Rosenthal: In reality, the Panthers have a roster full of No. 4 receivers

[SOJA]

lol people forgot about Dre, but I don't know if anyone even knows who our Pro-Bowl tight end is. 

[PantherBoy95]

Everybody wants to drive this point home by comparing us to the Colts while forgetting to mention they don't have near the talent on defense that we do.

It's pretty much impossible to build a team in the salary cap era with a 30-team league and a very limited talent pool that doesn't have some flaw in it. Based on our style of play and the division, I don't think the Kelvin loss takes the Panthers out of making a run like last season. If Cam and/or Stewart are lost for any games, then you can start putting a fork in the season.

This. Above all I tried explaining this yesterday, wherever you do have strengths in this league barring a miracle you are going to have a weakness elsewhere. GM's have to pick their poison and decide which is most important to them.

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

Everybody wants to drive this point home by comparing us to the Colts while forgetting to mention they don't have near the talent on defense that we do.

when they drafted phillip dorsett a couple of the people on this site went over to their board and read the reactions

they were all pissed off about stacking a position group where they had no needs and how they'd never, ever get past a conference rival for a super bowl berth now thanks to this move.  sound familiar?

[AceBoogie]

If we still had you know who the sky wouldn't be falling, just a little cloudy. 

[KSpan]

I think that's a bit much. Although, I think it's questionable if you have a legit #2, I think you definitely have 3 viable #3s.

I was discussing it with @RelaxImaPro earlier.

Funchess will simply have to be the default #1. He's the most talented guy on the roster. I know, he's a rookie, and not all guys come out guns blazing like last year, but he's going to have to learn by fire. 

I like Brown as a #3, slot guy. Shifty with some speed. Just don't think he's polished enough to be considered a #1. He'll be #2. I think he'll do decent. Certainly no worse than last year.

Ginn is no more than a #3 receiver. One might even say#4. He's proven over and over throughout his career that any time he's asked to be more than that, he flops. 

Olsen will be the #1 targeted guy this season and that's not a horrible thing. 

Overall, I think the receiving corp is slightly below what it was last year. Only because you don't have that legit #1 to go up and get a ball when you need it. I think the receiving depth is better than last year though. 

This isnt a season killer guys. Perk up a bit. You're making me sad.

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 Fair and reasonable analysis with a touch of optimism.  That said, fug the Aints (but pie for you).

[PantherBoy95]

If we still had you know who the sky wouldn't be falling, just a little cloudy. 

Haha personally while I wanted you know who to stay with us and retire here. I don't think he'd have had the same season that he had last year.  Their system is much better built for going through the air and we haven't been that team since Chudzinski (boy do I miss those days).

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

you guys realize that when you assume that steve smith would be suiting up to play for the panthers in 2015 if he was still here you're calling him a liar right

he said he would have retired after 2014 had he not been released

[mcdougal]

Everybody wants to drive this point home by comparing us to the Colts while forgetting to mention they don't have near the talent on defense that we do.

It's pretty much impossible to build a team in the salary cap era with a 30-team league and a very limited talent pool that doesn't have some flaw in it. Based on our style of play and the division, I don't think the Kelvin loss takes the Panthers out of making a run like last season. If Cam and/or Stewart are lost for any games, then you can start putting a fork in the season.

Let me say this about the Colts' philosophy.The Colts' fans do not see the front office dump a disportionate amount on their resources on offense, and then expect their defense to lead the way or expect them to hold their opponents to single digits.

The opposite is mostly true in Carolina. We witness a front office clearly trying to establish an elite defense and are willing to make certain sacrifices to the offense in order to achieve that goal. But then, Panthers fans go crazy when the offense (who was mediocre at best the prior year) goes out and scores 10 points against the Seahawks in week 5. 

IMO, a team could win a championship in this manner. I personally would not put all my eggs in the defensive basket, but I am not paid millions to be a NFL GM.

I have said this before, both the Colts and Panther's rebuild initially looked very similar: Defensive "genius" Head Coach, aging No. 1 WR, suspect defense, No. 1 overall pick. The Panthers went QB...so did the Colts a season later.

That is where the similarities end. The Colts next draft pick after Luck, was his college roommate, a TE. The Panther's refused to even take a offensive skill player high until Newton's 4th year (and only after getting rid of his top 4 WRs).

The Colts, on the other hand, hired Luck's college coordinator, drafted high offensive skills players, traded away high draft picks for offensive skill players, went out into free agency and got offensive skill players, and completely and totally built the team around Luck's skill set.

The funny part is that Newton's rookie campaign established that you could build around him in the same manner...but only the Colts deemed it necessary to surround their No. 1 overall QB with whatever he needed (and then some)...The Panthers basically took the exact opposite approach. 

 

Finally, I think that the Colts' approach makes far more sense. I never understood why the Jets, year after year, drafted defensive players, while having an absolute terrible offense, when they claimed that Rex Ryan was a defensive genius...Like if Rex is a genius why does he need to spend all the team's resources on that side of the ball...when his offense sucks?

What the Bucs are attempting, IMO, is the correct approach. If you hire a defensive "wizard," you make him prove it. You go get a QB, a strong offensive coordinator, and try to surround that QB with everything he needs to excel. The "genius" defensive head coach should be able to do more with less...that is why he was hired in the first place.

That is what the Colts, IMO, does with Chuck Pagano. Pagano doesn't have to build the No. 1 defense, but he should demonstrate that his defense is capable of getting key stops and at least capable of not giving up 30 every week.

For whatever reason, the Panthers are intent on giving our "genius" head coach everything his scheme wants at the expense of our already mediocre to poor offense.

 

[cbarrier90]

^ You made great points, but you're forgetting one major difference:

After the Colts bottomed out, they tore that roster completely apart, including releasing Peyton Manning.

After the Panthers bottomed out, they spent a ton of money to keep that team intact and continued to operate that way all the way into the next season before Hurney was let go.

Even though there's finally a light at the end of the tunnel, Gettleman has never had the clean slate the Colts had to build their team from scratch and has been essentially tearing the team down in order to do that since he got here, which makes our recent success (given previous seasons) remarkable.

Just last week folks were excited to see Corey and Ted stretch the field with the "Twin Towers" being unstoppable in the red zone. Now all of a sudden it's the "worst receiving group in history."

Our strengths are still our strengths and our weaknesses are still our weaknesses, so I'm not going to be too concerned.

[Mr. Scot]

when they drafted phillip dorsett a couple of the people on this site went over to their board and read the reactions

 

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Meanwhile, the Colt defense couldn't stop a high school team.

[cbarrier90]

when they drafted phillip dorsett a couple of the people on this site went over to their board and read the reactions

 

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Or the Seahawks/UW fans who were concerned because the Panthers "found their Kam Chancellor" in Shaq Thompson. Or the rumor the Cowboys really wanted Shaq just a few picks later.

But, you know...#narrative.

[Oudaman90]

Actually, the Colts were the 11th ranked defense in the league last year....right behind us. So we really need to stop d*ckwaving like our defense was great...

[Oldschool Leroy]

I can't find where Greg Rosenthal was ever a G.M. or a scout. I wonder if he ever played football? 

[top dawg]

Actually, the Colts were the 11th ranked defense in the league last year....right behind us. So we really need to stop d*ckwaving like our defense was great...

In fairness, our defense stiffened up towards the end of the year, but I get your point.