Now are the Panthers better? What say you?

[Toker Smurf]

2 minutes ago, Paa Langfart said:

do you realize CJ didn't play  25% of last season ?  Dude tried to maintain his mediocrity by doping himself and still failed at it.  Time to move on with one of our young guys.

I agree. But it's just a complete unknown. 

[RetiredCollegeCoach]

Team is better for sure.

It helps to have a GM without a scouting background. Guys with a scouting background invariably assume that they're the smartest guy in the room, so they shop in the bargain bin, assuming they'll find deals no one else could see. Guys without a scouting background can still assess players, but they also have the humility to also accept the wisdom of others, and to realize that maybe a $9m/year free agent is...worth $9m a year.

But as well as Draft God has performed so far in free agency, the real fruits are yet to come. Who will be this year's Luke Kuechly?

Can't wait.

[TheSpecialJuan]

terrible 

[Mr. Scot]

I say I still don't know.

I've seen way too many times when teams built "holy s--t, how can we lose" rosters in the offseason only to have that team find a way to answer that question once the season actually started. Heck, teams like the Browns have been offseason champs on a regular basis.

My outlook every offseason is measured optimism. That's not changing.

[NanuqoftheNorth]

1 minute ago, Mr. Scot said:

My Outlook every offseason is measured optimism. That's not changing.

Pretty much this.

Impossible to know how all these new players will mesh with what the Panthers already have and that is without accounting for what our division rivals and the rest of the league are up to.

Hurney seems to be doing his best to make this team better and that is all I can ask of him.

[top dawg]

1 hour ago, Cam El said:

Still worse. 

RB worse

Secondary worse

OLine worse

TE worse 

QB worse 

DLine even

WR better 

I do think that once the draft is over, we will be better (possibly before). 

Considering what Stew gave us last season and what CMC brought in the stretch,  we're arguably better.  Even if Artis-Payne is JAG,  Stewart was JAG last season,  so it's even at worst. 

Don't know how you call the secondary worse.  Breeland is markedly better than Worley.  And Coleman is no huge loss. 

So I guess you think Dickson is some huge loss.  That's ludicrous.  Addition by subtraction.  Manhertz and who knows whoever else will be better. 

Dontari Poe is a markedly better DT than Star.  The D-line is most certainly better. Considering that our edge rushing actually got better when CJ was out,  I say that we'll be better with the young guys.  Our D-line is better than when the season ended. Poe, alone, is huge. 

[Qu1million]

NO!!!!

[Toker Smurf]

56 minutes ago, top dawg said:

Considering what Stew gave us last season and what CMC brought in the stretch,  we're arguably better.  Even if Artis-Payne is JAG,  Stewart was JAG last season,  so it's even at worst. 

Don't know how you call the secondary worse.  Breeland is markedly better than Worley.  And Coleman is no huge loss. 

So I guess you think Dickson is some huge loss.  That's ludicrous.  Addition by subtraction.  Manhertz and who knows whoever else will be better. 

Dontari Poe is a markedly better DT than Star.  The D-line is most certainly better. Considering that our edge rushing actually got better when CJ was out,  I say that we'll be better with the young guys.  Our D-line is better than when the season ended. Poe, alone, is huge. 

All those arguments fail because of depth. If you want to argue Stew and CAP even fine but it's still the same talent level with one less body. 

No, Dickson isn't a 'huge' loss but he's certainly better than the next best option, currently on the team. Not sure why you think Manhertz is anything. 

Same for Coleman, maybe not a huge loss but definitely better than Colin Jones. 

Poe is not 'markedly' better than Poe. Check the stats. 

I'd argue that the reason the dline was better with CJ out, was because it was passing downs and Peppers was coming in, not because of Hall or Cox Jr. 

[ImaginaryKev]

It'd be cool if the team added the Pouncey Twin who just got released by Miami

[JawnyBlaze]

Including coaching staff, easily waaaaaaaaay better. Just players? I’m saying with Poe now a little better. Better at wr and cb, close at dt, worse at guard 

[blackcat]

It’s almost as if the Panthers have people who know what they’re doing......they must’ve hired some folks from the Huddle...

[top dawg]

1 hour ago, Cam El said:

All those arguments fail because of depth. If you want to argue Stew and CAP even fine but it's still the same talent level with one less body. 

No, Dickson isn't a 'huge' loss but he's certainly better than the next best option, currently on the team. Not sure why you think Manhertz is anything. 

Same for Coleman, maybe not a huge loss but definitely better than Colin Jones. 

Poe is not 'markedly' better than Poe. Check the stats. 

I'd argue that the reason the dline was better with CJ out, was because it was passing downs and Peppers was coming in, not because of Hall or Cox Jr. 

I disagree.  

The argument about our D-line is weak.  Everyone knows Cox stepped it up a little,  as did Wes Horton.  Hall was on IR. 

Dude,  we can easily replace Coleman with as relatively bad that he played. Sure,  Dixon had a couple of nice offensive games,  but his entire career here was below average.  Moreover,  I don't know why you think that Manhertz is trash. In any event,  once we secure Wilson or Ebron,  that's an upgrade. 

Depth?  If we don't have any depth it's because we didn't have any depth.

Poe is overall superior to Lotulelei, and it's not even relatively close. I suggest you check advanced metrics. 

[FugAllY'all]

Hard to say untill we see who's stepping into Norwell's spot and getting Stewart's touches. I like the players we've added but this remains an incomplete team.

[MHS831]

CB is huge--first, Breeland had some issues in Washington---Um, so did Norman.  Washington played man a lot more than Carolina.  We get better because Breeland will play #1 CB-he is better than Bradberry; Bradberry will play #2 CB--he is better than Worley.  Corn Elder will challenge Munnerlyn, so we are better there.

S is interesting--I think we are targeting a S in round one--Will Marty use the second third rounder to move up for Derwin if he falls?  Might be worth it--if not, it could be a G.  The crickets (SS: Grizzly Adams and Jones; FS: D. Cox) suggests they are high on Adams and like Cox as depth. 

WR:  Are we better (pre-Benji trade) now than then? Probably.  We have the deep threat, Samuels (the boy had a rough rookie season--some of you think he is made of porcelain).  Just trying to do too much.  I think we add a WR in the draft.

DT: They are scary now.  Pressure from the NT.  Imagine that.

I would say that we are getting there, but I  am worried that Marty is trying to make a big  splash  with a limited checkbook.