MHS831

I do think reaching to fill needs has been proven to be an ineffective way of filling the roster.

They will have a month to adjust the cap before signing draft picks--in fact, I think they start signing them around June 1. So about 2 months. I think they do what they have to do now, and then find the $13 m or so in the sofa cushions after free agency. Remember, they also need about $4m in a slush fund to sign free agents when players go to IR. --They will be signing a WR before turning to the draft. We probably all know that. IMO, we need a higher end WR, so Chark, Beckham, Landry, Thielen. Hardman--

I see that. BPA is always the best idea. Remember when we drafted Beason when we had Morgan--I was like, "WTH?" It turned out to be a good pick.

It is hard to overlook the TE talent this year--and I think that is where GMs get into trouble, so I definitely see your point. We have so much dead cap space and other immediate needs--it is hard to look beyond this year. Once we get the WR positions filled, I think the TE position will be increasingly important. So yeah, I see this 100% clearly, but when I look at the entire roster and attempt to comprehend the new defensive needs, I do get stuck in 2023.

If you look at NEEDS, then I say no, they are set at TE. I get the BPA concept and agree with it in some situations, but the Panthers must fill certain positions. They need 2 WRs--one top end (free agency) and another with upside (draft) They need depth at DE--aside from Williams and Brown, they have nothing (YGM is not a good fit) The need ILB Depth--hoping Smith steps up, but Thompson and Chinn (maybe) is pretty thin. They probably need depth at CB (Jackson is good for 8-12 games; Horn gets hurt. Henderson and Taylor? How did Tampa Bay like that last year?) They could probably use some depth at S since there is a chance we go 3 Safeties at times. So I do not see how drafting a TE would help--but you never know.

The Panthers must sign a free agent WR. Then I would think you must draft a WR at 39. I understand why they are slow playing this one---there are a lot of WRs on the board, and nobody is paying oft-injured Chard $10m in this market. The players will soon realize that paying a QB 20% of your cap is costing the teammates, not the owners.

Landry was injured last year and I do not know the details--but we should consider him--he has averaged about 800+ yards per season for a career---nobody is talking about him.

OK--that does not mean that Young's body is more vulnerable. Cam had a different body from Russ (much more impressive and durable looking) and he was injured a lot more. You would have to build the OL and the QB would have some ground rules--but the part of the body that matters most on a QB is that part between the ear holes.

Yes. Russ at 31 has a different body type than Young at 21. He is 7/8" taller and when he was 21, weighed the same--you say that Young will not hold up and you state it as a fact. My counter to that is a comparison with Wilson who has a very similar playing style--one that has allowed him to miss only 4 games in 11 seasons. His size was not a factor because he was very elusive, smart, and did not take hits. I am suggesting the same thing for Young. By the way, Cam Newton was 6'5" and 250 lbs while Russell Wilson was 5'11" 210-215. How many games did he miss during the 11 years Russ was with Seattle?

I did not know the context, which is why I asked. So you are referring to leaks that are coming from an official capacity--from people with first hand info. However, I would say that if the tightness of information is that intentional, that everyone in the building would be silenced--but you are basically saying the info you get is second hand and based on interpretations of snapshots that may not be valid. I would think if the Panthers found out that he was doing this, he might get into some hot water, based on the thread title. I agree--things have been very quiet compared to prior regimes.

I have to wonder if the Panther staff is not having the same arguments about these players or if they are far beyond this aspect.

The combine measures a lot of things, but processing speed is not one of them. You can't cherry pick your points--we are talking about different players with different strengths and different weaknesses. Again, I prefer Stroud, but I make arguments for Young to demonstrate objectivity. Maybe it is time to wake up. Kidding--but you have to look at the complete player--compare Young's college film to Russell's. I'd take Young.

I think he needs to run when he sees green grass and all breaks down, which is different than the designed runs some teams are employing. Josh Allen, for example, seems to enjoy running and being aggressive. it has led to fumbles and might even decrease the length of his career (see Newton, Cam). Stroud can do much more damage with is perfect timing and accuracy. To me, Day was right--no need to run him. Punt or get it the next play. For the record, I am arguing for Young only as an exercise. I want Stroud, but to see the entire picture, you have to be able to objectively analyze both sides. (We are OSU fans--my wife's family is from Columbus and OSU graduates--so I try to be objective--but Stroud is the safe pick--and he is, in my opinion, the most likely to have a long, successful career.)

You are adding 5+ pounds to Wilson at age 30 and comparing him to a rookie coming out of college. At Wilson's combine, he was 204. You have to give Bryce the same opportunity to add weight. Wilson is 215, according to the NFL site. However, I do not see Bryce carrying that much weight. I am guessing he needs to be at about 205-210, and it may take a year or so to get there adding muscle.

Did you not have a person who is not high in the organization giving you information? I might be wrong or misinterpreting your meaning.

So you are saying the Young played at 170 lbs? That would mean that he gained 34 lbs between early January and early March. I guess the better question is this: Where is the line (weight) that determines a player is too small to play QB in the NFL? I literally do not know, but I can say that QBs are babied now, protected like the Pope at a biker convention. Since the QB started getting protected more, the smaller QBs have emerged. The game has changed as well. So if you teach a player to slide and check down quicky (which he can do) and throw it out of bounds, can you prolong his career? Russell Wilson did that better than anyone, and he missed 4 games in 11 seasons in Seattle. Young needs to add size--muscle weight and there seems to be room for it. I prefer Stroud, but if we go with Young, I know we are getting a solid, smart, QB.

The best reason to pick Young over Stroud? If I were the GM, I would take Stroud. I like Young a lot, but Stroud has done what was asked of him at a very high level, and he is accurate, smooth, and unflappable. You can say the same for Young. So does this come down to processing and size? If the processing is not clearly advantage Young, I'd go with Stroud. For the Record, I am terrible at predicting success for NFL QBs.

His playing style is more aggressive and what worked in high school and college for him (running) is probably not the ticket for a long NFL career. I am interested to see what this new coach does with him.

He went to 2 pro bowls--had a terrible year in 2022--but you are not the first to say that about him.

that is a fair statement and it is something I did not fully understand until I started researching the difference between these 2 qbs. Ryan Day seems to have added pro-style elements to the offense, but the pro-style offense employed by Nick Saban requires more of a QB. From what I can see, the QB has a pass-first option, and that option is predetermined from the best I can tell--but Saban's offense is a pro style offense. It is hard to say because they are all hybrids right now, but I made the comment because I know Saban's offense is more of a pure pro-style offense. This is not a knock on Stroud--he is my preference--I am simply attempting to figure it out. While you can argue that Day runs a form of a pro-style offense, it is not as pure as what they do in Alabama. There may not be a significant difference. Have you overlayed the OSU offense over the Bama offense?

Cam had no OL and he ran the football like a heat seeking missile. Russell Wilson played the way you describe--at 204 pounds--and he missed 4 games in 11 seasons in Seattle. Fitterer saw him do it.

FYI, FWIW Last year, Kenny Pickett's hand size (8.5 inches) was the primary issue. Young's hand size is 9.75. Rules protect the QB and Young can be taught to avoid contact at all times--slide, throw ball out of bounds, etc. Russell Wilson weighted 204 lbs at his combine and pro day--he managed to avoid being hit--one of the best at it. Russell Wilson, in his 11-year career in Seattle, missed 4 games.

Gonna get a shot. Was a RT early and G ever since.

So you think Marc Ross, former GM of the NY Giants, is just guessing like the rest of us? He was not predicting, he was evaluating talent from his perspective. When asked, "What would you say if the Panthers draft CJ Stroud?" His response: "I would say the Texans got the best QB in the draft."