BlitzMonster

I see Christensen heading in that direction as well. He might be a decent LT with some limitations due to his shorter arms. However arm length is less of an issue inside at LG where Christensen's elite athleticism for his position could be a real asset. A huge, agile man that can consistently pull & trap would be a great boost to the Panthers running game.

He's probably accurate about TE Ian Thomas. Not only did Thomas not thrill anyone with his offensive production last season, the team could save over 2M by cutting him. So I think he's likely gone.

why is that guy's head on a refrigerator ??

Agreed. I don't think it's wise to add any more big contracts with all the dead-money on the Carolina cap ( Hurney's parting gift to the franchise ).

You do understand with a big free agent class and 11 draft picks, the Panthers didn't have a lot of spots left on the 90 man off-season roster.

My bet is that a lot of these UDFA become our practice squad. *********** With that big signing bonus, OG David Moore is a lock for our PS (if not the tail end of the roster). How he does in training camp will determine where he ultimately ends up. But he'll be a Panther in 2021. We're pretty thin at LB so there's an opening for Paddy Fisher. He could also be a special teams demon for the team if he makes the full roster. The Panthers will likely run a "ground & pound" rushing-oriented offense this season to support QB Sam Darnold. That bodes well for any RB like Spencer Brown trying to make the extended roster (and for FB Mason Stokke as well - though his position might be lost to the versatility of Tommy Tremble). Finally QB Peyton Ramsey is a smart player that the Panthers could do a lot worse with on the PS. The son of a coach, Ramsey might make for a good fit for the team long-term as the backup QB.

I think Pat Elflein is likely a JAG. Not meant in a bad way. Just an average OL. Which is fine. His position versatility is a plus. Erving I'm not as confident in. I think he could start at LT because of the off-season promise when he was signed and then be benched because of poor play after 3 games. One rookie on the OL is fine. That's probably due to merit. Two rookies starting means either they are playing incredibly well or there's been a massive breakdown in the OL and we're just throwing bodies at it in hopes it will get fixed.

I'm totally fine with Darnold being an average QB his first year. Combine that with a top 10 rushing attack and a top 15 defense and the team will make a nice jump in wins. Then try to build on that for the 2022 season. Rome wasn't built in a day.

True, the Steelers are trying to establish a running game to support Big Ben. But Harris is built more like a FB than a RB. I think he will get a lot of carries but not be that explosive. Uber athletes like Kyle Pitts (6-6, 4.4 speed) with Matt Ryan throwing to him are going to lead the class. I'd guess Travis Etienne will put up big number in Jacksonville as well. JaMarr Chase too with his college QB throwing to him. All of those guys should put up better numbers than Najee Harris.

wow, that's actually a lot worse than I realized

Moore is a small school guy who's 2020 season was canceled. So he's probably not NFL ready for a while. I doubt a team will be willing to put him on the active roster if he's not likely to play right away. A few other G with his draft rating were also UDFA. So it's not like Moore is something unique.

Cameron Erving is the one free agent that I'm not all that excited about. After his performance (or lack thereof) in KC I really don't think he's starter-material. See link for more info: Kansas City Chiefs making right decision moving on from Cam Erving So ultimately I think Erving is going to end up as an overpaid utility OL for the Panthers. I don'k know if Brady Christensen can make it at LT but I have the idea that he could be an above-average LG if given the chance. There his short arms wouldn't be a liability. So unless Trent Scott steps up and takes over at LT (which might happen) the Panthers could be still looking for a LT in the 2022 draft. But hopefully by then every other OL position would be solid.

I agree that Smith was tantalizing. But his medical concerns were a huge uncertainty. Blood clots are a very serious problem. Who knows, maybe Carolina's physicians red flagged him ? In any case, if we drafted Smith then UDFA David Moore isn't here. And I'm quite high on Moore. I think there's a good chance he could stick on the practice squad this season and full roster next year.

kyle pitts is going to be a beast in that Atlanta offense (which sucks for us)

What about Trent Scott ? He did OK as a fill-in when Okung went down. He was poached from the Chargers under the advice of our OL coach Pat Meyer (who previously coached him in LA). As an UDFA I love that fact that he's continued to get better over the years.

An insightful look at the draft process. Great post

I was really surprised to hear that Fitterer only had 16 guys with true 1st round grades. Likely many of the QB other than Trevor Lawrence were excluded from the Panther's list since often team need pushes QB's up the draft boards. But Fitterer seems to have a clear understanding of player values and he works the draft to maximize his returns. So different from the Hurney era !

Horn was obviously the Panthers "guy" and they made sure not to lose him. I think Rhule & co were just tired of getting beaten like a drum by all the big WR in the NFC South. Denver might have taken Horn with the next pick. He was not going to last very long.

Agree that Sewell was probably target #1. Also a lot of chatter suggested that both Horn & Surtain would both be gone by mid draft with the Cowboys also being in play for a CB at #12. Carolina was determined to get a high end immediate starter at a position of need with its first pick and it succeeded !

https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-among-teams-panthers-took-133415982.html Probably the most interesting part - the Panthers reportedly turned down the Bears offer to move up in the draft because the team felt they would drop down too far and lose one of the team's players with a first round grade. If true, that's a great example of a smart, disciplined approach to the draft by GM Scott Fitterer.

The Carolina coaching staff worked with Alabama LS Thomas Fletcher at the Senior Bowl. So they were confident in his ability and that he'd be a good fit with the team. Another LS was chosen 3 picks later so it wasn't too early to get one. Especially one you're sure about.

I love how the Panthers are handling Darnold. No pressure to come in and be the savior. Just surround him with talent. Give him a great rushing attack. Lots of good WR & TE as targets. Provide the support that the Jets never did. I do have some concerns about the OL since it's a work in progress. But last year, even with all the OL problems, Carolina was fairly average: 18th in sacks given up, tied at 19th for rushing yards per carry. And I'd like to think the OL has improved somewhat since then. So I hope Darnold will come in this season and play relaxed. The kid is talented, there's no doubt. It's just great to see an organization help a player to achieve his best.

Thomas will get 2.2 M in the last year of his deal. So he could be cut and the team would have no dead money. I think he's gone and the Panthers put that money to use somewhere else on the roster.

Nothing better for a young QB than a big, athletic TE with a massive wingspan. Especially in the red zone.

I don't see that happening. Not because of any problems with Darnold - I think he's going to be great. But I predict the Panthers are going to have a very balanced offense next year. A strong rushing attack helps support Darnold and plays to the teams new strengths (Deonte Brown, David Moore, a healthy CMC, Chuba). Last year the Panthers were 21st in rushing. This year it will be top 10.