frankw

Drafting a linebacker with our first pick would certainly be...something. I'd be fine with taking the best center on the board.

What we've had: What we need:

We need a QB with some fire in his belly. It's interesting though when you account for the fact that in actuality that adversity Cam went through before Auburn made him the QB he went on to become on and off the field. As much as he rightly points out that they did him wrong they truthfully did him a favor. They motivated him to elevate his game. When you are seeking a QB at #1 that's what you want. When you compare and contrast that with Bryce Young's rise through high school and college with the best coaches around him it really highlights the differences and shows why he had such a rude welcome to the national football league (all physical attributes talk aside).

Brees had arm talent at both levels that Young seems to very much lack. That is just a fact that cannot be understated at this time. Considering the quality of coaches and GM's the Panthers have hired the last few years should we really be trying to dunk on one another about knowing less than them? We've addressed the interior of the OL significantly. That's a very good start. Although some fans myself included would suggest center is still a looming potentially serious concern if we do not seek legit alternatives for depth. Still. This all hinges on Bryce Young not only improving his footwork within the pocket but firing off those passes that at times last year he clearly did not choose to attempt to make. Defenses saw that on the tape and shut our offense down accordingly. That was just as detrimental as the OL was. I'm trying to be as realistic as I can entering the season. I do have some level of hope but I'm also going to remain grounded in reality and reality says phsyically Bryce Young really really needed to add any significant level of bulk and muscle to assist the development of his game. That hasn't happened. That's put a definite damper on my optimism for the time being regardless of the hope I have for Canales ability to develop QB's. He can certainly help. But he is by no means a magician either. He has what he has to work with. In that regard I would very much feel better as some level of insurance if we did like some of these other teams last season and added a young QB3 we don't even need to draft one just pluck one of the undrafted kids. We need to put Bryce Young in the best possible situation to succeed for sure but we also don't need anymore of this coddling mess either. If we see reruns of last season on offense eventually for the good of the team you have to let someone else see if they can give us a spark. I don't want that to happen but I absolutely want us to be preparing for the possibility because being a laughingstock is really getting old. *mic drop*

Bryce Young is smaller than Johnny Football and people are still out here making comparisons to hall of famers. How about we start small (no pun intended) and let this guy actually show any level of an NFL deep ball in his second season as a pro? Sound good? Awesome.

Drew Brees comparison again. Fun times.

At one time long ago it was usually mildly entertaining but then he went off the rails on a Kanye Westesque rant about the Jews and he's been circling the drain ever since.

I think it all depends on how badly 2024 goes in relation to the offense. We're going to be able to discern by midseason whether any offensive inadequacies are due to talent level scheme playcalling or the QB just not being able to get it done. But that kind of a bold move with Tepper at the helm seems like a pipe dream most likely. He seems to have a clear preference for the type of personality he wants to be the face of "his" franchise. For me I'd rather have someone who is confident and vocal rather than quiet and tepid. Seeing how quickly he kicked Cam Newton to the curb when he started getting loud with the team publicly tells us all that needs to be known in confirmation of this.

I'd welcome Shedeur Sanders here in a heartbeat over the milquetoastery we've been subjected to the last 4 years. As a bonus he would rustle some jimmies here amongst this fanbsse for sure.

You know. You could just admit you mistakenly barreled into a convo making an incorrect assumption about my familiarity with csx. But your input is appreciated all the same as always top dawg 🫶

Tanking is a concept that perpetual basement dwelling fanbases talk about because they have no other hope and the draft is their favorite time of the year. The competitive teams know tanking is a ridiculous concept because the truth is you don't even necessarily need high draft picks to acquire talent that fits your scheme. The better teams in the league are still stacking quality players in the middle and late in the draft while teams like the Panthets are drafting long snappers and leaving olinemen on the board. We're hoping Dan Morgan is a breath of fresh air but you also can't just wipe the slate clean because he was heavily involved in many of the failed draft picks and acquisitions the last few years. I have no ill will toward any other panthers fans for navigating this their own way. Nothing wrong with being glass half full. Nothing wrong with being glass half empty either. There's no need for us to police each others reactions though. The Panthers ownership created this mess. That energy should be directed there.

Ah yes everyone but you is consumed by this team to an unhealthy point. Yet here you are in every thread right there with us being a contrarian like always. Get your sarcasm detector serviced.

Are you new here? When you get some time today take a peek at our drafts the last several years. See if you can hold your lunch. Tanking is irrelevant if the team can't draft even halfway well. Until proven otherwise that's the center of our issues. Trading a haul to move all the way to 1 and not taking the best QB is just the cherry on top.

Exactly my thoughts and I completely agree. All of this comes with the territory of being a top pick. It's a heavy responsibility. I can only speak for myself but I just want what is best for my football team. And that means Bryce Young being the best that he can be. I believe the majority of fans expressing concerns over this do want Bryce Young to ultimately prove himself worthy of the pick. No one except a few trolls wants that trade to go down as our worst ever and one of the worst in league history. But just as you so eloquently laid it out. Bryce Young has to want it. Not only does he have to want it. He is going to have to go above and beyond and even more than that given his very bad (regardless of extenuating circumstances) rookie season and the fact he is physically limited. Not even attempting to pickup any weights (the only conclusion we can make here) when accounting for the full picture of the situation is a bewildering lack of awareness and the only conclusion I can make is he does not see that any major changes need to be made or that anything is "wrong". People can rationalize it any way they like but to me that does not sound like the mark of a champion. Not what you want from a first overall pick. Again though. We're just hoping for the best here. That's all we've got as Panthers fans.

It's been one mess to the next since we cut Cam Newton my friend. We had absolutely no plan whatsoever and just thought it was going to be a cakewalk. That's insane ego from the part of ownership. We're already there as far as the next Browns or Jets unfortunately. Best hope we have right now is maybe we can at least get back to some semblance of respectable football or at minimum watchable.

Coaching is key but also beyond that and fitting them to the right scheme and role is pairing them with the right QB. Whichever receiver we draft people are going to have to be very patient. This is not an ideal situation overall for a rookie wideout.

Do you agree that it is a concern or are you just going to keep doing this charade where you enter every thread outraged that people are discussing something that makes eternal optimists uncomfortable? It's perfectly fine if we disagree. Just don't frame it like you are some beacon of objectivity because you have a very clear shtick and it's been the same for years. Contrarian.

It's a shame we've lowered our standards so far that to acknowledge or discuss this is considered over the line to some. The lack of awareness on his part about this is too similar to Sam Darnold. At least Sam actually had all the physical tools. For what we gave up to draft him it's just very unfortunate.

This is some next level cringe. To the subject at hand though. BPA is fine. 2024 is going to be a wasted developmental year anyway.

I don't think the posters here with claimed sources are as fragile as suggested. The responses here are certainly no worse than twitter. And the trolling with false information and breaking stories that turn out to be untrue just to get some attention that has become the norm in social media sports circles certainly hasn't helped. It's just the nature of the internet people have to take it or leave it.

I really wish that Heisman trophy could ease the sting of one of the worst rookie QB seasons ever. Need the season to go ahead and get here. The circular discussions and coping mechanisms are a bore. Kudos to Ellis though for continuing to do what he enjoys and getting paid for it.

You cite unnamed "outside sources" and then accuse others of peddling conspiracy theories simply for suggesting maybe we wait until the man himself speaks. Which he will. Try taking your own advice bud.

No one currently associated with the Panthers is going to suggest that the decision to draft Young was anything other than a totally unified decision. We've only heard from David Tepper and Scott Fitterer on that. Nothing from Reich. Nothing from McCown. Nothing from Brown. It's all speculation until they begin speaking. Which will happen years from now probably. Until then let's not act as if it's a settled matter. Because it isn't.

Having an owner who isn't a total egomaniac and driven by an insatiable need to prove he knows best is at bare minimum a decent starting point for any franchise in any sport. Unfortunately that has not been the Carolina Panthers