Soul Rebel

IMO, every WR that's slotted to go late first - mid/late second have their flaws. - Strong: Too stiff, poor separation - DGB: character issues - Perriman: Crappy route tree, poor hands - Agholor: frame - Smith: route running It's just a matter of finding the right fit for the right team. For us, it's a #2, preferably with speed and who is also a playmaker. This whole group is talented and could all go anywhere from early 20s - end of the 2nd, IMO. I'm no scout or claim to be, but I remember a similar conversation going on last year for the Panthers. Players like Robinson, Latimer, Benjamin, Lee, Matthews were all slotted anywhere from early 20s - 2nd round. Just which team they fit with the best. Benjamin was a first round talent, but there were mocks out there that had him mid-2nd. Just saying that if DG thinks Smith is the right kind of WR for the Panthers, he could be the pick at #25. I don't see him being there when they come back around in the 2nd either. That's the kicker about this draft. If you want a WR, there's plenty of them, but the second tier of WRs drop off around 50. One could squeak through, but that's a gamble I wouldn't want to take. After the second tier, you enter the next tier of players like McBride, Hardy, Dorsett, etc. Still talented, but there is a drop off.

Nope. Might not be popular opinion, but enough people have Smith at the end of round 1 to not make it a reach. IMO, no less of a reach than Benjamin was last year.

1 - Devin Smith WR Ohio State 2 - Cedric Ogbuehi OT Texas A&M 3 - Buck Allen RB USC 4 - Durrell Eskridge S Syracuse

Saw that.... great find! Not familiar w/ him, other than he was a former 2nd round pick and was a back up on the Jets last year. Their OL was pretty horrible last year too, so if he couldn't crack the lineup, then he is simply just depth.....which I'm okay with. Would rather stock the cupboards heading into the draft and this summer, and have to cut folks instead of scrambling to add talent.

Disagree. I don't understand the people that want to move Bene inside so much. He played boundary at SJSU and did fine, outside of the Seattle game as our CB2. Easier in the draft/FA to find a nickel than a starting outside CB. If we do find one, fine, but we can find another Bene in rounds 3-5. Guys like Josh Shaw, Doran Grant and Jacoby Glenn to name a few. I do believe the Panthers will address this need in the draft, but I don't see them going after a #1 CB, though I would love Marcus Peters if he drops.

I don't know about this, but I do see your opinion. My thought is, an OL is made up of 5 guys that build chemistry, and are strong as a sum of their parts. Oher, Remmers & Martin might not be All-Pro tackles or anything more than average tackles, but when they bookend Norwell-Kalil-Turner, the whole unit balances out their deficiencies. I think 1 of these 3 tackles will emerge as an above average tackle this year. That gives you 4 out of 5 OL that are dependable. Norwell, Kalil, Turner and Remmers have 1/2 a season to build off of, and if they can stay healthy, I think this OL is instantly better than the crap we saw for most of last season in the trenches. I might be a homer here, but I will wait to judge Oher before seeing him healthy and reunited with Matzko. I will also hold judgment on Martin until I see him with this team. We're getting Martin in late March, which gives him all offseason to get acclimated to the core of that line. It wouldn't surprise me if both flop here, but knowing how changes of scenery and being fully removed from injuries can have positive affects, I'm willing to give them both the benefit of the doubt. Regardless, I think if we roll out Oher-Norwell-Kalil-Turner-Remmers or Oher-Norwell-Kalil-Turner-Martin, it will be stronger, better and safer for Cam & the running game, than it was in 2014. Considering the $1M pricetag for a former 2nd round pick that is only 25 years old, I'm good with it. Worst case it's depth if that horrible injury bug bites us again. Martin can step in and at least provide a band-aid. Just my 2 pennies.

Same way I viewed the Oher signing. Wasn't doing cartwheels, but thought it could possibly work. Martin, for different reasons might not work out, but similar mindset for me with these two signings.

Not mad about this at all. Not a fan of his past in Miami, and didn't pan out in SF, but SF had a pretty nasty OL. Young, talented and provides instant depth. Could definitely see this locker room helping get him back on track, and him being our RT by late in the season.

Truuuutttthhhhhh! Only one I see that can give us what Ball would have, is Tillman. Not a spring chicken, but 6'2" and only a couple of years removed from a Pro Bowl. Other than that, you're hitting in Cason territory.

I'm almost thinking a reversal on Tolbert. I thought he would make the most sense given his lack of production last year, injury-plagued season in '14, UFA in '16 and his semi-high salary for a FB.... a position that is quickly becoming obsolete due to the h-back and single-set RB look. Then I saw a stat where the Panthers were 7-3 with Tolbert in the lineup and 1-6-1 without him. Not sure of the correlation, but crazy coincidence of his impact. I remember way more miscues and lackluster performances from him, than great games in '14. If we lose Cotchery, we probably replace him with a vet (Jennings), so that doesn't open a roster spot. I agree Cole is probably on the outside looking in. Harper would be next on the chopping block, especially if we end up with Collins somehow. I also believe someone like Bersin or Colin Jones if Carolina snags an early CB in the draft.

I know people throw around the Smith-like tag anytime an undersized WR with speed is available, but I truly believe Crowder fits the Smitty-esque bill. His size and speed are the easy giveaways, but his ability to fight for the ball, his vertical, and strength to play much bigger than his size, is what I like about Crowder. If he's available still with one of our compensatory picks, I'd snag him. I don't want him as our future #2, but an additional WR that could evolve into a nasty slot receiver with return abilities would be okay.

Love everything about Perriman..... except his hands. They're bad. Very suspect and inconsistent. One play he will make an incredible high-point grab, and the next he will drop a wide open catch. Very KB-esque like last year. KB wasn't as bad as advertised, but he did frustrate us a lot this past year with his drops. If Proehl can help with their techniques and improve the pass catching, Perriman is a bonafide top-20 selection. Perfect frame, fast, fluid, big hands, incredible vertical, doesn't shy away from physicality. Only knocks on him are level of talent faced at UCF and his hands. Honestly, at #25 there is a severe knock on every WR. Strong - Stiff & lacks separation DGB - off field/character issues Smith - route running Agholor - frame/physicality Perriman - hands For me, Smith and Agholor are my personal faves, but Perriman is right behind them.

Agree with Thomas on this. It's about value and salary. AJ is making $7M+ in '15 and '16 and is two years older. Both WRs are putting up similar numbers and expectations are about the same, only Jennings would cost 1/2 the price. Jennings isn't going to be the beast that he was in GB with Favre/Rodgers, but a solid 70 reception - 750 yard - 8 TD campaign is likely here. I'd take that, even though Johnson is the more talented WR. Jennings at $3.5M-4M > Johnson at $7.5M

Not only banking on J.Stew staying healthy, but the depth behind him is scary too. Though Gurley has injury issues, he and Tevin Coleman would be immediate contributors next year and beyond. I really do think Stewart is not a Panther this time, next year. As much as I cringe seeing Shula on the sidelines, I wonder how much better he would look with a nasty young RB, and a QB that has an OL that can protect him long enough to find his receivers.

This is why I want him here. His hands and experience. It's what we hoped Cotchery would bring, but even last year, Cotch should not have been viewed as our WR2. Jennings, though he might not be the sexiest FA signing, is much more reliable than guys that we wanted like Crabtree, Nicks, & Moore. Getts waited out the first rush of FAs, and now that the market has seriously died down, he is looking to pounce on a veteran. Really surprised Jennings has lasted this long. He's not a dominating force any more, but he certainly fits in to what this team needs at WR.

I really think the Panthers have high hopes for Byndum. Might not fit the nickel, but he could be their future dime back. I agree 110% with the though of leaving Bene on the outside, and find a slot corner instead. Justin Coleman is the kid out of UT that is perfect for the nickel, and could be had in the 5th or 6th round, IMO. I love Trae Waynes, Marcus Peters, Ronald Darby, Byron Jones and Josh Shaw. The first two will be off the board, Darby might be, and Jones is probably gone before we pick in the 2nd. Jones, IMO, could be the CB steal of the draft in the early-mid second. Shaw would be an interesting prospect if he's still there in the 3rd, because he can play that hybrid role that Jones did last year in the slot. Essentially, having 2.5 safeties, and 2.5 cornerbacks on the field. Shaw would be great against TEs and goes along with the trend that defenses are moving towards with the 3 safety look.

It's borderline laughable right now all of the fans that are thinking that Gurley will be there in the 2nd. Like you, I have doubts that he's even there at 25. His injuries are bothersome for a first round pick, but from most of what was coming out of Athens after the ACL injury, it's nowhere near Lattimore or McGahee. By July, he should be good to go, and if he spells Stewart instead of being the number one back in 2015, he should heal fine by 2016. To get a starting caliber back at 25 that is compared to Adrian Peterson or a faster Marshawn Lynch in our run heavy offense would be a great get. There are others that I want before Gurley at 25, but there's a very strong chance that he will be the BPA at 25 and with Stewart's contract, injury history and age, our GM is thinking farther than just plugging in a player in 2015. If there are no medical concerns from our staff, I'd be fine with Gurley at 25 and wouldn't think twice.... depending on who's still on the board. Cam needs weapons, and a prototypical back with power, speed, elusiveness and a homerun threat everytime he touches the ball, certainly fits the bill.

Kroeger stepped in and instantly erased any love that the town had for Marc James. Granted, it's not hard considering James is a big bag of douche. All James would talk about was The U, and his supposed popularity out and about in Charlotte. Not many were sad to see him go. Kroeger has a passion for this town and delivers insight that balances fandom and factual, neutral knowledge. Nobody at WFNZ was talking much about Hornets/Bobcats, but Kroeggs made sure to talk about things pertinent to the area, instead of general blah blah blah. F Marc James

On the bright side, this should technically remove all of the worry with signing Jarrett Boykin, right? Looks like DG was looking to help our ST unit and this helps a lot. Add the LB from MIN on a cheap deal, and the trio of Teddy G, Teddy W and Gachkar improves this unit big time.

The funny thing is, DG told us from day 1 when he was hired how he builds teams.... Draft and not overpaying for players. You would think 72 hours into year 3, that fans and people would get it. It might not be explosive, exciting and headline-grabbing right now, but this team is setting itself up for to be elite for awhile, not just every other season. The guy has hit on 72% of his draft picks the past two years and the core of this team is the draft, not FAs. Cam Stewart Kalil Turner Norwell Benji Brown CJ Ealy Star KK Luke TD Glanton Klein Norman Bene Boston Though DG didn't draft them all, he is responsible for a good amount of that team. This is how the Seahawks, Packers and Patriots of the NFL landscape are built. Not exciting in March, but Gettleman strikes in April/May for the draft.

Tampa has to love this. Looks like they will trade places in the basement this year and maybe next draft year. Hackenberg/Cardale Jones/Mannion or bust for NO in '16

After Gettleman's confidence in Bell and Chandler last year, I have to take this comment with a grain of salt. This signing had to have Matsko's approval and honestly, was great value on the FA market. That being said, I don't trust Oher on the left side and hope that he can string together 1 or 2 more above average seasons to bridge the gap until our new LT is ready. Oher has the size, feet and athleticism but just gets overmatched routinely. I trusted Gettleman last year, but this year, I need some results. I'd rather he stick with scouting and balancing the checkbook than naming Michael Oher our starting LT with confidence.

I think after last year's dance, DG would bring him in on no more than a 2 year deal, and not much more than what he got last year. The thing with Nicks is that he followed his ego last year and failed miserably, IMO. Maybe coming home to a place where he is more comfortable and has more support in place, and with a little reality check of what tier WR he is, he could flourish. If he signed, I would still draft a WR in rounds 2 or 3. Someone like Devin Smith, Tre McBride, Tony Lippett, etc. Benji Nicks McBride Brown Ginn Cotchery/Hill/Lucas Gotta say, I'd be happy with those weapons for Cam. As the season progressed, I could see the rookie WR getting as much burn as Nicks too. It would be like a WR2A and WR2B.

I know it's Incarcerated Bob, but I'd be good with Crabtree here. I wasn't his biggest fan, but did more research on him to understand all of the negative views of him. But after reviewing some stats and videos, I do think he would be a great fit as our #2. His play in the '12 postseason was pretty incredible. Outside of the 2013 injury year, he's been relatively healthy. Then I watched this vid and am sold on him. http://youtu.be/XaeRugrccW4

Funny how the SB Champs and a team that was a few minutes away from playing them in the SB, are both interested in Harvin's services. Rodgers already has Cobb, Nelson and Adams, but are considering Harvin. Ironic, since Harvin is an ideal fit for what this team lacks: explosive, playmaking home run hitter.