NanuqoftheNorth

Fangio: Say hello to my little friend! Hmm, this light hearted tangent has taken a dark turn.

Somebody's got an opinion, starts a thread about it, others don't agree with them. That's pretty much what has kept the Huddle viable all these years. I wouldn't get too worked up about this thread. Who's gonna remember it in a week or two? Especially once the next tempest in a teapot comes along? Not many.

Latest reports out of Florida indicate Fangio is wearing a wide brim fedora, Hawaiian shirt, Bahama shorts, white socks and sandals. That coupled with his apparent short term memory loss pretty much ensures he's a lock for Miami.

Panthers next DC: Dom Capers

Lol, Frank Reich hasn't even made it halfway through his first week on the job and we've already got people suggesting he be fired. The Huddle never fails to disappoint.

I tend to pull for the underdog and Wilks was definitely that being handed responsibility for a trainwreck not of his own design. It would have been a great Hollywood ending to have Wilks named HC. Wilks' calling card is his defensive expertise and what he should be primarily judged by. Unfortunately, there were too many defensive lapses down the stretch that called into question if Wilks would really be the best candidate for the job. I think comparisons of Wilks to Rivera and Fox are close enough to be fair and that their style of coaching is no longer viable in today's NFL, at least not if your ultimate goal is to win a SB.

It certainly is a real possibility that the Panthers will be all in on a new QB in the upcoming draft. Or not. The ultimate decision is in the hands of our much improved Panthers brain trust, we're just spectators.

Considering the hand he was dealt, Wilks did surprisingly well as the Panthers interim head coach. Regardless, if a panel of experts were asked to compare the coaching accomplishments of Wilks and Reich (without their names being associated with that work) it would be hard not to come to the conclusion that Reich's body of work is more extensive and successful. Add to that, today's NFL is more than ever a QB driven league and success as a head coach is now biased towards those with an offensive background. Conclusion: Between Wilks and Reich, it would have been hard to justify any other decision than the one the Panthers ending up making.

While anything is possible, the Panthers are more than a few players away from being serious contenders. Trading away the farm for one player atp would likely just result in another David Carr scenario and a lack of future draft picks to fix it.

Of all the Panthers players Reich will be studying in the next few weeks, Matt Corral may be the most important. Some analysts viewed Matt as a very promising QB during last year's draft. If Reich sees something in him, it could alter the Panthers draft priorities.

@frankw There are way too many inexpensive backup QBs available every year to commit to Darnold, someone that appears to be a major reclamation project. Reich will already have enough on his plate. As you say, if Darnold wants to come back on a minimum deal and compete for a place on the team he might be given an opportunity. Chances are Reich will be bringing in a vet and there is always Matt Corral, who may still surprise us. Also, who knows how this year's draft will play out?

Agreed.

Just to be clear, I'm not advocating that we keep Darnold. He simply doesn't appear to have the capacity to read and react with the proficiency required by QBs in today's NFL. That said, Reich should be given the benefit of the doubt should he decide to retain Darnold on the roster.

Neither Rhule nor Wilks had anything to offer Darnold when it came to QB training or experience. Frank Reich has it in spades, with an astounding history of getting the most out of underperforming QBs. Now, I'm no Darnold fan, not by a long shot, but I do acknowledge that Frank Reich is likely better qualified to determine whether Sam is worth retaining than anyone who happens to be posting in this forum.

By all reports Reich is the QB Whisperer, if anyone can get the best out of Darnold, Frank is the guy.

Panthers stole Frank Reich...

Per sources?

Also, I'm taking Reich's hiring as a sign that Dave has come to realize, trying to reinvent the wheel isn't an easy thing to do in the NFL, nor is it necessary. Instead, Dave may have concluded it is better and much easier to buy the best wheel available. If true, I'm perfectly okay with it.

That thought had crossed my mind during the last 24 hours. However, while it would have been nice to never have experienced "The Process", I'm sure we'll appreciate Coach Reich all the more for it.

After having a chance to learn more about Frank Reich, I'm starting to feel pretty good about the Panthers future. Well done David Tepper and Co.!

You're either Nostradamus or you've visited this forum for more than a year.

Props to David Tepper on his selection of head coach! Of Reich's 4 full seasons in Indianapolis 3 were winning ones. He also accomplished the elusive back-to-back winning seasons the Panthers have yet to achieve. If the Panthers can find a decent QB this team will be back in the thick of it in no time.

Frank Reich: Lessons Learned (3 Weeks Ago)

After the Rhule fiasco, I can understand Tepper's reluctance to swing for the fences with a young OC hire. Seeing the Panthers return to a level where they're competitive every week regardless of whom their opponent happens to be would be a good first step. Perhaps finally achieving the elusive back-to-back winning seasons would be a worthwhile goal?

Welp, it was pretty evident from the coaches interviewed that the Panthers were leaning towards an offensive minded HC. So when choosing between Wilks or Reich Tepper's final selection is not really all that surprising. Here's to hoping the Panthers under Reich find success in the years ahead. Best wishes to Wilks going forward.