You have to feel better about this roster compared to last year.

[SCP]

Haven't you guys heard? The Falcons, Saints and Bucs all got A++++ on their respective drafts and Dan Quinn and Lovie and Payton are alll fuging geniuses. Lace em up and strap the chin strap bitches. Our Panthers are going to surprise some folks again. Should be a fun season.

[MedellinHeel]

your ratings are a tad generous 

[ed bell]

A healthy Cam is a huge upgrade

[Verge]

Stew isn't a high end player, not with his injury history. You can't give Shaq above average and fringe high end status before he's played a snap of preseason. Tillman is above average, even at this point in his career and with his injury history.

 

Unger has been to 2 Pro Bowls you have him equal to Stew at their respective positions. Jarius Byrd has been to 3 Pro Bowls and you have him rated at Shaq Thompson's level. That's terrible.

 

That's a horrible rating for Paul. To say he's half the player of a rookie is disrespectful. He had 143 tackles last year. 84 solo, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles. He's a really good player.

 

Stew is a high end player based on last year going into this year, same as Unger,

 

Jarius Byrd played like poop before getting injured last year, so I have to assume he will be around the same level or worse after a severe injury.

 

I gave all rookie first round picks that rating, it was not selective.

 

Worrilow is one of the worst linebackers in the nfl when it comes to coverage, and would not be a first round pick if he somehow entered the draft today.

[setzer2030]

Stew is a high end player based on last year going into this year, same as Unger,

 

Jarius Byrd played like poop before getting injured last year, so I have to assume he will be around the same level or worse after a severe injury.

 

I gave all rookie first round picks that rating, it was not selective.

 

Worrilow is one of the worst linebackers in the nfl when it comes to coverage, and would not be a first round pick if he somehow entered the draft today.

Forget coverage, he was 5th in the league in tackles last year. Give credit where it is due. Stew finished with 3 regular season rushing TDs and 15 RBs averaged more yards than him per game (not counting AP considering that was 1 game). And if you're assuming Byrd will be terrible after his meniscus tear than I would hate to see what you would've rated TD if he was on any other team, who has 3 ACL tears yet you gave him a Pro-Bowl rating even though he's never made a Pro-Bowl. 

[Krucid]

I think these ratings are a tad generous tbh. However, i do believe we are better this year than last year for sure.

[CarolinaXblue]

Stew is a high end player based on last year going into this year, same as Unger,

Jarius Byrd played like poop before getting injured last year, so I have to assume he will be around the same level or worse after a severe injury.

I gave all rookie first round picks that rating, it was not selective.

Worrilow is one of the worst linebackers in the nfl when it comes to coverage, and would not be a first round pick if he somehow entered the draft today.

Forget coverage, he was 5th in the league in tackles last year. Give credit where it is due. Stew finished with 3 regular season rushing TDs and 15 RBs averaged more yards than him per game (not counting AP considering that was 1 game). And if you're assuming Byrd will be terrible after his meniscus tear than I would hate to see what you would've rated TD if he was on any other team, who has 3 ACL tears yet you gave him a Pro-Bowl rating even though he's never made a Pro-Bowl.

Verge you got served boy!

[GoobyPls]

I wouldn't call any of our linemen high end not even Khalil

IDK if you recall but even at the end of last season when the line was more stable we still struggled when forced into passing situations.

Rookies should be labeled average

[Verge]

Forget coverage, he was 5th in the league in tackles last year. Give credit where it is due. Stew finished with 3 regular season rushing TDs and 15 RBs averaged more yards than him per game (not counting AP considering that was 1 game). And if you're assuming Byrd will be terrible after his meniscus tear than I would hate to see what you would've rated TD if he was on any other team, who has 3 ACL tears yet you gave him a Pro-Bowl rating even though he's never made a Pro-Bowl. 

 

That's nice and all that he was 5th in tackles, but that hardly means anything when his D-line was so terrible he was just about guaranteed a tackle whenever someone ran the ball. Being an elite ILB is not about who makes the most tackles, it never has been, and it never will be, there are other skill sets that go into it. Play recognition, pass coverage, blitz packages, and defensive play calling all go into it, and Worrilow does not really do any of that well. He does not miss a lot of tackles, and that is all fine and dandy, but once again, it does not make him anything more than a decent starter. 

 

As far as Stew goes, in his last seven games when he was actually the starter and not injured, he was a top five runner statistically and on the field, it was pretty clear to see, he only started half in eight games and still hit 800 yards, and was overly impressive during his healthy stretch. You can label him as a 2-3 if you want, you can make your own list.

 

Jarius Byrd when healthy was one of the worst safeties in the league with the Saints, TD was never horrible in the first place lol. You and I both know it is a damn travesty he has not made the pro bowl these last two years, he has been a top 3 4-3 LB.

[top dawg]

I would have liked the OP a lot better without all the subjective numbers. The case can be made that we are a better team just from common sense.

As for people trying to question Stew's excellence last year based on the beginning of the season, I just laugh.

During the stretch that mattered for us to make the run, Stew was arguably the best back in the league. Funny how better health and line play, as well as being the featured back, makes everyone look better...

Without Stew, we don't get into the playoffs.

Notwithstanding his injuries, playing second fiddle, and playing behind some suspect lines, Stew's career rushing average is right up in line with some pretty good ones. Sure he is no Hofer due to injuries and overall production, but he is far from a slouch.

[DCR]

I think we have improved on offense and defence

but the biggest improvement will be SPECIAL TEAMS

[Chimera]

I wouldn't call any of our linemen high end not even Khalil

IDK if you recall but even at the end of last season when the line was more stable we still struggled when forced into passing situations.

Rookies should be labeled average

 

Khalil definitely isn't, but many people still consider Kalil to be a high end center. Sure he doesn't seem to be nearly as effective as he was before his foot injury, but look how the rest of the line has looked. Any interior lineman will look like crap when he is surrounded by trash.

 

OP labeled Oher as average. I stopped reading then.

[Nick_81]

Khalil definitely isn't, but many people still consider Kalil to be a high end center. Sure he doesn't seem to be nearly as effective as he was before his foot injury, but look how the rest of the line has looked. Any interior lineman will look like crap when he is surrounded by trash.

 

OP labeled Oher as average. I stopped reading then.

Kalil definitely isn't high end?  He's been to the pro bowl 4 out of 7 years as a starter.  If you take out the year he was injured, he's been 4 out of 6 years.  As far as his foot injury affecting him, he went to the pro bowl the year after he came back from the injury.  Of course last year was rough for him.  He was the only constant on that o-line the whole year, and the people playing next to him were either rookies, haven't played here before, or haven't played in over a year.  He is still a high end center.

[FootballMaestro]

Looking at the roster, is is amazing how much we have improved going into this season as compared to last.

 

Just on a rating scale it looks A LOT better.

 

1 point: Below average 

2 point: Average starter

3 point: Above average 

4 point: High end player

5 point: All star/pro bowler

 

2015:

Qb: Cam Newton: 4

Rb: Jonathan Stewart: 4

Te: Greg Olsen: 5

Lt: Michael Oher: 2

Lg: Andrew Norwell: 3

C: Ryan Kalil: 5

Rg: Trai Turner: 3

Rt: Remmers/L.Collins/Williams: 2-3

Wr1: Kelvin Benjamin: 4

Wr2: Devin Funchess 2-3

 

 

Re: Kong Ealy: 2-3

Le: Charles Johnson: 4

Dt1: Star Lotuleilei: 4

Dt2: Kawaan Short: 4

LOLB: Thomas Davis: 5

ILB: Luke Kuechly: 5

ROLB: Shaq Thompson: 3-4

Cb1: Josh Norman: 4

Cb2: Charles Tillman: 2

Cb3: Bene Benwikere: 3

FS: Tre Boston: 2

SS: Roman Harper: 1

 

High end total: 77

 

 

Compare to the start of 2014

 

2015:

Qb: Cam Newton: 4

Rb: DeAngelo Williams: 2

Te: Greg Olsen: 5

Lt: Byron Bell: 1

Lg: Amini Silatolu: 1

C: Ryan Kalil: 5

Rg: Fernando Velasco: 2

Rt: Nate Chandler: 1

Wr1: Kelvin Benjamin: 2-3

Wr2: Jericho Cotchery: 2

 

 

Re: Wes Horton: 2

Le: Charles Johnson: 4

Dt1: Star Lotuleilei: 4

Dt2: Kawaan Short: 3-4

LOLB: Thomas Davis: 5

ILB: Luke Kuechly: 5

ROLB: Blackburn/Klein: 2

Cb1: Antoine Cason: 2

Cb2: Melvin White: 1

Cb3: Bene Benwikere: 2-3

FS: Thomas Decoud: 2

SS: Roman Harper: 1

 

High end total: 59

 

 

I think the biggest thing is we don't have any huge question marks like we had last year, how would Byron Bell transition after being awful on the right side? How would Nate Chandler do as a full time starter after being below mediocre in his last couple of games? Could Harper and Decoud fill the safety role? Can Cason be a number one corner after being a 2-3 his whole career? how would we replace Hardy? Can a rookie fill the role as a number one receiver and will Cotchery even be halfway decent? How will our guards play after a mediocre year last year? Can DeAngelo stay healthy?

 

 

Think about all the questions we have this year, the biggest I can think of is "Can Michael Oher be better than Bell" which seems like an obvious answer. We are much better this year, and we have young players growing into their own. The Carolina Panthers will threepeat this division and we will be dominant for years to come.

 

I appreciate the effort, and agree with your overall sentiments regarding the team.

 

However, I must nit pick a bit.

 

How in the hell are Cam and Stewart at the same rating, unless you're including injured Cam of last year vs Stewart (which you're not, cause I can see the 2014 rating of at "4" as well)!!!????

 

Stewart was good for several games last season. I'll give him that. However, that doesn't make a full season (of playing well, or being injury free), which he's never had for years now, as far as I know.

 

I stopped right there, when I saw Stewart rated a 4. I have a more wait and see attitude with him entering 2015.