Panthers biggest need per PFF (You already know...)

[AU-panther]

We have too many needs to fill in the draft alone.  We are going to have to fill some through free agency and Williams is a known commodity so I think that is why a lot of us want us to resign him.

Lets look at some our so called needs (assuming we stay with 4-3) and what we actually have under contract at those spots

LT-Kalil 

LG-Van Roten

C-Larsen

RT-Moton 

LDE-

DT-POE

RDE-Addison, Haynes, Obada

Slot-Captain

Free Safety-Gualden

Strong Safety- Jones

LDE is probably our biggest need along with LT unless you are ok with Kalil's level of play the past 2 years.  In some ways drafting someone like Sweat, who I'm a big fan of, would be a bit of a luxury pick for the first year.  Chances are he is going to play behind Addison in the short term.  If you draft him it will be fore what you think he can become in the future.

What spots do we fill in free agency?  There is no guarantee Reid or Williams or Peppers resigns here.  Like I said earlier some of these spots will have to be filled in free agency and then you will know what you need in the draft.

 

 

 

 

[Pimpdaddy]

...i hate the fug outta this time of year...

[Growl]

There are quite literally 10 spots on defense the team could stand to upgrade and most of those qualify as significant needs.

Conversely at OT we have an all pro RT and a rising star 2nd pick 

If we just let Williams walk then lol. We've spent multiple offseasons making ritual financial sacrifices for this exact moment. If you aren't willing to pay for an all pro OT then what exactly are you willing to spend on.

The franchise tag was invented for the scenario we face with Williams. 

[top dawg]

48 minutes ago, stbugs said:

Whitworth might not have wanted to come to Carolina. It takes two to tango and yes, I would have rather had him or Beachum. I didn't want Okung because his play dropped off so much with Seattle. Oher got a concussion in 2016 and literally fell apart after a solid 2015. No way to know about the injury happening in 2016, but we drafted a tackle in 2017, the first time we could. Also, until 2017 (first tackle when in the 20s and he's been struggling in Denver), Gettleman didn't have a top 10 pick to get a Gross.

Maybe Gettleman did get us a true LT. Moton looked solid there, but unfortunately Williams went down twice. Kalil was awful, period. I honestly don't know if Gettleman even wanted Kalil. He got fired when Olsen (Hurney gave him an extension) and TD were complaining about extensions, he drafted a kicker to replace Gano who was extended by Hurney and Gettleman was well known for being cheap. So, all that and somehow Kalil was all Gettleman's idea not the owner who loved his brother and fired Gettleman the same offseason

The Gettleman that I know wouldn't have ever signed Kalil to such an awful contract because Richardson wanted him to do it. That's ludicrous. People try to suggest that Gettleman got fired because he wouldn't re-sign 88 and 58 (which made a thousand times more sense). It's all b.s. Gettleman sticks to his guns in one situation, but gives in to the worse one? Anyone that believes this will buy lakefront property in Florida sight unseen also. C'mon, man.

The Panthers made the correct decision to make sure Turner was a Panther buy paying him handsomely. No way we were going to turn around and pay Norwell big money also. Even if Hurney wanted to do it (which many people would have whined and complained about also), the Kalil signing effectively ended any such notion. 

You may not be happy about Hurney, but, yes, Gettleman screwed the Panthers royally with that contract. He pushed all his chips in on Kalil (which he had to know that he was doing), and it was a terrible business decision, and no way anyone's going to tell me that he was strong-armed into doing it. It simply was not his way.

[AU-panther]

2 hours ago, MHS831 said:

Once again,  at the beginning of 2018, Moton was in  competition with Williams at RT and Kalil at LT.  He did not win either job.  Then when Kalil went down, Moton was playing RT, but  he did not move over to LT--instead we signed a street free agent to play LT.

I do not see why people are assuming that Moton will be the LT.  I want him to play LT--it would solve some problems---but if he can't  beat out Matt Kalil, and if they don't move him there when it is open, I am guessing they do not like him at the second most important position on the offense. 

I would not be surprised to see Kalil never play another down---I  woudd not be  surprised to see him  starting at LT.  I would not  be surprised to see Moton there--but there are NO signs that suggest they will.

You never know with our staff.

What if they think Moton's best spot is guard.  They sign Williams for the right, draft a tackle for the left and move Moton to guard and that solves the guard "need".

or

They don't resign Williams, play Moton on the right and draft a tackle.

There is only one thought process and scenario where tackle isn't a need, that is they resign Williams and are comfortable with Moton playing LT.  

Actually 2, if they think Kalil is the answer at LT, Moton at RT, and then they let Williams go.

We will have a better idea at the beginning of free agency.  

 

[heel31ok]

17 hours ago, Toomers said:

Matt Kalil is not playing another down for the Carolina Panthers. 

Yes and Hurney isn't coming back and Mack Brown will never coach at UNC again...Like Mr Doubtfire said..."brace yourself!"

[Navy_football]

15 hours ago, MHS831 said:

Once again,  at the beginning of 2018, Moton was in  competition with Williams at RT and Kalil at LT.  He did not win either job.  Then when Kalil went down, Moton was playing RT, but  he did not move over to LT--instead we signed a street free agent to play LT.

I do not see why people are assuming that Moton will be the LT.  I want him to play LT--it would solve some problems---but if he can't  beat out Matt Kalil, and if they don't move him there when it is open, I am guessing they do not like him at the second most important position on the offense. 

I would not be surprised to see Kalil never play another down---I  woudd not be  surprised to see him  starting at LT.  I would not  be surprised to see Moton there--but there are NO signs that suggest they will.

And you're assuming the best player won the job and not the veteran. 

[raleigh-panther]

On 1/26/2019 at 8:10 AM, top dawg said:

Can he play LT? That continues to be the question that has plagued Panthers fans really since Jordan Gross departed. PFF picked the biggest offseason need for all 32 teams, and of course LT is our biggest need, and this is their super short synopsis:

Matt Kalil’s $55 million deal is shaping up to be an all-time bad signing. He earned a 63.1 overall grade in 2017 before missing all of 2018 with yet another injury. It will cost them more to cut the soon to be 30-year old tackle than to roster him in 2019, but either way, you likely don’t want him starting.

 

No, only an enemy would want him starting. With the contract what it is, let us pray that he's a handsome-paid backup and that Marty Hurney can indeed pull a rabbit out of the hat to finally put an end to one of the Huddle's biggest not-so-private jokes since Gross left (half o' pun not intended).

I posted this in another thread and I repeat it here.  

I have a feeling the new owner feels the same way

Think about this

...the most important position on the team is what.  The QB.   the franchise and that QB is in bad physical shape from beatings past and mismanagement 

—. The second most  important position, and very hard to find, Left OT

—.  Add to it, Williams coming off knee surgery, and contract uncertainty, 

—. Plus a generally miserable depth and skill on this oline  and the answer to the problem is easier to come by

— there is no question that both lines need updating, but whether one believes  it or not, without Newton heathy, or even if a new QB Is drafted in 2020, that line  has to be fixed 

If this team needs to move up and get one in the draft, do it. It’s past time

look at the QBs in the playoffs, what mattered more, that the QB had time or that the QB didn’t have time.  No one touches Brady,  he stands there like a statue, and what is the result, five rings  with a chance for a sixth 

 

 

[AU-panther]

16 hours ago, top dawg said:

The Gettleman that I know wouldn't have ever signed Kalil to such an awful contract because Richardson wanted him to do it. That's ludicrous. People try to suggest that Gettleman got fired because he wouldn't re-sign 88 and 58 (which made a thousand times more sense). It's all b.s. Gettleman sticks to his guns in one situation, but gives in to the worse one? Anyone that believes this will buy lakefront property in Florida sight unseen also. C'mon, man.

The Panthers made the correct decision to make sure Turner was a Panther buy paying him handsomely. No way we were going to turn around and pay Norwell big money also. Even if Hurney wanted to do it (which many people would have whined and complained about also), the Kalil signing effectively ended any such notion. 

You may not be happy about Hurney, but, yes, Gettleman screwed the Panthers royally with that contract. He pushed all his chips in on Kalil (which he had to know that he was doing), and it was a terrible business decision, and no way anyone's going to tell me that he was strong-armed into doing it. It simply was not his way.

All GMs can be overruled by the owners.  The owner signs the checks.

Rumor was Belichick wanted to keep Jimmy G.  Where is Jimmy G now?  If Belichick can be overruled anyone can.

I'm not saying DG was opposed to signing Kalil but to think the owner doesn't have influence or final say is in my opinion wrong.

Also I don't think it was easy as the fact he didn't want to resign 88 and 58 (which btw he is looking right about), but a culmination of things.

 

[top dawg]

51 minutes ago, AU-panther said:

All GMs can be overruled by the owners.  The owner signs the checks.

Rumor was Belichick wanted to keep Jimmy G.  Where is Jimmy G now?  If Belichick can be overruled anyone can.

I'm not saying DG was opposed to signing Kalil but to think the owner doesn't have influence or final say is in my opinion wrong.

Also I don't think it was easy as the fact he didn't want to resign 88 and 58 (which btw he is looking right about), but a culmination of things.

 

I don't disagree that GMs can be overruled, but just the fact that we know how Belichick presumably felt, tells me that we would have known if Gettleman was at odds with the Kalil signing. No one, especially people like Belichick and Gettleman, wants to be known for making bad decisions, and with a position which is what I'll refer to as "being extremely subject to public criticism" as a GM of an NFL franchise is, a manager is just not going to want to take that hit. If the decision is perhaps franchise altering to a severe degree, then the GM is going to want to take the hit even less. Moreover, I contend that if an owner is going to be so meddlesome as to make what is widely---and I mean widely viewed as a head-scratching decision against the GM's advice, then he should take credit for it.

Lastly, with the age of information and the Internet as it is, I doubt that a decision like that wouldn't surface at some point.

[AU-panther]

11 minutes ago, top dawg said:

I don't disagree that GMs can be overruled, but just the fact that we know how Belichick presumably felt, tells me that we would have known if Gettleman was at odds with the Kalil signing. No one, especially people like Belichick and Gettleman, wants to be known for making bad decisions, and with a position which is what I'll refer to as "being extremely subject to public criticism" as a GM of an NFL franchise is, a manager is just not going to want to take that hit. If the decision is perhaps franchise altering to a severe degree, then the GM is going to want to take the hit even less. Moreover, I contend that if an owner is going to be so meddlesome as to make what is widely---and I mean widely viewed as a head-scratching decision against the GM's advice, then he should take credit for it.

Lastly, with the age of information and the Internet as it is, I doubt that a decision like that wouldn't surface at some point.

I always thought it was odd how little finger pointing when off after the firing.  Almost too quite.

Either way I don't think it is ever as cut and dry as people make things out to be in situations as this.

It might not have been as outright as "sign Kalil and pay him anything wants", but it could have been something more subtle.  2015 we had a great record, 2016 terrible record, during the time there was always a lot of talk about protecting Cam, just look at this site.  Maybe there was a lot of pressure to do something drastic.  Up to that point DG always minimized his risk with free agents.  Tried Bell, it didn't work.  Tied Oher, it did work.  In both of those situations the financial risk was low.

I would think all big signings like that are group efforts, coaches, gm and owner all give input.  I don't' know if we will ever really know what happened.  Either way I'm not trying to be an DG apologist, there is plenty he did I would have done different, but to think that Kalil was all on him is probably misguided.

[top dawg]

5 minutes ago, AU-panther said:

I always thought it was odd how little finger pointing when off after the firing.  Almost too quite.

Either way I don't think it is ever as cut and dry as people make things out to be in situations as this.

It might not have been as outright as "sign Kalil and pay him anything wants", but it could have been something more subtle.  2015 we had a great record, 2016 terrible record, during the time there was always a lot of talk about protecting Cam, just look at this site.  Maybe there was a lot of pressure to do something drastic.  Up to that point DG always minimized his risk with free agents.  Tried Bell, it didn't work.  Tied Oher, it did work.  In both of those situations the financial risk was low.

I would think all big signings like that are group efforts, coaches, gm and owner all give input.  I don't' know if we will ever really know what happened.  Either way I'm not trying to be an DG apologist, there is plenty he did I would have done different, but to think that Kalil was all on him is probably misguided.

All I can say is that as the GM, I think the buck stops with him. Until I see otherwise, he gets the vast majority of (dis)credit for that huge L (pun fully intended).

[Toomers]

3 minutes ago, top dawg said:

All I can say is that as the GM, I think the buck stops with him. Until I see otherwise, he gets the vast majority of (dis)credit for that huge L (pun fully intended).

As it should with all GMs. Well said.

[AU-panther]

2 minutes ago, top dawg said:

All I can say is that as the GM, I think the buck stops with him. Until I see otherwise, he gets the vast majority of (dis)credit for that huge L (pun fully intended).

Maybe, maybe not.  Would have been fun to be a fly on the wall back then.