CarolinaLivin

Plus Rhule was never at a college with a recruitment program like that of an Alabama and/or Clemson. He did what he did with lesser talent. He didn't turn them into dynasties, he just built "winning cultures".

“Some things Luke taught me, I’d watch TV copies of other teams, pick up the verbiage they were saying, and he taught me so much of that; how to break down film by situations instead of just watching the whole game, like first down one day, third down another. Little things like that I learned from Luke, and I think it helped me a lot last year. . . he’s going to be a Hall of Famer; he’s one of the best to ever play, so I definitely took advantage of it.” https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/2021/06/28/panthers-jermaine-carter-shares-what-he-learned-from-luke-kuechly/

Like I said, baby steps. It is possible the unit could be above average, but expect about the same you saw last year from the OL which is mediocracy (outside of moton). I expect a few position groups to make a leap this year (CB, TE, DL), but 2022 I expect the team as a whole will take a leap. That may be bold, but rhule is a 3/4 year rebuild coach. That may be at the college level, but I think his system of revamping culture's will do us justice.

Yeah I mean... I think they took good steps (small baby steps) in the right direction for the OL. But next year is where we will likely see the real upgrades. Should have no issue with the kind of money we'll have. But things like... needing a new QB (hopefully we won't and Sam is our guy), strengthening the S position, and filling in for the "prove-it contract" guys that didn't prove-it (hopefully they show out)... could get in the way.

I think last year the line was mediocre by luck and this year's OL moves is/were meant to maintain that "middle of pack" position while upgrading on multiple other positions to "build the roster"

Yeah... Sam, Tua, and Daniel have the most room for improvement (on that list). But I think Sam making a leap that makes him look even a little bit like an actual franchise QB, and he won.

"Ian Thomas has another drop today. Defense just had a tipped pass and an interception soon before that." -Alaina Getzenberg via twitter

Honestly excited! the military has kept me away from NC, but this will be my first year (first time) going to a home game.

"Matt Rhule says RT Taylor Moton has been toying around on the left side and if he ever felt comfortable enough and wanted to switch they'd look at it, but no plans to move him right now" -Nick Carboni

Nothing on PJ today?

Haha now lets see what happens next in the huddle

And no this is not a post to hype up bringing in Ha Ha. Just a quick read to generate conversation and opinions

****COULD and IF Signed*** First reported by Pro Football Talk on Monday, the Panthers are bringing in Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to see what the player could potentially offer during their mandatory minicamp this week. The experienced safety didn’t play in 2020 after being released by the Chicago Bears, so it remains to be seen just how this lengthy absence away from the gridiron has impacted him from a talent standpoint. Clinton-Dix got a similar opportunity with the Houston Texans earlier this offseason without anything coming from it. It appears his chances of maintaining his status as an NFL player are hanging by a thread and this opportunity in Carolina might just be his last. The former No. 21 overall selection out of Alabama has started 90 of the 96 games he’s been active during his career, according to Pro Football Reference. Clinton-Dix never quite reached the heights expected and was often found wanting in coverage, but it’s not costing the Panthers anything to see what the veteran still has left in the tank. Chicago obviously saw enough to think Clinton-Dix wasn’t worth keeping around after his one season with the team in 2019, despite the player gaining a highly respectable 74.9 grade from Pro Football Focus as a result of his efforts. What could Ha Ha Clinton-Dix offer the Carolina Panthers? Matt Rhule has been more than willing to take chances on players like Clinton-Dix throughout his first year in Carolina. Individuals who are a little down on their luck with almost no other avenues they can go down to salvage their careers. This has been met with mixed success so far. But the Panthers are at least airing on the side of caution by not giving Clinton-Dix a short-term deal without seeing what he can do first. At least from the outside looking in, there might be an opening for Clinton-Dix to make the 53-man roster. Moving Jeremy Chinn to the backend is sure to help matters in the secondary judging by what we saw from the Southern Illinois product throughout a standout rookie campaign. But Juston Burris needs to raise his game considerably to be considered a viable option moving forward. Depth is also a concern unless someone like Sam Franklin or even Myles Hartsfield can make a leap forward. Adding a little more know-how to the rotation would be a wise move. If Clinton-Dix doesn’t work out, there are some other potential candidates also worth considering. What comes next will ultimately come down to what Clinton-Dix demonstrates at minicamp. It’s a high-pressure situation for the player, who experienced more than his fair share of big game moments with the Green Bay Packers. Fighting for your career is a completely different ball game. So it’ll be interesting to see how Clinton-Dix applies himself and integrates onto a roster that has a tremendous amount going for it next season. Link: https://catcrave.com/2021/06/15/ha-ha-clinton-dix-bring-carolina-panthers/

We should probably focus on our team and QB, it's not like things are perfect over here.

ANY production from the TE spot this year is considered a win lol

Link: https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/lists/carolina-panthers-four-defensive-questions-2021/

1. Can the pass rush build on their 2020 momentum? This team only tallied 29 sacks last season, tied with the Falcons for 24th in the NFL. That might lead one to believe they have a weak pass rush, but that number is misleading. For one thing, sacks are notoriously fickle and often vary wildly from year to year. More importantly, the Panthers’ pass rush came on strong down the stretch in 2020, a positive indicator for how they’ll perform this year. The best example was the matchup against the Packers, when they effectively swarmed Aaron Rodgers and shut him down – holding the eventual league MVP to just 143 passing yards while racking up five sacks. It was a breakout game for rookie DT Derrick Brown, who had two. If Brown picks up where he left off and Yetur Gross-Matos has better luck with his health, a huge boost in production is possible. They’ve also added Haason Reddick to the mix, who posted 12.5 sacks last season. Even if Reddick can’t repeat that stat, his presence makes this a more potent unit overall, which is critical. Strong pass-rushing teams like Tampa last year benefit from a cumulative effect – the more weapons a defense has up front, the easier it us for any one of them to get to the QB. If the Panthers can get that kind of dynamic going, it will help burgeoning superstar Brian Burns unleash his awesome potential. 2. Are they really ready for more man defense? Effective defense is a two-way street and the front-seven certainly has to do their part. That said, the best way for this group to improve will be getting more consistent coverage on the back end. Part of that will come down to new pieces like first-round pick Jaycee Horn living up to the hype. Horn will be starting Week 1 opposite Donte Jackson and likely cover the other team’s top receiver. Even with Julio Jones mercifully out of the division, that’s a daunting prospect for a rookie DB in the NFC South. He will still have to contend with the likes of Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Michael Thomas and Calvin Ridley. Even if Horn is a lock-down corner right away, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Panthers can effectively play more man defense. After all, Horn is only one guy and somebody else will have to cover freakish, mismatch-creating athletes like Kyle Pitts, Rob Gronkowski and Alvin Kamara. The big question is determining just how much man coverage this unit can handle. Matt Patricia's Lions were an excellent example of what can happen when teams stubbornly stick with man without the right personnel. Defensive coordinator Phil Snow might have to adjust fast depending on the results. 3. What's the right combination at cornerback? Yesterday we learned from the Athletic’s reporting that the Panthers told veteran cornerback AJ Bouye he's needed at nickel back. While he seems invigorated by the challenge, Bouye has spent pretty much his entire career in the NFL on the outside, which makes this an interesting decision. Bouye will miss thefirst two games of the year due to a PED suspension, which gives Snow a chance to evaluate other options in the slot. That could be critical if Bouye winds up struggling inside when he joins the lineup. From where we’re sitting, the best option to cover the slot currently on the roster is Donte Jackson, whose aggressive instincts and athleticism have served him well outside. However, Jackson’s size has been an issue at times and he might thrive with a chance to play the nickel spot. Flipping Jackson and Bouye’s roles might be the answer. Whatever Snow decides, the important thing is to keep tinkering until he finds a combination that works. 4. Who takes Tre Boston's former spot? Last but certainly not least, Carolina’s defense has one more huge personnel need to fill: that being the gigantic hole at free safety left behind by Tre Boston’s inexplicable release. For most of the offseason, there’s been no true free safety on the roster. That may change this week, though. According to Pro Football Talk, the team has invited Ha HA Clinton-Dix for a minicamp tryout. At this stage of his career (96 regular season games played), Clinton-Dix is far from a perfect solution, but he’s definitely a better choice than Juston Burris, Kenny Robinson and the other contenders to take over at this position. In any case, rolling into Week 1 with the current group seems like a disaster waiting to happen. If Clinton-Dix isn’t the answer, other notable free agents worth considering include Malik Hooker and Earl Thomas.

I was thinking J.T. Ibe at first

keith taylor

I found one article that kind of speaks on Haha's cut/release from the cowboys. Seems they favored Xavier Woods and Darian Thompson. Seems as if cutting him gave them more options. They don't mention anything about poor play but they do mention that his first-team reps were taken over by Darian and there was high praise for Darian from Mike McCarthy. Link: https://thelandryhat.com/2020/09/05/dallas-cowboys-better-ha-ha-clinton-dix/ Regardless, it is nothing more than a try-out. It could be looked at as a good sign that Rhule is looking under every rock and weighing all options. Keep trying out guys and hopefully find a steal that fits our scheme to develop or a vet that does that while building our young guys.

I don't think he's played a full season either. However I do agree that 19/19 seems a bit much. If he plays a full season for us im still not expecting more than 15, but I am predicting 12.