Roster in 2019...

[SetfreexX]

QB-

Cam 

HB- 

CMC

WR-

Moore

Samuel

Wright

TE-

Olsen / Thomas

OL-

Moton / Van Roten / Larsen / Turner / Williams

DL-

Addison / Short / Poe / Haynes / Obaba

LB-

Kuechly / Thompson / Carter / Smith

DB-

Bradberry / Jackson / Cockrell 

S-

Reid / Gaulden

 

The above are names that I think we can't afford to cut based on talent, contract or a combination of both. We all love guys like TD, and Peppers, some of us may have grown up watching them, but this is not an older man's game, and Rivera and staff have to stop treating it like it is. The only place for an old man is if you have a HOF talent QB still playing at a high level, our defense is old at key positions, S (Adams), the 2nd LB (Davis), and the DL (Peppers), Addison is 30, KK is 29, and Poe will be 29 next season. Guys like Haynes, and Obada are still huge question marks. 

At this point I know the team is playing for wins and to try to sneak in, but when you lose to teams like - WAS, DET, SEA, TB, & CLE, how could you expect to beat New Orleans, or the Rams in the playoffs, if the Steelers smoke checked us, the other two best offenses in the NFL would as well. 

Cam is hurt, and it shows, not done, but he's obviously not 100% we need to look towards next season as a team and IMO as a fan base, as much as I'd love a playoff push, I'd much rather have quality picks to begin the semi-rebuild on defense. I just cant' see us doing anything of merit in the playoffs, we can't get to the Quarterback consistently, and when we blitz it feels like those take a day and a half to get there as well. And for the life of me the big pass play is killing us due to the above. 

This is ''my'' team, but ''my'' team needs to change in order to get better. I hate losing Norv if Ron was to be fired, this is the best the offense has looked since Cam's rookie year, it's just unfortunate the defense didn't show up this season. 

[MHS831]

I question Olsen's return--he probably won't if I had to bet.   When buddies TD and Kalil walk away, I see Olsen taking that announcing job.

You forgot Funchess.  He should sign a 5-year, $76m deal this offseason.  That was a joke. 

Love has played well, but he is getting old.  I still see another year or two in him. I think we go DT in free agency.

What bothers me about Williams is Otah.  Knee issues with the bigs is scary.

---

Going from this, we will sign or draft a DE, DT, CB, S, OC, OG, OT, LB, and maybe a WR. I do not think this team is far from being good again.

 

[Seoul_Panther]

35 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

Going from this, we will sign or draft a DE, DT, CB, S, OC, OG, OT, LB, and maybe a WR. I do not think this team is far from being good again.

 That’s a big list to fix for a team that’s not far from being good again.

Like you I have big doubts about Olsen. If he does go then it’s a lot of pressure on Thomas and Manhertz. We’re also going to need an RB too as depth for CMC.

[Seoul_Panther]

49 minutes ago, SetfreexX said:

QB-

Cam 

HB- 

CMC

WR-

Moore

Samuel

Wright

TE-

Olsen / Thomas

OL-

Moton / Van Roten / Larsen / Turner / Williams

DL-

Addison / Short / Poe / Haynes / Obaba

LB-

Kuechly / Thompson / Carter / Smith

DB-

Bradberry / Jackson / Cockrell 

S-

Reid / Gaulden

 

The above are names that I think we can't afford to cut based on talent, contract or a combination of both. We all love guys like TD, and Peppers, some of us may have grown up watching them, but this is not an older man's game, and Rivera and staff have to stop treating it like it is. The only place for an old man is if you have a HOF talent QB still playing at a high level, our defense is old at key positions, S (Adams), the 2nd LB (Davis), and the DL (Peppers), Addison is 30, KK is 29, and Poe will be 29 next season. Guys like Haynes, and Obada are still huge question marks. 

At this point I know the team is playing for wins and to try to sneak in, but when you lose to teams like - WAS, DET, SEA, TB, & CLE, how could you expect to beat New Orleans, or the Rams in the playoffs, if the Steelers smoke checked us, the other two best offenses in the NFL would as well. 

Cam is hurt, and it shows, not done, but he's obviously not 100% we need to look towards next season as a team and IMO as a fan base, as much as I'd love a playoff push, I'd much rather have quality picks to begin the semi-rebuild on defense. I just cant' see us doing anything of merit in the playoffs, we can't get to the Quarterback consistently, and when we blitz it feels like those take a day and a half to get there as well. And for the life of me the big pass play is killing us due to the above. 

This is ''my'' team, but ''my'' team needs to change in order to get better. I hate losing Norv if Ron was to be fired, this is the best the offense has looked since Cam's rookie year, it's just unfortunate the defense didn't show up this season. 

Interesting that you have Gaulden as a starter and Haynes in the DE rotation despite neither of them showing anything. Haynes doesn’t project as a 4-3 DE at all- I really don’t get why they drafted him. Gaulden was way over drafted IMO. I’m not feeling great about pencilling either in. I love Obada but I don’t see him as any more than a Horton replacement.

 I think they have to draft a DE like Ferrell or sweat. We need to get younger in our pass rush.

[Raleigh PF]

In order, I would list the priorities as:

1. Defensive End

2. Quarterback

4. Linebacker

5. Right tackle

6. Safety

Some of that will be captured in the draft, the rest filled in via free agency. Why is QB the #2 priority? Because no one yet knows what will happen to Cam after the season. If he gets surgery, we don't know what the timeline for his return would be, either. Additionally, it's time to start thinking about grooming a possible replacement IF the Panthers decide not to re-sign Cam after 2020. Now is the time.

I put right tackle in there, as I'm not sure about Williams. I hope he comes back strong, but we don't know what kind of contract he is going to require. Drafting a right tackle would help the depth at that position and provide an answer if Wiliams cannot come back at full strength or doesn't want to sign with the Panthers.

[Trill OG]

Pretty sure we will have 2 new starters at LB with TD retiring and us cutting Shaq and saving 9 mil. Olsen I also see retiring.

 

We are just going to have a complete overhaul on defense with the old guys Peppers/TD/Adams all possibly retiring.

[SetfreexX]

5 hours ago, Seoul_Panther said:

Interesting that you have Gaulden as a starter and Haynes in the DE rotation despite neither of them showing anything. Haynes doesn’t project as a 4-3 DE at all- I really don’t get why they drafted him. Gaulden was way over drafted IMO. I’m not feeling great about pencilling either in. I love Obada but I don’t see him as any more than a Horton replacement.

 I think they have to draft a DE like Ferrell or sweat. We need to get younger in our pass rush.

This was not a list of starters, or a depth chart, this is just a list of players I think will be around for 2019. 

[SetfreexX]

I think many here are too hard on KK, with almost ZERO outside threat you can't expect a DT to lead the way for your team...

All of the better DT's in the NFL have legite threats on the perimeter flanking them...

I'd rather see Short and Poe back as run defense inside hasn't been an issue, but with legit rushers next to each. 

Keep in mind, in his best season we had the following, 

1) A true #1 corner in Norman

2) A healthy Charles Johnson, and the last bit of Jared Allen

3) A secondary overall that wasn't great but didn't give up plays, and could cover long enough...

I think he's earned a down year, keep in mind Peppers, and Addision were 11 sack DE's last seasons, and with that Short had 7.5 sacks to back that up, that is VERY good for an interior DL. I think we see some of that return when we can force the QB to step up with edge pressure. 

[Trill OG]

11 minutes ago, stbugs said:

Cutting Shaq and keeping Short would be dumb. Shaq at least plays with effort and isn’t a hole like Short who has been so inconsistent for $17m per year. We’d save $17m in cap and around twice that in cash (read signing bonus for a FA). I want to cut Short, Kalil, Smith and Searcy first and get our cap space in 2019 close to $60m and then work some magic. Draft a stud DT (there’s a bunch) in the first or second (DE with the other, unless signing Clowney) and go from there.

Keep the LBers as Luke, Shaq, Carter, Mayo and Smith and maybe a rookie and work hard on DL. Haynes isn’t s 4-3 DE.

I didn't know cutting Short saves us 17 mil in cap. Im not a cap expert, but that sounds like a great plan if we can pull it off.

[PleaseCutStewart]

Think the top priority for us is resigning Williams in the offseason if his knee isn't completely fuged. Having quality tackles on both sides will go a long way. Offense doesn't need much outside of a LG and some depth.

Defense needs a ton of work. Wouldn't mind having TD back if he still wants to play as a 1st and 2nd down LB. Definitely need to find a free safety so we can slide Reid to being an in-the-box safety. Need a nickel corner, as Cap's useless ass can't cover a soul. Dline is god awful and needs a total revamp.

Draft/free agency needs:

FS, DE (x2), LB (possibly x2), nickel corner (if Cockrell is healthy, might be able to slide Action Jackson into the slot), LG, depth Oline (x2), TE2, QB2, DT.

If we can answer half of these needs adequately, I think we will be good next season (assuming Cam rehabs well and we don't get decimated by injuries)