panthers55

in the media Cam doesn't get a pass but around here the hypocrisy between how Can is treated versus Shuls really is ridiculous.

He seems the whipping boy for every offensive problem while the players like Cam get a pass because people recognize he didn't have a great supporting cast. What is funnier still is that everyone commends Cam for all his accomplishments without mentioning that Shuls took him from a guy who knew very little and has improved him every year.

If Rivera waits until week 8 then that is how long it took for the staff to get him ready to start. This whole notion that Rivera only plays veterans until he has to put in new guys is really stupid. Didnt he start Cam day 1 as a rookie? Star? Luke at Will, Benjamin last year. The list is really long. Putting in a rookie is always risky and in our defense, it can be disasterous particularly in the back 7. Everything is based on accountability and being where you have to be on each and every play. One guy out of position and you give up a big play. It takes time to learn this system which is why except for Luke few if any rookies start in this defense day 1 out of linebackers and secondary personnel. The Offense is pretty complicated as well. Obviously each player is unique but the whole notion that coaches would not play the best guy is ridiculous. And to assume that Ron is not a good judge of talent given the rest of the coaches and Gettleman as wel as his pedigree is stupid as well.

Do you remember why Norman did not start last year? I do. What they saw was that Norman wasn't where he needed to be to much of the time which is critical in our defense and was fundamentally unsound. It wasn't his talent level but his maturity. As the season unfolded he did what he asked to do and improve tremendously. Hence the reason they Cason was released. I thought Godfrey was playing safety not corner??

Once again it is untrue that those veterans shouldnt have played over the guys who eventually replaced them. At the time the season started, the guys who eventually replaced them for the most part, where not ready to assume starting roles. Chandler for example was really our own option until Remmers was signed at the end of October. Then Remmers had to be trained and learn the offense and gel with the team. He was actually thrown in there early than ideal but did much better than anyone expected. The same thing could be said about the other guys you mentioned. It is totally naive to think that you can just plug a guy in and he can play at a high level especially if he is a rookie. That only happens in Madden.

That is just stupid logic that is unfounded. They make changes when they feel that the guy who is starting is not as good as the guy who is backing him up. We started 7 rookies last year and that was not all due to injury. Sometimes we use injury to say that is why we are making the change to preserve the veteran's ego but Rivera has not been unwilling to start a rookie over a veteran and will make changes when he feels they are ready to start. Most times you may be forced to play a rookie earlier than you would like due to injury but you didnt play them just because of injury, the injury just made you act sooner than you would liked. If Williams starts in week five due to Oher struggling or being injured it will be because he needed that long or longer to be ready. If he does well it would be a stretch to say he should have started all year.

So does Oher suck or have Addison and Alexander picked up their game and are playing very well early in camp. I am hoping for the latter and and not the former. I suppose the preseaason games will tell the tale.

My youngest son is 15 and plays sports at a high level and gets trophies only for winning now. As a child he got all the participatory trophies. A year or two ago he took all of those trophies and packed them away saying they didn't count and weren't worth keeping. He got themessage and is anything besides a wuss and wasn't hurt by the experience. I would think kids who they are referring to never play anything at a high level and likely needed trophies to build their self esteem as a child. Truth is if they continue in sports beyond 10, they figure it out and aren't hurt by awards won as a small child for participation.

That makes sense if the goal is to sell merchandise at heavily discounted rates. But if it to sell Amazon Prime memberships then you have folks sign up not knowing what is going to be on sale hoping to find something. Otherwise you would look at the catalogue and if nothing jumped out you wouldn't sign up for prime. Because you don't know many folks will sign up just to see what goes on sale. BTW if you are a student you can sign up for six months of prime free and buy the yearly membership for half price. You need an email that ends in edu. And no I am not postng a link just giving folks the heads up.

I am glad there is competition and whoever wins will each bring something to the team that compelled them to keep them. It should make preseason games worth watching this year as the quality of the depth improves. It will be nice to have a roster where everyone can come in and fill the hole without a ton of drop off when needed. It might make it easier for our coaches to teach the nuances of the game instead of focusing on teaching jags the basics because they are so raw and inexperienced.

You seem a little ahead of me. You make good points and I will have to reconsider my opinion. I have just disliked him so intensely for that cheap shot on Smitty among others that it is hard to see him in any other light. I don't like the Saints and he seemed to embody everything I disliked about them. I can't say he has done anything like that here so maybe he was highly suggestible to negative influences. Maybe he will be highly susceptible to positive influences as well. Food for thought, thanks.

The biggest reason to have a bruiser fullback would be to take advantage of the tendency for defenses to be smaller and faster making them susceptible to bigger bruising linemen and a big fullback. Over time this should wear down defenses and allows you to run at the end of the game when you are trying to run out the clock and dominate the defense. Plus it really ties into our philosophy and our personnel. Gettleman seems to favor bigger more physical guys with a nasty streak. That is perfect for shoving the ball down the opponent's throat and demoralizing them.

You have to admire the way that the Panthers Involve themselves in the community. Good front office and an owner that Is a southern gentlemen and takes care of his own and the causes he believes in.

​I played Football played through high school. I played soccer and tennis in college although soccer was not fully funded back then so it was a club sport. Most of my coaching has been at the below 14 year old level mostly in rec leagues and some club levels. The issue is that at each higher level players have to manage their emotions and learn not to let other players get into their head as every skill level improves. Pushing or blocking too long is not the same as throwing a punch which is what happened in both of these skirmishes. Sure fights happen and some coaches encourage it. I remember a middle coach in basketball encouraging me and another player to actually physically fight one another for a position to find out who wanted the position more. And lets be clear I had and sometimes still have a real issue with anger and usually was one of the main guys if there were any fighting going on. But what I learned and what I have taught my boys is that is not what makes you win or successful. If you are worried about the last play or what a guy did to you a few minutes ago it stops you from being in the game right now and focusing on what you need to do this play.

Of course the offense and defense need to bond with each other and believe in each other. Of course each unit will be closer to each other than they will be to a unit they are competing against but the offense has to believe the defense will make a play or pick them up and vice versa. I can remember in 2010 when the offense was so awful that the defense knew that if they gave up 20 points or we got more than 7 points behind we were going to lose.

It isnt much use arguing now that is it over and nothing did happen which is a good thing. This time. But it is naive to assume that it will always be that way or that there are never any negative consequences to fights between teammates in camp.

People here have a real short memory. What happened when Smith sucker punched Lucas a few years ago. If Lucas hadn't been the bigger man and forgave Smith and welcomed him back it could have escalated into a real divide between offense and defense. Guys on the defense wanted Smith gone for a lot longer than 2 games. That could have easily torn the locker room apart.

I have played at several levels at more than one sport. Coached at the lower levels in baseball, soccer and football. And I still maintain that it is an immature undisciplined response by players who let their emotions control their judgement. Football is about the mental game as much as it is physical game, maybe more so. So while we can all say it is just guys being competitive, it isn't something to be overlooked or ignored. As you practice is how you play and undisciplined is undisciplined. You don't think it gets hot in Tampa or Miami. That is why Rivera said it was disappointing rather than saying it is just guys being competitive. He knows what I am saying is true.

Not getting in a fight is not backing down it is actually showing more maturity and is harder than throwing a punch. If you want to impress the coaches make a play dont act like a immature punk trying to act tough.

And assaults and crimes go up in the summer heat as well? Your point?? Players are supposed to act like professionals as well. Fighting in camp is an amateurish move not the sign of someone who is in control and in charge of their emotions.

I dont think fights in minicamp are good at all. It isnt as if we are playing other teams these are our own teammates and our guys. Losing control is a sign of immaturity and if I were a coach I would have some pause with a guy who couldn't control themselves for fear if they do this in practice with their own guys what will they do in a game. One of the big issues with Norman over the past few years was an inability to control himself and avoid doing stupid things. Sure it happens but no it isn't a good thing

​He threw a lob to Benjamin in the preseason. Thee are plenty of things that legitimately you can complain about without making stuff up.

Deleted because the quoted post didnt show up in the post.

Chud was a great play designer but not a great OC. He was egotistical, more interested in promoting himself instead of the team, and got way too cute with all the read option stuff. He totally limited what Newton could do and gave him little option to call his own plays or make adjustments. Rumor was he didnt think Cam was able to read defenses and call the right plays. If he were so great he would be an OC right now and he isnt.

​And to say the playcalling was even half of the problem in the redzone without mentioning a lack of running game, injuries, lack of redzone weapons is ridiculous. Know how many TDs Benjamin simply dropped in the endzone last year? I do and that was purely execution. Since you dont know what was called simply what was run which many times is based on what Cam audibles to in the redzone you dont know the facts. The folks who do constantly talked about execution not playcalling last year. Who should we believe, Rivera, for example or you??