tukafan21

Well damn… I know I used to have a bunch of those hologram type of cards as a kid, no idea if I ever had this one, but now I have to go look hahaha

Never can be a 3 down back in this league, but he looks like he could play the Darren Sproles role and carve out a spot on rosters for a while.

Yea, he couldn't make a play on the ball, but he absolutely could have made a play on Chark if it was a game. But no DB is trying to make that play in any practice as they're not going to risk injury to their own teammate just to try and make a tough play to look good themselves, let alone the first day of camp. I think there will be more than enough things to praise Bryce about from even today, let alone the rest of camp. I just don't think this play is one of them given what likely would have happened if that same pass with the same coverage was thrown during a live game. That's all, not bashing Bryce or his potential in the slightest.

I'm watching this, that's the ball in the circle and the DB is already pulling up here because he's not going to break his own teammate in half on the first day of training camp. The pass itself is a nicely thrown ball, but everyone praising the ball placement makes zero sense to me as the placement would have lead to Chark likely getting injured if this was a game, which in turns means it's actually terrible ball placement. Guys, we're Panthers fans, but it doesn't mean we have to look at everything Panthers related as "the best thing ever" and not be able to look at things objectively. I think Bryce is going to be great for us (as long as he stays healthy), but I just don't think THIS play is something to go all gaga over, particularly if you're using it to praise his ball placement.

In what way did I say anything remotely like that? Everyone is praising his placement of that ball, but the placement of the ball was actually very dangerous and in a real game would have more likely resulted in an injury to Chark than a completed pass. I'm not trying to be a debbie downer, but I just don't see the same thing when I look at that play that everyone else does. If that DB isn't there and the only DB in that play is the one trailing Chark, then yea, it's an outstanding pass. But that wasn't the case, looks to me like he just never saw that other DB there or else he wouldn't have thrown that pass.

Am I the only one not totally impressed with this play from Bryce's standpoint? Great catch by Chark for sure, but this is not a completion in an actual game, if anything, Bryce might have just gotten Chark killed on this play. The DB clearly pulled up there seeing as this is the first day of training camp, if this is a game, he's blowing up the WR there. Was more of a medicine ball than a well placed pass

For a guy who started 16 games with only 4 penalties last season, if he's going to be healthy before the season starts and we can get him on a cheap contract, then I'm absolutely interested. He was cut so they could clear his cap room as it looks like it would have been his last year there anyways as they apparently have some young guards they like, not like he's washed up. He can start the season as our RG and then when Austin is healthy, let the best 2 guards take the starting spots and we have a high end backup in case of any injury.

5th year option won't matter with Bryce. He's not going to be like a Daniel Jones who struggles to pick up the game and they need the 5th year to evaluate. Bryce is either going to be a smashing success and will sign an extension long before then or he's going to have injury issues and we'll be looking to replace him by then.

The article makes total sense, but it also then makes it seem very odd that Bryce isn't signed yet for a couple reasons. First, we have one of the richest owners in the sport, so it's surprising that when he pays out Bryce's signing bonus would be a sticking point for him, hard to see cash flow being an issue for him, so whether you pay it all to him at signing, 2 weeks later, or a month later, what's the difference to him? Second, Bryce has already seemingly done really well with his endorsements, the kid isn't hurting for money right now. So why is it a big deal to him if he gets his money as soon as he signs or has to wait a few weeks to a month or so to get a portion of if? I always thought the sticking point in these was the offset language, that agents hate because it can cost their clients money if they end up getting cut before the rookie deal is over. But this article makes it seem like it's more about when they get their bonus money, which is even stranger as it seems like it's either immediate or in installments a few weeks apart. So why delay the signing? If they signed right away, they'd already have their full bonus by now with how most of these contracts are structured it seems, very odd all around.

I'll admit that I was always 100% a Stroud guy, right up until they announced Bryce as the pick and then I turned to backing our guy (and just praying his frame can hold up to a 10+ year career). Pre-trade I wanted Stroud first, AR second, and Bryce third. Once we made that trade it eliminated AR from my board, but was still Stroud first with Bryce a distant second. His mental side of the game was the only reason I was ever going to be accepting of him as the pick, as it always was known that he was truly special in that regard. But I'll never stop being concerned about his frame holding up (and no, has nothing to do with height).

It's nonsense Stroud going to a super exclusive party for one night doesn't mean he isn't working hard between now and training camp. Just as Young doing this 3 day camp with the guys doesn't mean he won't go out to any parties between now and training camp. No player is studying and working out every minute they are awake right now. This is a time for guys to get some work done, but also to relax and have some responsible fun before the grind of camp starts up in a few weeks.

Don't knock the Biakabutuka jerseys, my black authentic is still one of my main go to jersey for game days, also have a white replica one as well.

I used to buy a lot of jerseys in high school and had a Vick one since he was my guy in Madden. After the dog stuff, I tied a few knots in it and turned it into a tug-o-war toy for my dog and he actually loved it, we used that until it was torn to shreds.

I am 100% targeting Thielen in fantasy this year. No, he's not going to be the guy you want to be slotting in as a weekly starting WR. But in a league like mine, he's going to be the type of guy that you find on championship contending teams. I'm in a 12 team PPR league, 2 WRs and 2 flex spots that you can start WRs as well, so up to 4. He should have a solid PPR floor, so if you can get him as your 5th WR, someone you use on bye weeks and spot starts due to injury, you can't ask for more than 8-10 points from that roster slot and he should hit that in most weeks in PPR. Now, if you're in a non-PPR league, avoid him like the plague hahaha

Thielen will have a solid season, he's going to be that "death by 1,000 cuts" type of guy for us this year. He's going to feast on 3rd down and when Bryce scrambles to keep the play alive and needs a check down dump off option. He really fits perfect with a rookie Bryce in that he's an ultimate pro, sees the game like a QB, runs clean crisp routes, and is just an overall savvy vet. If we have it 3rd and 5, Thielen on those 6-7 yard routes is going to be a beast for us I think. I think 4-6 catches for 40-50 yards is a solid guess at per game averages for Thielen this year, which if he plays 17 games would end up around 70 catches for 700 yards, seems more than doable.

We will be between 7-10 and 10-7, we’ll be in contention for the division and may even win a playoff game. But we’re not a bottom feeder and we’re not a legitimate contender. This is a year to work through some stuff, but one that will show promise.

If we sign Hopkins, then we need to trade Chark for a CB, a DE, or move him down to 5th on the depth chart. Next year with Hopkins isn't worth risking the development of TMJ and Mingo. Now matter how much some people here scream it, we're not legitimate SB contenders this year with Hopkins, and the development of TMJ/Mingo is probably the biggest key to the 2023 season outside of Bryce's development. The 3 of them are the future of this team, not Hopkins, not Chark, not Thielen, not even Sanders. The future of our offense lies with our Bryce, our OL, and those two WRs. Outside of those 3, some OL, and MAYBE Tremble if he breaks out, there isn't a single player on this offense that has any chance of being on this squad in 5 years and more likely not even 3. Our prime SB window opens next year and is there for 3 years while on Bryce's rookie deal cap hit before an extension would kick-in in year 5. Next year can't be an experimental year at WR, we need to either have the starters already on roster or make splashes in FA or trades. And if we sign Hopkins, short of injuries forcing them up the depth chart, we won't know about both TMJ and Mingo before next year, and that's not acceptable. Struggling this year to know better about our future is so much better than even making the second weekend in the playoffs thanks to having Hopkins. And if people can't see that, then they can't see the forest through the trees and can't step back and look at things from the outside through a logical lens.

I think it's more likely that the main teams he wants to go to don't currently have the cap room to give him offers that the other teams have given him (like the Titans or Patriots) and he's trying to wait for the better teams to clear up some cap room to give him a better offer.

Chark has played 5 seasons, Byrd has played 7, and Hurst has played 5. Those 4 when combined with Thielen is more than enough pass catching experience in this league to help a rookie QB if needed, while Laviska and TMJ have 3 and 2 seasons themselves. WR is probably one of the easier positions to master in the NFL in regards of knowing routes and concepts, actually executing them is something else of course, but it doesn't take long to mentally learn the craft of a WR in the league. If I was worried about any unit picking up a new offense quickly enough to execute as needed, it would be the OL. Sure we have some great players along the line, but Week 1 we might be stating a rookie at RG, a second year player at LT, and a third year player at LG. Yea that was a great unit for us last year and we've got vet experience at C and RT, but that's still a young OL, running new concepts, with a QB that it is even more important to keep upright given his size and injury risk if he's getting hit a lot.

Not Thielen, Chark Hopkins and Thielen barely play the same position, Hopkins is an outside WR while at this point in his career, Thielen is basically just a slot guy (or at least mainly will be for us). I'd have loved for us to be lining up Hopkins and TMJ on the outside with Thielen in the slot and Mingo getting snaps at each spot backing them up as well as the other slot in 4 wide sets.

I don't want Hopkins this year, but between the two he's the one I'd take because I think him being on the team only hurts the development of our young WRs, where Diggs would hurt the development of our young QB (along with the WRs), which would make it a non-starter for me. I've also never once said Hopkins is a diva, because I don't think he is one. So it's not about taking the lesser diva between them. It's also not even about him being a diva, that's manageable, it's the way he acts like a diva, losing his mind on the sideline like he frequently did last year. Combine that with him this offseason saying he should have a say in play calling and such, he's just a disaster waiting to happen if paired with a rookie QB.

Love the player and I'm a fan of his, but he's a terrible fit for Bryce's rookie season. I'm very much against Hopkins because of how much it would hinder the development of TMJ and Mingo, but I'd take Hopkins 100 times out of 100 over Diggs because of how much I think he would hinder the development of Bryce. He needs to be on a team with an already established vet QB as well as being the undisputed focal point of the offense, neither of which would be the case with our team this year. If we were going into Bryce's 3rd season and he was already the established leader and definitive voice in the locker room it would be a different scenario. But this season is about laying that foundation the next decade of Panther football is to be built upon, and bringing in someone who throws a fit when their legitimate MVP candidate QB isn't getting him the ball often enough doesn't jive with that. Especially when that player who wasn't getting the ball enough for his liking had 108 catches, 1,429 yards, and 11 TDs. I mean, c'mon, how much more do you want the ball thrown to you?

I mean, that's not really true. Thielen and Chark, when healthy, have more than proved they're at worst WR 2's with Chark having low end 1 upside. TMJ was looking like a legitimate WR2 in his own right late last year with garbage coaching and QB play, no reason he shouldn't improve this year and early reports are that he is. Sure, Mingo is the question mark, but even if you look at Laviska as the 4th, he's a weapon who can be used in a variety of ways and has shown big play potential for us. And I don't think Mingo is going to have any trouble making an impact this year. The point is even if you're upset we don't have a true #1, you have to be able to look at what we do have and realize it's not a bottom 5 group.

In no way are we a bottom 5 WR team, as others have said, we might not have that #1, our depth at the position is outstanding. Realistically we might have four #2's this year with Chark, Thielen, TMJ, and Mingo and an intriguing do it all weapon in Laviska. I'd rather have 4 #2's than a #1 and three 3's or worse like the Rams currently have with Kupp and basically nobody else after him. Yes, we are absolutely open up to issues if we have any long term injuries, every team at every position can say that, but this is the argument for not signing Chark with his injury concerns and waiting/hoping that someone like Hopkins would become available to us later. And again, we are not a Hopkins away from being a legitimate SB contender, and the team doesn't think they are either. If they truly felt we were a real #1 away from actually contending this year, we'd be going hard after Hopkins and we likely would have traded them a pick to get him before he hit the market.

The second we made the trade to #1, my #1 Free Agent want at any position was Thielen. You couldn't ask for a better non #1 Slot WR (i.e. no Kupp or Godwin types who play mainly out of the slot) for a rookie QB than Thielen. He's an ultimate pro's pro, runs great crisp routes, sure handed, he's the type of guy you want both leading a WR room and being that vet mind and safety valve for a rookie QB to be paired with. I think he has 80-90 catches for 800-900 yards, with 5-7 TDs, which might sound like a lot on the surface, but if he plays 17 games, he only needs 5 catches for 50 yards a game to get 85 and 850, seems very doable.