Both our lines are awful. Why we need to fix the o line first.

[1of10Charnatives]

Everyone agrees both lines were awful this year and are major problems.  That is one starting premise, that both lines need major fixing. Another is that we are almost certainly not in for a one offseason retool and next year we're off to the playoffs. Even if Cam comes back, and even if he's as good as he hasn't been able to look in some time, he doesn't block anyone in front of him, and he doesn't stop the run on D, so the playoffs seem unlikely next year to put it mildly.

My argument is that as an organization, we need to prioritize fixing the O line over fixing the D line, and my thinking here is pretty straightforward. Unless our plan is for our starter next year to be some temporary stopgap journeyman who we plan neither to keep longterm nor develop, then the level of pass protection needs to be drastically upgraded like yesterday. This organization has been emphasizing the run and defense for a quarter century now, and Tepper clearly wants to take it in a new offensive oriented direction. That will require a proficient passer whether it is Cam or a young drafted QB. 

If your dline sucks next year and we give up a bunch of running yards, well that sucks, but it only sucks that year and is fixable in next year's draft and FA. If our oline sucks as bad as it did this year in 2020, then whether the qb is Cam or a rookie, there is significant risk to that player's health and/or development that is long term. When your qb gets beat up constantly, the consequences of that reach beyond just that one season, wheras the consequences of being bad against the run do not.

Therefore fix the o line first, then worry about the D lines

 

 

tl:dr version: bad olines lead to beat qb's which impact seasons down the road. Bad dlines have no consequences beyond the present season.

[chknwing]

they were awful but they also didnt care.  QB1 was done for the year.  Their hopes for a superbowl were dashed.  both lines went through the motions for most of the year.

[1of10Charnatives]

Just now, chknwing said:

they were awful but they also didnt care.  QB1 was done for the year.  Their hopes for a superbowl were dashed.  both lines went through the motions for most of the year.

I don't buy the notion that Daryl Williams on a one year prove deal went through the motions. He was trying but was clearly horribad. If a player on a one year prove it deal was going through the motions, I don't ever want him anywhere near my locker room. If Paradis was going through the motions as a vet on a new team recognizing a bad situation, I'd be pissed if I were anyone in charge that he's taking upwards of 8 million a year to set a bad example for rookies. Moton has a contract year coming up next season, I sure hope he wasn't going through the motions. Little and Daley are rookies and are going to look to the vets around them for cues. I could see them quitting in the face of bad odds, but really once you're at the professional level, try to act like it. GVR is probably doing everything he can just to keep up given his lack of athletic gifts relative to other starters. 

Regardless, you have a teammate behind you that it's your job to protect physically. If you're a db and you give up, oh well, another TD against us. If you're O line and you give up, people get hurt. I have a hard time accepting the notion that just trying to protect the guy behind you from getting hurt isn't motive enough to at least put some effort into it, but I've never played o line in the NFL, so maybe.

[pantherj]

There is no valid argument for spending our top premier pick on a fuging DT or CB. The only options for the top pick are QB, OT, WR. QB if we're done with Cam. OT if the value is there. WR if there is great value and low value at OT. The hope every Panthers fan should have is that there is good value at the OT position when we pick 7th. There are good DTs available in the 2nd round that can help slow the run. Frankly I don't give a fug if we have leaky run defense next season given the RED ALERT situation with pass protection.

[ncfan]

Even if Cam is not in the future plans.

So need to hit this OL hard 

Because say we Tank for Trevor this year and dont address the OL.

 

Trevor is going to get killed.  We dont want that, have sometime set up for Cam OR whoever is in the plans to replace him.

[cmichd]

People seem to forget how good the Pittsburg lines were back in the 70's and 80's.  They took pride in keeping Bradshaw standing or any QB after Bradshaw.  They always seems to have the next player up when it came to developing people and we have never seem to have the next player up when it came to the OLine.

 

[1of10Charnatives]

1 minute ago, ncfan said:

Even if Cam is not in the future plans.

So need to hit this OL hard 

Because say we Tank for Trevor this year and dont address the OL.

 

Trevor is going to get killed.  We dont want that, have sometime set up for Cam OR whoever is in the plans to replace him.

This is pretty much my thinking and why even if we don't keep Cam I don't favor drafting a qb this year. I'd rather fix the o line the future qb is going to play behind this year, then hope that god awful qb play behind an improved line nets us Trevor Lawrence next year rather than settle for Hebert or some other maybe not named Joe Burrow.

[1of10Charnatives]

2 minutes ago, cmichd said:

People seem to forget how good the Pittsburg lines were back in the 70's and 80's.  They took pride in keeping Bradshaw standing or any QB after Bradshaw.  They always seems to have the next player up when it came to developing people and we have never seem to have the next player up when it came to the OLine.

 

Well to be fair to the modern NFL, free agency and the salary cap changed dramatically what you can do regarding depth, but yeah.

[Jon Snow]

4 minutes ago, cmichd said:

People seem to forget how good the Pittsburg lines were back in the 70's and 80's.  They took pride in keeping Bradshaw standing or any QB after Bradshaw.  They always seems to have the next player up when it came to developing people and we have never seem to have the next player up when it came to the OLine.

 

We rarely had a player up let alone a next one to step up if you know what I mean.

[pantherj]

We fans are not qualified to evaluate the QBs in the upcoming draft, and even if we were, we don't have the time or tape available to make a proper evaluation. My point is don't piss your pants if we take a QB in this draft at 7th.

[Jon Snow]

2 minutes ago, 1of10Charnatives said:

Well to be fair to the modern NFL, free agency and the salary cap changed dramatically what you can do regarding depth, but yeah.

That's why it's critical that you have people who can find those diamonds in the rough in the later rounds of the draft and udfa classes.  Hurney is not good at it to put it nicely.

[1of10Charnatives]

Just now, pantherj said:

We fans are not qualified to evaluate the QBs in the upcoming draft, and even if we were, we don't have the time or tape available to make a proper evaluation. My point is don't piss your pants if we take a QB in this draft at 7th.

I will piss my pants and you can't stop me!

*stomps feet to show how serious he is*

 

 

Kidding aside, even if we take a qb at 7, I'm gonna be covering my eyes every time he drops back next year unless rounds 2 and 3 are also o line and we bring in a top FA somewhere along the line. The whole point of the OP is that regardless of who our qb is next year, if we don't majorly invest in fixing the line, they're in trouble.

[pantherj]

2 minutes ago, 1of10Charnatives said:

I will piss my pants and you can't stop me!

*stomps feet to show how serious he is*

 

 

Kidding aside, even if we take a qb at 7, I'm gonna be covering my eyes every time he drops back next year unless rounds 2 and 3 are also o line and we bring in a top FA somewhere along the line. The whole point of the OP is that regardless of who our qb is next year, if we don't majorly invest in fixing the line, they're in trouble.

[DubE_4MR]

We’ll get a sneak peak at draft strategy during the next couple weeks with the Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl interviews. 
 

A lot will depend on what they do with Cam and how much they like Little and Daley. I’ve noticed the team has liked certain players a lot more than the fans in years past so what we think is a need is not consistent with the teams draft strategy.