raleigh-panther

It’s ok to like someone. A lot of the ‘experts’ miss i like Dane’s write up because I believe them to be fair The full write ups on the other QBs are very balanced as well 4th rd, if there, Panthers might take the chance I’m like, with Darnold and Walker in the QB room, why not

From Dane Bruegel in the Athletic, additions to overviewing shared yesterday STRENGTHS: Tall passer and checks the size boxes ... strong, confident arm and not afraid to rip throws into quick-expiring windows ... has a natural feel for downfield touch on verticals ... puts too much air under deep passes but gives his receivers ample time to track the ball ... can work left-to-right progressions with tempo, and not shy taking the checkdown if available ... makes subtle, short steps in the pocket to navigate the rush ... coaches are able to open the playbook and add more to his plate midweek (former head coach Jay Norvell: “Very intelligent kid. He can handle volumes of information we give him.”) ... set the school record with 299 consecutive pass attempts without an interception (second-longest streak in MWC history) ... named a team captain ... is all over the Nevada passing record books, finishing third in school history in passing yards (730 behind Colin Kaepernick) and passing touchdowns (eight behind Kaepernick). WEAKNESSES: Doesn’t have the quickness or escapability to consistently move the pocket once flushed ... not a threat to run (only 37 rushing yards in 2021, not including lost sack yardage) ... setup and release tend to lag, giving defenders a chance to jump throws ... too many throws have a low launch point ... relies too much on his arm and not enough on his hips or legs to drive throws ... doesn’t have the body twitch to accelerate his process when the walls close in ... needs to do a better job staying on schedule with his eyes and placement ... smart, but still very young (NFL scout: “He won’t be ready to run an NFL quarterback room for another year or two, at least.”) ... has been beaten up over his career, including a collarbone fracture in his first career start (August 2019) ... major durability concern relates to the health of his right knee — diagnosed with osteochondritis dissecans lesions (July 2017), where the cartilage detaches from the bone, requiring surgery and sidelining him for his senior year of high school; underwent another surgery (February 2021) to have cadaver cartilage added to his right knee; had an knee arthroscopy to clean scar tissue (August 2021) prior to his final season in college. SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Nevada, Strong played in former head coach Jay Norvell’s version of the air-raid offense and became the first player in school history to earn Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year (and he did it twice). Although his early season consistency in 2021 didn’t match his 2020 film, he rushed back from his offseason knee surgery (normally a 10-month recovery time), and that affected his performance. He still managed to set a school-record with 36 passing touchdowns as a junior. Strong has the arm talent to make the defense cover every inch of the field, and his velocity helps mask average anticipation with his reads. Aside from questions about his knee durability, his lower body fundamentals aren’t a strength to his game, as he lacks the foot quickness to easily move the pocket and regain his balance as a passer. Overall, Strong has natural passing instincts and can rip throws all over the field when on schedule, but he is a limited play-extender with mixed results versus pressure that will limit his NFL ceiling unless addressed. As long as the medicals on his knee come back clean, he falls somewhere in the range of Mason Rudolph as an NFL prospect. GRADE: 4th-5th Round

Your point is taken howeverThey had Sam Darnold, who was going to be the savior now you could say that they felt darnold was better so they made the move before the draft and the rest is history I would like a LT as well but the fact remains Darnold is not the answer the fact also remains that darnold has never played a full season and yet again, they just have PJ as backup. That is not tenable. It wasn't tenable last year and less so this year Before opening day, they need a NFL backup and a potential starter not named Darnold if they don’t answer those needs then consider the possibility that they are letting the season go as it does and Rhule is history my hope is they manage to move down two spots, get that LT and get a qb in the second people who spend money on this franchise need hope there is zero tight now and as long as Darnold is under center, that won’t change

If it’s addressed to me, I truly have no opinion. however , I would say Rhule hitched his wagon to Bridgewater and Darnold so I’d say his wagons have either a suspect team of horses pulling it or shoddy wagon wheels I suspect the team’s best hope is that McAdo’s wagon is better at evaluating QBs…and that’s concerning

It really is. Mr Bruegler’s guide is excellent

this is a paid subscription with the Athletic and the write ups behind these overviews is very extensive If you want that, subscription too much to put here OTs 1. IKEM EKWONU | NC State 6040 | 310 lbs. | JR. Overall, Ekwonu isn’t a refined blocker and must improve his landmarks, but he is nimble, powerful and should continue to get better and better as his technique and awareness mature at tackle. He has the traits to become an elite run blocker in the NFL and should be a rookie starter at tackle or guard. GRADE: 1st Round (No. 2 overall) 2. EVAN NEAL | Alabama 6074 | 337 lbs. | JR. Okeechobee, Fla. (IMG Academy) 9/19/2000 (age 21.61) #73 Overall, Neal lacks elite lateral agility and needs to clean up his leaning, but he is an effective blocker thanks to his rare mix of size, athleticism and flexibility. He projects as an immediate NFL starter with Pro Bowl potential and multi-position versatility. 3. 3. CHARLES CROSS | Mississippi State 6046 | 307 lbs. | rSO. Overall, Cross lacks ideal bulk and power, especially in the run game, but he processes things quickly and shows outstanding hand exchange and movement patterns in pass protection. He projects as an NFL starter with Pro Bowl-level talent thanks to his pass blocking. GRADE: 1st Round (No. 7 overall) 4. TREVOR PENNING | Northern Iowa 6071 | 325 lbs. | rSR. Clear Lake, Iowa (Newman Catholic) 5/15/1999 (age 22.95) Overall, Penning’s fundamentals and on-field discipline need to be coached up, but he has an impressive blend of size, length, fluidity and power along with the physical presence to dominate the man in front of him. With his traits, he can be a rookie NFL starter as he works out the kinks GRADE: 1st Round (No. 16 overall) ————————————————————————————— QBS 1. KENNY PICKETT | Pittsburgh 6032 | 217 lbs. | rSR. Overall, Pickett has some skittish tendencies, and the hand size (throws with a glove) will be a factor for some teams, but his football IQ, functional mobility and accuracy from various platforms are an impressive package. He projects as an immediate starter who can be an upgrade for several NFL GRADE: 1st-2nd Round (No. 30 overall) 2. MALIK WILLIS | Liberty 6004 | 219 lbs. | rSR. Overall, Willis needs time to mature his anticipation, vision and placement, but he has the potential to be a dynamic NFL playmaker because of his natural athleticism, armtalent and intangibles. He will likely need a redshirt year before seriously competing for an NFL starting role. GRADE: 1st-2nd Round (No. 32 overall) 3 DESMOND RIDDER | Cincinnati 6033 | 211 lbs. | rSR. Overall, Ridder needs to become more consistent with his release, timing and accuracy, but his loose athleticism, self-confidence and experience are strong selling points. He has the physical tools and mindset to compete for starting reps early in his NFL career. GRADE: 2nd Round (No. 40 overall) 4. MATT CORRAL | Ole Miss 6015 | 212 lbs. | (age 23.24) #2 Overall, Corral is still unproven in several integral aspects of playing the position, but he is an instinctive athlete with the live arm and competitive toughness to create plays. With continued development and less hero-ball, he has a chance to be an eventual playmaker in the right scheme GRADE: 2nd-3rd Round (No. 56 overall) 5. 5. SAM HOWELL | North Carolina 6005 | 218 lbs. | JR. Overall, Howell needs to clean up his footwork and develop as a pocket passer, but he has NFL-quality arm strength, athleticism and work ethic and operates with a slow heartbeat. He projects as a low-end NFL starter, flashing similarities to Baker Mayfield. GRADE: 2nd-3rd Round (No. 60 overall) 6 Carson Strong | Nevada 6033 | 226 lbs. | rJR. Overall, Strong has natural passing instincts and can rip throws all over the field when on schedule, but he is a limited play-extender with mixed results versus pressure that will limit his NFL ceiling unless addressed. As long as the medicals on his knee come back clean, he falls somewhere in the range of Mason Rudolph as an NFL prospect. GRADE: 4th-5th Round

Incorrect I just found person’s take interesting as most National media say Pickett and Person is local . I’m unconcerned as long as they come out of this draft improved and they don’t be the bone heads they have been Rhule has made stupid decisions and if he has to live with Darnold so be it

His little alliance with Germany comes to mind the nfl wants to expand to Europe. Jax has been talked about for years going over to London. it would not surprise me either if Tepper went to Germany. More power to him

I don’t care what Tepper does His nfl decisions haven’t exactly been stellar if the reports are true, if only he dropped Rhule as quickly as his little pet project in South Carolina I have enjoyed the Panthers in Charlotte but life goes on whether they stay or go but as far as Tepper as a. Owner and his decisions or his hurt feelings or hardball, my ‘give a damn’ is broken

I think so too

Yep. Its just funny to me that all the talking heads at ESPN think it’s Pickett still others a LT the local guy who follows the team thinks it’s Willis It’s just all very interesting with the NO trade which positions them to move up ahead if the Panthers if they choose. I can’t see them doing that for Pickett

Joe Person The Athletic Disclaimer, right off the jump: This is going to be a weird Panthersmock. Not weird in the sense that I’m going to draft a long snapper in the sixth round or have every pick come from one side of the ball. I mean, both have already been done. For the sake of simplicity, at least in this initial mock, I’m picking straight-up for the Panthers with no trades, which, if last year is any indication, is about as likely as a buddy flick starring Will Smith and Chris Rock. General manager “Trader Scott” Fitterer was wheeling and dealing throughout the 2021 NFL Draft, his first with the Panthers. And we’ll try to channel that cellphone-buzzing, deal-making energy in our next mock. But we’ll play it straight in this one, which — if it happens on draft weekend — would allow time to cut the grass, hit the gym, smoke a Boston butt, wax the minivan and drive to Rock Hill to see the remains of the Panthers’ would-be headquarters in the window between their first pick Thursday night and their next one Saturday afternoon. (Free The Athleticswag for anyone who checks all those off the to-do list on Day 2 of the draft.) Second disclaimer: I leaned on The Draft Network’s mock draft machine to carry me through that long lull between the first and fourth rounds for the Panthers. All that said, the envelope please, Mr. Rock: First round (No. 6) Liberty QB Malik Willis Also considered: Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett, Mississippi State OT Charles Cross, Northern Iowa OT Trevor Penning If the Panthers could find an interested team, they would be tempted to move back to recoup some of the draft capital they traded away last year in the deals for Sam Darnold, C.J. Henderson and others. Depending on how far back they move, there’s still a good chance they could get Pickett, Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral or one of the tackles in the tier just below Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu. But they might miss out on Willis, who has the biggest arm and highest upside among the highest-rated quarterbacks. It’s not just Willis’ skill set that has impressed the Panthers. Like everyone at Willis’ pro day two weeks ago, Fitterer felt “the excitement in the building” that stemmed from Willis’ energy, enthusiasm and 65-yard rainbows. If you hadn’t noticed — and owner David Tepper certainly has — the energy was missing around the organization during the last month of the 2021 season. Cam Newton brought the juice during those heady days from 2013 to 2015 and again last season when he returned, though it turned out to be short-lived. There’s only one Newton. But Willis, who went to Newton’s south Atlanta high school and spent two years at Auburn, has the same type of charisma and confidence. It’s time for the Panthers to draft a first-round quarterback, and Pickett certainly merits a long look. The decision to take a QB becomes trickier if Neal or Ekwonu is available, but I like Willis as the pick at No. 6. Fourth round (No. 137, from LAR via HOU) Louisiana OT Max Mitchell Also considered: North Dakota OT Matt Waletzko, Arizona State C/G Dohnovan West Teams don’t usually find their franchise left tackles on the second or third days of the draft, although the Panthers believe Brady Christensen — last year’s third-round pick from BYU — will start somewhere along the line this season. If the Panthers go quarterback at No. 6 and opt not to bring in a veteran tackle such as Duane Brown or Eric Fisher, Christensen could be the starting left tackle, where he was a consensus All-American at BYU. But with swing tackle Cam Erving and Dennis Daley in the final year of their deals, the Panthers could stand to add another tackle. And the 6-foot-6, 307-pound Mitchell, who started at both tackle spots for the Ragin’ Cajuns, makes some sense. Mitchell has good length and drew praise from former Louisiana coach Billy Napier and his staff for his toughness and leadership skills. His experience at right and left tackle also is a plus and could allow him to transition into a swing tackle role. Mitchell played in a zone scheme in college, so that could give the Panthers pause as they shift to a power run game. But Mitchell, whose pro day is Monday, had a good week at the Senior Bowl against better competition than he faced in the Sun Belt. Fifth round (No. 144, via JAC) Miami (Ohio) edge Dominique Robinson Also considered: Appalachian State LB D’Marco Jackson, UAB edge Alex Wright Robinson, who grew up in the shadow of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, is one of the more interesting prospects in the draft. Robinson arrived at Miami as a quarterback, moved to wide receiver and eventually switched to defense during the COVID-19-shortened season of 2020. The RedHawks played only three games that season, but Robinson flashed his playmaking potential last season when he collected 8 1/2 tackles for loss, 4 1/2 sacks and four hurries at defensive end. Robinson didn’t stand out at the Senior Bowl, according to some observers. But his athleticism was evident at the combine, where the 6-5, 253-pounder finished among the top 10 defensive linemen in the 40-yard dash (4.72 seconds), 225-pound bench press (25 reps), vertical leap (41 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 1 inch). Robinson is still far from a finished product, and draft experts are mixed on where he’ll get picked. Some have him listed as a sixth-round prospect or later, while ESPN’s Mel Kiper in February pegged Robinson as a third- or fourth-rounder. Given Robinson’s ceiling and the Panthers’ need for a young edge rusher, getting him with the first pick in the fifth round does not feel like a reach. Fifth round (No. 149) Ohio State OL Thayer Munford Also considered: Kentucky OT Dare Rosenthal, Arkansas CB Montaric Brown, Clemson WR Justyn Ross I don’t think it’s a stretch to have the Panthers doubling down at offensive tackle, whether they draft one of the top guys in the first round or not. New offensive line coach James Campen has been impressed with Christensen’s tape from his rookie season. But if the Panthers are still wavering on where Christensen fits best, it’s not a bad idea to keep loading up on tackles. The benefit of using a fifth-round pick on Munford is that he, like Christensen, could slide inside if needed. The 6-6, 329-pounder started three seasons at left tackle for the Buckeyes before shifting to left guard for much of 2021. Munford has good length and bulk, but his footwork could give him problems with speed rushers at the next level. And anyone who saw Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson steamroll Munford will question his ability to handle the bull rush, as well. Matt Rhule knows Ohio State coach Ryan Day well from their time together at Temple, though, and will get the skinny from Day on whether Munford is worth a fifth-round flier. Sixth round (No. 199, via LV) Michigan LB Josh Ross Also considered: Indiana LB Micah McFadden, Baylor WR Tyquan Thornton At 200 picks into the draft, the Panthers aren’t looking for their future middle linebacker. But it’s always good to mine the late rounds for backup linebackers who can contribute on special teams. Ross was a two-time captain at Michigan, where he racked up a team-leading 106 tackles in 14 games in 2021 to go along with two pass breakups and eight quarterback hurries. Ross is not particularly big (6-foot, 227 pounds) or fast — he was clocked at 4.79 seconds in the 40 during Michigan’s pro day last month. But Ross has good quickness playing downhill, makes a ton of plays in the run game and has drawn the attention of the Steelers, who reportedly took him to dinner after his pro day. It was tempting to use a late-round pick on Thornton, the Baylor blazer who ran the fastest 40 (4.28) of anyone at the combine this year. Seventh round (No. 242, from NE via MIA) Virginia Tech WR Tré Turner Also considered: South Carolina TE Nick Muse, Texas Tech WR Erik Ezukanma The Panthers sent a big contingent to Liberty’s pro day to see Willis. But they also watched a lot of his throws go to Turner, the Greensboro, Ala., native who participated in Willis’ pro day to showcase his receiving skills for scouts and then drove to Blacksburg for Virginia Tech’s pro day that same afternoon. Turner, who was also a basketball standout in high school, comes from an athletic family. His dad played football at NC State, while his brother P.J. Hairston was a first-round pick by the Charlotte Hornets in 2014. At 6-1, 184 pounds, Turner led the Hokies in receiving in two of the previous three seasons, but he did not test well at the combine, where he ran just a 4.51 in the 40. But he’s developed some chemistry with Willis after catching passes from him at the Senior Bowl, the combine (they were in the same throwing group) and the Liberty pro day.

Carolina Panthers’ David Tepper is one of the world’s 10 richest sports team owners BY ELLIS L. WILLIAMS [email protected] 1 hour ago Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper doesn’t speak much publicly, but his money sure is loud. Forbes magazine released its annual ranking of the world’s richest sports team owners Tuesday. Tepper, 64, who also owns Charlotte FC and has a net worth of $16.7 billion, came in at No. 8 on the list. Despite rampant inflation and a volatile market, Tepper’s worth has increased by nearly $1 billion from year year, an improvement of 15 percent. He is still the NFL’s richest owner, worth $6 billion more than the league’s second-wealthiest owner, Stanley Kroenke. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is the third richest owner ($10.6 billion), followed by Patriots owner Robert Kraft ($8.3 billion). The Panthers have not had a winning season under Tepper, who bought the team in 2018 from Jerry Richardson for $2.275 billion. But NFL teams make money regardless of record. Carolina is worth an estimated $2.91 billion, $600 million more than what Tepper bought the Panthers for. Tepper is the fourth wealthiest American sports owner. Steve Ballmer (Los Angeles Clippers), Dan Gilbert (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Steve Cohen (New York Mets) all rank above Tepper. Due to his stake in Microsoft, Ballmer is the world’s richest owner with a net worth of $91.4 billion. Tepper jumped Memphis Grizzlies owner Robert Pera after his wealth decreased by nearly 20% this year. Of Forbes’ 400 richest people in the world, Tepper ranks 103rd.

That knee situation is a bit dicey, agree?

Truth I’d just like to see a professional looking team, you know that can move the chains and complete a pass ….reaching for the stars….

It’s hard to say what will happen sometimes, hope has to be given to the paying faithful attending games and buying gear and food at the stadium, drafting a QB would do that .….……..until it doesn’t but giving the illusion of having a qb in waiting may be they can sell the ‘Sam just needed people around him’ pipe dream again frankly, given all the very tragic things going on in the world today that none of us can fix, at least we do have this distraction if I had to guess they will draft a qb in the first rd and Try and sign Duane brown or perhaps get lucky, trade down, pick up a second and bring in a qb in one of those rds

Thank you for saying this not many on here realize, too, that it’s nit year by year. It’s a four, six, 8 year commitment and it doesn’t matter if they suck or not the price each year is guaranteed to not go above x percent it’s up to the owner to find another PSL buyer if you want out

Nfl players have incentives (production targets and increasing numbers for playoffs, pro bowls, etc. In their contracts, particularly Wide Receiver Logically, they are going to favor someone who can help them hit those it’s about the money in the nfl and who can help a player make it during their mostly short careers

You and @Vergemake this site worthwhile. thank you both

I think joe was extrapolating if Fitterer has his way, it’s a draft choice at QB and that is not Rhule’s preferred way.

Apologize if this was posted earlier. I didn’t see it from joe person, Athletic March 25 Late in his post-free agency news conference Friday at Bank of America Stadium, Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer laid out what he called the ideal scenario for building a roster around a drafted quarterback. This is what the Seahawks did with Russell Wilson when Fitterer was Seattle’s college scouting director. This is not what the Panthers did the past two seasons with Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Darnold. “Ideally, you have a young guy that you can drop in there. That’s the most cost-efficient way to do it,” Fitterer said. “Surround him with veteran talent, have a young quarterback on a cost-efficient contract. That’s a great way to build your team. We did that in Seattle. That’s probably the right way to build it — draft and develop. That’d be a really good plan for us moving forward.” And then Fitterer felt compelled to add a caveat: “But,” he said, “we’re open to all options.” Fitterer has spent the past two weeks putting together a pretty good foundation on offense. He beefed up the interior of the line with a pair of big, strong guys from winning organizations, former Rams guard Austin Corbett and ex-Ravens center Bradley Bozeman. He added another big guy, running back D’Onta Foreman, and made a commitment to wideout DJ Moore, who’s worth every penny of his new four-year, $73 million deal. The Panthers have one of the NFL’s most versatile players, Christian McCaffrey when he can stay healthy, and several second-year players who look ready for expanded roles, guard/tackle Brady Christensen, tight end Tommy Tremble and wideout Terrace Marshall Jr. They’re still a left tackle short of being able to helicopter a quarterback in and make a run at Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in the NFC South. But they’re closer — “two steps closer this year, not just one,” in Fitterer’s estimation. And as the Panthers prepare for their third season under head coach Matt Rhule, the quarterback decision gets at the heart of a bigger question hovering over the organization: How well aligned are Rhule, who has final roster say as part of his seven-year contract, and Fitterer, who arrived a year after Rhule and has the reputation of being a sharp talent evaluator and a consensus-builder? “I think we’re very aligned,” Fitterer said. “We believe in building it up front. We want to build on defense — offensive and defensive line. Obviously, quarterback is a part of this. He’s very aggressive, and I think that fits my nature, as well. We’re aggressive as a staff, as an organization. That’s our philosophy.” That aggressiveness starts at the top with team owner David Tepper, whose affinity for shiny new objects was most recently evident in his unsuccessful yearlong pursuit of Deshaun Watson, despite the allegations by 22 women of sexual assault or sexual misconduct by Watson during massage sessions. Aggressiveness is a close cousin to impatience, and both were evident last season when the Panthers misjudged how close they were to contending, prompting them to bring back quarterback Cam Newton and make in-season trades for defensive backs C.J. Henderson and Stephon Gilmore. Henderson cost the Panthers a third-round pick and their top receiving tight end. The Panthers only gave up a sixth-round pick for Gilmore, but he and Newton combined to make $12 million to play eight games each in what turned out to be a five-win season. But back to quarterback: As Fitterer said, the prudent approach would be to draft a quarterback and continue to add players around him while he’s on his rookie contract. The Panthers just spent most of the week — and a good bit of jet fuel — hopping around from Pittsburgh to a burg in the Blue Ridge Mountains to one of the country’s best college towns, Oxford, Miss., for the pro days of Kenny Pickett, Malik Willis and Matt Corral. Rhule and Fitterer skipped Desmond Ridder’s pro day Thursday because Fitterer said the Panthers spent a lot of time with the Cincinnati quarterback at the Senior Bowl and at the NFL Scouting Combine. (The Panthers sent a scout and two personnel executives to Cincy to see Ridder.) Experts say this year’s quarterback class pales in comparison with last year when the Panthers passed on Justin Fields and Mac Jones with the No. 8 pick. But some around the league — including a couple with the Panthers — believe this quarterbacks group is better than people think. The Panthers would have to be willing to accept some growing pains if they took one of these quarterbacks with the sixth pick, or later if they were to trade back. That will require patience — from an owner who’s endured four losing seasons since buying the team, and a head coach who might be coaching for his job this year. Thus, Fitterer’s caveat that the Panthers are open to all options. “Our whole focus is to get the whole team right. I think last year we came in, kind of reset that defense and built that defense. We got some pieces this year, rebuilt this offense,” Fitterer said. “We have a much better offensive line. We got the running backs. We got the skilled position (players) at receiver. Eventually, it’s going to get to the point where you can drop a quarterback in and just take off. That’s what we’re building towards, and I think we’re a lot closer this year than we have been the last year or two.” When the Browns won the Watson sweepstakes, the dominoes started falling in a quarterbacks market that has been pretty well picked over. But there are some guys out there if the Panthers want to try the retread approach again, including Jimmy Garoppolo and Baker Mayfield. The Panthers can afford to play the long game with Garoppolo since A) he’s still recovering from shoulder surgery; and B) no one else seems to be clamoring for him. Both of those points mean the Panthers wouldn’t have to give up much for Garoppolo, which is helpful considering the Panthers don’t have much to give. The Darnold and Henderson trades left the Panthers without any picks in the second and third rounds, which is going to make for an uneventful Friday night during draft weekend. Garoppolo might get the Panthers into the playoffs if everything around him is just right and he stays healthy. He’s certainly an upgrade over Darnold, who — along with his $18.9 million salary — remains on the roster and serves as a reminder of what happens when teams reach at the position. As he did at the combine, Fitterer was clear the Panthers plan to add another quarterback. Depending on whether it’s a stopgap guy like Garoppolo or one of the quarterbacks from the draft could tell us a lot about who’s calling the shots. Quarterbacks are hard to find,” Fitterer said. “Sometimes you have to swing and take a shot at these guys. And if you miss, you can’t stop swinging. You have to take a shot again.”

Nothing earth shattering Behind the mind of Scott Fitterer: A Q&A with the Carolina Panthers’ GM BY JONATHAN M. ALEXANDER [email protected] 7 hours ago In the lobby of The Breakers hotel, where the NFL held its annual owners meetings, you’re likely to run into a league or team official, whether that’s an owner, a general manager or commissioner Roger Goodell. Running into Goodell didn’t happen for me, but before catching my flight back to Charlotte, I did sit down with Panthers’ general manager Scott Fitterer on Tuesday afternoon for a one-on-one interview to talk his philosophy on the draft, being a fan favorite and whether Carolina could trade back, draft a quarterback or bring back Cam Newton. Here is our conversation: Jonathan M. Alexander: Your specialty has been through the draft coming up through the Seahawks, what’s been your philosophy on drafting and evaluating quarterbacks during your time and what you’ve learned? Scott Fitterer: I don’t think it’s all about the physical tools. Obviously, there’s a certain baseline you need. You need the arm strength, you need some mobility, awareness in the pocket. You have to be able to process quickly, but it really comes down to who is the guy. Is he the guy that’s poised? Does he have the command? Does he have the leadership? There’s a makeup you want in the quarterback position. That’s what separates him from the other guys. A lot of guys come in really, really talented, but don’t quite reach the potential that maybe they have because they are missing a few things. ... That’s what we are trying to figure out. JMA: When was the first time you realized you wanted to be a GM? SF: I kind of fell into scouting. It’s weird to say. I was playing baseball at the time. I didn’t play football in college. And a lot of my roommates were getting drafted at that point. Got into scouting through a friend, through an acquaintance who gave me an opportunity. And I just kind of took it from there. I’ve always loved football. Baseball was easier, but I loved football. Once I got into scouting you realize how it really works behind the scenes. I was really intrigued by that. And having mentors like Ted Thompson, I became enamored by the GM spot, being able to build a team, being able to build through things. Growing up, I never thought about being the GM, I always wanted to be a quarterback. JMA: Panthers fans have an affinity for you. They have memes of you with laser eyes. You have a fan club. Do you see that? SF: (Laughs) I don’t because I don’t do a lot of social media stuff. I’m not on Instagram. Sometimes my kids will show me. Nicole Tepper has sent my wife a couple of things before. So I have seen them. It’s fun, but it comes down to you have to win. So those memes might look a little bit different if you’re not winning. It all comes down to doing it the right way and building the team right. JMA: How were you all able to find or identify a guy like Russell Wilson, and did you realize beforehand, like, ‘Oh, he can be a franchise guy?’ SF: This is kind of an interesting story. John Schneider was the GM at the time, went and evaluated Russell on campus early in the fall. He came back and said, ‘Fitt, I found our quarterback.’ I’m like ‘Who? I thought you went to Wisconsin?’ He said, ‘I did. Russell Wilson. I’m going to take that guy in the first round. This is our guy.’ And he knew right away because he saw him on the field, the command we talked about a little bit earlier. He said, ‘He has that.’ And he learned the playbook in like three weeks, became the captain right away, he has something special to him. I’m like John, ‘He’s like 5-10 1/2.’ Every quarterback at that time was like 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. He goes, ‘Yeah, but if you really look at it, the balls aren’t getting batted down, he’s moving in the pocket, he’s doing a lot of different things.’ So as we went through the process, we really kind of were drawn to him. There were a lot of quarterbacks that year, but he was like the one guy that had that ‘it’ factor to him. So we interviewed him at the senior bowl, and then the combine we kind of stayed away from him. We knew we were going to go down that road. And we just kind of played it really quiet with him and we took him. And I think we knew the first minicamp was like a week or two after the draft, he came in, they mic’d him up and once he stepped in the huddle, he wasn’t a rookie. He owned that position. We had gone through three, four or five quarterbacks. We had all these guys coming through and we kept swinging till we found one. It’s kind of the same situation we’re going through right now. We’re going to keep swinging on quarterbacks, taking shots until we find that guy that can lead our team. JMA: I assume Russell changed your perspective on how you evaluate quarterbacks. SF: Oh, yeah. We looked at a lot of different factors. 5-10. What really other 5-10 quarterbacks have been successful. And Pete, I think brought up Fran Tarkenton. The sample size was very, very small. And OK, so usually we don’t take these guys, but what are the compensating factors. The compensating factors were intelligence, the processing, the ability to move and slide in the pocket to see windows, the ability to throw through them and not get balls batted down. We knew we’d probably give up the short stuff over the middle, but every other part of the game was there. And especially in the third round, he was still sitting there, it was a no-brainer at that point. JMA: Do you feel like any of the quarterbacks in this draft have that type of potential to be diamonds in the rough? SF: Yeah, I do. Without giving too much away, I think there are guys. I think at the pro days you definitely saw it. I think (Kenny Pickett) is probably the most accomplished, most steady, probably closest to playing. You put him in games and you feel good about it. I think the other two guys have really special traits in different ways. I think Malik’s (Willis) athleticism and arm strength is excellent. He’s a great prospect to work with. And (Matt) Corral had this really live arm, quick release and the ball jumped out of his hand. All three of these guys are a little bit different. There’s some arguments that are they the elite guys that come out in the past. Again it comes down to maybe, you take a swing until you find him. Desmond Ridder, you look at him, he’s got a unique leadership skill set. Really, really smart. So they all bring something different to the table. It’s how are we going to take that and fit that into our offense, what can (offensive coordinator Ben) McAdoo do with them and how do we surround him to support them. And we have to decide, is this a guy that we think can be the guy. You don’t want to pick in the top 10 too often, so maybe you take a shot on a guy. JMA: Do you see an opportunity to trade back? SF: I think there will be opportunities. It’s going to someone to really want one of those tackles, pass rusher, maybe they like (Ahmad) Gardner, or a quarterback. So we’ll keep everything on the table. We’re very open to trading back. Obviously, filling some of those draft holes we’re missing. But like I’ve said, if we feel like there is someone who can come in and play for us for eight years, we’ll take that person. JMA: After missing out on Deshaun Watson, was there any serious consideration to find a free agent quarterback, or was it always in the plan to look in the draft? SF: No. We don’t want to just take a quarterback to take a quarterback, or sign a quarterback to sign a quarterback. Obviously, there are things that might shake free in the future that we might be more interested by, but right now we don’t want to force anything to get someone in. If Cam (Newton) is sitting there and he feels it’s the right fit at some point, maybe he’s an option to come back. A lot of that is going to be in his hands. Does he want to come back? Does he want to take this role? We’re very open to that. But we weren’t just going to run out and sign a guy to sign a guy. We want to have an upgrade. JMA: When y’all say it has to be right for us, what is right for you all in regards to Cam? SF: It has to be the right role. Be willing to come in — to me it’s still an open competition. Until someone owns that position, the door is open for us. If the time is right, if he sees a fit, and we see a fit, then we’ll bring him back. You can’t have enough guys like him in the building from a leadership standpoint, from a presence standpoint, an example for that room. Plus he’s an intense, elite competitor, and that rubs off and that’s the type of guy we want. JMA: Dan Morgan seems to be a guy that is next in line to be a general manager. And Samir Suleiman, too. Morgan interviewed for the GM job with the Steelers. What do you think about his future? SF: Dan’s future is unlimited. He’s got a good leadership style to him. He’ll go and spend a lot of time with the pro guys and say this is what we want. He’ll push guys. He brought a lot of information from Seattle and Buffalo. He brings the player background to it. He’s great with relationships in the agent community, inside the building. He’s a really good scout on top of it. And Samir is going to be the same way. Samir is coming from the administrative cap side, but he’s a really smart guy. We involve him in the scouting process. He knows the value of players. He’ll have opportunities, and eventually Pat Stewart is going to have that. Cole Spencer will have that. The whole goal is keep developing our personnel staff so they have those opportunities to be become personnel directors and GMs. That’s what we’re trying to do here. JMA: I know hindsight is 20-20, but when you all made some of the in-season moves and they didn’t work out, did you feel like that was part of what you had to do, or is that something you wouldn’t have done, looking back on it. SF: I think at the time, we made the best decision for the team. We’re not going to add through free agency and the draft and just sit back. We’re going to be active on the waiver wire and through trades. People were thinking like hey, when we traded for C.J. Henderson, he’s not a superstar. Well no, it’s also why he was the No. 8 pick because he’s got this unlimited skill set. He is an elite athlete. But it was not the right spot for him in Jacksonville. So a change of scenery, he comes here, we’re going to work with him. And if he’s only a No. 2 or No. 3 corner, it’s still pretty good for a third-round pick. A lot of times it takes time for a young guy to grow. But it’s our job to keep developing these guys and hopefully crack that ceiling and let them grow. Stephon (Gilmore) was a great addition. A sixth-round pick a year out from now, so we acquired those for nothing. To add a guy like that with his leadership, his ability to teach the players around him. Coaches can only do but so much. Players watch players. They see how they study film and how they work on the field. JMA: With the cap space you have, do you anticipate making another big move, or some more small moves? SF: We want to have the flexibility to do both. That’s why we don’t want to spend every dollar. Whatever money we have we can always carry next year. But in order to maximize what we can do, get ready for what’s next, we want to have that flexibility cap-wise.

Unfortunately, no one will buy them outside of the Tom Brady fans not even all those huge panthers fans on this page So how about you, Im sure you are a big fan, message me and I’ll sell one game or all of them to you for this season at the price I pay. Like most on here, you won’t put your money where your mouth is but will be more than happy to criticize the unhappy PSL holders who can sell individual games people like to quote that there is no ‘year to year decline’ after this cluster fug with Rhule the reason is the terms for PSLS are 4 years, six years, 8 years If they can’t be transferred to another sucker, the psl holder is responsible for them We cannot just ‘turn them back in unless that term is up. It falls on us to find a buyer. The buyers typically are not the dedicated fans on this page believe me, if we could turn them back in, that stadium would be empty the reverse isn’t true, if atelier decides to remove seats to put in field seats or whatever, to bad the frustration of psl holders in this page us out if the roof and it should be. A person who did td a pro team to be able to complete a meaningful pass or god knows, score a touchdown. This team under Tepper is atrocious and it is a lot easier to turn the channel than to be there to see it

Quoting 4man crew’s tweet ’Matt Rhule thinks Neal would be a good tackle but a great center’ lol

It is exhausting Entertainment….lol…you too can be a PSL holder, tied to a contract, with this coach and this team that looks like they could not complete a pass ….and a dumb poo coach going for Darnold and giving away draft picks to boot watching good teams and then watching the Panthers is like a Dickens’ novel of have and have nots and none of it needed to be that way None of it if you are smart enough to be able to sit home switch the channel on this poo show, good for you I could suffer Fox and Clausen a whole helluva lot better than any of this So, yeah, a lot of us in here are very vocal Ive been very vocal with the Panthers reps about it as well for all the good it does