It could just be the camp tweets, but I'm starting to feel like we'll be better this year than last

[Sam Mills Fan]

I never once bought ESPN and co's hype that we would be much worse, out of the playoffs worse, this year than last. I thought until camp started we'd be about the same or a tick less than 2013. Gotta tell you though....I'm getting hyped for this season. Looks like Kelvin Benjamin is going to make us forget about old Steve Smith very quickly (not the young, just the old one from the past few years.) I've heard solid things about Nate Chandler and Antoine Cason. The receivers aren't looking that bad, at least not the ones likely to make the team.

 

Here's what makes me even more optimistic though: our returning young talent is going to be even BETTER this year. We talked about losing guys like Steve Smith and Jordan Gross, but we forgot that Luke and Star are still on that defense. This is Cam's team finally, hell there aren't even that many players on either side of the ball that were here prior to Cam being drafted.

 

Anyone else felt a similar shift in their thinking since camp started? We were all feeling nostalgia for the old guys that left and we bought into what the national media was beating us over the heads with that we forgot just how solid we are. The players that led us to 12-4, 8 in a row, and 11-1 to finish the regular season are still here. 

[Dex]

I don't think we'll lose a game at home this year. That includes the Seahawks. Confidence is rolling right now.

[PizzaTheHutt]

I'm glad everyone on the outside is writing us off. Takes all the pressure off the team, and gives us some bulletin board material. Friday is the true first test....but I would hope that everyone is at least more optimistic now than they were before TC started. I think this defense is going to make life very hard for opposing teams. I love the direction our team is headed, the future is very bright.

[Tarheels23]

Speak for yourself, I didn't by into poo.

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[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

it's been roughly the same cycle as 2013

 

people were losing their poo early in free agency when the big signings were going down and the panthers were mostly just scooping up cheap vets, players who were supposedly washed up/busts and various no names.  meanwhile other teams in the south were writing checks like crazy.  the fanbase gets pissed off and loses faith.

 

then the draft happens and once the excitement of that wore off the same stuff started to ramp back up because we have nothing to look at but a list of names on paper until training camp/preseason.  and it doesn't look impressive.

 

now we're working our way through camp and things aren't as horrible as everyone thought.  the next hump will come in the first preseason game when our offense looks terrible and people freak out again and talk about tanking the season.

[Chief Keek]

Of course but shhhh don't let the naysayers hear you say that.

[SOJA]

I posted this in another thread, but there is absolutely no reason for the sky to be falling. The biggest loss of the offseason was Gross and it appears our gamble with Bell and Chandler is going to work out well enough. 

 

I love Smitty to death, but he wasn't the same player he used to be, not even close.

 

We couldn't resign Mitchell, Ginn, and Cap because simply put, that would have been a Hurney move. 

 

As long as Cam and Keek are on this team, we will always be competitors. Give us a few more years to get out of cap hell and we will be perennial contenders. 

 

Furthermore, you really can't blame ESPN and talking heads to point to us taking a step back. Someone will next year and it's easy to see Steve Smith go and automatically assume the Panthers will be worse. 

 

I like being the underdog, and I think our players have embraced that too. 

 

 

My pick to be much worse in 2014: the Chiefs. Their defense was a turnover machine last year, no way they can repeat that performance- it isn't sustainable. 

[Tub of Goo]

I really think the only place we got worse was OT and maybe our return game (TBD), our interior O-line should be better.  

 

Our cornerbacks are better (Cason is 28 and still has alot to prove) Melvin will only get better + Bene.

 

Our d-line has another year and is deep.

 

Our linebackers will be better, have another year and looks like Klein may replace Blackburn.  

 

And then, personally, I think our WRs are better.  I truly believe Kelvin can get close to 900-1,000 yds and ~ 8TDs.   

 

Needless to say, I believe. 

[Ruff]

I posted this in another thread, but there is absolutely no reason for the sky to be falling. The biggest loss of the offseason was Gross and it appears our gamble with Bell and Chandler is going to work out well enough. 

 

 

That hasn't been decided yet. When you have two players who are playing LT, alternating every day, I don't think that's working out "well enough". The loss of Gross is huge, and it's the one key factor of how well our team is going to perform. Like I said in another thread, Bell is like buying a used car. It's all hyped up by the salesman, but you don't really know what you're getting, and you just pray that the second you drive off the lot the wheels don't come off.

 

I still think that at least one of our starting OTs Week 1 is not currently on the roster, and will be picked up in a couple of weeks when cuts start happening. 

[top dawg]

Guarded optimism, but basically even keel, people. Even Keel. 

[KendrickPanther]

Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth. Training Camp tweets always lean on the positive side because hope sells this time of year. It's very very rare the Panthers go into a season with no shot to make the playoffs but players tend to go down in the first 4 weeks and it changes the landscape of your team and the division.

[AceBoogie]

After AE's MVP performance at training camp, I'm not buying poo until I see them against other teams.

[TheRed]

After AE's MVP performance at training camp, I'm not buying poo until I see them against other teams.

 

That's some argument you got there.

[PhillyB]

i agree, i think you could make the case that we've better at every position across the board save for left tackle.