poundaway

I agree with your post. I just think Rhule should be given some credit for choosing/recruiting/interviewing/hiring these coaches. It's not easy to convince coaches to come to a small/losing team who's owner and coach are absolutely reviled by a loud portion of the fan base.

You're right. In 2020, he would have went for a lot more. He should have sat last season.

I think the "NFL sources" and others outside the huddle are more optimistic than many huddlers in general.

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-baker-mayfield-carolina-panthers-playoff-contention-nfl-sources Can Baker Mayfield lift Carolina Panthers into playoff contention? NFL sources believe so. While other quarterback-needy teams around the NFL were proactive in their pursuit of the position this offseason, the Carolina Panthers held back and took a patient approach before an early-July splash move. And sources around the league believe that lack of urgency could actually pay off in the form of a playoff berth after the team acquired Baker Mayfield in a trade with the Cleveland Browns. The Panthers bided their time before the 2022 NFL Draft, traded up into the third round to select Matt Corral out of Mississippi and then waited until July 6 to take their biggest swing by sending a 2024 conditional fifth-round pick to the Browns for Mayfield. ---- ...he ranked ninth among quarterbacks with an 87.5 overall PFF grade from 2018 to 2020 and 10th with an 84.9 passing grade in the same timespan. ---------------- Its dated Jul 20. I looked but didn't see it posted.

I agree. But it gives the media something to talk/write about and makes it look like Sam is on par with Baker in camp. If we can get a 7th for Greg Little, anything is possible.

If you look where we were at the end of last season and where we are sitting today, its like night and day. Wilks, Tabor, Campen, McAdoo are great hires. #1LT in the draft, 2 highly rated FA linemen, all pro punter , return specialist, and a relatively young playoff QB with some edge along with one of his favorite receivers from his previous team. Rhule has had a good off-season, much better than last year.

There's a lot of people around here who feel that way.

1. Moton 2. Ickey 3. Christensen 4. Corbett 5. Bozeman 6. Elfein 7. Erving 8. Mays 9. Brown Here's my guess.

Baker was sacked more than Sam last year. He played injured and still had 8 more TD's than Sam. Here's how Sam does with plenty of OL protection. Watch the first minute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeEyl69Tccs

Cool. 1 week avatar for avatar. Baker starts week one. Don't worry I'll come up with something better than Rhule, though that's not a bad idea.

Hey thanks. Anything I can do to liven up the off season.

So you do want to bet? Avatar for avatar. Baker starts week one.

What is your opinion on RR again?

You seem pretty certain. Wanna bet?

I really have no problem with anybody running with the twos. The twos play too. QB's need to develop chemistry with the backup receivers too. Zylstra had some good games last year. Backup lineman will almost certainly play and need to gel with their fellow starting lineman. That said, I don't care for people standing around. I never played pro, but when I coach, I avoid lines whenever I can. Practice time is too short. They need to recover between reps, but I want everyone getting the reps in. When not in a scrimmage I have positions work on skill drills with the other coaches. I know there's value in watching and mental reps, I just don't think its as effective as actual practice.

I think it depends on what happens. If we stay healthy and go 2-15, Rhule will be gone. We will all celebrate. If we go 7-10 after being decimated by injuries (Baker and Ikem go down for instance) Rhule will probably stay. Sam's putrid play cost us 2-3 games last year. If we had won 7 games, there might be fewer torches and pitchforks.

They pop when they give up the sack or QB hit. I rewind after sacks to see where it came from. BC's weakness is reading and adjusting to blitz packages. If its just the end, he's pretty good in pass pro. If the end drops back and the LB or DB blitzes, he helps double team the guard as the blitzer waltzes past. Its not just BC, but those were the sacks I saw. I was expecting our #6 pick to start at the position we drafted him for. He's not practicing with the 1s in that position, so I'm disappointed...not anxious. That said, that doesn't mean he won't get there.

Hope you're right. I hope this is because we have 2 very good players and one has made a leap. I wasn't impressed with BC last year, even at LT. So I guess we'll see.

I know that's the reality of the situation and may play out that way, but it doesn't address the disappointment that Ikem isn't plug and play at LT. Either we didn't hit the right pick, or we are handling him wrong. We had our choice of every tackle in the draft. Either way, it doesn't sit right. Ikem was one of the huddle's favorites, so of course they are going to jump to we are handling it wrong. I wasn't as impressed with BC last year, but part of that was we moved him up and down the line playing musical chairs as people got hurt. He's had a year and was dominant in college, so we'll see. Myles Garrett is there waiting for us in five weeks. They need to figure it out fast.

I would much prefer to hear that Icky is kicking ass at LT out of the gate. I hope this is happening because BC has really leveled up, not because Ikem isn't plug and play. Sounds like its a bit of both.