Mage

Believe it or not, it is possible to be passionate about both.

Why are you assuming I didn't? This organization has been hiring "football" people for how long now? And what has it gotten us? 3 winning seasons since 2010? So maybe the Panthers should switch it up and try someone different. I'm willing to take the risk on Halaby's supposed issues considering he's coming from what has been one of the best and most talented teams in the NFL since 2017. At the end of the day nobody knows how these guys will actually turn out.

"Some" But you are right. I wouldn't want our organization to be like Philly's. We should pass on Halaby to make sure that doesn't happen.

Yeah, I sure would hate for our organization to be like the Philadelphia Eagles.

I want Halaby

That would be a better fit for him. I don't think he's a bad coach, but he ain't a good coach for us. He needs a team that is already playoff ready (ie Cowboys).

Why do people want Dan Quinn? He couldn't turn the Falcons into a consistent winner and he had a franchise QB there. The Super Bowl year was driven by Kyle Shanahan. We'd have to be the dumbest organization out there to fire Frank Reich just to hire Dan Quinn. Oh wait, we are the dumbest organization out there.

Also Jalen Hurts went to the Super Bowl last year and is only 25 years old. Tua isn't perfect, but he's coming off two strong seasons. Yeah, he benefits from the talent around him, but most of the top QBs have high-end talent around them. Also only 25 years old. Those two are the furthest thing from being "flops".

A good player is a good player. A bad player is a bad player. People put way too much stock in the school someone played for. The fact is it isn't easy playing QB in the NFL. The only reason you can think of so many Alabama and Ohio State QB busts is because they put so many QBs in the NFL in the first place (which makes sense because they get the best prospects out of HS). No school is consistently churning out great NFL QBs.

but he's only looking at analytical GMs!!!

My #1 GM candidate

Todd Monken or Mike Macdonald (my #2 overall behind Ben Johnson) I'm just not a fan of these other options. Ben Johnson is my #1 but I don't see that happening. Monken is older, which hurts him, but he's got great experience in the pro and college game. That should help with his ability to develop players because he's familiar with different styles and ways of getting guys involved. Even in Tampa, he did a great job (I won't blame him for Jameis being a turnover-machine). And he's worked under two great leaders in Harbaugh and Smart. Macdonald I feel could be a culture-setter, and like Monken, has worked under great leaders. And I just get a vibe that his teams will be tough. I mean just look at him. I don't want to hire an offensive coach for the sake of saying we have one. Callahan and Canales would be blah hires. I wouldn't hate Frank Smith... but I wouldn't feel good about it working out. Feels like you'd be taking a huge gamble that he isn't just riding Mike McDaniels' coattails. And please no retreads

I'll wait and see how this plays out first. No guarantee this is what is going to happen, and even if it is, it all just depends on the hires. Are we going to like the GM less just because he got hired after the HC? Or vice versa? I don't think anyone actually knows and is just spit-balling. But we'll see. We'd be far from the first team to go HC first then GM.

2023 is easily worse than 2010. 2010 Panthers was an okay team with a terrible rookie QB. 2023 Panthers was a terrible team with a terrible rookie QB. I mean look at the 2010 Panthers offensive line alone. Gross, Wharton, Kalil, Schwartz, hell even Garry Williams was actually good that year IIRC. 2007-2013 era Panthers is such a wasted period of crazy talent. We had soooo many good players. Then Delhomme's elbow exploded. 2011 and 2012 had so many soul-crushing losses. 2013 team got unlucky running into the 49ers in the playoffs. By 2014 our secondary was awful and the OL looked to be in shambles with Gross retired, plus no Steve Smith. That team had no business in the playoffs.

I'm cool with Mike Macdonald. Love everything I read about him.

DJ Moore scored 8 TDs with Justin Fields. Why are we acting like the dude can't score? TDs for WRs is dependent on skill-set, sure, but it is also dependent on scheme and luck. Hell, Justin Jefferson had 184 targets in 2022 and "only" scored 8 TDs. Is he not the best WR in football?

I know nothing about the likelihood of the GM candidates working out, but if I was going to back anyone it would be Alec Halaby. Philadelphia has routinely been one of the most talented teams in the NFL and one of the best at wheeling and dealing. I'd bet he's learned a thing or two there.

At the end of the day, all that matters is if you are good at your job. It doesn't matter if you are a "roster builder" GM or an "analytics" GM. And across the NFL you are seeing more analytically-driven decisions by teams. Hell, Ryan Poles, who has gotten the Bears into the perfect spot, is an analytics guy. It really doesn't matter what side of the table you lean on, as long as you are good at whatever it is you preach.

SOOOO many people on this site were adamant he wasn't a #1 WR lol

HELL NAH

FIRE SCOTT FITTERER

How perfect is every throw supposed to be? Better WRs and TEs are able to make that catch. Ian Thomas isn't athletic enough to make the catch. I'm not sold on Bryce anymore either but that was not a bad throw. Every throw can't be a dime. WR/TE has to be able to make a play too. Considering the tight coverage, that was a fine throw.

Lol Bryce has a lot of problems but that was definitely not a bad pass. Thomas needs to put more effort in reaching out. A better WR or TE reels that in, as we see in the NFL every week. Again Bryce has his issues but trying to criticize that throw is a bad take.

Baker always had the ability to put up solid enough numbers for a team to win. The issue at the time was always the Panthers and the coaching staff. Baker isn't a good QB by any means but he isn't as bad as he looked in Carolina either.

Eh, I'll have it on in multi-view. Would be nice to play spoiler to the Bucs but I really don't care either way. Happy to be done with the season.