MHS831

Initially, I wanted Stroud, but my point is the challenge of taking a small, cognitive QB like Young requires a dedication to building a stellar OL and the right weaponry. We tried, I suppose, with Chark, Hurst, and Sanders--but they did not work out, and now everyone is blaming Young, who does deserve some of the credit. Young has always been the golden boy and does not seem to have faced any challenges he could not overcome. They way I understand it, even his high school was dominant, as was Alabama. Maybe he is nothing more than a manager on a front runner, but he proved to me that he needs weapons. I watch his college tape and then his Panthers tape and then I say, OK, what are the biggest differences between his task at QB? At Bama, he was in the lead, he had a stud OL, and his WRs were awesome. The running backs were stallions three deep. And if you go back and examine every QB who busted in the NFL who was a high draft pick, they share some common obstacles. If we want Young to succeed, this is what we have to do, and it makes no difference at this point what Stroud had. I mean, before Stroud, Davis Mills completed 65.5% of his passes for 3,468 yards with 18 TDs and 8 Ints in 14 games. Watson before him was effective. At Carolina, our QBs have struggled miserably and that was before Young arrived. Davis Mills had better numbers that Darnold, Mayfield, and Bridgewater. So it is only a theory because neither of us know if Young can play or not, but Stroud had a better rookie season, without a doubt.

We are past the draft, and now we have to play the cards we dealt ourselves--We had a #1 draft pick QB and we did not give him the tools either. His career lasted about 8 years and he was 6-5 250. Any small QB needs to protected and any QB needs people who can get open. It is like those elite musicians who play the triangle. You need all three sides--QB, Pass catchers, Pass protectors--to make the most harmonious music ever heard by mankind.

I am saying a person who was picked 262 can succeed if given the tools to be successful, while a person picked #1 will fail without the tools. Are you saying that a QB picked #1 does not need talent or weapons around him?

Here is what we know. The Huddle is known for overreactions. This is one of them. I am not happy with the situation, but I go back to the same question I use to help me frame this--would Brock Purdy do well here? No. But he is doing well in SF. He is the NFC Super Bowl QB. But he would suck here. Give the kid some time and support--I hope he balls out next year--Repost heaven.

He needs to prove that he can get through pregame warmups without breaking a toe or pulling a hammy. He reminds me of Gordon Hayward of the Hornets. He has the best seats in the house and gets about $400,000 per game to watch the game from them.

A late first-round talent will fall to 33. While it is very possible that 9 WRs go in the first round, it is probably more likely that number is 7, in my humble and uniformed opinion. Good read, Natalie.

CMC is probably heading that direction. Was injured a lot here in his last 2 years, but goes to a grass surface and good OL, and he stays healthy. Funny, but that would put Horn and Surtain in the same defensive backfield. As with QBs, we should have taken Surtain and not Horn. This hypothetical trade depends on your willingness to keep Horn on the field. Someone said no to the trade, and yes to a third rounder for Horn. JJ had 52 catches last year and over 750 yards. He has improved each of his three years in the NFL--now, for him and considering his draft position, that is underwhelming, but most third rounders never get to that level. So how good is that? The average NFL passing attack in 2023 averaged 219 yards per game. Jeudy averaged 44 yards per game. Considering that the running backs catch some passes, subtracting from that figure, I will use Chubba Hubbard's numbers--pretty average (14 yards per game). The rough average for TEs per game is 41 yards. Breaking that down, Jeudy had about 27% of the yardage for WRs on his team, based on these overall NFL numbers. Expecting him to improve in year 4 due to his progression and the fact that it is a contract year, I would expect that number to rise above 30%. What would a third rounder give you? It is all about projecting the future, but people on this board and in general treat contracts as rewards for past performance. While the past is an pretty good indication of future performance in business, it is more complicated in the NFL. For example, would I pay Derrick Henry a boatload of money? Heck no. He has been a beast and his track record is strong, but according to the statistics, he is past his prime and should decline rapidly over the next two years. He will want a three-four year deal. I think I would keep Horn the more I think about it,. but I would also worry that this soccer turf might be injuring Horn. I would want to see the data, and if Tepper is unwilling to change it, we should predict more time on the IR.

Jeudy had 54 catches on 84 targets. Over 750 yards. Has improved every year. Horn has missed most of his games. He is about 25, entering the 4th year of his contract. Horn is solid, but man, he is often injured. FWIW, I said the same thing about Thomas Davis and CMC. They recovered pretty well.

yup. And then JC would be healthy for the next 10 years and earn a gold jacket. That is what happens to the oft injured Panthers that we trade. But as of right now, I would probably pull the trigger without fully knowing the new offense.

I understand why someone would rather be a coordinator. Ego in check, make the call.

$$$ will be the issue in CIncy, but Chase has been vocal about the team re-signing Higgins. That could mean some contract structures that include both players to accommodate it. The Bengals could tag Higgins as well. They are not likely to want to reduce the weaponry for their star QB. On the other hand, they could look at the cost and realize that they can draft a good WR in this draft--WR is loaded. But you really aim for consistency and Higgins is between 25 and 26....So I think they re-sign him. As a GM, I would be circling the skies like a buzzard over these cities that are going to have to bend and stretch to sign their own marquee players; that usually means letting a lesser player or a good player at a lesser-need position walk. That is really how you build a roster. I am a frugal person, so I would stay out of free agency for the first three days--90% of the time you overpay. Then I would go into it like a red neck at Wal-Mart on black Friday.

I think Mitchell would be ideal but I did not think he'd be there. I think so much elite talent at the top will push productive talent down a round. I think we will need to draft a WR early in the second and fourth, (at least that is what I do in my mocking, and we all know if I do it in mocks, that is what should be done!) I believe a projected first rounder will be there at 33. I just hope it is someone with a skill set that will help Canales the most.

In my very limited knowledge of our needs at WR, I think we will go after a type. I have an idea that we have tall WRs now (Thielen , Mingo, and TMJ are all 6-2) I think we need some Waddle and Hill types. If we are getting the ball out in 2.7 seconds, we need some options that can break one from anywhere on the field. Having said that, I think this draft has some interesting choices in the third and possibly the fourth rounds at WR. I expect 10-12 WRs to go in rounds 1 and 2, and there is still quality that should be there. I like Corley, a YAC guy, and I like Malik Washington. There are a few more. Of course, neither is a "#1 WR" but these guys can impact games in a different way than what we have on the roster. I honestly believe that we could not have done a worse job of building a WR room for Bryce young than we did last year. Throw in injuries to our top 3 guards and starting TE---yikes.

Some of you are pessimists, like the ugly girls sitting in chairs along the wall at the high school dance. We can create cap room to compete with any contract if we want the WR bad enough. I think Hurney, at the end, had the same complex, so he overpaid to keep our own players off a 2-14 team. I would say, however, Cincinnati wants to re-sign him. Does he want to stay is Chase's shadow, or go somewhere that will target him more often? Watch Green Bay and Houston--they will go after him too.

To be nearer to his home (although Cincinnati is not too far from his Oak Ridge Tennessee roots), but as an athlete, I would do it because I want to be a bigger part of the offense. I am not sure a 6-4 WR is in the cards, but I need to know more about the offense before making any stupid statements like Electric Horse does. (Just kidding EH)

I do want Corley. As the second WR added. I like Ladd too. Also like Virginia's Washington--a sleeper with a lot of YAC ability.

I have seen him in round 1 in several mocks.

They kind of guy Canales can mold. Jalen Hurts II?

Yeah, the more I saw him at the SR Bowl the more I thought "Fool's gold". More of the same. I am not sure I see things as Canales, but I am thinking we need YAC guys--and good route runners who are disciplined, not just better athletes--Ladd?

I agree. He is a difference maker and even if LB is not the biggest need, he would make the biggest impact long term. People need to watch this guy on tape--

Moton?

I think you are right--I think the Huddle is a place for overreaction--we all do it--but I have never seen more of that than this year, understandably. But sometimes the problem is not personnel, but scheme. Sometimes it is playcalling that puts you in a bad situation. Mental mistakes due to overcoaching that leads to confusion. Any number of things. This offseason we MUST address WR. That is a given. We must address Offensive Line depth, whether that be finding players to make our starters reserves of finding reserves for our starters. Ekwonu, Christensen, Bozeman, Corbett, and Moton. That was pretty good in 2022. I think (not really talked about) that we need CB depth. I think a new system might help our TE room (Ricci, Hurst, Tremble) so I am not sure that I am going to invest in a new TE this season. I see the argument for getting a TE, but in my big pic, I want to see what Ricci and Tremble can become and I want to see Hurst have a year that he is capable of providing. Edge depends on burns. If he stays, and we have Haynes, Barno, Leota, YGM, and Johnson--there is some young talent to develop. Remember, Hardy, Charles Johnson, even Rucker were not studs until around year 3. Basically, I prioritize it this way: 1. Alpha WR 2. CB (after oft injured Horn and Jackson, what do we have? Jackson is in a contract year and we will need to make a decision on Horn soon. Time to get a CB who can play nickel. 3. Offensive Line depth (C/G is ideal, but C then G then OT, imo.) Reason? With BC, Corbett coming back, G is average. Mays might develop into a solid backup. Tackle? If you include BC, we have 3 potential starters there. Bozeman did not have a good year, and he can play G. A center if Bozeman struggles is not a bad idea. 4. WR again Of course we need help in other areas, but it is not as dire as we think. On defense, we get Shaq back. We need Luvu to be re-signed. We need a CB and maybe a pure NT? Who knows. lotta ways it could go.....

He He He. Y'all are funny.

I see a person who will be a great coach in the NFL for a long time. Man crushing right now. I am excited-never crazy about Fox--grew to like him better, Was not ever a rivera fan, wanted to believe Rhule but he is a BS artist, and I did not get a chance to like Frank, but I was expecting more. I would run through a wall for this guy--a really soft wall with large holes in it, but still.

USA Today: After acquiring the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 draft this past spring, the Panthers sent a massive contingent to attend the pro days for each of the top quarterback prospects. Tepper and his wife Nicole, the chief administrative officer of the team, were part of the group. HEADLINE OF ARTICLE Reporter: David Tepper 'heavily influenced' Panthers' selection of Bryce Young Nicole has a role in the front office, regardless of her qualifications. Her husband "heavily influenced" the Young pick. Do you think Nicole, who visited the pro days, did not share her opinion with her husband? And do you think it is unreasonable to assume her opinion influenced or empowered him in any way? Ahead of Bryce's pro day (Nah, Nicole did not have an opinion): Nah, you may be right. Nicole is not involved. She probably did not share her opinion with her husband. How stupid of me.