History serves as reminder

[TheMostInterestingMan]

A lot of fans on this site are crying by Gmans decision to let Norman take a hike. I loved JNo so it really does sting and I understand. However, these fans are likely the same ones that cried about his decisions in years past and will cry again after the upcoming draft. So let me humble you. You know who you are. And I'll admit, I have been humbled in the past and have changed my perspective accordingly.

First draft. Literally 98% of this place wanted us to draft Star so when he fell in our lap we all laughed and danced with joy in our hearts. Then round two came and we took another DT named Short. Half this place had a total meltdown. Remember? "How do you take another DT when we have these glaring needs at WR??? What is he thinking? He's outsmarting himself." I think it worked out okay...

Cutting Steve Smith. Sad day for any and every Panther fan. Understandably so. Yet we had some fans literally declaring they were done with this franchise and would never forgive Gman for this. "How do you cut the greatest Panther of all time? We cut our best ever player at our weakest postition" blah blah blah. Sure Smith went on to play great in Baltimore but our team has done pretty damn well without him.

Drafting Kelvin Benjamin. I would say that draft this board was about an even split between wanting Oline or WR help with a few exceptions wanting defensive help, specifically in the secondary. But Kelvin was not very popular. Sure, some were excited about his measurables and potential. But most hated the idea of drafting a 24 year old WR with questionable hands and a subpar 40 time. They all disappeared after his incredible rookie year. Probably the same people that declared our season was over when he went down in training camp. We then proceeded to claim the best record in football and go to the Super Bowl...

Kony Ealy was also in high question that year. Some were pretty furious that we past on Oline prospects to bring in another DE. "We can't even use him, we already have Hardy and Johnson. CRRRYYYYY" Except we ended up losing Hardys crazy ass and Ealy was ready to step right in and contribute. Good thing Gman doesn't give a damn what anybody here thinks huh? 

 

Ted Ginn. "He's supposed to solve our WR problem???" Been one hell of a deep threat for Cam. Ask Cam if he wants Ginn...

Oher "We are gonna trust this washed up POS who can barely make a roster at this point?" Did a fine job last season. 

Shaq Thompson. "I don't get drafting ANOTHER LB. What is it with this team and LBs?" Graded as one of the most efficient rookies last season and projects to be our future replacement to a true Panther great, Thomis Davis.

Roman Harper. "Keep that New Orleans Saints trash out of here!" He came in and played for us like we were the only team he's ever had.

Josh Norman. "We can't win a Super Bowl without him! We can't cover any WR in the league now. Good teams will expose our weakness. Cry cry cry." I got news for you. We are a good team. We expose opponents weaknesses. Our GM has built something so good we can actually afford to think of the future and let a probowl caliber DB walk and still feel confident that the NFC South is ours and the Super Bowl is well in reach. If I have learned anything since GMan took over and proved me wrong time and time again it's that our scouts and GM know a hell of a lot more about this team than I could ever possibly know myself.

I used to watch every single combine and critique and grade performances as though it made a difference. You know what I learned? I'm not nearly as smart as the guys doing it for a living. Especially when we have one of the very best on our team. I haven't watched any combine the last two seasons because I know that Gman is gonna take who he wants anyway. He's probably gonna be right about that player and it's way more fun welcoming him to the Panther family than being pissed off about passing on the guy I thought I wanted more.

 

For the level headed fans out there, please post more examples I'm forgetting as I know there are numerous but I just don't have the time to brainstorm it right now. For you other guys that still cry, give up on the team, call our GM stupid, doubt Ron Rivera etc. GTFO. Seattle, Dallas and New Orleans would be awesome fan bases for you guys to cheer for. They are full of overpaying, knee jerk reacting, bandwagon hoping circus clowns and you guys would fit right in. Spare us your hate speak for the draft. We've heard enough already. 

 

Oh. And Keep Pounding.

[Snake]

Some people are always negative. What's newnew. 

[TheRed]

Nobody will really all that much care if our secondary holds up.

If it doesn't? Look for a lot of selective memories come December.

[usmcpanthers]

That was a really good damn post

[OldNorthPowell]

The truth

[ColumbusCounty]

Pete Prisco's dumb ass needs to shown this.

[Floppin]

With the exception of Decoud, the miracles that he's been able to scab together at the safety spots have been pretty damn impressive, especially considering the turnover from year to year. 

[Donald LaFell]

Gentlemen isn't infallible but I have absolutely no reason to doubt him. He seems principal based, Hurney was so reactive. 

[chknwing]

nice post. Liked everything except Harper.  I dont think he played as great as you made it out to be.

[mc52beast]

People who are pissed that Getty let Josh go need to remember that we are no longer under the leadership of Marty Hurney, who more than likely would have given Josh the 16m he was demanding, and the team as a whole would have paid the price for it.

Getty puts team before anything and everything, if a player doesn't do the same then he has no problem letting them go... and oh yeh, in case the knee jerk reactors have already forgot, we have the reigning NFL Exec of the year.

KEEP POUNDING

[mc52beast]

People who are pissed that Getty let Josh go need to remember that we are no longer under the leadership of Marty Hurney, who more than likely would have given Josh the 16m he was demanding, and the team as a whole would have paid the price for it.

Getty puts team before anything and everything, if a player doesn't do the same then he has no problem letting them go... and oh yeh, in case the knee jerk reactors have already forgot, we have the reigning NFL Exec of the year.

KEEP POUNDING

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

oh there are plenty more

"who the hell is kurt coleman"

"why the hell didn't we draft morgan moses.  he was right there"

"this cheap ass FO didn't even try to get anthony collins.  what a joke"

"real teams with real GMs like the colts and dolphins are going out and surrounding their QB with weapons.  look at andrew luck - the colts grabbed coby fleener in the same draft (no longer on the colts) and went and got his college OC pep hamilton (fired midseason last year).  now they're stacking talent around him on offense by getting andre johnson and frank gore (lmao) and they drafted dorsett (didn't do poo in 2015).  that's how you make a young QB feel comfortable (in the rehab room after getting skullfuged thanks to a patchwork OL) unlike what dave gettledouche and idiot jerry richardson are doing to cam"