Seltzer

Perfectly said... this sentence encapsulates the Tepper Era...

True. Beason simply wasn't big enough to play MLB in the traditional 4-3 like Kuechly was, and he didn't have near the pass rush ability of TD. I think his size was a reason for the injuries. Beason was underrated in pass coverage though. He had several big picks I can remember to seal games.

I think those guys come in hungry, but once they realize this isn't a serious organization the vets just coast b/c why not? We have certainly funded good retirements for a lot of NFL vets looking for one last easy payday the past few years...

I'll speak for myself... I will personally admit I thought keeping Burns last year was the right move, but I was wildly gaslit about where this roster stood. I think we all were. I thought we had the roster capable of trading up for a QB and making the playoffs, and keeping the only current guy on the roster who had shown he could get double-digit sacks seemed like the best course at the time. I still think Burns is someone I would like on the team. He is by far our best pass rusher IMO. I think Fitty has massively bungled this entire Burns situation, but I do ultimately understand the concern about breaking the bank. Still, we're a better team in 2024 if he's on the roster. But, yes, unequivocally, given a crystal ball, those 2 1st rounders would be really nice for this team as it currently sits. It certainly seems like it would have been the better long-term move. In some ways like Bryce Young, though, I think the ink is dry. Unless we still get blown away by a trade proposal pre-draft (which I doubt), the best move for next year is to resign him (for hopefully something reasonable to both sides).

I mean, trading CMC for nothing basically and trading up for the #1 pick and still ending up with the worst record in the league... Fitty will never, ever be able to wash these awful trades/stains off his resume. 2 All-Time Blunders... and to do both in consecutive years... I mean, has there every been a 2-year stretch this bad as a GM... and this doesn't even count all his disasters...

We really bought that one from Fitty, too. I know I did. Yep, biggest sucker in the league. I never thought 5 years ago I could ever miss Marty Hurney, but here we are...

I think it would be hard to replace Burns, but this season hasn't done as much for his cause as I'm sure he would have hoped either. And other than last year, you're right about him not being the best. Reddick was better in 2021, but both Brown & Luvu have had better seasons than Burns this year. Burns gets double-teamed a lot, but no more than Brown who has actually proven himself to be the kind of guy you break the bank for. And if we're being honest, does Luvu's versatility not make him just as valuable if not more than Burns? None of us have a crystal ball, but NFL GM's are held accountable to the decisions they make. And Fitty's have in retrospect been almost completely wrong, including not trading Burns at his peak and now bungling the contract situation... man, the evidence is just more & more damning against Fitty.

Could you imagine showing your face around the league after the disastrous trades he's made? The NFL is brutal... I'm sure Fitty gets clowned relentlessly behind the scenes of other organizations...

Everything this organization has tried to sell us during the Tepper Era as a "strategic vision/plan" has been in a reality a house of cards... Richardson was just mostly a mute who never communicated but also didn't meddle... What I'd give just to get back to the mediocrity under JR... At least we got some awesome playoff runs and 2 SB appearances. Under Tepper, we are little the worst team in American professional sports...

Sanders, Hurst, Chark in FA Getting rid of your top WR and trading up to #1 with the expectation of the playoffs The offseason moves from this past year alone should be enough for termination. In its entirety, Fitterer truly has been one of the worst GM's of all time. Maybe that's not a completely fair title dealing with Tepper, but perception is 90% of reality. He's never going to be able to wash the stink of his bad trades off.

I would probably leave the "pretty" out lol... It is damning indictment...

Good & accurate assessment. Fitty is the biggest current issue on the team. There is no logic that could support bringing him back after his cascade of failures, the biggest (and should be unequivocal grounds for termination) was misjudging the roster so incredibly badly to trade up to #1. And this was just the topping on the cake of bad decisions with draft capital. That being said, we'll probably never know behind the scenes how much Tepper is pulling the strings. The fact the Fitty is even still here is a bad sign IMO b/c it seems like Fitty has traded job security for being a yes man to the owner who really wants to run the show. All we can hope is the Fitty is gone come Jan 8th, and that Tepper hires a legit GM and stays out of the way.

You know I'm not afraid to push back when I don't agree, but this article (and your take) is spot on. I'll lead the riot on Mint St if Scotty F is still there on Jan. 8th

It is interesting that injuries derailed Beason (who was better early on), but somehow TD was better (and had the best part of his career) after his 3 ACL tear...

True... it's crazy b/c I almost forgot Chinn was back. Definitely doesn't fit this scheme. Almost like the deal with Justin Houston. I thought we had IRed him for the year.

Amazing that of all the FA's I can think of we signed, he has probably been the best and he was almost an afterthought. The Rasul Douglas comparison is spot-on...

Good list. I considered all of those except Doug Evans. I had forgotten about how great he was in 2002. I disagree about Josh Norman though. I feel like teams just stopped throwing at him for the most part in 2015 after his incredible start. Appreciate the response!

Who would be your top 5? I'm not being snarky, I simply went from memory so I'm sure I missed some. Kevin Greene in '96 was definitely an omission.

Yep... you're right... I missed this one bad. Definitely should be on this list. Where do you think on the list?

I thought about the 2004 season for Peppers too. Peppers & Kuechly could have probably filled all the spots.

I thought about that as well, and you can definitely make that argument.

I never thought we would long for the halcyon days of Marty Hurney, but here we are. Of all the issues with this team, the first is David Tepper. But he ain't firing himself... All I know is Scotty F better be out of Mint St come Jan. 8th...

In spite of this awful season, Derrick Brown is having one of the very best defensive performances in franchise history. I was thinking about where his performance stacks up against historic Panther performances. In my completely unscientific internal polling, I rate the top 5, but this is by no means definitive: 1) 2013 Luke Kuechly- Won only DPOY in franchise history. Generational season for a generational career. 2) 2008 Julius Peppers- Career highs in sacks (14.5) and FF (5) for the soon to be 1st Ballot HOF 3) 2015 Josh Norman-Consensus best CB in the NFL that year. Wonder if he would have had better late season career switching to safety 4) 2015 Kawaan Short- Best interior pass rusher in the league that season and the best pass rusher season for a Panthers DT 5 Tie) 2023 Derrick Brown- Doesn't have the stats of some of these other performances, but his win rate on pass & run is at the top for DT's and anyone watching the games can see just how dominant he has been. Should be 1st Team All-Pro IMHO 5 Tie) 2003 Kris Jenkins- 1st Team All-Pro. Arguably best DT in the league outside of Warren Sapp There may be some others but those are the ones that come to mind for me. Any thoughts?

Evero is an incredible DC. Look at what he has done in consecutive seasons in Denver & Carolina with terrible offenses. And while personally I don't think this is the worst overall team in history (I think 2010 was the worst talent wise), this team does play the worst complimentary football of any team in franchise history.

2 of the top teams in the NFL are led by Tua and Brock Purdy... I don't think that argument is the slam dunk you think it is. Every single pundit out there said the same things about Tua (probably even more than BY9 b/c Tua was almost out of the league due to concussions), and Bryce has proven himself to be much more durable physically than Tua. It's amazing how the narrative changed around Tua once they gave him legit weapons. No one says he too small now that he has an offensive line that can block and receivers that can get open. And Purdy just fell into the best starting situation in the NFL. I am in no way saying there is not potential validity in your argument, but there is also plenty of evidence to the contrary right now atop the standings in the NFL. Would you not agree or do we not live in the same reality on this either?