seems like there's a lot of optimism.....

[rayzor]

Probably unwarranted, but this is the best I've felt about the team since the superbowl loss.

I love the management and the of coaches. I love that we're in starting over and that we've got a really young and athletic crew. 

I'm excited about this defense and I'm excited to see what this offense with Darnold can do. I'm nervous about it, but more just excited. 

we needed a fresh start all across the board and we've got it.

 

[Panthers Rhule]

I'm extremely optimistic about the direction this team is going and I do expect us to be a in yearly playoff contention very soon. Do I expect it to begin next season? No. Is it possible? Yes but we are so young we must be willing to accept some growing pains and mishaps along the way but we have the pieces mostly in place to find our lineup moving forward by the end of the season. I also don't believe it all hinges on Darnold. Not this season. What I want to see from him this season is for him to play settled down. I want to see him regain his confidence in himself and to play with confidence in his team. His goal this season should be to demonstrate that he is able to play QB in this league. Put up a solid season. Get the TDs and yards up and the Ints down. Make some big plays. Build and maintain some leads. Win some games at the end. Become a leader on offense. If he can come in and have a season like Mayfield had for the Browns last year then that would be a good start for him. That's would be something that we and he can grow on in 22 and especially as all these young players keep getting better too. If he can have a solid season, CMC stays healthy and our defense shows even modest improvement we could squeak into the playoffs. 

And if either Darnold, or the defense really blows up then we could actually even be a little dangerous.

Edited May 10, 2021 by Panthers Rhule

[Kentucky Panther]

I think everyone knew Teddy had reached his ceiling by the time we signed him. It was a horrible signing, because Teddy was never going to win here unless he had a perfect team. 
 

I don’t even think Sam knows how good he can be with this new staff and weapons. That’s the exciting part for me. At least most of it. 

[onmyown]

This place is always optimistic in April/May. We usually have our best record, 0-0 around this time.

We are undefeated in draft, FA and offseason workouts Super Bowls since inception.

Come on man all those knee jerk doomsday threads when the season actually hits aren’t a result of being pessimistic around this time.

I have learned to just wait and see. Especially draft wise, we just don’t know enough to be excited. Just because Hurney didn’t make the picks and just because TB isn’t QB isn’t a reason to get excited. Actually SEEING it be better on the field is exciting. So wait and see.

It gets tiring being let down. But I think there are two valid things going on that deserve optimism.

1. Hurney is finally gone and Tepper has taken the time to get the business side of things down before moving on to making changes we as fans really want to see which leads to...

2. Quick reactions. Long gone are the days under JR when this team will literally suffer for the almighty dollar and fav favorites. Under JR (and Hurney) you knew you were getting a retirement/sunset ending at the expense of the team. You knew a contract basically meant your work was done and there wasn’t a snowflake’s chance in hell you’d be cut if JR had to pay money - coach or player.

Now it’s different. The FO will cut your ass and pay to see you leave in the name of finding the answer for the betterment of the team, whether you have a contract or not. It’s yet to be seen if the ability to actually find that answer and make the right moves exist, but the mere fact the FO is willing to make moves is very exciting.

[electro's horse]

5 minutes ago, onmyown said:

This place is always optimistic in April/May. We usually have our best record, 0-0 around this time.

 

This place was absolutely not optimistic this time last year

[onmyown]

7 minutes ago, electro's horse said:

This place was absolutely not optimistic this time last year

You have to separate the people who only followed/were ‘fans’ of this team because of Cam (which let’s be real was at least 50% of the fanbase) and the butthurt that followed releasing him vs. long time fans of the team.

I will agree last season was probably the least optimistic that I’ve ever seen but I kind of voided that for the reason above.

[electro's horse]

2 minutes ago, stbugs said:

Umm, did you read the Teddy threads? There were a lot of people who thought he’d double his career highs and that we’d be a playoff contender. There was less optimism than 2018/2019 where people were thinking our FA additions would get us back to the playoffs and that Cam was coming back healthy, but there was still a lot of optimism.

yeah i generally don't give much credence to impressions based on the rantings of the mentally ill. 

Also "back to the playoffs in 2018?" bitch they went in 2017

[GRWatcher]

I'm an optimistic person by nature. I don't ever count us down and out until that's proven. I'm pulling for Sam to show the confidence and abilities he came into the NFL with, why Fitterer signed him and drafted Horn. What does concern me is the depth at QB with 3 unknowns on the roster (Walker, Grier, Stevens). Defense will be better than average and Special Teams will be good (I've always believed in you, Chase Blackburn!).

Most importantly, they've shut down the Temple/Baylor pipeline and playing Martyball with the cap. That alone is worth some optimism.

[Panthers Rhule]

10 minutes ago, onmyown said:

You have to separate the people who only followed/were ‘fans’ of this team because of Cam (which let’s be real was at least 50% of the fanbase) and the butthurt that followed releasing him vs. long time fans of the team.

I will agree last season was probably the least optimistic that I’ve ever seen but I kind of voided that for the reason above.

I wasn't here for last season so I can't comment specifically about what was being said her but I know in general, expectations for our defense was very low and it was largely doubted we would even be close in many games but people liked our WRs and CMC and many thought Teddy good do pretty well with that. And with 3 1k yard wrs that went pretty well actually but CMC missed 3/4s of the season so that hurt. The lack of TD was a bad surprise though.  However the defense while not good was much better than expected and we were close in a lot of games which was a very pleasant surprise. Then the coaching was already a clear improvement in just the first season. That mixed with what many like myself feel has been the most exciting off season we've ever had with a draft that was just so completely new and refreshing it's just really hard not to feel optimistic about this team. Many of us feel like we are finally getting what we've always wanted from our team. And really, the only people I see who aren't optimistic are the guys who dreamt of Fields for the last year and a half and didn't get him even tough they could have. Even some of those have been coming around as the days have passed. 

[run-run-pass-punt]

I've been very optimistic since the Rhule hire - and then the Hurney release (+ Fitt).

The shift in overall energy is palpable. (in addition to some very practical evidence) And good energy precedes good things.

I honestly expect a deep playoff run within the next 3 seasons. As with all things though, the unfolding isn't so easy to see with certainty. Just enjoy the ride, good or bad.

[vorbis]

I'm most optimistic about the way the front office is being built out, with the express organizational vision to build the team in alignment with the coaching staff's purported strengths of developing and getting the most out of players.

I think if they can get this kind of conveyor belt setup going with drafting of rookies with potential, who then develop into starters and difference makers, who then go on to sign second contracts (in Charlotte or elsewhere) at a rate notably higher than the average NFL franchise, thereby leading to continual compensation draft picks from year to year, then you've got the makings of a consistent winner over a 5-7 year period.

Edited May 10, 2021 by vorbis

[Proudiddy]

Everyone here knows how reactive and generally pessimistic I tend to be, but I am optimistic.  It seems like for the first time, in possibly ever, we have a sense of direction and an actual plan in place for building our team.  Decisions seem logical,, reasonable, sound, and fit together, which was never the case in the past...  Fitt, Morgan, and the new-look FO seem to be everything we have spent decades hoping for from their demonstrated measured approach and moves they have made so far.  Free agency was calculated and a massive win with additions like Reddick and bargain signings like Bouye and Jones.  Draft was possibly the most value-laden class we have ever had on paper.  Tepper is passionate about winning and putting the right people in place and then stepping back and letting them do what they do...  something that we didn't have in place before and obviously held us back from the ownership standpoint.  I also believe Rhule is one of those rare game-changing strategists as a coach, of which there is only a very small few present in the NFL, so that gives us a huge advantage over most teams as well.  And we already have a proven and promising nucleus in place.

Now, the only thing I'm pessimistic about - Darnold.  I'm hoping for the best, but not expecting much and really hope I'm wrong.  But for all the good we've done thus far and the moves we've made, if we trust Darnold to be THE GUY, and he is actually just the guy he has been, then we have wasted another year.  Any success and progress made this season hinges on Darnold.

[Snake]

I think Fitters is drafting like Pre Russle Wilson Seahawks and thats OK by me.

[j2sgam]

How can you not be optimistic? Brad Johnson & Trent Dilfer both have rings... the right team, the right time, who’s to say? 
 

the glass ain’t only half full, it’s time to order another...