board.

He's under contract the next two seasons; there's too much dead cap to not keep him. I'm not a fan of him as the starting center, but the alternative is to go out and blow more money in FA. Even if we draft a guy this year, he likely won't start over Elflein. Long story short, unless he's injured, Elflein is our starting center.

I wouldn't hate it. I would keep BC as the swing tackle and give Brown a shot at RG first. Brown is a pure guard; he needs to be given the nod at RG instead of trying to force BC into a spot he's not suited for. If BC beats him out, then so be it, then we know the Brown pick is a bust.

NE is missing a 5th rounder and 7th rounder. I doubt they give up their 3rd or 4th straight up for Robby and shorten their draft even further. Maybe we get their 3rd and they get Robby and one of our 5th rounders?

Why is everyone shocked the opening match to a brand new franchise was well attended? Give it 10 or so games and dwelling in the MLS basement and see if 75,000 fans are still in the stands. Charlotte is become more and more like LA. People attend things like this for the pomp of the event, not to actually pay attention to the event. They want to say, "Yeah, I was there!" I doubt most of the crowd has ever watched an entire soccer game, let alone know the rules. 'Why don't the offense just post a guy up in front of the goal the entire game???' {Because it's offsides} 'What the crap is an offsides?'

Again, if you saw the draft video, Fitt was facilitating the trades, making sure the value was there and Rhule was the trigger man. Rhule let his WIFE make a pick for crying out loud. Apparently Rhule had a bro-mance with the LS at the Senior Bowl. That was another 100% Rhule pick. Do you think Fitt was going to be like, "Matt, fug your wife's choice and your LS crush from the Senior Bowl"?

I neither like nor dislike Fitt, the jury is still out for me. The structure he walk into put him behind the eight ball is all I am stating. Simply put, this is like a company that moved on from it's long time head executive. They promote some young, mid-management guy to lead the company with a super-thin resume, but the board likes his moxie. To help the guy along they bring a guy in from another company who was a former CEO to wet nurse the newbie, but tells him "look, help the new CEO along, but all final decisions are his." Does that sound like a favorable situation to be in? When Hurney was canned, I don't remember candidates busting down Tepper's door for the opportunity to be the GM here. Why? The Panthers weren't a complete joke...yet. Why would people be hesitant to take a NFL GM job? Why did they conveniently make an offer to the one candidate that worked under the same football ops structure in Seattle (HC with full roster control)? While Fitt is not blameless in all this, Rhule is the ringleader of this poo show and it reflects on the whole organization.

Not defending, simply stating the football ops structure. You don't give a NFL novice HC control over full roster decisions and hire a GM with deference to said newbie HC. You're correct, at that point the GM is a "yes man" to a large degree. I doubt Rhule had his final say powers stripped by Tepper, but knowing he's on a short leash, Rhule had better make this a true collective effort. I mean, If Rhule and staff are canned at the end of the season, Fitt could make a case for staying as Tepper knows full and well he neutered the GM position by giving Rhule full roster control.

True, but since Rhule has final say so over the roster, Fitt is more like the Door Dash employee...Rhule orders the goods and tasks Fitt to go fetch it. That was the relationship prior to this year, but I think Tepper is leaning on Rhule to make it a true partnership. Yes, Fitt singed off on the Robby extension, but who was the one that REALLY wanted the ex-Temple product to remain in the fold? I doubt Fitt was the one banging the table to not let Robby walk in FA.

The Panthers aren't a poo show...since those can be somewhat entertaining.

If this deal happens, it shows two things...the Panthers realized they screwed up by giving Robby that kind of deal and two, they are wising up. Both would be very positive signs.

So when is this happening? This would be the first positive news regarding the Panthers in a while.

Actually as a day 3 guy, they might not only make this putrid roster, but actually get some playing time. On a legit NFL squad, they would be just camp bodies and eventually cut. Day 1 or day 2 guys, yeah I agree, they should wish to get drafted to about any other place than here.

Should be gone in the 2nd or 3rd round at latest. Not a day 3 guy. That said, we have no shot at him because we have no day 2 picks. My favorite draft site has Smith as OT #6 behind Raimann. Raimann is projected as a 1/2 selection.

I have a few: Jereth Sterns, WR (WKU), Reed Blankenship, S (MTSU) Cole Turner, TE (UN) and Cole Kelly, QB (SLU)

All good selections. Borghi is a poor man's CMC. If we are dumb enough to let Abdullah walk in FA, a RB will need to be drafted. I'm still not sold on Hubbard as the main guy if CMC is out long term or traded. Granted, he did get better as the season went on, but a legit #1 RB...I don't see it. D'Marco is fine, but LB is definitely a need and with the few sims I've done, I have consistently drafted one. OL is a no-brainer. WR, If we take one...very late. We have WAY too many other needs for a flier type of guy at one of best positions on the roster.

Yep, Ickey's stock keeps going up while Neal's stays flat. If he shows out a the Combine, he'll be blocking for Trevor Lawrence in the fall.

People make mistakes, but this is the kind of stuff your let mediocre guys test FA over. Not reward them with a nice, spanking new contract...one they weren't deserving of even without the rap sheet.

Fug it, I'm down. It would be the smartest move Rhule has made in 3 years....even if he does reach for OT #4 or C #1.

This circus couldn't get more clown-worthy even the if elephants shot the human cannonball out of it's @ss.

If Icky shows out on position and athleticism drills, dude may go #1 to the Jags. Ekwonu has been nipping at Neal's heels for a while now; a solid combine may have him leapfrog Evan.

It's about to get long term if Tepper doesn't block Rhule from making some really bad choices in an attempt save his own butt. Ian Thomas' new deal is exhibit #1. If Rhule tries the, 'I have full control over the roster' power move, his @ss should be canned immediately.