MHS831

Here is what I think (and I agree): They like ILB and Rozeboom is good depth. Cherelus was solid for a reserve (PFF score 63.8 in 158 snaps). They like what they have seen from Ransom and Richardson at S so far, so we could have 3 starting-caliber safeties--no sense burying the young guys. (I think we are going to like our Safeties as they are--I also think we will add one of our UDFA with great ST abilities. They signed some really good athletes as UDFA safeties). I just do not see Scott making the roster if they watch any of his 2024 film. At CB, they think they have 3 with two who played a little bit last year (each had fewer than 35 snaps--they held their own--both scoring in the upper 50s on PFF). I think, if we add a player, we add a young CB much later who was cut during the preseason. I believe they want a preseason to see what they have in Bartholomew and Evans and Thornton, for that matter.

AND if you are looking for reasons NOT to sign him, here are a few: "Germaine Pratt has faced criticism for his performance, particularly in coverage and tackling, despite his high tackle numbers and turnover-generating ability. He's been described as struggling to cover ground in a nickel base (Hmmmm. Wonder if we play that?) and having an aggressive play style that can leave gaps in the defense. Additionally, there were criticisms about his missed tackles and poor angles in pursuit, particularly in the 2024 season" Don't get me wrong--his stats are impressive. This must be a move to get a certain Edge player signed.

He was also trying to get a new deal and he and the Packers were far apart. I don't know the details, but after signing an $80M + contract with $30M signing bonus, I have to wonder what this guy was expecting. Playing fewer than half the games in that contract, he still felt he had negotiating power. I did not like giving Horn $100m for the same basic reason.

I think Ransom will be a solid player for us. He played beside Caleb Downs, the cornerstone of the Ohio State defense last year and some have him as a top 5 pick for the 2026 draft. He was characterized as the smart, instinctive, versatile safety. I just don't think S will be a liability unless we have injuries. I am very interested in seeing what they have in the three UDFA safeties; I see one making the roster. As for CB, I think they are higher on Wade-Smith than most of us are. Again, depth is a concern. We have to hope Jackson has another solid season and Horn does not injure his leg or toe on one of the yard lines. I am not sure I would compare it to last season's DL because this year's DL will cover a lot of deficiencies, but I know what you mean---our weak link.

With Morgan, I see a plan. No, you don't measure the GM at this point in terms of wins and losses--but we will later. I thought Hurney sucked in free agency and was sub par after round 1 of the draft. When Fox was a lame duck and did not inform the GM, Hurney drafted Jimmy Clausen and moved up for Armanti Edwards. He started trading away future first rounders when he got desperate (to get Otah and then drafted Everette Brown the following year) Gettlemen was the "one-year contract" guy. The players hated him. Fitterer was terrible. It is too early to tell with Morgan, so you have to look at the pieces. Our OL was bad, now our OL is good. WR was a weakness--now WR seems to be a strength. DL was bad, now DL should be very good. Pass rush was bad, we have 2 solid rookies and added Wonnum and Jones. I think Morgan has had 2 solid drafts, especially in rounds 3-7. He has had 2 good seasons bringing in UDFAs, imo. The team went from terrible in 2024 to taking the two super bowl teams down to the wire late. The energy is positive. The wins will come.

https://pantherswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/panthers/2025/06/04/panthers-2025-otas-dave-canales-cornerback-free-agency/84016482007/?link_source=ta_first_comment&taid=6840193aa1ae9c000185ac12 I have been curious about the position, wondering if Jackson, Horn, and Smith-Wade were going to be enough. The reporter asks a good question, especially in light of all the Jalen Ramsey rumors. To me, the big questions concerned depth players Evans and Bartholomew. As for the UDFA, I have been waiting to hear about Thornton and Reid, but there does not seem to have been a lot of urgency to draft a CB or bring in a free agent. Morgan basically re-signed Jackson and locked up Horn. A few highlights from the article: Canales mentioned Evans, Bartholomew, and Thornton by name. He seems satisfied that Evans and Bartholomew are the key reserves. Thornton, based on reading tea leaves about his comments, has flashed, but might be on the outside looking in. Personally, in the limited action Evans and Bartholomew played last season, I was optimistic, and it seems Canales feels the same. He mentions that Smith-Wade is playing inside and outside. If he steps up, that is good news. It seems as though they really like Jackson because Canales seemed to focus on CB depth in his answer. Coaches have to be careful answering questions like this one--If the coach mentions your name, great, but if he does not, it hurts morale. If he says, "We'd like to upgrade the position" it can also hinder motivation. Canales did not mention SDSU CB Mike Reid. IN RELATED NEWS I recently read that the Canales likes the battle between Ransom and Richardson for the other safety position beside Moehrig. Not sure we will be upgrading that position at this time. Remember, the DBs play better when the front 7 plays better. PROJECTED DB ROSTER ENTERING CAMP CB: Horn, Jackson, Smith-Wade, Bartholomew, Evans--Practice Squad Candidates: Thornton, Reid S: Moehrig, Ransom, Richardson, xxxxxx- I expect Henderson, Gifford, or Thomas (all UDFAs) will battle Scott for the final safety position.

I figured that he is trying to put some distance between the player and the executive. He meant "player" obviously, but I imagine there is some stigma associated with a former player coming back to take a front office position. I did catch the comment.

I met him at an OTA when he was rookie. I liked him, and so did my small children. I got a photo of him with my kids, and his nylon stretch shirt was ripped off his shoulder and down his side. I remember thinking, "This was an OTA. He must have been battling so hard (going full speed) that the OT grabbed him and ripped off his shirt." Normally, there is a "rule" that you stop when you are not in full pads when the other player shows that he controlled you or is in position to--like pulling up and not hitting the RBs. I got the feeling that he was going full throttle. Just speculation, but it was consistent with what we would learn about him.

Morgan, Mills, Keuchley, Beason--all within the first 25 years of the team's existence--we have been spoiled by great MLB play.

Some people just want to get the attention of a celebrity and feel zero empathy for that player's feelings or personal space. My dad was lifelong friends with some big names in football (Roman Gabriel, Dan Reeves) and baseball (Pete Rose and Tommy Helms of the Reds) and I learned very young that they are people doing a job and really want to be treated like everyone else. So when I see a celebrity in public who is flying under the radar, I try not to bring attention to myself or them--I might wave if we make eye contact but that is about it. Flashback In Washington DC (Georgetown) I was eating at a restaurant with my then fiance (she dumped me later--still hurts) and at the end of the dinner, I whispered to her, "Do not look back until we are getting up to leave, but do you know who has been sitting behind you for about 15 minutes?" She said, "No. Who?" I stood to leave, so she turned around while picking up her purse, saw him, and turned back around to look at me with a shocked facial expression. It was Billy Crystal. I put my finger over my lips to keep her quiet, but she turned toward him and said, "You look Marvelous!! (one of his famous lines) and proceeded to tell him that her favorite movie is The Princess Bride, a film Crystal had a small part in as Miracle Max. Grabbing her upper arms from behind, I looked at Crystal sympathetically and he cracked a faint grin--and I gently pulled her toward the exit. She was mad at me for not telling her sooner and said that I embarrassed her by pulling her away. I told her "You had already embarrassed yourself. I was just doing some damage control." I knew that she had exposed him, and how much he was valuing his anonymity until she sounded the trumpets.

And he was probably the MVP of that game had the panthers won. He had 11 unassisted tackles, 7 assisted, for 18 tackles, the most in Super Bowl history--think about that-Ray Lewis, Jack Ham, Mike Curtis, Ray Nitschke, Mike Singletary--the list of super bowl ILBs is sick.

I KNEW IT!!!

I mean, it is just chairs. I would hope they could get 50 sacks against chairs....Just kidding with hilarious joking. This tells me a lot about their work ethic. Great to see. I have to think these were 2 great picks. Meanwhile, XL was playing Rodeo clown at the KY Derby with GloRilla. Apparently, he misunderstood what the coach meant when he told him that he needs to spend the offseason working on the Jugs Machine.

I hit you pretty hard yesterday with a Croc Dundee joke---disappointed that there was no retaliation. All in good fun.

Seems to have mellowed from when I encountered him as a player. Who knows? It was nice of him.

which is why he was a sixth rounder. I think I recall seeing a mock where he was a first rounder--If my recollection is accurate, he fell like S. Sanders.

I don't think we'd drafted a WR sixth round without a "particular set of skills." (Do you guys get Liam Neeson's TAKEN movies down under, or do you watch Crocodile Dundee movies over and over?)

Absolutely. However, when it comes down to making decisions, he needs to let the surgeons operate and not grab a scalpel because he can. I look at it from his perspective-if he is lacking confidence in the GM (as he should have with Fitterer) or coaches (Rhule and Reich were not right for this team) then I can see some micromanagement. Human nature. So you make good points.

Regardless of an early June injury, the WR room, at least on paper right now, has never been deeper. AT needs to be the slot possession WR (Ricky Proehl) and Coker is quite possibly his long term replacement, if not a solid #2. Renfrow could give us a solid few years as well. XL will probably improve with the TMac competition. TMac is goofy, but on the field, he has done nothing but produce. Horn is sneaky fast, and I wonder if he would not have done better in college at a university that did not have Hunter. He is a deep threat and was on a team with a bad OL, so his numbers were a bit low. In fact, there are two WRs who signed UDFA contracts who will probably go to the PS and wait for a season. We are in fine shape at WR, if everyone progresses.

Since the buildings are in quarters, there are no alleys. At around midnight (when I was there) Bourbon street is lined with trash bags and, yes, it smells. There were a lot of women walking around by themselves. My buddy wanted me to go into a strip joint just to get a drink and get off our feet--we'd been driving all day. We got thrown out...For falling asleep.

Drafting players off the operating table is a long-term play, as was drafting XL. XL had the chance to make a splash, but he has raw hands and he went through some turbulence with the offense. I was not expecting a finished product. Now we will see what he has been doing this offseason.

I fully expected Teppers to force himself into the conversation, but he was hands on, mouth shut. Morgan brings an eye for talent that we have not had here, imo. I think what he has done over the past 2 seasons in the third and fourth rounds is stellar--I get the XL pick, and I get the Brooks pick in round 2--they have yet to work out, but there was always a patient, 2-3 year plan, and XL was raw. So it is materializing. However, getting a starting LB and TE in rounds 3 and 4 is good (I will call Sanders a starting TE because he will play a lot in the rotation). This year, I think Ransom could start and Princely could be a key rotational piece.

There was a point in the video that Morgan looks at Tepper as if he was seeking approval--but that could have been polite inclusion. If I am Tepper I am sitting right in that seat doing the same thing--but I would be more vocal...When Morgan said, "I was hoping we would not get an offer we'd have to accept..." (paraphrasing)--that is his gut talking. Listen to your gut--don't let circumstances prevent the gut from being heard. Trust the gut. Reason? He knew the draft would play out if they got Tmac. He knew they would get an edge in round 2. After that, they could get a RB and S on day 3.

My rough place for Scourton (based on a compilation of several prospect rankings) was late first, so I did not research him much. I nearly forgot about him. His college production his final year was not elite--but that seems to be the system. I noticed that (at Tex AM) he had outside contain a lot, and was not rushing the QB--that means the CBs were probably in man coverage. So I think he could be good in this system. Princely? I had him going in the middle of the second round; he was my hope once we took TMac. Most of the mocks I saw had him going in the 40-48 range. When we traded up, I had forgotten about Scourton (or did not know that much about him) and I thought we would draft Princely. I was actually a bit disappointed because I think Princely will be a very good Edge. I would not be surprised to see both statistically challenge the first round Edge players.