MHS831

We are going to see a half-full stadium lotsa red jerseys.

WE are missing 2 starting OL---I am not confident. I noticed that backup C Raym or whatever is out with a concussion. What are we doing at practice?

Hello sports fans, I realize that we are less than bedazzled by the options at QB for the 2025 draft. Ewers is hurt a lot. Beck has shown signs of that great college Georgia QB who never makes it in the NFL, Sanders has good games but when pressured, he is suspect--and then there is the entitlement and entitlement's "agent" that makes him less appealing--so for a moment, let's take them off the board temporarily, and let me take 2 QBs off my board permanantly: Milroe and Dart. (This is October 12, 2024--it could change, obviously) Here is how I ranked them going into the weekend, before I did a bunch of highly-scientific research that involved technology. 1. Cam Ward: I think his stock will keep rising, but he has played well in some close games. Ward is not in a lot of top 3 QB boards, but if I had to draft one right now, Ward might be my guy. 2. Quinn Ewers: My biggest concern is the injury history, and my second biggest concern is that he has played well with stud WRs, a stud RB, and a good TE (last year) and he has a good LT. How good is he beyond that? I dunno. 3. Shedur Sanders: Tremendous upside. I am not sure playing for his dad was the best for him, and I am not sure that he is smart in the pocket, although he is listed as a pocket qb. 4. Carson Beck: Nice size and he has shown some weakness and some upside in Georgia's rocky season. The game with Texas will tell us a lot about both QBs. So who are these new guys that rattled my top 4? 1. Will Howard, Ohio State: After four sub 60% completion percentage years at KSU, Howard has been sharp. And despite his poor decision on the last play of the Oregon game, he was sharp and made good decisions. He lost his cool after the game, which I interpret as fire and not a problem. At 6'4" 235, he is a big qb and he has some solid movement skills in the pocket--not a running qb, but a QB that can run when he has to and he is smart about it. Throws a good ball, makes good decisions. 2. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana: Another big QB at 6'5" and 230, Rourke has Indiana at 6-0 and has surpassed his stats during his four years at Ohio University. A pure pocket passer, he could be really good behind a really good OL and in front of a really good RB or two. The thing that impresses me about Rourke? He is doing this at INDIANA--not Texas, not Georgia, not Ohio State. WARNING: He is Canadian, so he knows nothing about bacon. 3. Drew Allar, Penn State: Another biggun at 6'5" 240, Allar is a Junior and has not been that effective until this season, where it seems the light has come on. He seems to be accurate and makes good decisions. He has been sacked once per game on average, and he had his worst game (3 picks--one was a hail mary) vs USC, a game PSU won in overtime in LA. POINT? We could have six qbs from which to choose. Here is how I would rank them RIGHT NOW in terms of who might be best for the Panthers, and yes, if we have #1 overall, I would trade back and take one of these: 1. Ward (his passing yardage has been really impressive, and Miami is 6-0. However, I am still not sold on him and do not have him ranked much above Sanders. I'd give him a top 10 grade right now, not that he is a top 10 player, but there will be qbs going early) 2. Sanders (As much as I do not want to see him here, he has the most upside and is probably developed enough to start day 1. I think he will go in the top 5, based on the hype and genetics) 3. Rourke (anybody who can take Indiana and win 6 games is able to perform with lesser surrounding talent. It is like winning a race against Corvettes with a Malibu--perhaps my dark horse favorite--he may drop into round 1--if Indy continues to play well, he could be as high as a top 15 player--mark my words!!) 4. Allar (he just seems to get it--and he is a year or two younger than the others. He is having a nice start--if it continues, he will be a first round draft pick--top 25 or so) 5. Ewers (The injuries just don't warrant a higher ranking--he' be #1 or #2 without his injury history-Ewers will probably be overdrafted--he could fall anywhere from top 15 pick to an early second rounder--if he gets injured again, he might become a third rounder) 5. (tie) Will Howard (The jury is still out a bit, but I was impressed with his leadership and accuracy. Running a Chip Kelly offense could be a problem for some QBs--need to do more research--I think Howard does not go in round 1, which makes him a great developmental pick for day 2) 7. Carson Beck (I want to like him, but if you struggle at Georgia as he has at times, it makes you wonder if the makeup is sliding off the face of the homecoming queen and you realize that she is not hot, just another face. He will be overdrafted because he is on a good team. I think he is drafted top 20. )

Yep. When you have dead cap $$ and have overpaid others, good people walk.

Key Losses from Last season: Edge Burns, LB Luvu, CB Jackson, Edge Gross Matos Off season free agent Additions who have been key contributors CB M Jackson, Edge Clowney (?) Draft Additions: No Starters (3rd rounder LB, 5th round CB, 6th round DL) Losses to injury this season: LB Thompson, DT Brown, LB Jewell So from last season, you lost 4 starters, added 2 in free agency, did not draft a starter (focus on Offense), and then you lose your 3 inside starters to injury. That is a difference of 5 starters (net) with the 2 replacements as Clowney for Burns and M Jackson for D Jackson. So we now have subs at 5 positions and got weaker at 2....(did this from memory--not focused on S and did not mention Chinn...)

I think he would be a better G, FWIW. But we are locked in to his development. And my point was he did look bad and confused at times when there was a swinging gate at LG...same page

I agree--never said move over Greg Olsen--not the #1 TE, You know that part of the process is depth. You and I have talked about the need for a stud TE--the best teams have them--KC, SF, for example. A stud TE causes so much trouble for the Defense--but I am not going to state the reasons again. Sanders has potential and was the second rated TE in a weak TE class, so considering how many needs we had, a WR was our only option at the end of the first--the TE was long gone. I am not sure where you get one if not the draft--

Not equally--a vet LT relies less on a vet G-What is the point of your comment--trying to be clever?

I saw something in him during preseason, but that was preseason--I think he has the tools and I assume they will be fine until they prove they aren't. I get your point, but right now, if we were Chief fans, we'd be saying that about players. Instead, we are waiting for the next bust and injury.

6 wins. Thought bryce would play within the 2.47 seconds rule ---did not expect the defense to maintain, but I thought Wonnum, Barno, and Clowney would equal what we got from from Burns and Gross matos. Brown being out is killer. With no pressure on the QB, nothing consistent to create middle pressure / stuff the run, gonna be picking first again this year.

I am seeing decent feet and less waist bending than last year. Gone from weak to about average.

Better when playing beside a veteran LG. He is settling in--not a liability at this time--mental mistakes down, technique better. I would not move him.

A 4th rounder in his 4th game. He is going to be fine.

These are my thoughts as well. a possession slot WR--Coker, as whtih Thielen and Proehl, has a brain. That is so important for a WR--you know where the DBs are going to be, what the QB wants you to do, etc.

Or coaches--but some people are not coachable. By that I mean that there are players who accept coaching during the week, but put them in a game, and they fall back on old habits.

Injuries to Corbett, Brown, Thompson, Jewell, Legette, Thielen, Moton--that is pretty huge. Those are some of your best players and a THIRD of your starters. Morgan?

He knows how to get open--it seems. Smart kid

4 targets, 4 receptions, 68 yards.

I coached with Dwight Hollier, former Tar Heel, Miami Dolphin and Indy Colt LB--he told me basically that the Special Teams coach is just as vocal as the DC and OC. He said, "if you aren't starting, you better be making noise on special teams. If you think about it, with 22 starters and 3 special teams specialists, that only leaves another 22 players or so on the active roster--the reserves, in other words. He said if you are in that group, you better be a factor on special teams because when they cut players, they talk to the coordinators--and if you are a second teamer, the special teams coordinator's voice is just as loud as the defensive coordinator's voice. (He was probably talking from a LB perspective)

About 15 years ago, I spoke to Rose on the phone about Tommy Helms, the Reds' all star second basemen that was traded to Houston in a move that formed the big Red Machine. Larry (Tommy's brother) and my father were friends, and Larry gave me the bat Tommy used in the 1968 all-star game in Houston when he was a Red. When I mentioned Tommy and Larry to Rose, he shouted "Paw Creek!!!" and proceeded to tell me how he used to visit Tommy and Larry and how they used to raise hell in Charlotte. He even knew Larry's nickname (Pappa Bear or something like that--I forgot it specifically, but he knew it). Larry later gave me a signed Pete Rose hat, baseball, etc. I never mentioned the hall of fame or the scandal to Rose--and I think he really appreciated talking about something else.

I was furious with Harris. He was slow, he missed tackles, and his body language was not good. He literally caused us to play 10 vs 11. He was that bad. I am surprised that he got a 38.

Leggette is still raw, as you say. He dropped 2 balls and still had 66 yards. If he did that every game, that is a 1000+ yard season. He is body catching too much, but when he catches with his hands, the ball sticks. I am not down on Mingo like others--he is slowly coming around and if we can have his as our #4, I am fine with him there. Coker is the wild card.

My opinion is this--a RB rarely earns the second contract--they peak around age 27. If you recall, we drafted another Jonathan running back off the surgeon's table--Stewart. He spent a lot of time on the exercise bike if you recall, and I would argue, even though he was successful as a player, he was not a value. In my view, RBs are so plentiful and they hit the wall so quickly, I would not sign a RB to a pricey second contract. Now, if anyone adopted my position, we will pay Brooks for 4 years to give us 3 years of productivity. Furthermore, Texas had/has a solid OL and passing game. I am not sure that he will be as good without those two advantages....We shall see. I would have rather seen us go a different direction with the second overall pick. I hope he proves me wrong--I am not predicting that he will fail--and I think (with Sanders doing OK at times and Chuba) I would give him a few more weeks to heal.

I tend to look at windows--our window is going to be open between 2025 and 2029, based on the ages and contracts of the core players, imo. I would trade if it makes us better in the long run, but you have to remember that a second round pick is only 70% likely to be successful in the NFL (PFF). If you spend $25m per year on Johnson, that could be used to pay several players on a first contract. If Johnson was 25 or 26 and he had no history of being a problem child, I would consider it. However, Legette is looking like he could be a #1. If we could get a #2 from KC and find a WR #2 in the draft, then Mingo, Coker, and another year with Thielen (contract) might be enough. Johnson is good, but he did drop 2 balls Sunday. In all, I think I counted 5 drops by Panther WRs---that is the difference of the game, imo.

I met Shaq at the OTAs during his rookie year. Washington was on the quarter system, so he was late. I am 6'1" and I was taller than him--I am guessing he was 5"11" and he had a pretty thin frame--probably weighed about 220 then. As a 4-3 OLB, maybe, but an inside LB? His body has to be telling him to stop it.