Takeaways from Rivera's statements at the Combine

[Mr. Scot]

8 takeaways from Ron Rivera at the NFL Combine

This includes some stuff folks are gonna like, and some they may not.

Excerpts...

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Cam Newton is “excited and nervous”

Carolina’s quarterback was likely bummed when Mike Shula, who coached Newton closely during his first seven seasons, was let go in January. But Newton is apparently looking forward to working with Shula’s replacement.

“I had an opportunity to talk to (Newton) after we had hired Norv (Turner),” head coach Ron Rivera recalled Thursday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I knew he was going to go in and meet with Norv and say hello, and I asked him, ‘How you doing?’ ‘Well Coach, I'm excited and nervous.’ I said, ‘What are you nervous about?’ He said, ‘Coach, think about what he's done for Troy Aikman and those types of guys.’ So it was kind of cool to listen to the anticipation in his voice.”

...

“I think the biggest thing that Cam has to understand going into this is Norv's not here to change him. Norv's here to help him,” Rivera said. “That's one of the things I know Cam got from that meeting with Coach.

“It's going to be different because Norv does things differently. So it's going to be a challenge for him, but I know it's one he wants.”

We've speculated before, based on Rivera's comments, that Newton wasn't happy about the Shula/Dorsey firing.  Working with Turner will be an adjustment but I still see it being positive.

 

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Keeping Andrew Norwell is “going to be tough”

As is combine tradition, every team has meetings set up with agents of pending free agents. So it shouldn’t be news that general manager Marty Hurney is set to chat with Drew Rosenhaus, who represents a number of Panthers, including left guard Andrew Norwell.

Sure, the Panthers would love to keep their 2017 All-Pro. They’re also realistic about what it will cost to keep him.

“It's going to be tough,” Rivera admitted. “It's something Marty's got to work through, look at the cap and make his decision based off that. We've talked extensively about what Andrew means to us, what he can mean to us and what would happen if we can keep him, what will happen if we can't keep him. Only time will tell.”

Rosenhaus...Oy.

 

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Keeping Star Lotulelei is “going to be really interesting”

Between Norwell and Star Lotulelei, there’s a better chance the Panthers could hang onto the latter. It all depends on what kind of market the defensive tackle finds. If it’s soft, Lotulelei could land back in Carolina.  

“Hopefully. We'll see. It's going to be really interesting to see how things unfold,” Rivera said. “You never really know what the other teams are thinking, what the player's thinking or what the agent's thinking.”

In 2016 first-round pick Vernon Butler, the Panthers have some insurance if Lotulelei leaves. But Butler isn’t a true nose tackle like Lotulelei.

“If you lose a guy, you've got to replace him. That's the one thing you've always got to keep in mind,” Rivera said. “People go, ‘Oh, we may lose him, but we'll be fine.’ It's hard. It's hard to find the right kind of fit, and we know first and foremost that Star does fit us.”

Washington and Rivera seem to disagree about Butler fitting Lotulelei's role.  We'll see where that goes.

 

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Graham Gano is “high on the priority list”

It won't be a surprise if former Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman has his eye on a few of the Panthers’ pending free agents. Speculation has swirled for weeks about the Giants’ interest in Norwell, and Dan Duggan of NJ.com reported Thursday that New York is “expected to pursue” kicker Graham Gano. That’s if he hits the market.

The Panthers could put their franchise tag on Gano, or they may work out a deal before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. tag deadline. Either way, Hurney called Gano “a priority” last week, a sentiment Rivera echoed Thursday.  

“He's high up on the priority list. As far as the tag and all that good stuff,” Rivera said, “that's something Marty's going to have to deal with and take care of.”

Not much we didn't already know.

 

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Panthers will reach out to Julius Peppers “sooner rather than later”

Carolina’s all-time leader in sacks is currently down in Miami mulling over whether to return for a 17th season. Rivera wouldn’t say if Peppers has indicated he’d play for only the Panthers, but they should get a better sense of Peppers’ plans relatively soon.

“Julius had (shoulder) surgery and he’s been rehabbing. I know Marty is going to reach out and have that conversation with Julius eventually,” Rivera said. “It’s going to be sooner rather than later.”

Sig said he's worried on this front.  We'll find out whether there's a reason.
 

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It could be time to “start looking for that next guy” at quarterback

To be clear, the Panthers aren’t looking to replace Newton. But they’re the only team that hasn’t taken a quarterback over the past six drafts. With 34-year-old Derek Anderson a potential free agent, there’s no guarantee he’ll be Newton’s backup for an eighth season. Plus, Hurney has been hoping to find a young arm the Panthers can groom.

“Derek's been a big part of what we've done. He's been like having a coach in the meeting rooms and on the sideline. We'll see how things work out,” Rivera said. “It also may be time where we've got to start looking for that next guy, too. Bring DA back, draft a young guy or sign a young guy and develop him as well? We have to start looking in that direction.”

This has also been discussed some recently, and some folks probably aren't going to like the way this was worded, but it's not about replacing Newton so much as succeeding him.

I'm actually more bugged by the notion of another year of Derek Anderson as the backup.  He's been terrible, but Rivera seems to want him back.
 

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“It would be kind of cool” to add a veteran wide receiver

Of the Panthers' wideouts under contract for 2018, only three have caught a pass in an NFL game: Devin Funchess, Curtis Samuel and Russell Shepard. That obviously doesn’t leave much experience in the wide receiver room.

“It would be kind of cool to find a guy with the background that Jerricho Cotchery had for us in 2015,” Rivera said. “I think that helps the young guys. It is a very young room and it would be nice to have a guy that's got that kind of experience.”

So while the Panthers could add a wideout or two in the draft, they’re also likely looking to add an older guy via trade or free agency.

Free agent receivers can be expensive depending on who you target.
 

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Ownership change “absolutely” adds importance to next season

Even with the contract extension he received in January, Rivera understands everything can change in the next year or so. If new owners don’t like what they see when they arrive, they could look to make changes. That’s why the importance to win is heightened in 2018.

“Absolutely it does,” Rivera said when asked if a change in ownership could force an all-in attitude. “We have to understand we've got to go out and we've got to be able to show that we're very capable of what we do, that we can continue to have sustained success and we've got to be on top of our game. So it does add a little bit of pressure, but that's the nature of the game.

“We've been under pressure before, and we've had to prove it, and we've had to come out and produce, and that really is where we are.”

Again, Hurney is the wild card here.  We've seen Rivera on the hot seat before but not Hurney.  Unknown what will happen there.

[Mr. Scot]

Joe Person's look is a little more extensive...

Things we learned from Ron Rivera at The Combine
 

Quote

▪  Rivera said there has been no decision about whether to continue playing in 2018 from veteran defensive end and sure-fire Hall of Famer Julius Peppers, who tied for the team lead in sacks in 2017. Rivera said, though, that decision is coming “sooner rather than later.”

▪  Rivera: Biggest thing that Cam Newton got from meeting with Norv Turner is that “Norv isn’t here to change him. He’s here to help him.”

▪  Graham Gano contract is high on the free agent priority list, Rivera said, but he deferred to general manager Marty Hurney for further comment.

▪  Panthers quarterback Cam Newton’s knee injury did not require surgery.

▪  Linebacker Luke Kuechly is rehabbing from shoulder surgery, and the team will err on the side of caution with his timeline.

▪  There is not a timeline for second-year receiver Curtis Samuel’s recovery from a serious ankle injury.

▪  As the premium on backup quarterbacks went up last season, Rivera says the team is evaluating closely the group of viable backups this week and discussing whether they will bring long-time backup Derek Anderson back.

▪  At the scouting combine, Rivera says he’s specifically looking for incoming rookies who could start immediately.

▪  Rivera says he and general manager Marty Hurney are deciding whether Devin Funchess will be the team’s No. 1 receiver or No. 2 receiver, and will build complementary corps around that decision.

▪  Rivera said he’d like to see a veteran presence in the receivers room – and obviously that would have to come in free agency.

▪  Rivera said replacing veteran power back Jonathan Stewart, who was released Wednesday, with an identical back isn’t so much a priority as getting a dynamic back who can run inside and outside. Rivera also mentioned new offensive coordinator Norv Turner’s success with NFL Hall of Famer LaDanian Tomlinson.

▪  It’s “going to be tough” to keep free agent guard Andrew Norwell, Rivera said, because of the salary the former undrafted free agent will command. Rivera said second-year lineman Taylor Moton can play both guard and tackle.

▪  At the scouting combine with former Panthers coordinators Sean McDermott and Steve Wilks, Rivera said it’s “kinda cool” to see his coaching tree grow.

 

Regarding the bolded comments...

Not a fan of bringing Derek Anderson back as the number two QB.  Heck, I'd feel better with Garrett Gilbert.

The Benjamin trade was supposed to be about making Funchess the number one.  Now it's undecided whether he can play that role.  Doesn't sound like things went quite as the team hoped they would.

Lots of fans assuming the Panthers would replace Stewart with another power back to complement McCaffrey.  Doesn't sound like Rivera sees it that way, especially not if he's using Tomlinson as an example of what they want.

And lastly, I think the team looking for "rookies" (multiple" who can start immediately is worth noting.  I have to wonder just how many we'd be talking about here and what positions they'd play.

[top dawg]

The Benjamin trade wasn't about definitely making Funchess the long term answer as the team's X receiver,  it was about unloading a receiver who was similar to Funchess in stature,  as well as one who has injury issues,  and to get faster by subtraction . Not to mention a way to get something,  because he likely was not going to be extended. 

[Mr. Scot]

5 minutes ago, top dawg said:

The Benjamin trade wasn't about definitely making Funchess the long term answer as the team's X receiver,  it was about unloading a receiver who was similar to Funchess in stature,  as well as one who has injury issues,  and to get faster by subtraction . Not to mention a way to get something,  because he likely was not going to be extended. 

Written at the time of the trade (link)

Quote

Funchess will move Z receiver, or flanker, to Benjamin’s old spot at the X, or split end. Though Funchess’ routes will mostly stay the same, he’ll be viewed more as the go-to receiver.

There was plenty of discussion about this at the time it happened.

[TheSpecialJuan]

Good stuff, thanks for posting 

[Nate Dogg]

It kind of concerns me that Cam is bummed about Shula/Dorsey being let go. After years and years of crap play calling, I would think he would've been the biggest advocate for it.

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, Nate Dogg said:

It kind of concerns me that Cam is bummed about Shula/Dorsey being let go. After years and years of crap play calling, I would think he would've been the biggest advocate for it.

To me, it's kind of like having a manager that you like, even if you realize they may not be that great at their job.

Honestly, we don't know what Newton thought of Shula and Dorsey.  He may have thought they were doing fine.

Worth noting though that Newton did sometimes seem to show frustration with stuff that was happening on the field, especially when playcalls were taking forever to get in.

Might just be as simple as not wanting to see someone you like lose their job.

[t96]

What if Pep is thinking of leaving because Hurney's in charge instead of DG and he doesn't think we have a chance with Hurney now....?

[Definitely Not Trolling]

5 minutes ago, Nate Dogg said:

It kind of concerns me that Cam is bummed about Shula/Dorsey being let go. After years and years of crap play calling, I would think he would've been the biggest advocate for it.

Bummed just means Cam didn't give a fug they were released.

Hence why you haven't heard anything about Cam being mad or angry they are gone. 

[Camp Fodder]

9 minutes ago, Nate Dogg said:

It kind of concerns me that Cam is bummer about Shula/Dorsey being let go. After years and years of crap play calling, I would think he would've been the biggest advocate for it.

Yea I feel the same. I guess it’s kinda like finally breaking up with a girl in a bad relationship. It’s best that it ended but you still miss them because they’ve been there forever and you are nervous bout dating someone else

[Mr. Scot]

1 minute ago, thomas96 said:

What if Pep is thinking of leaving because Hurney's in charge instead of DG and he doesn't think we have a chance with Hurney now....?

I wouldn't go that far, but ask Sig.

I think it might be more that he just wants a ring before he retires and might think there are other teams with better chances of winning it all.

[t96]

Just now, Mr. Scot said:

I wouldn't go that far, but ask Sig.

I think it might be more that he just wants a ring before he retires and might think there are other teams with better chances of winning it all.

Right, he could be weighing where he has good chances of winning it all and he may look at the decision to fire DG and hire Hurney as a hindrance for the Panthers...

[t96]

13 minutes ago, Nate Dogg said:

It kind of concerns me that Cam is bummed about Shula/Dorsey being let go. After years and years of crap play calling, I would think he would've been the biggest advocate for it.

Or maybe there's a lot of truth to the fact that they were more like friends to Cam than coaches and didn't push him enough to get the most out of him and he's not in a position to easily see that...?

[Mr. Scot]

3 minutes ago, Definitely Not Trolling said:

Bummed just means Cam didn't give a fug they were released.

Hence why you haven't heard anything about Cam being mad or angry they are gone. 

Rivera made some comments the day it was announced that definitely seemed to indicate Newton wasn't happy about it.

How unhappy?  No way to know.

Kinda wonder how Newton will feel if we do indeed draft a 3rd to 5th round QB.  There's certainly a lot of hints that we're planning on it.

My guess is he won't be bothered, but he might also miss having Anderson around.