MHS831

This reminded me of a Bear player in the 80s Dan Hampton who had 5 surgeries on EACH knee. He claimed that science and medicine would be so advanced by the time he got old, he was not worried about knee problems when he got old. He is 67 now. I could not find anything that suggested his knee issues were still a problem (probably both were replaced), but I did learn that he (around 2002) received his third DUI conviction in six years. (Self medicating?) Ironically, Hampton is part of a Miller Lite and Gridiron Greats promotion to raise funds for retired NFL players in need. Why Miller beer company would allow someone with knee issues and multiple DUIs to be part of something they sponsor is interesting.

Thanks Ice and Juan. I appreciate people who produce and bring content to the table. Without further ado, my reactions, and I will try to be "laconic" (word of the day): 8- Edge/LB Jalon Walker: A great football player. He must be used properly. Does not eliminate the need for an edge--and we do not draft an edge here. 57- DT T.J. Sanders: I really liked him at SC--a beast. A DE. I am not sure how we will rotate in at NT--and I see NT as our biggest DL need IF we play Wharton at DE. 74- WR Jack Bech: Love this guy. a Dawg. Eric Decker II. 111- S Billy Bowman Jr. Good value here, but I was hoping for a S earlier. I want one of the top 2 because if both S have position versatility, and we have Walker and DL with position versatility, we'd be hard to play. 114- CB Dorian Strong: Fine. A depth piece behind Horn and Jackson (he he). However, I think CB is a bigger need than people are projecting. 140- LB Demetrius Knight Jr.: Another Gamecock--love him. Morgan will love him. A dawg. A steal here. 146- G Caleb Rogers: Don't we have enough guards? Moton is in his final year and we don't draft a T? 163- RB Jarquez Hunter: Not sure I have ever heard of him--probably suing his parents for naming him Jarquez--but the name does mean "Strong and valiant" if spelled correctly. Do his friends call him Jar Jar? I would. 230- S Maxen Hook The great grand son of Peter Pan's nemesis. He has both hands--for now, but that is because Toledo did not play the Florida Gators.

Moose Muhammed had suspect hands early in his career and seemed to improve--but my experience is this--some QBs throw a ball that some WRs struggle to catch vs. others. A tighter spin, more velocity, timing in route--I can't put my finger on it specifically, but in college we had 5 or so qbs and one or two were harder to catch than the others. In fact, I climbed the depth chart because I could catch the starter (threw it hard) better than others-but the second team QB gave me fits. Maybe that has something to do with it?

he was a good one in his prime

Most are depth--

Strong side or weak? Just kidding.

I do this so I can see it--but it is possible that we address every position group on the defense in this draft--: OLB Edge: Clowney, Wonnum, Jones, DRAFT PICK. ILBs: Jewell, Rozeboom, Wallace DRAFT PICK DE: Derrick Brown, Robinson, Wharton, DRAFT PICK DT: Brown III, Crumedy, Tuttle DAY DRAFT PICK CB: Horn, Jackson (he he), Smith-Wade (nickel) DRAFT PICK S: Moehrig, Richardson, Scott, DRAFT PICK

It would work. the question is, do we need an edge if we draft Walker?

People need to realize that saying "3-4 LB" is not very informative--that is 36.3% of the defense.

It made me sick. I told TA (I was the only coach who played football in college) that they were not doing him favors. In college, they will make you....then he goes to play for Amato, who was just as bad. He was done before he knew it, before he was 20. He could have been a beast.

Very true--I saw it in high school. I coached TA McLendon. I liked him, but he learned that he could miss practice, did not have to work hard in the classroom, and there were people who could get him out of trouble (I talked to an attorney who told me some stories). The town went crazy over the team (state champs). When TA took the SATs, he drove to South Carolina to a testing facility 100 miles away when they were offering the SAT at the high school he attended. (Reason? Believed that the head coach had "a guy" who could help--his scores were very good.) I might be the only teacher/coach who ever disciplined him (A teacher asked him to be quiet during an assembly and he told her "I talk if I want to. I am famous.") I took him to the office and told him that his attitude sucks, and they are not preparing him for success. etc. I was at a track meet that spring, and I talked to TA--he was being recruited, and he was appreciative of the time I took him to the office. I talked to a scout from Tennessee who was there, asking him if he was there to talk to TA. He said, "TA needs a babysitter. We don't do that at Tennessee." Amato, however, signed TA and the HS coach's son to babysit TA at State. I saw that attorney again, and he told me that he (while TA was at State) had to get him off a DUI charge. I told him that the town ruined TA--he agreed. When TA was a JR at NC State, he never went to a class--he told me that. He thought that he would be drafted. He was not. Atlanta signed him as an UDFA. Gave him $10,000 to sign. TA took his buddies to ATL and they partied during OTAs. I ran into a guy I knew who was with an Atlanta assistant coach in Charlotte. The Assistant coach for the Falcons said that TA would come to film sessions/meetings hung over, late, and he would sleep during the meeting--as an UDFA. The scout said that TA was allowed to do the same thing at State. I saw TA about 5 years late and he was about 280 and supposedly has several kids from different mothers. He was very nice. Told me, "you were the only one who gave a poo about me. I did not like you." TA was a good kid who was ruined by the people who somehow benefited from his play--so they tolerated him and created a double standard that became his norm. Again, I do not blame TA. He was naturally a stud and was always better than others. I watched him play basketball in middle school--he was beast. They were babying him then too (I knew his coach). These small town enablers ruined him, in my view. To your point.

I am thinking he would be the Panther's version of Micah Parsons and we would still draft an edge.

Based on his comments and the list of visits, I am thinking they feel that they are going to find a WR later in the draft--and that is probably smart. Wildcard--he has not ruled out TE, but I think he is going with Tremble and Sanders and some UDFA or something like that.

this could mean we are not announcing our pick to the pick before the draft this year, trying to keep it close to the vest, or it could mean they just don't know yet. Based on what you have shared, I see no TE, no Large, unproductive OLB/Edge like Williams or Stewart (could that be a smoke screen? I doubt it--why would you trick folks into not believing you were going to draft an unproductive college player? Jalon Walker is the pick, but if he is gone, they would like to move back and take Emmanwori or Starks (S) or Johnson or Barron (CBs). I also think bad boys Green (Edge) or Nolen (DE) could be on the menu--but they are a longer shot. That is about all I see on the defensive side of the ball...

I might speculate--Walker at 8, but we prefer a trade back where the two top safeties will be sitting there like plump, juicy melons ready for the picking to take to the picnic. I have been working on my extended metaphors

before he said this, he said, "I agree with what Dave said...." I hope he was referring to Canales and not Tepper.

As always, thanks for all you do to make the huddle productive. Now I feel bad for throwing a zinger at you on my Rumors Draft thread. Ok, I am over it.

OLB/Edge or ILB?

If he has bad knees as Joe Person suggests, could this keep the OL from blowing up? We don't know--but I read this thread and did not arrive at the same conclusion you did.

I have to think that is the plan. Maybe round 3 or 4.

You rarely post, and this topic should not ignite sarcasm or taunting comments. Some posters (and they know who they are because I call them out--so they double down) make everything about the poster and not the post. They can click out of the thread and be done with it since their comments offer nothing to the facts of the conversation--but they feel compelled to do some cyber chest pounding. Probably not breast fed and sporting small penises. Mr. Scot made a good point about getting rid of a talent too soon over too late. Here we have to determine when too late is going to be. We need to keep developing Young so even if we aren't in the playoffs this year, we need his progression to continue and not have a setback. A lot of people would have conditionally agreed if we did not have so many more pressing needs--so I get it. Just ignore those scholars who troll here--they have blow holes on the tops of their heads and their necks get long and stiff when they watch porn---they have nothing to offer.

My point was simply, we do not know the extent of his knees. If they are shot, as Joe Person referenced after the season (referring to the reason he missed week 17) I am not seeing that as an asset or selling low--it is complicated, I know. But if you consider what we actually know, you are absolutely right.

Great points. Moton missed one game, I think? Week 17? It is only through rumor and hearsay that I even know about his knee issues--and that is from Person. How reliable is his intel?

Last year (going from memory) we were 4-5 in our last 9 games, with 2 close losses in that span to the Super Bowl teams. Our defense was abysmal during that time. So if we get the d overhauled (as we have already done to some degree, we think) and add a WR, could we be ready? I think so, depending on what the other teams do, but I do not fear the other teams. We are not on the level of the Lions, Vikings, Eagles, Commanders right now, but we can play with the NFC South. New Orleans has Rattler and Atlanta has Penix (not sold yet), and Tampa has streaky Baker. Could Bryce emerge as the best QB in the NFC south?