strato

I remember a thread where it was posited that we could average 20-21 points and win some games. That was never going to come true with this defense. I guess at the time there was hope of stopping the run but that took one game to knock down. I was a 'hoper' on that run thing fwiw.

I don't know about paying Chuba. I definitely think Sanders looks better this year but he is still mostly dead weight. Too much money for what he offers. What I don't like in this offseason of pumping up the offense is there is not a between the tackles ball carrier that can move a pile. Also, you think about this OL, which with all hands on deck is going to make average backs look good. Chuba has to know that if he stays he will have the blocking to run behind. So maybe he signs a friendly deal and we get Sanders off the payroll. But we must have a banger on the roster.

They aren't keeping guys off of him, I will agree with that. I am not trying to trash him at all. I think he has the ceiling for more than we've seen. I just don't see what I was hoping to see. I rewatched some stuff and he was just losing his battles. But I also said the circumstances are bad too. The guy is a 3rd rounder being thrown into the hottest part of the fire after, what, 4 games? I hope he'll be like a lot of guys, that 1st season and offseason has him coming back more ready to compete and win.

I hope they're working hard with Plummer.

We'll have finished paying for him next draft, that'll be fun. Giving up pick 33 or something for a guy we can't get a 6th for. When that's done, all the spilt milk will be out of the glass and on the floor. They need to move him ASAP when that calendar turns to the new league year, and just keep walkin'. Take the hit whatever it is; his mere presence is a threat to progress.

I'm not sold on Wallace, he doesn't shed blocks very well. I'd bet those tackles are trailing type tackles. RBs 8 yards downfield type of stuff. I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt because they have put so much on his plate, he isn't able to just play and worry about his assignments, he has to worry with all that other stuff too. But he better work hard to get his strength built up in the offseason.

I am not sure they work for any of the 31 other teams. If my team thought that I'd be afraid to trust those people with any football decisions. I hope Tepper listens to the ones we have - instead of firing them because they can't see his greatness., .

We went through this a few weeks ago. I think we have to eat everything and it is something about the post June 1st designation that helps us but only after this year? We will be over the cap immediately if we move him is what I thought we came to. He isn’t worth anything to my mind so I don’t care if we get nothing I’d really just like the possibility of him playing for us be zero. Turn the page close the book all that stuff.

I don’t think Young can be traded without fuging the cap. They can do something next year.

Ask me when college is over and we see what the pool looks like then. I'm for not putting yet another top pick into that game unless it is seriously a 'he can't miss' situation. Take one later, take two later, whatever.

Bryce was a minimum 5 year setback, probably longer when you consider the career of Stroud. The trading up was a huge thing. It was going to set us back whoever we took, but with Bryce it was all just thrown in the trash. a .500 team would feel great and we probably don't get there next year.

Olsen was a 1st rounder. Sanders went about where he should have, I guess. I don't see it with him yet. I think he needs to get stronger, faster and fix those hands if he wants to be somebody.

The 'Bryce Era' isn't over until we recover from it.

If Dalton is having a hard time throwing much besides outlet passes, what the hell do people think they will see from Young? Just, please. fug playing Bryce Young. He had his chance and totally proved who he is.

It all goes to the decision to sell the future for that little worthless college QB, and then chasing the bad investment with screwing up any hope for a balanced team because they wanted to give him EVERYTHING before being able to admit what they had had done. And that is Tepper, putting all the chips in on Bryce, again. Offense offense offense. Canales, I like him except his whiny voice when he tries to sugarcoat it all with positivity. I think people need t give him the year and an offseason to reflect and adapt.

Last week - him playing - pumped enough hot air into that waste of a uniform to make him float back to the surface for all the media trolls to notice, which sets them straight back to playing to the useful idiots. And gets those people chirping.

I expected the offense to be strong enough to make Bryce dangerous to us by showing enough to start offering some people false hope - and we'd be stuck with him coming back. I was scared of that because I never had any faith in him and wanted clear cut proof so we could move forward - likely without him. Lose and take a new QB, is basically what I was rooting for, I guess. I thought we'd be able to contain teams better by stopping the run more effectively. I thought it would take a few weeks for everything to reveal because new coach new players new system. I didn't see the devastating injury wave taking us out by week 5. And I didn't see Brooks sitting being useless after 6 games had gone by. At the same time I knew this wasn't a one year fix and expected more realism from fans in that regard. They had loaded up the offense and watered down the defense and I did not like that. I resented all the investment in Bryce's training wheels at the expense of team balance. It's a tough space, I was bitching about the lack of investment in the D all season, while at the same time loving the OL. Thinking they spent too much on the guards... thinking Icky should have been moved inside, and spend that on replacing him at LOT. But overall still coming back to it was never going to be a one year fix and knowing the defense was going to be short. Not THIS short. But the season was to be all about Young showing what he is, I expected that to be a longer process but am not unhappy that it played out quickly - if they will just leave him where he belongs which is off the field I'll consider it mission accomplished.

I only understand why they were taken, I did not endorse doing it (though I do like Legette but wasn't married to it). There is a difference in seeing the why vs what I would have preferred. I don't like to take RBs that high. I wanted some defense. But it ain't what I wanted it was about that damned QB. Not acknowledging that some moves were need based around helping the QB, is just being obtuse. It is absolutely part of the why. Get that fuger out of the picture and let's get on with it.

You watch Legette and the body catching and the unnecessary leaving his feet, yeah that is there. And needs to be addressed. But when he goes up or extends, he gets it. There is no body catching possible on those balls and his hands look pretty good to me. We haven't seen much of it. edit: this hinges on Young. We had players downfield open last year he rarely got near them. Also we got that guy in Diontae. I just think Legette was taken to be that flag it down as if Russell Wilson tossed it up for grabs.

If you really thought we were going to immediately win with things as they stood (even with two new draft picks made to win now), well I just don't believe you thought that. If you did, man what the hell? My view was wanting to see signs of winning as we got deeper into the year. But I said that. This isn't getting us anywhere I am gonna go back to venting or something.

No one will want to hear this but if you are going to be so insistent on making excuses for Young and that offense, and then removing them to put it on the QB if it doesn't look better. Maybe follow that model with Evero and remove his excuses too by giving him players. If he has the players and it still looks bad, there is your answer.

I agree about DC. I think he knew it would fail and that he would get a shot at bringing in a more suitable QB. But he had to play the game while it all played out and he had to convincingly remove the excuses that were being made.

My point is they were looking at the whole year with Bryce, and into the future. Legette is really a great guy to run down and compete for a ball with a DB. He (Bryce) couldn't complete poo down field (in 2023). The back was because he has the receiving skills. That is what set him apart (besides the ACL rehab). My view of it was he (Bryce) needed to be trending up and showing he could do something the second half of the season. I certainly didn't expect to win a lot under any circumstances, considering the multiple factors including a new offensive system, so competing early wasn't something I expected to do. If you look at it that way it might be more understandable than the view that places top priority on winning games out of the gate. This was always going to be a learning year. The complaining about that wasn't realistic to me. Inconsistent with reality. People put unreasonable expectations about winning, while predicting we'd maybe win 4 or 5 games. It was a little illogical. Bro, I have watched just like you have, the steady decline year by year, under Tepper's yoke. We weren't winning so take care of your business that gets you competitive and pointing up at year's end. Max expectations on my end. Honestly it was all about suffering through what we had to, and allowing Young to show what he was. I knew or thought I knew, but poo necessitated that other people be convinced.

I'd agree if you amended that to high draft pick. I think we need to start pouncing on someone with maybe points off here or there that drop them out of the top guys, perception wise. If a guy we like for investing a little time in is there, at the right price, go for it. There is no argument being made here, nor will there be, against fixing this defense.

It was very Bryce Young draft IMO. 1st two picks were about helping him. No one realistically expected, at the time, that he would be so uncoachable that it would be thrown out 2 games in. I am one of his biggest detractors and I didn't see it happening in April. I don't think anyone did. But anyway, things don't instantly take and here comes that process word but it is sort of appropriate. And really I am not sure their expertise is in the player evaluation as much as it might be for game situation and opponent analysis or analysis derived from specific things pertaining to the NFL. I'd have to find that interview to even start getting a handle on what exactly they do. It isn't my area really. I just remember thinking the guy was pretty sharp and well respected and that he was coming to work for the Panthers.