Thoughts on the current state of the Panthers.

[micnificent28]

Greetings fellow huddlers. Many of you might see this post and think who is this guy? I've been around the huddle for a long time now rarely do I post but when I do It's usually leading up to the draft. I have had a few heated arguments with some of you in the past because,my thoughts are generally on outskirts of general thinking.But hey let's dive in...(Side note this is not some grand thesis statement so expect grammatical errors)

 

QB- We all know where we stand at the position. The franchise lives or dies on this young mans shoulders. I think Cam is well on his way to the hall of fame and has exceeded even my optimistic thoughts on him predraft. Coming at a time where the franchise was hurting after being scorned by Luck,the end all be all once In a generation talent. It seems the roles have reversed with Cam looking like the once in a decade talent. Every year some new dual threat is being compared to Cam Newton but none of them ever come close to actually duplicating his unique gifts. I'm not sure we will ever see another kid come into the league that has become the league's BEST short yardage option. We have seen bigger and faster guys come through the league but have we ever seen a power option QB? That said I'm not sure how much longer he will be that guy before transitioning into a more traditional run when I have to Arron Rodgers type QB. Those hit are starting to take a toll and I think are the chief reason we saw such a decline in his production. Anderson is one of the best backups in the league but, i would love to start developing a young kid to become the new backup or just to trade similar to what the Pats have done for years. QB is a position I think you should take one at least every two years.  A guy with high upside like Josh Dobbs is who i have in mind.

RB- I think at his peak and in his prime,Stew is as talented as Adrian Peterson. His size/speed/balance blend is amazing. But rarely is he ever healthy and at 30 we are way overdue for some new blood.I know we have CAP and the Fozz but,they are just guys in my opinion. I don't think either of them have a surefire outstanding trait that we can throw at other defenses. Cap is not the biggest not the fastest just a I see the hole and run into It kind of guy. Fozz is above average pass catcher but doesn't have elite speed. The panthers In my opinion never target those guys that have legit 4.2/4.3 speed which I would love to see. Fournette is the pick at at for me. He's exactly what the doctor ordered as far as stews replacement and shot in the arm for the Offense. As a FSU long time fan Cook is great. I don't think the gap between them is that big with Cook edging Lenard In the passing game. When It comes to between the tackles Fournette is a man. I think he is a better prospect than Zeke between the tackles. Cook is Good in this department for a guy below 215 pounds. When it comes to speed everyone assumes Cook is the sure fire homerun threat. I say not so fast my friend(Thanks Lee Corso) I think this one is Cooks to lose but much closer than everyone is making it out to be.Draft crushes: Joe Mixon(yea I know)

WR-Kelvin Benjamin Is the lead dog. I still believe he is that. He had a rough season but I look at his stats which aren't to far off of what they were his rookie year. The sky is not falling guys. How much of his regression is just the issues that plague the rest of the Offense like terrible OL play,guys out of position,Cam getting blasted, and Off target throws? Funchess is better than we saw this season I think. I'm not sure If he just wasn't getting open or Cam just preferring to hit other guys,But when the ball was thrown his way I saw better hands and all around improvements from the guy. I guess it's just wait and see. Ginn is Ginn he givith and he taketh away. He's also at that point where he could loss all that beautiful speed at a moments notice. Time to find a replacement.Or in Gman's famous words is the answer already on the roster? Byrd. Guy is fast enough to fill Ginns void on KR but, I'm not sure he has it to be the number three WR and take Ginn's reps. A guy who I hope gets a shot who looked to have some talent In the preseason who shouldn't be written off is keyarris garrett. We didn't get to see much of him at all but when the ball was thrown his way he made some of those wow catches. I like him. But a kid who I love and is probably my favorite prospect in the draft is Ohio State WR/RB Curtis Samuel. I think he is exactly the type of utility Weapon the panthers need to give this offense a shot in the arm. He looks more like a natural WR but he also hits homerun's from the RB position. He's that Percy Harvin/Tavon Austin man without a defined role quick twitch guy. I call these guys satellite players....Just get them into space. Even If we got a Fournette in the first I still love this guy because he can take reps and spell our future RB with 10-15 snaps a game if needed. Then slide back out to WR and KR/PR. As much as Dave likes to shop at the dollar store this would be the ultimate bargain.Draft Crushes: Zay Jones(speed merchant)

TE-  I think we are good for another few years in the hands of Greg "Odinson"Olsen. One of the best and just keeps on churning out yards. Best hands on the team and underrated blocker. I think with any player around 30 the decline in skills could come at any moment so the time to star grooming the future starter should start now. We loved Hunter Henry who flashed for the Chargers this year,so I think its a pretty safe bet to we will see a TE drafted at some point. This is the Strongest position in the draft. Probably the best TE class in the last 10 years. OJ Howard was under used at Bama But, has all the tools. He is a lot like Olsen. I think his combine times will be similar to Olsen's own. I love him. Would I draft him at 8? Nope but if we can trade down to say 13-17 I'm all for it. Same thing goes for David Njoku. Under-utilized,spotty QB play but a freak talent. I'm fine with taking him within the same range as Howard and IF* he is there at 20 or later.....Dave Get on the phone.. We have two 3s make something happen. Jake Butt is more the traditional TE. Injury substained in the bowl game makes him doutful to play this season. I would still role the dice on him 3rd round on back.

OL-I'm Not gonna Spend Much time going through this spot because we all know it's a mess for us. Need a LT. Three Pro Bowlers on the inside.Want a RT but, we can live with current stop gap Remmers. I think we are screwed as far as tackles go in this Draft. hopefully Dave leaves the Dollar store and goes to Walmart and signs some stopgap to ensure Cam's blindside since Oher last I heard was still In the concusion protocol this offseason. Matt Kahlil please come on down. A center to eventually take Over for Ryan is also a very good idea If the price is right during the draft. Draft Crushes:Antonio Garcia,Roderick Johnson,Forrest Lamp,Garrett Bolles

DL-The bread and butter of the 4-3 defense is the defensive line. The panther heavily depend on getting pressure from just the front four. We wern't able to do that for most of 2016 and had to send TD,Shaq,and Luke to create more pressure taking away from what they do best. Upgrades are needed. This is by far the second biggest need we have this offseason.(OL being one ofcourse) Pass rusher I mean. Not DTs. were good there. Charles Johnson as much as I love big money has probably seen his best days. I don't want to come into the season with us depending on him as our best DE. Kony is just a guy. He flashes his talent and teased during the super bowl but that's It. That's who he is until I see other wise, I would start Addison over him and not think twice about It. "ADD2" just signed a three year deal today is 30 If I'm not mistaken. New blood is needed. Would love to target a guy like JPP in free agency but,for all the love old dollar store Dave has for former Giants, I think JPP's list of demands(Dollars) is outside of clearance rack. We will draft a DE. This is a great draft to need one. We know the best defensive end in the draft is Garrett. He's that Peppers/Clowney type freak. Gone 1st pick. On down It's debatable. I love soloman Thomas. I think just on talent he's deserves top 5 consideration. But the way the draft looks to shake down precombine he won't be taken that high. He single handedly destroyed Carolina in the bowl game but he's shown up almost everytime I have seen him. The arguement can be made that most of his sacks came from when he was rushing at DT instead of end where he is listed. I like him at 8 If fournette is gone. Beyond him there is a host of guys Derek Barnett,Taco Charlton,Takkarist McKinley.That's Just the guys I would consider at 8! Won't get into the later round guys because I think we all know It's RB or DE at 8.

LB- We all know what we got here. TD and Luke are the best so I won't go into detail. I will go on the record saying I hated the Shaq pick. Didn't think we need a LB that high and he seemed like he was a second round talent all that time. That said he's been pretty good. I don't think we need to Groom TD's replacement. Shaq will just slide over. He's just waiting in the wings. Seeing how we Stay in Nickel more than anything he doesn't get to see as many snaps. So much for the shaq being our Nickel guy or whatever that theory was. If we have to take LB i will go with Jabril Peppers who is that jack of all trades master of none. He's a man without a defined position which could give him value. We could line him up at Saftey LB or even KR. Would I take him at 8? Nope.

CB-First off, Bradberry was a stud. I was sure he was a reach In the second round but from day one he came In and lived up and maybe surpassed what was expected of him coming from such a small school. He made me forget the blunder that was Norman not being atleast traded but,that's another story. Daryl Worley was getting cooked early. Yes I won't say the panther's young CBs struggled I will say Worley struggled. However he did come on late in the season where It seemed the light came on. I think we are solid as far as the boundary corners go. I would look to add a nickel and if the price is right maybe upgrade over Worley.Marshawn Lattimore,Teez Tarborn,Humphrey from Bama, and Adoree Jackson are all guys I wouldn't mind picking early* maybe not at 8 but,first round.

FS/SS- I will say Tre Boston is not the answer. He seem to have lapses In coverage almost every game. Coleman is Still servicable. I would love to see Jamal Adams picked here but, unless he bombs the combine...He gone. This guy Seems to be a SS by trade but shows skills in coverage but stands out coming up and supporting the run. He is a defense changer. Malik Hooker Is to FS what Adams is to SS. Just a stud who is great in coverage. His hands and ballhawking eye for the ball in the air are just outstanding. Yes please. On down the list we have Peppers who i mentioned at LB but can also play saftey is a late first early second type talent who is a better athlete than football player. Budda Baker is Honey badger like. This guy is nasty and flys to the ball. He is likely gone where we pick in the second but If he falls...yes please.Draft Crush:Obi Melifonwu. He's 6'4 207 and can run. This guy flys around the field and is be enough to cover most elite TEs. Some teams might even try him at CB. I would consider him in the second of most of my other mentions are gone but ultimately I prefer him in the 3rd. Dout he falls that far though. 

[Mr. Miagi]

My thought: we ain't losing right now

[Saca312]

Good overview. 

[@bonafidebanter]

I'm mad that it's taking so long to get the OL together.

[LinvilleGorge]

QB? Yeah, we good.

RB? Stew is over the hill and the answer isn't on the roster. If we have to, we can roll with Stew for another season, but in a deep RB draft, we gotta take a stab at finding the long-term answer at this position.

FB? I know everyone is wanting to upgrade from Tolbert, but will we? Let's be honest, we used Tolbert more as a RB than we did as a FB. We really didn't use him very often in a traditional FB role. I'm not sure it warrants a roster spot. Have a 3rd TE who can lineup in the backfield when we want to run a traditional FB.

WR? I think KB is a legit starter. But, he's the only sure-fire answer on the roster right now. This is put up or shut up for Funchess. It's time for him to capitalize on his potential or hit the road. I'd like to bring Ginn back to fill that pure speed role, but it depends on the contract and what we plan on doing with the unit long-term. Brown? Everyone else on the roster? JAGs. We need to upgrade this unit.

TE? Olsen is one of the best TEs in the league, but we need to have an eye on the future. We also run two TEs more than half the time. Dickson got more snaps than our #3 WR. We need to upgrade the #2 TE spot.

OT? Oh wee mayne. Not sure there's a single answer on the roster in terms of a starter. I'd love to keep Remmers as a versatile backup, but we'll have to see what happens there. I have to admit that I fear that if he's on the roster, Rivera's gonna start him. If that's the case, then I hope Dave just let's him walk. Hopefully Williams can be the answer at RT, but I hope we don't count on it. A lot of work to do here and unfortunately it's not a good OT draft. Lots of aging vets have recently been cut. Time to do that homework and figure out who to bring in.

OG? Gotta re-sign Turner and Norwell. We're good here.

C? Kalil is still an elite center, but damn that cap hit. He's also getting older and is struggling to stay healthy. Center is a potential sleeper mid-round pick for us this year.

DE? Glad to see Addison retained. He showed last year he can be a legit starter. Ealy, like Funchess, is in a put up or shut up situation. Time to stop showing flashes here and there and become a consistent player. We're taking a DE in the top 100 picks. I'd bet a lot of money on it.

DT? We're good here. Unless there's an absolute steal in the draft, I'd sit tight with what we have.

OLB? Good. 

MLB? Good. I'm comfortable with Mayo backing up Luke.

CB? I think we're gonna roll with Bradberry and Worley outside for better or worse, but we need a nickel. This is a position I'd rather fill in FA due to the youth of the unit, but there's a lot of CB depth in this draft class too.

FS? I'm fine with Coleman and Boston backing him up.

SS? Gotta get one, period. I'd rather sign a vet due to the depth of the FA class and the youth in the secondary. Would love to add Xavier Woods in the later rounds.

K? Bring in legit competition for Gano. He was a dumpster fire last year. He's paid to be an elite kicker.

P? Good.

[PantherWake]

Fournette doesnt fit this offense. Idk why people want us to draft him so much. He's an I formation runner when we run out of shotgun most of the time

[DaveThePanther2008]

30 minutes ago, PantherWake said:

Fournette doesnt fit this offense. Idk why people want us to draft him so much. He's an I formation runner when we run out of shotgun most of the time

Well hopefully Shula is going to abandon the read option and go to a more pro style offense.  Plus is too dangerous in any offense to be ignored.

I would not be opposed to him one bit.

[Ace_Aladdin]

4 hours ago, PantherWake said:

Fournette doesnt fit this offense. Idk why people want us to draft him so much. He's an I formation runner when we run out of shotgun most of the time

Panthers run game is going back to more of traditonal style with R.O. sprinkled in. 

Fournette is the perfect fit especially with the strength of the OL is run blocking, he is also the best pass blocking back in the draft.

[micnificent28]

Side note I didn't include Fullback,I think Rockhead is who they have tabbed for the position. We don't really use alot of fullback sets but,he looked everybit the FB in the early goings.

[Toomers]

4 hours ago, PantherWake said:

Fournette doesnt fit this offense. Idk why people want us to draft him so much. He's an I formation runner when we run out of shotgun most of the time

   Hard to tell what he fits when he been in the backfield with the worst collection of college QBs imaginable. He faced 8-man fronts 67% of the time he carried(31% was average) and 9-man fronts on 22%. That's ridiculous. 

[coralreefer_1]

Thoughts?

It was what is was, it currently is what it is, and the future will be what is will be.

 

BOOM!