All Time Panther Team

[TN05]

Offense:

QB - Jake Delhomme, Cam Newton, Steve Beuerlein

RB1 - DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart

RB2 - Stephen Davis, Anthony Johnson

FB - Brad Hoover, Mike Tolbert

WR1 - Steve Smith, Mark Carrier

WR2 - Muhsin Muhammad, Ricky Proehl

OT - Jordan Gross, Kevin Donnalley

OG - Travelle Wharton, Geoff Hangartner

C - Ryan Kalil, Jeff Mitchell

 

Defense:

LE - Julius Peppers, Charles Johnson

DT - Kris Jenkins, Brentson Buckner

RE - Mike Rucker, Greg Hardy

LOLB - Thomas Davis, Lamar Lathon 

MLB - Sam Mills, Luke Kuechly, Jon Beason

ROLB - Kevin Greene, James Anderson

CB1 - Chris Gamble, Ken Lucas

CB2 - Eric Davis, Captain Munnerlynn

 

Special teams:
K - John Kasay

P - Jason Baker

KOS - Graham Gano

KR1 - Michael Bates, Rod Smart

KR2 - Steve Smith, Mark Jones

PR - Steve Smith, Winslow Oliver

[KSpan]

Offense:

QB - Jake Delhomme, Cam Newton, Steve Beuerlein

RB1 - DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart

RB2 - Stephen Davis, Anthony Johnson

FB - Brad Hoover, Mike Tolbert

WR1 - Steve Smith, Mark Carrier

WR2 - Muhsin Muhammad, Ricky Proehl

OT - Jordan Gross, Kevin Donnalley

OG - Travelle Wharton, Geoff Hangartner

C - Ryan Kalil, Jeff Mitchell

Defense:

LE - Julius Peppers, Charles Johnson

DT - Kris Jenkins, Brentson Buckner

RE - Mike Rucker, Greg Hardy

LOLB - Thomas Davis, Lamar Lathon

MLB - Sam Mills, Luke Kuechly, Jon Beason

ROLB - Kevin Greene, James Anderson

CB1 - Chris Gamble, Ken Lucas

CB2 - Eric Davis, Captain Munnerlynn

Special teams:

K - John Kasay

P - Jason Baker

KOS - Graham Gano

KR1 - Michael Bates, Rod Smart

KR2 - Steve Smith, Mark Jones

PR - Steve Smith, Winslow Oliver

Pie for Winslow Oliver.

[TbTeRRoR]

Fred Lane!  Just saying

[Mr. Scot]

Since its offseason, I am almost positive everyone is tired of talking about our WRs, Greg Hardy, and who the hell is going to be our starting LT. So I assembled the greatest panther team of all time. So look it over and tell me what you would change.

 

THE GUN SLINGERS

1st QB - Cam Newton - 2x Probowler, ROY, and posting a 60% completion rate with 11,300 and 64 passing touchdowns in 3 years is pretty impressive.

 

2nd QB - Jake Delhomme - A true underdog story and a fan favorite, if we could only forget about that home playoff game against the Cardinals.

 

3rd QB - Kerry "Drunken" Collins - I want to put Steve Beuerlein here, but with the lack of playoff wins I have to go with Collins. Simply because he took the team all the way to the NFCC game, where eventually we would get blown out by Brett Farve and the Packers.

 

SMASH N DASH

 

1st RB - Steven Davis - Has there ever been a better FA pickup by the Panthers? Davis really made the 2003 team into a smash mouth football monster. He posted 1,444 yards and 8 TD during that season.

 

2nd RB - Deangelo Williams - The Panthers all time leading rusher had 1515 yards, 18 touchdowns, and was averaging 5.5 yards a carrier in 2008. Even though Williams might have lost a step, he is still a good back in our offense today.

 

3rd RB - Johnathan Stewart - When we drafted Stewart a lot of fans could not figure out why we needed another back. With the 12th overall pick it didn't make any sense. Stewart has become the second all time leading rusher in Panthers history. Could you imagine if this guy if he stayed healthy?

 

1st FB- Brad Hoover- This was a really tough one with the emergence of Mike Tolbert, but Brad Hoover was one of the main reasons that the run game was so potent for so many years. Besides who doesn't like to chant HOOOOV to the top of their lungs!

 

2nd FB - Mike Tolbert - Great pass catcher, blocker, and everyone remembers the hit he put on San Francisco's Reid.

 

 

THE PASS CATCHERS

 

1st WR- Steve Smith aka agent 89 - arguably a future hall of fame player and definitely the best player that's ever worn a Panthers jersey. Steve Smith since being drafted in the 3rd round out of Utah amassed 836 catches, 12,197 yards, and has put up 67 yards per game. I think we all are going to miss Steve Smith this upcoming season.

 

2nd WR - Mushin Muhhammad - A physical receiver that could go over the middle. Drafted back in 96 in the 2nd round, Mushin has done nothing put strait produce. He racked up 860 catches, 11,438 yards, and 62 touchdowns. This offense has been trying to find his replacement for years... Is that you Kelvin Benjamin?

 

3rd receiver - Tie between Mike Carrier,Rickey Proehl, and Patrick Jeffers. This is a tough one to call If Jeffers did not get injured I really think he could have been a great WR for years to come for the Panthers. Proehl is a student of the game and had some of the biggest catches in Panther's history. Mike Carrier was a good player but not great. He tallied up 2,500 yards and 13 touchdowns in 3 seasons.

 

1st TE - Wesley Walls - Did not matter if he was doubled covered, he always found a way to catch the ball. In the red zone defenses knew the ball was coming his way and could not stop it. During his tender with the Panthers, he had 44 touchdowns.

 

2nd TE - Greg Olsen - Probably Newton's best friend. Traded a 3rd round pick in 2011 and has been worth every penny since then. Olsen was the leading receiver in 2013 and is expected to be a big part of our offense in 2014.

 

 

THE HOG MOLLIES!

 

LT- Jordan Gross - No competition here a corner stone of this franchise for over 10 years. Picked 9th overall from the University of Utah. I like when panthers pick Utah players, Steve Smith, Gross, and Star!

 

LG - Mike Wahle - In 2005 Jerry Richardson went on a spending frenzy and grabbed Wahle and Lucas. Did we overpay Wahle absolutely, but to be honest I can't think of anyone to overtake his spot. The closest in line would be Wharton. 

 

C - Ryan Kalil - Taken in the second round out of USC, also the only player in panthers history out of USC that has actually contributed. Ranked in this years top 100 for the 2nd time in 3 years. Do I need to say anymore?

 

RG - Evan Mathis - How in the hell did panthers let this guy slip away? Drafting him in the third round, he later played with the Bengals from 2008 - 2010 and did not allow a single sack in 2009, 2010 seasons. He currently plays with the Philadelphia Eagles and was rated by PFF the best guard in football in 2010 and 2011.

 

RT- Todd Stussie - Was a vital piece to the Panther's 2004 super bowl run and solid in pass protection for Delhomme. I know Gross played on the right side and he played on the left during the time, so you could argue to put Jeff Otah here. No one can deny that Otah was a beast in the run game, but injuries made his time short in the NFL.

 

GETTING DEFENSIVE

 

LE - Julius Peppers - Game Changer, elite skill set, but lacked hustle to be legendary. The Vick vs. Peppers was a great game every time they suited up in that era.

 

LE - Honorable Mention - Greg Hardy - STAY OUT OF TROUBLE!

 

DT- Star Lotuleli - I might have him a little high on the list for only one year production, but the panthers got a great steal when the 14th overall pick was announced. This kid is going to be a monster in the trenches for many years to come.

 

DT - Kris Jenkins - Selected in the 2nd round out of Maryland, Kris was a offensive coordinators nightmare. He excelled against the pass and run.  

 

DT - Honorable mention - Brentson Buckner

 

RE - MIke Rucker - Peppers on one side, Rucker on the other, equals the best pass rushing tandem in panthers history.

 

RE - Honorable mention - Charles "Big Money" Johnson

 

 

THE LINBACKERS

 

LOLB - Thomas Davis - Originally drafted to play safety out of Georgia, then later converted to outside linebacker. We all know what Davis has accomplished and should have been physically impossible. to come back from 3 ACL tears and to play at the level he did last year is nothing short of impressive.

 

LOLB - Honorable mention - Lamar Lathon

 

MLB - SAM MILLS - This is the hardest position to rank the top player because of so many great mlb in Panther history. This one is well deserved and Mills became the heart and soul of this team. By far made the biggest impact of any player off and on the field. Mills always led by example and when diagnosed with cancer he continued to coach. RIP Sam MIlls.

"KEEP POUNDING!"

 

MLB - Honorable Mentions - Luke Keuchly, Dan Morgan, Jon "The Beast" Beason. Keuchly could be the greatest MLB when it is all said and done. Its hard to argue that when a player wins DROY and DPOY back to back. The only player to achieve that honor was Lawrence Taylor... you might have heard about him.

 

ROLB - Kevin Greene - Nasty punishing hitter. Greene finished his career with 160 sacks, which 41.5 came while playing with the Panthers. Great expansion pickup and really helped put the defense on the map.

 

 

DEFENSIVE BACKS

 

CB 1 - Chris Gamble  - Closest thing panthers ever had to a shut down corner. Drafted out "THE OHIO STATE" Gamble was a versatile weapon. He could return punts, kickoffs and shut down the opposition. Wish we was still on the team.

 

CB 2 - Eric Davis - Ball hawking corner that excelled in making breaks on the ball was a solid starter from 1996 - 2000.

 

Nickel - Ricky Manning JR - Without this man, The panthers would have never seen the Superbowl. His 3 pick performance was incredible against Donavan McNabb in the NFCC game.

 

Nickel - Honorable mentions - Captain Munnerlyn

 

 

SAFTEYS

 

FS - Mike Minter - Selected in the second round out of Nebraska, it didn't take long for minter to impress. He finished his career with 790 tackles, 15 forced fumbles, 8 recoveries, 15 interceptions, and 4 defensive touchdowns.

 

SS - Chad Cota - With exceptional speed and great tackling ability. Cota was a ideal safety at 6'1''. In 1996 he finished with a team high 5 interceptions.

 

Safety - honorable mentions - Mike Mitchell, Chris Harris.

 

 

LEG POWER

 

K - John Kasey - The last original panther to be on the team. Hate he had that mishap in the Super Bowl.

 

P - Todd Sauerbrun - The only punter in the league that could hit like a line backer.  

 

RETURN SPECIALIST

 

KR/PR - Rod Smart " HE HATE ME" - The ex XFL player was a pretty solid return man for a few years and who doesn't love the name He Hate Me? 

 

QB - I'd take Beuerlein as the #3 over Collins.

 

RB - Not much I'd argue there except I'd give an honorable mention to Nick Goings.  Fred Lane could have deserved to be mentioned here too if real life hadn't interfered in his football life.

 

FB - I love both Hoover and Tolbert, but the best pure fullback the Panthers ever had was Howard Griffith.  William Floyd was good but not as good as he was with the 49ers.

 

WR - Gotta give that #3 spot to Proehl, but I loved Patrick Jeffers (still get sad when I think what he could have been).

 

OL - My guards would be Travelle Wharton and Kevin Donnalley. Greg Skrepenak might get a look but I think Donnalley was better (and lasted longer).  Granted, Mathis is good now but he wasn't good here and I'm not that big a fan of Wahle.  You could put Frank Garcia as a guard but he was a better center.  I'd also add Jeff Mitchell as a backup there with Kalil the obvious starter. Keydrick Vincent was great at guard but only for one year.  Also not that high on Todd Steussie.  Jordan Gross is the obvious choice at left tackle but if you're switching sides I'd likely take Blake Brockermeyer over old "1st and 15".  Otah was definitely the most talented there if he hadn't been injured.  Mark Dennis was decent there too.

 

DL - Can't leave Al Wallace out of this discussion.  He was a great rotational guy.  Ditto Shane Burton.  Dwan Edwards probably belongs in at least the honorable mention category too.  Love Mike Rucker, but I'd take Johnson starting over him.  Keep him as a backup though.  I'd give an honorable mention to Ma'ake Kemoeatu as well.  If he stays out of trouble, Hardy vs Peppers is going to be a heck of an argument in a couple of years (a lot up in the air there).

 

LB - Taking the emotion out of it, and - more to the point - basing it on a 4-3 system, I'd have to start both Luke Kuechly and Dan Morgan over Sam Mills.  Mills spent most of his career as a 3-4 ILB and not a true MLB. If you go 3-4, then Mills and Carlton Bailey would make sense as your inside guys.  Outsid?  Again, it depends on the system.  In a 3-4 I'd take Lathon and Greene without question, but basing it on a 4-3, Thomas Davis and Will Witherspoon are your top guys.  Greene was just not that great against the run whereas Witherspoon was a complete linebacker.

 

S - Mike Minter and Deon Grant are probably the best safety combo we've had (though by all accounts Grant was dumb as a brick).  Love Chad Cota too but I'd probably have put Chris Harris ahead of him.

 

CB - Little doubt Davis and Gamble are our best starters here.  As a nickel back though, I'd take Captain Munnerlyn over Ricky Manning.  After the changes in illegal contact enforcement were enacted, Manning's game went to s--t.  Tyrone Poole might have been a decent choice at nickel too.

 

P - I know Sauerbrun could hit, but for a punter I'd take Jason Baker first,  Arguably Tommy Barnhardt over Sauerbrun too.

 

K - No doubt it's Kasay, though I'm pretty happy with Gano right now.  For kickoffs, Rhys Lloyd.

 

PR - Gotta be Steve Smith.

 

KR - Michael Bates, no question.  I'd keep Rod Smart as a gunner though, but If you add that position then you've gotta put Jared Cooper in the top spot.  Karl Hankton is in that discussion too.

 

And here's an intriguing add on:  Who are our best all-time coaches?

[KillerKat]

Statistics are dependent on circumstance. I look at the body of work and form an opinion. Jake helped the Panthers make the playoffs 3 times. Buerlein never led a team to the playoffs. Jake has an above .500 record as a starter. Buerlein was below .500. Jake had something that is difficult to track, the ability to win at the end of games. Sure he lost games too but you felt like you had a punchers chance with him.

 

And I loved watching Buerlein play. He was a good QB but Jake accomplished more.

You bring up circumstance when Jake was on better teams than Steve was. You can say playoffs this and playoffs that, you'll never be able to know how much of that was dependent on others or not. How would Steve do on the teams Jake was on in the playoffs? We'll never know. Best we can do is look at his stats and come up with the best guess. I can probably guess he wouldn't have thrown all those INTs in the Arizona game. The stats are the only ones that don't lie or bring emotion into it. Individually Steve was better. If you want to talk about Jake's fire or whatever, then we're talking about 2 different lists that I described earlier.

[the_philosopher]

The biggest change I would make is at RB. There aren't many running backs in the history of the NFL who ever had better seasons that Williams did in 2008. And he's had other strong seasons too. He's got to be ahead of Davis.

 

[Mr. Scot]

You bring up circumstance when Jake was on better teams than Steve was. You can say playoffs this and playoffs that, you'll never be able to know how much of that was dependent on others or not. How would Steve do on the teams Jake was on in the playoffs? We'll never know. Best we can do is look at his stats and come up with the best guess. I can probably guess he wouldn't have thrown all those INTs in the Arizona game. The stats are the only ones that don't lie or bring emotion into it. Individually Steve was better. If you want to talk about Jake's fire or whatever, then we're talking about 2 different lists that I described earlier.

 

But if you want to rely on stats, you can't ignore the systems.

 

Beuerlein's best seasons came in a very stat-friendly WCO under Seifert.  Delhomme spent all his time in a more run-oriented Coryell offense (arguably Earhardt-Perkins under Davidson).

 

Factors like that are why I don't like going by stats except sometimes - when appropriate - as a tiebreaker.

[KillerKat]

But if you want to rely on stats, you can't ignore the systems.

 

Beuerlein's best seasons came in a very stat-friendly WCO under Seifert.  Delhomme spent all his time in a more run-oriented Coryell offense (arguably Earhardt-Perkins under Davidson).

 

Factors like that are why I don't like going by stats except sometimes - when appropriate - as a tiebreaker.

Again, you're talking about factors that are debatable and still speculation.

Even then:

Beuerlein: 1723 attempts

Delhomme: 2669 attempts

I think it's fair to say Delhomme threw enough times to compare him statistically to Beuerlein.

[Mr. Scot]

Again, you're talking about factors that are debatable and still speculation.

Even then:

Beuerlein: 1723 attempts

Delhomme: 2669 attempts

I think it's fair to say Delhomme threw enough times to compare him statistically to Beuerlein.

How many games/seasons?

And remember a West Coast system inflates your completion percentage.

[KillerKat]

How many games/seasons?

And remember a West Coast system inflates your completion percentage.

So you're downplaying Beuerlein because he was in a WCO. I suppose Joe Montana isn't one of your favorite QBs. Why does the number of games even matter when Delhomme almost doubles Beuerlein's attempts?

According to your logic, The QBs can't be compared because they are in different systems yet you compare them in this thread and conclude Delhomme is better. Why? Do you like the system better? Do you think Delhomme would succeed in a WCO? Do you think Steve would fail in Delhomme's offense? Or is it Jake's fire?

[KendrickPanther]

I think Jake meant more to the team and probably had a better grasp on his position...

But if you're going off records, you have to remember how truly awful those teams in the late 90s were.

Give Steve our 2003 D-line and Stephen Davis, then imagine the carnage.

 

It's hard to make an argument on the "what if" game. We just don't know, we will never know. What if Tom Brady had played for the Colts and Peyton Manning for the Patriots? Maybe Tom is a career backup, there is no way we could ever know what would have happened.

 

All we can go by is what did happen.

[Mr. Scot]

So you're downplaying Beuerlein because he was in a WCO. I suppose Joe Montana isn't one of your favorite QBs. Why does the number of games even matter when Delhomme almost doubles Beuerlein's attempts?

According to your logic, The QBs can't be compared because they are in different systems yet you compare them in this thread and conclude Delhomme is better. Why? Do you like the system better? Do you think Delhomme would succeed in a WCO? Do you think Steve would fail in Delhomme's offense? Or is it Jake's fire?

Yes,the number of games played in does matter if you're comparing stats.

And yes, the WCO makes quarterbacks look good, whether they're objectively good or not. Ask any team that traded for an Andy Reid quarterback.

You can't ignore real world conditions. Stats in a vacuum can make even someone like David Carr look good.

[Night Prowler X]

Sam Mills is a Carolina Panther. By his own volition and admission, he is a Panther. He was the heart of this team from two different spots in two different decades. He was the inspirational fire and unintentional creator of our team motto, which hangs from every wall in the stadium to being stitched to our jersey's, and he is the driving inspirational force behind the identity the owner seeks out in the kinds of players he wants making up a roster. He has a statue sitting outside the stadium. He has his number retired (the only player to receive those honors.) He is a Carolina Panther, and he and his son who has now been a coach here through multiple regimes would tell you so.

Luke Kuechly is still better than Mills ever was, at any point in his career. No way in hell he'd play ahead of Luke if they were on the team at the same time. So he's good at giving speeches, stick him in the locker room.

[KillerKat]

Yes,the number of games played in does matter if you're comparing stats.

And yes, the WCO makes quarterbacks look good, whether they're objectively good or not. Ask any team that traded for an Andy Reid quarterback.

You can't ignore real world conditions. Stats in a vacuum can make even someone like David Carr look good.

The number of throws is a more accurate comparison. A throw is a throw.

So you think Delhomme is better than Drew Brees?

You're making assumptions yourself in this debate. You're assuming Beuerlein isn't good and it was the system. You're also cherry picking a situation to best fit your argument.

This is what I want to take out of discussions when I make my list. No emotions, assumptions, cherry picking, or debates. I look at the numbers. I also remember watching Beuerlein too with my own eyes.