Report: Panthers 100% Sold On Fournette - Will Be Pick If Available

[DaveThePanther2008]

I think where he falls or not depends on whether a QB or two gets selected before 8.

[tiger7_88]

12 hours ago, Panthro said:

The Panthers have been searching for a STUD rb and they most recently fell in love with Gurley. I'd bet my new sweat pant shorts they like Fournette the same if not more. He fits what the Panthers want to do.

Which is what disappoints and scares me most.

I'll repeat here what I said in the McCaffrey thread:

"Lots of people want Fournette and want to run the ball 40 times per game and pass it 20 times per game.  In today's NFL, with the way the rules have been set up to the advantage of receivers, QBs, and the passing game, I think the retro-dinosaur method of "pounding the ball" is the exact OPPOSITE of what we should be doing and is a recipe for future mediocrity or worse.

So, yeah, you still need to be effective running the ball in the NFL, but you need to be multiple and dangerous throwing the ball above all.

Fournette takes us backwards.

A player like McCaffrey, Howard, the TE from Miami, the multi-tool WR kid from Ohio State (sorry, I'm bad at remembering names), a dependable deep-threat WR?  Those players take us FORWARD, into the 21st Century NFL instead of backward into the 1960's and 1970's.

All of my comments are based on that simple philosophy."

[tiger7_88]

10 hours ago, Woodie said:

But to do that we would have to give up our high 2nd, and we should still be able to get a high level player and future/immediate starter there.  Now if we did trade up, I could see packaging our high 2nd with out late 2nd to move into the 1st if someone we really like drops. 

I'm a big Fournette fan, but I don't think he worth 2 high level starters, so I prefer to let things play out at #8.

If he's a "generational talent", as many on this forum and in this thread insist that he is, he is ABSOLUTELY worth that.

If he's NOT a "generational talent", why in the world would we make a running back a Top 10 pick?

[brandon_87]

Good, crap like this needs to stay in the media so someone gets nervous and jumps in front of us to take him. We have many needs, but rb2 is not a need at 8

[d-dave]

11 minutes ago, tiger7_88 said:

Which is what disappoints and scares me most.

I'll repeat here what I said in the McCaffrey thread:

"Lots of people want Fournette and want to run the ball 40 times per game and pass it 20 times per game.  In today's NFL, with the way the rules have been set up to the advantage of receivers, QBs, and the passing game, I think the retro-dinosaur method of "pounding the ball" is the exact OPPOSITE of what we should be doing and is a recipe for future mediocrity or worse.

So, yeah, you still need to be effective running the ball in the NFL, but you need to be multiple and dangerous throwing the ball above all.

Fournette takes us backwards.

A player like McCaffrey, Howard, the TE from Miami, the multi-tool WR kid from Ohio State (sorry, I'm bad at remembering names), a dependable deep-threat WR?  Those players take us FORWARD, into the 21st Century NFL instead of backward into the 1960's and 1970's.

All of my comments are based on that simple philosophy."

I don't completely disagree.  I think you need to be able to strike an effective balance.  McCaffrey can help us in a lot of ways, and I'd love to get him.

But I don't think Fourtnette takes us backwards as much as you think.  If we can develop an effective running game out of a 2 TE (adding a younger, athletic TE prospect would be really helpful), that makes defenses commit to a choice, which we could exploit.  The play up close, the TEs can work loose.  They spread out to stop the pass, a power run catches them off guard.  If he can learn to run out of a 3 WR, spreadout set up, then he's a really big body to keep hitting all game long.

I think that there is real room for a power back like Fournette in the 21st century of the NFL.  It's just up to the coaching staff to use him properly.

[tiger7_88]

1 minute ago, d-dave said:

I don't completely disagree.  I think you need to be able to strike an effective balance.  McCaffrey can help us in a lot of ways, and I'd love to get him.

But I don't think Fourtnette takes us backwards as much as you think.  If we can develop an effective running game out of a 2 TE (adding a younger, athletic TE prospect would be really helpful), that makes defenses commit to a choice, which we could exploit.  The play up close, the TEs can work loose.  They spread out to stop the pass, a power run catches them off guard.  If he can learn to run out of a 3 WR, spreadout set up, then he's a really big body to keep hitting all game long.

I think that there is real room for a power back like Fournette in the 21st century of the NFL.  It's just up to the coaching staff to use him properly.

Great points.

And, aye, there's the rub (highlighted), ain't it?

I fear that coaches like Rivera and Shula will not "use him properly", i.e. to help the offense be more unpredictable and multiple.  My fear through what I've observed with my own little eyes is that they will use him to make the offense more BASIC.  

They love running clock above all.  Pounding the ball between the tackles more and more would do that.

I am not wholly opposed to drafting a guy like Fournette.  He oozes talent.  Its never a BAD thing to draft one of the most talented players in a draft.

I only fear that he appeals to all of our conservative coach's baser instincts on offense.  Like I've been saying in other threads, draft Fournette and prepare not to "evolve" but to "devolve".

[LinvilleGorge]

8 minutes ago, brandon_87 said:

Good, crap like this needs to stay in the media so someone gets nervous and jumps in front of us to take him. We have many needs, but rb2 is not a need at 8

The Jags don't need to jump. They hold all the cards to the Fournette situation IMO. Cleveland goes Garrett, I think 49ers either go Solomon Thomas or Jonathan Allen at #2, and then at #3 the Bears have a rookie who just finished 2nd in the NFL in rushing yardage. They definitely aren't taking a RB at #3. Then, there's the Jags. This is the pivotal spot IMO. If he gets past the Jags at #4 I could easily see him being there for us at #8.

[yasuhara2241]

I have been going back and forth on Fournette. I don't believe there is a great comparison for him due to his size, speed and strength. If he is there I have no problems if we pick him. We need someone explosive that can take it to the house at any moment. He can do that. 

Now my biggest concern for the pick isn't the injuries and it isn't the player. It's the usage of the player. In the past with RB duos with the Panthers, running back 1a & 1b were both getting around 12 touches per game. 

My concern is whether or not 12 touches would be enough to justify such a high pick. The only way that changes is if Fournette is our starter and Stew comes in to give Fournette a breather but I see them splitting carries. 

[d-dave]

9 minutes ago, tiger7_88 said:

I only fear that he appeals to all of our conservative coach's baser instincts on offense.  Like I've been saying in other threads, draft Fournette and prepare not to "evolve" but to "devolve".

Yep, there devil right there.  We're working on "faith" to a degree with our offensive evolution this upcoming season.  Rivera said the offense must evolve, so it "should" be evolving.  I'd love to see us have a full time fullback, be able to run from the power I and from single back sets with Cam under center...  I HOPE that's part of the evolution!

[Woodie]

39 minutes ago, tiger7_88 said:

If he's a "generational talent", as many on this forum and in this thread insist that he is, he is ABSOLUTELY worth that.

If he's NOT a "generational talent", why in the world would we make a running back a Top 10 pick?

The phrase "generational talent" is overused and overstated this year.  Social media, sports news sites, and basement bloggers hype players up so much now to draw clicks, that the average fan is led to believe that he is the next great thing.  But the reality is that the greats are considered great because they are so rare.  Every year there are highly talented players that come out, but very few truly deserve the level of hype they get.

With that said, I really like Fournette, and think he could be very, very good.  It's possible he could turn out to be one of the all-time greats, but the more likely scenario is that he simply becomes a really good back that can help the team be a winner.  A piece of the puzzle.  And I don't want to overspend for just one piece (especially when we have other immediate needs).  A top 10 pick is a high price, and probably worth what he would give us.  But, to me, giving up a likely starter in addition to that pick is too much.  I can probably count on one hand the number of RB's in history that would be worth that high a price...and as much as I like Fournette, he hasn't shown himself to be worth that. 

 

[Mage]

12 hours ago, CarolinaSock said:

Stewart was an inch shorter and 5lbs lighter when he came out but ran a faster 40 (4.48) and jumped 8 inches higher in the vertical. I don't remember him being compared to Bo Jackson. The hype for this guy is insane.

The hype for Stewart was huge too.  If it weren't for injuries coming out, Stewart would have been an even more highly regarded prospect (and we still took him what, 13th?).  He was one of the biggest recruits in Oregon history at the time.  NFL.com compared him to Tomlinson coming out.  There was an article I read awhile back where some scouts, or a scout, compared Fournette to Stewart.  So it isn't like people forget about how great of an athlete Stew was.

It's a shame that like ankle injuries took away a lot of his explosiveness/speed.  It seems like he slowed down considerably after 2011.  

[steven8989]

Good, crap like this needs to stay in the media so someone gets nervous and jumps in front of us to take him. We have many needs, but rb2 is not a need at 8

Not saying we need Fournette but don't see how u don't think RB is not a real important need. Stewart hardly ever plays half the games so ur saying w should make it with Fozzy!!! So I guess ur ready for another losing season?

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[Shocker]

I want Fornette but his injury proneness (is at a word?) worries me.

[tiger7_88]

7 minutes ago, Shocker said:

I want Fornette but his injury proneness (is at a word?) worries me.

Propensity for injury, maybe?