MHS831

The post says, "Didn't hesitate for a second .... " Yes he did. Did you see that he was wearing white shoes? I'd take it out of Mr. "I think my 4-wheeler is a jet ski"'s ass. It was probably XL's four-wheeler too.

I think--don't quote me--that based on what the guys I knew said (20+ years ago) it was that way. I was shooting basketball with a guy who played LB for the Chiefs and he told that he could dunk. I said, "If you could dunk, you would do it and not tell me about it." He said, "If I broke an ankle, it would violate my contract." (paraphrasing). Not sure what would happen if they found out he was playing but did not injure himself. And your opinion does matter, dammit all to Hell!!!

Interesting topic. I have had a few NFL friends and one told me that he could not work out or train unless the activities and facilities were approved. AI: In many NFL contracts, certain activities are restricted, and injuries sustained during those activities can lead to the voiding of contract guarantees or even the entire contract. These restrictions often include dangerous activities like skydiving, rock climbing, or even engaging in contact sports like boxing. Additionally, injuries sustained while working out at non-team facilities or during personal recreational activities may be classified as "non-football injuries," potentially impacting the player's compensation. Having said that, I question the reason the person filming this was not helping. Secondly, the decision to put it on social media makes it seem a bit prearranged. I do not think this would violate his contract, but I do think it is a bit stupid on his part in that he could be injured.

You mean like the sandwich or Superman?

You don't put the spoiler alert at the end, L-Town. Sheez. I will say that his belief in undersized NTs seems to be behind us. We got some beef at NT.

I think that Cam rubbed some refs the wrong way, but I had forgotten this stuff. Should not matter. I remember being furious with Rivera. I personally think Rivera was the most overrated coach in Panther history--he had Cam, weapons, a great defense--and never had back-to-back winning seasons. As a Coordinator in San Diego with Norv Turner (I believe) I recall a season when they were #1 on D and #1 on Offense and still struggled to make the playoffs.

If it ever got out that the outcomes of games were rigged, the NFL would lose fans by the millions. I do not see the risk being worth the reward. If it were rigged, a lot of people would know and someone would come forward with the proof. Just a conspiracy theory...However, that is not to say the refs don't have biases. If you felt robbed in Super Bowl 50, watch Remmers again. I could have sacked Cam against him with my spinning aerial swim move (copyrighted).

Very True--and I am a former HS English teacher.

Not a Moore fan-but he had a few good games last year-but I want players that scare you--Renfrow's route running and intelligence, Legette's size, speed, and strength, AT's intelligence and route running, Coker's body control, strong hands, and abilty to win contested catches, and TMac's size, body control, and ability to find soft spots in zone coverages. Horn gives them the ability to stretch the field and he plays special teams. Moore has a nice smile and can dance. He filled in well last season, but to get better as a team, you have to upgrade your players. I think Moore is a bottom of the roster guy who got bumped when we drafted 2 WRs and signed a legit free agent. Here is the thing--TMac makes us better because he is great against the zone--man? Good luck with that. AT's role can be reduced, and that is probably a good thing. He can specialize in situational football. Coker? Just getting started. XL? Just getting started. Drafting TMac was probably a bit of a wake up call, but XL will be better as the 2. Renfrow? I see him splitting reps with AT--keeping both fresh and giving different looks. Horn? Watch the safety cheat his side when he is in the game--I see a young Steve Smith type in him, but he has yet to play a game. I hear that Morgan loves him.

Yup. the best cultures are not a plan, but an atmosphere. Pay attention to Canales. So positive you think he is trying to sell you something. Eventually, it becomes contagious. He still makes the tough calls, but he is positive about it (Benching Bryce after 2 games). Canales and Morgan are controlling the culture by modeling attitudes and bringing in the right players. The trick is, let the players think it is their culture because they will protect it. Assimilation. Modeling. Empowerment.

Renfrow makes the team and becomes part of the rotation-- then he plays well. Gets NFL comeback player of the year. You all cheer. When I say, "I called this in June." You will say "Pic or it didn't happen." I will say, "you all disgust me because you are too mired in mediocrity to see my brilliance." You will give me a poo emoji because that is how you treat greatness. OK, I'm back.

If they do not trade back, he could be BPA and I heard they like him.

VJ should be the pick. And I just watched videos today and have not kept up, but I was very impressed with his motor and athleticism. Those kinds of players make teammates better, imo. I am enjoying reading your comments--I am so much an outsider on this one but I used to love them From Kelly Tripuka and Rambis to Grand Ma Ma and zo---then it is like we quit.

Sounds like Kobe Bryant. John Elway. Eli Manning. I sense the Hornets will trade out of the #4 pick. (I am not a huge fan--just thinking that is what I would do.

I think if you can develop a rookie or a player on a first contract, you accept this if he is trending up. If he is in his prime and making second contract money, nope.

I mean, I would rank the Panthers third in the NFC South right now. That is the floor. Penix and Atlanta have been trending upward--I think Tampa is due for a letdown.

I think we always do, but I think Morgan is showing signs of being special. I am optimistic about our rookie edge rushers. Maybe we are too hyped about TMac, but I am really warming up to him nd think he could be special. I think we win 9 based on the fact that we won 5 last year and were only competitive for about half of it.

The OL coaches have been really good and we have a core of young talent behind the starters. I think, if Motown hits the wall and the knee says, "I'm done," I see Brady Christensen as a solid backup. I am so thankful they pulled him away from the IOL duties. He needs to be a T. He has to know that his future as a starter might be through Moton, this year or next. BC turns 29 in September, so he has about a 3-year window as a starter. But I feel a LOT better about BC behind Moton because he is a quality backup OT.

FYI

Disclaimer: In June, I am usually optimistic. In October, a policeman with a bullhorn is telling me that I have a lot of life ahead of me and to think about my loved ones as I gaze down upon him from my rooftop. Having said that, I think our offense (down the stretch) was good enough to play KC and Philly tough. So how many games would this offense have won if they played the entire season like they did in November-January and if they had a better defense? If you could stretch the last nine games over an entire season and put a solid defense on the other side, I see 5 wins becoming 7 or 8. Down the stretch, the Panther D surrendered 30 points or more in 5 of the final 7 games and managed to win 2 of those 5. If they can win 40% of games in which their defense surrenders 30 points or more, then the math indicates, had that been the case all season, the Panthers should have won 6 or 7 games with their defense surrendering 30+ points. This season, we are much better at WR (TMac, Renfrow, Horn, and I expect XL to be a lot better). Bryce is confident and now a leader. The Achilles' heel of the 2024 defense, the DL, seems to be very solid. We got back Horn and Jackson on the corners, Smith-Wade is improving better than expected, we signed a stud Safety. Derrick Brown returns. While the D is not there yet, it is going to be better. So if we ended the second half of 2024 playing at a level that should have produced 6-7 wins, better WRs and a better defense could result in 9 wins or more.

Those bastids.

To me, if you have a fondness for a player because you have history with that player (Evero, Simmons in this case) it is not necessarily a good thing. Could it mean the DC has limited knowledge of players he has not coached? Could his mind be thinking 28-year -old Simmons when 31 year-old Simmons is trending downward. I dunno. I think they want to see what Richardson and Ransom can do. Maybe the saw things they did not like and have already decided to bring in a vet on a one-year deal. I am just not that confident about Evero right now. To me, his love for small NTs got exploited last year and hurt us a lot.

I am confident, barring injuries. We get injured during pre-game introductions.

If you are an athlete or former athlete (myself? Cornhole 2021-present; Disc Golf 2013-got a mega blister and had to retire; speed walking--every black Friday at Walmart 2003-2009) you know what it is to lose confidence. Self-inflicted or not (in my view, a lot of 2023 was coaching and a lot of 2024 was confidence), he has confidence now. How fragile is it? I think the light is on, the game slowed down, and he is ready to do his thing. He seems to be "mobile in the pocket" instead of "running scared." Last year, there were times when AT was out, Johnson gone, and all he really had was XL and Coker--a raw rookie with upside and an UDFA rookie. TE was rarely a viable option. It reminded me of Benjamin and Funchess. Moore had to step up. This season, Bryce has weapons. I expect XL to improve. I expect TMac to help tremendously, and I think Coker will be solid. Renfrow? Horn? bonuses.

His points are valid. However, it seems a bit based on past performance and fails to take into consideration trends and conditions that might suggest growth in 2025. For one, he breaks the team down by position and ranks them separately. I guess that is a fair way to do it, but they are dependent upon each other. Last year, our DL sucked. That impacts the rest of the defense. With no internal pressure, the QBs simply step up to avoid the Edge rush. I would have suggested that the internal DL is now featuring pass rushers and large people who can collapse the pocket. Secondly, the LBs were not protected very well in 2024. It is hard to see the holes and step up when a guard is in your earhole a second after the snap. Finally, the defensive backs will be forced to make fewer tackles and they will be better in pass protection with a new and improved DL. Canales made an interesting comment the other day, and I (from the outside looking in) feel the same way: (paraphrasing) "I have never seen a better group of rookies." I think the biggest concern is the learning curve. How long before these rookies are ready? I am bullish on this team. I think they win 3 of their first 4 and get confident. The get the fans behind them. From there, they win 6 of the remaining 13. If they stay injury free, they have an outside shot at the NFC south.