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

[backINblack28]

Smith - 64 745 4

LaFell - 49 627 5

Ginn - 36 556 5

Hixon - 7 55 1

 

156 - 1983 - 15

 

KB - 54 1011 15

Underwood 24 440 4

Cotchery 46 602 10

Avant - 38 447 2

 

162 - 2500 - 31

 

Sorry if it looks sloppy, but it gets the point across.  Receptions - Receiving yards - Touchdowns.  These are 2013-2014 stats.  Obviously you have to make an adjustment for KB going from NCAA to NFL, but the numbers are eerily similar, and I think if you asked this question...

 

"Would you rather have a 32 year old with 46 - 602 - 10 TD for just over 1 million or a 35 year old with 64 - 745 - 4 TD for 7 million?"

 

Who wouldn't objectively pick option 1?  Yet everyone wants to say we'll be much worse?  It's nice for them to have the regression to the mean argument and Smith's name to throw out there, but let's be serious here.  Our WR were like bottom 5 in the league last year.  Even if we don't get better, we were 12-4 and made up for it in other areas.  Hell, the Cardinals game, in my opinion, goes solely on lack of production/mistakes from the WR.  If you read this article from Bill Barnwell from Grantland from after the Cardinals game (http://grantland.com/features/bill-barnwell-carolina-panthers-offense/), he basically claims (and it 100% correct IMO) that the pitfalls of our offense up to that point were everyone's fault (moreso the WR) but Cam's.  By God, LOOK AT THE GIFS.

 

1.  I think this entire story is the exact same for our secondary.  We didn't get worse.  We weren't that good in the first place.  It doesn't matter...other than for 4 (5) losses..

2.  I'm going to cry the first time we introduce our offense and Smitty doesn't run out.  It's inevitable.  But with that said if you wouldn't trade a 35 year old him/Brandon LaFell for what we have now, given our money situation and how it helped us elsewhere, you're nuts.

3.  Ted Ginn/Captain Munnerlyn/Mike Mitchell - I love you guys.  You came in and played your roles absolutely perfectly at a great cost.  THEN, other teams wanted to swoop in and overpay you because you looked great as a part of a bigger scheme.  Ok.  Congrats.  See ya.  I absolutely guarantee that your individual performance suffers this year moreso than that of the corps/squad that you left.  Prove me wrong.

4.  Name 2 consistently good WRs that Cam Newton has had at the same time since the beginning of his career.  If you get past 1, you're wrong.

5.  Seriously.  In all seriousness, I'm just asking for help here.  WHO IS BEN WATSON?  I just hope it's not the guy that had 2 catches in a game where Luke Kuechly had 24 tackles.  Yeah.  We get it.  History says that NFC South Champions won't repeat.  It also says that your team can't play football outside.  So we'll call it even and go back to the point that you had 2 catches in a game that Luke Kuechly had 24 tackles.  I'm terrified.

 

 

 

I'm more worried about the marked improvement of the teams in our division than anything, but something to keep in mind is that football, as with all sports, is about matchups.  TB and ATL have complete garbage for OL/DL.  They won't get pressure or keep us from getting to them which plays towards our strength and away from our weakness.  That's 4 games right there.  We split with the Saints, and here we are again showing 2nd string tight ends on football teams that can't win football games outside that although sometimes history repeats itself, sometimes, also, garbage stay garbage.