Proudiddy

Which is why that Darnold trade gets worse by the day. Not only does he suck, but it's costing us a lot to get back in the second round, which we desperately need to because of all of the needs we have. I dont mind trading back a couple spots depending on whats there, but I don't like dropping into the teens at all. When all of the draft season stuff started, I was locked in on taking Willis at 6, but it seems like the QB hype train never picked up steam, and thus, it doesn't seem like there is going to be a run on QBs early despite many teams needing them, therefore we won't be forced into taking one at that pick... at least that is how it is looking, but any thing can happen. That is why the further we have gotten into the process, the more comfortable I have gotten with either taking a LT at 6 (hopefully Ekwonu, but Cross if we have to) or trading back if the top 3 guys are gone and picking up a 2nd rounder.

If we trade up, I hope it is for Ekwonu. But honestly, I hope he falls to us... I really don't want to trade up in the first, bc the value is not worth it at all. Trading back into the 2nd for a Corral, Howell, or Ridden is fine... but trading up in the first is just so damn expensive.

This is good

He should've been playing with the big boys all year and getting minutes. Instead, JB gave us the usual heaping dose of peaked vet in Plumlee.

Its probably not credible at all, but someone posted on a Carolina Pro Sports group that we're meeting with Coach K.

Remember when I said MJ is shaping up to be a good owner? This would change that.

Other than the DL from Georgia, and even then, I will poo a fuging fireball.

Yup. Honestly, the lack of want to and creativity from JB is what always pissed me off. I dont know how many teams I've watched in the playoffs run lineups with no one over 6'9" and thrive. Teams do it all of the time... and when we have guys like Thor and Kai riding the bench so Plumlee can go out there and be a dinosaur, there is absolutely no excuses for JB. None. Thor is an exciting young piece... long, athletic, and super versatile, and nothing but a plus in playing him and speeding up his development. Kai should have been playing for his athleticism and energy alone. But, nope... let's play ol Plumlee and get our ass beat the same way everytime. And as you said, same with Bouknight. As coveted of a pick as he was, you don't let that guy rot on the bench all year... and he had moments when he played. So, I'm with you - if anything, that is holding back development in favor of peaked, average players at this point. Hell, Richards impressed me a whole hell of a lot more than anything Plumlee ever did, and yet, he barely cracked the rotation regularly. Again, I can't put into words just how happy I am that we finally made this move. JB was holding us back.

Thats exactly what it is, and almost exclusively all it is (that and Tepper is a horrible owner). Our soonest hope for a winner we can believe in is the Hornets. The roster is already built to win with some minor tweaks to put us in the Top 5 in the East next season. The roster is good, Kupchack is killing it, and after some, early growing pains, MJ is showing himself to be a good owner - now we just need the right guy at coach, and we have plenty good candidates to choose from.

I've been saying this tweet pretty much exactly for 2 years. The player development really is a credit to the players themselves. Coaches can help show them things, but they can't make them work or have a desire to become better/great. Guys all around the league seek out coaches, mentors, and legends to help them in the offseason and they come back better with new skills... you don't need a head coach for that. You need a head coach to be able to strategize, scheme, and get a team to buy in to his culture and system. I never really felt JB had any of that. When vets who have played and won elsewhere who finally came to this roster say things like Kelly and Trez did, it tells you all you need to know... JB skated for longer than he should have because the bulk of the roster was young and didn't know any better. Time to get the right guy in here and compete. This roster is too good to be barely making a play-in and then blown out of it for two straight years.

Yup, Hornets took out their trash. Too bad our Panthers will waste another year with theirs... that, and you can't get rid of the owner.

Said it should've been done after the play-in massacre against the Pacers last season. It's the right move. I agree with others, JB seems like a cool dude and a good man, but just as some guys make for better/elite OCs and DCs in football but just aren't good HCs, Borrego is a great talent developer, but he is not a HC. Great guy to have on your staff, but he is not the guy that should be captain of the ship... too many blowouts, bad rotations, constantly getting outschemed and outcoached, playing favorites over better options, etc. And again, when we needed a win, we often not only didnt get it, but got blown out in the process when it mattered. This is a relief... and so many good coaches out there - Jay Wright and Mark Jackson would be at the top of my list. D'Antoni is up there too.

Update:

Prolly nothing, but if he still has the juice, he would be a significant upgrade over the human fair catch, Erickson.

fug him. He has turned our organization into a fuging laughingstock.

Only thing I'm unsure of with Chinn at safety is his instincts when the ball is in the air. Obviously, his time at LB as a rookie proved he definitely knows what he's doing when it's on the ground... but, the thing is, his abilities and tools are so elite, I feel like you have to give him every shot in the world to play safety. His athleticism and range are cream of the crop level, its just a matter of whether he has the instincts to do it in the secondary, because we know he can at LB. I still think he's mote of a SS, in the mold of a Kam Chancellor-type guy, but again, if he can demonstrate the instincts against the pass, with his physical tools and size, he would be the prototypical, ideal FS. I'm fine with this approach.

So, did the Avengers HQ just get blasted by Thanos?

They may be, but they also don't tell the whole story... by the time Cam got here, even prior to the injury, Sam was struggling to score even once per game. We also went an entire game with him not even converting a first down. The averages are skewed from that first 3 weeks, where the offense looked functional, before the league had tape on it. After they had the film and tendencies after that first 3 weeks, the offense was done.

It took Ted Bundy 7 years to become an overnight serial killer... or something like that.

If Murray is available, you go get him. It really is the only light you can see at the end of the QB tunnel for the foreseeable future, seeing as how we have backed ourselves into this corner... say what you want, but he's a proven winner and producer in the NFL at an elite level. He's a known commodity, and as the stats bear out, its a total crap shoot with drafting QBs high and hoping they become Murray, with teams more often than not whiffing big time. It would fix our biggest issue and is a lot easier to build around once you have that proven guy in there versus what we're trying to do now in building all of the pieces first and then hoping you happen upon some miracle like Seattle did with Russ. Even guys like Jimmy G and Mayfield are not exciting because we know they're those middling type guys who are just good enough to QB teams to the playoffs but not good enough to get them over the top... so until we find an elite talent there, we know we'll be spinning our wheels for awhile.

As I've said before, even Rodgers and Brady would've looked like poo with the combo of the staff and OL here last season, but they still would look like NFL QBs. Same could be hypothetically said for Mayfield. Cam still produced TDs with it, and outside of the Dolphins game, looked really good passing the first couple of weeks. Darnold never looked like a competent NFL QB, even before he got here, which is why he should have never been here in the first place.

I no doubt love Cam, but I'm not in either of those camps, Scot. As I've stated here ad nauseum, Cam was a once in a lifetime-type talent before the shoulder injury. We never saw a player with his size and ability EVER, either before or since, and we likely won't for a long, long time, if ever. He was truly special. Plenty of QBs have come in with the ability to run and pass, but none were ever able to do it the way he did, and he made it look easy. It still bothers me to think, what if he never attempted to make that tackle because of KB's lazy ass? He likely never hurts that shoulder and he's still slinging it 80 yards. The fact he didn't even get hurt on the actual plays that many thought he would, but instead a worthless tackle attempt after a pick. It's just sad... All that being said, thate why I compared Willis more to Lamar or Russ. I've seen the comps to Murray as well... again, with the caveat being he develops further, but that is a big IF. My bigger point in all of it is, if that happens and we passed him up even though we liked him because Rhule is on the hot seat and wanted someone with a lower ceiling but who could play immediately, thats an awful big flub for a guy who really shouldn't even be here still and shouldn't be given that authority considering. Not saying Willis will become great, but if he ends up a really good 10 year starter and we pick a guy who washes out in 3 or 4 years because Rhule is operating on his "dont get fired" timeline, then I have an issue. I hope whoever we pick is the right pick for the future, period. I dont know if Willis is that guy, but just saying he shouldn't be ruled out based off Rhule's fears of his own job security. I was big on the Willis train the last couple of months, and I still like him, but I won't be upset at all if we end up taking Ikwonu (sp?) at 6 and picking up a Corral or Howell later in addition to a Jimmy G or Mayfield. It's not ideal long-term for QB, but we don't have much of a choice this year, smh...

Anyone who thinks Baker is "redundant" to Darnold has ZERO credibility in my book. ZERO. Darnold makes Mayfield look like prime Aaron Rodgers.

Appreciate it, as always, Verge! My take after synthesizing it: I dont like the tidbit about Willis at all. IMO, he is the most dynamic QB in this class with the highest ceiling. I see a bit of Lamar or Russ in him, if he can develop further... and if that is indeed what he becomes, or at least day like a 10 year, quality starter in the league, and we passed him up because Rhule didn't want a guy he had to wait on because his ass is on fire, then that fuging sucks. I honestly hope he has very little input on the pick. Leave it to the guys with job security like Fitt and Morgan and folks whose job is to build the team, not save Rhule's job. It also irks me because, despite the great acquisitions we've made this offseason, I really feel Rhule has to make the playoffs at minimum to save his job - which I think is a huge ask... so, that guy and his cronies shouldn't be having the biggest input on these picks. I would love the tackle from NC St. I also really do like Corral in a trade down scenario... the dude has some Jake to him in terms of attitude, but with more athleticism. But man, reading how this is looking, it just seems we have a knack for falling one spot right out of where we need to be in the draft. I love Horn, but had we been one spot higher last year, we could've had Sewell, iirc. And it seems like that has been the case in several drafts for that matter.

This would be perfect. I donttgink the Saints can even develop Blaine Gabbert 2.0 into anything more than what he is, which is average at best. And if they trade ahead if us to do it? Even better. Better chance for one of tackles to fall to us.