Christensen’s grade per the Panthers

[kungfoodude]

6 hours ago, iamhubby1 said:

 

There are basically 3 groups of fans up in here. 1. The cockeyed optimist, or the "sunshine squad". 2. The wait and seers. 3. The doom and gloomers, or "Realists".

 

The 1s, and 2s can basically cohabitate. Whereas, the 3s tend to...play their music too loud.

 

Though we all want the Panthers to win. By some of the conversations, you would think that is not true. Just remember, it is supposed to be for entertainment. So enjoy it, and don't take it too cereal.

 

Just pick your battles, and never give up. Never surrender.

This is essentially the core of the problem. 

It's just a message board. Calm down.

[kungfoodude]

5 hours ago, SBBlue said:

Ummm, all you did was cherry pick the weaknesses of the pages of strength and weakness...which most profiles provide.  I pulled the conclusion.

The big font is really cool though.

Yeah, the big difference is you forgot they existed. I didn't.

Scroll back and read where I said he was a polarizing prospect. That is initially what you bristled at. However.....he was very, very clearly a polarizing prospect.

But, if you cherry pick only his positives and don't actually recollect that time period(or read the draft profiles completely), then I suppose you would think he was a shocking drop to round two.

Strangely, if you watched that draft broadcast....it didn't shock those guys either as he dropped....

[kungfoodude]

5 hours ago, 45catfan said:

I historically exist about from 1.75-2.5 if you made this into a sliding scale.  Why?  I've been a Panthers fan WAAAAY too long to be solidly in group 1 and while not perennial playoff contenders, we aren't the doormats of the League either, so group 3 isn't for me.  I simply go off gut feeling about the prospect for the team leading into each season.  Usually I'm not too far off. 

I used to be 1 but now usually stick around 2 to 3. I am purely in wait and see mode right now. I want to like our draft, but I am also pretty skeptical of the repeated moves down. 

I think most in the 1 category just haven't been fans long. Probably a lot of post 2015 run bandwagon jumpers. The longer you watch this team(and I have been through every single year), the more jaded this franchise makes you.

[45catfan]

6 hours ago, SBBlue said:

Wow, you're more optimistic than I am.  I am just hoping for 8, but I want to beat at least one  winning team.

It all hinges on the offense.  While it looks good on paper, that's just on paper.  They need to produce on the field.  In years we've had a good defense (this should be one of those years) as long as the offense puts up at least 24 points, it nearly always lead to victories.  I have a feeling that our defense will keep us in most games and it's on the offense not to screw up (turnovers) and find the end zone 3x a game.  If this team can just stick to that formula, 9-10 wins should be achievable.

*As part of the offensive output, Joey Slye needs to be clutch in 2021; better than his 80% clip last year.

[45catfan]

3 hours ago, kungfoodude said:

I used to be 1 but now usually stick around 2 to 3. I am purely in wait and see mode right now. I want to like our draft, but I am also pretty skeptical of the repeated moves down. 

I think most in the 1 category just haven't been fans long. Probably a lot of post 2015 run bandwagon jumpers. The longer you watch this team(and I have been through every single year), the more jaded this franchise makes you.

^^^This.  Any success with this team is brief, but we usually make at lot of noise in those rare playoff seasons.  I'm still waiting for the back-to-back winning seasons.  This year could Rhule's first one here.  I'm not sure if we make the playoffs based on how other teams fare.  If the NFC has a down year, I think we get in, but if the NFC is hot this year, some 9 or even 10 win teams may not get in. 

[SBBlue]

26 minutes ago, 45catfan said:

*As part of the offensive output, Joey Slye needs to be clutch in 2021; better than his 80% clip last year.

Amen.

[SBBlue]

20 minutes ago, 45catfan said:

^^^This.  Any success with this team is brief, but we usually make at lot of noise in those rare playoff seasons.  I'm still waiting for the back-to-back winning seasons.  This year could Rhule's first one here.  I'm not sure if we make the playoffs based on how other teams fare.  If the NFC has a down year, I think we get in, but if the NFC is hot this year, some 9 or even 10 win teams may not get in. 

With 17 games, it seems more likely that 9 or 10 games might not do the job.  

[SBBlue]

4 hours ago, kungfoodude said:

Scroll back and read where I said he was a polarizing prospect. That is initially what you bristled at. However.....he was very, very clearly a polarizing prospect.

I can see where it looks like that.  I was bristling at the "entire league knew", as if there was consensus, not controversy.  I'm trying to say other teams miss a lot too, the profiles list strengths and weaknesses and the overall draft grades given are often off from where they taken and then don't predict NFL performance or durability as exemplified by our own line with some serviceable UDFAs and horrid early rounders.

Hindsight 20/20 and all that.  

 

[kungfoodude]

47 minutes ago, 45catfan said:

^^^This.  Any success with this team is brief, but we usually make at lot of noise in those rare playoff seasons.  I'm still waiting for the back-to-back winning seasons.  This year could Rhule's first one here.  I'm not sure if we make the playoffs based on how other teams fare.  If the NFC has a down year, I think we get in, but if the NFC is hot this year, some 9 or even 10 win teams may not get in. 

I think a lot rides on our QB experiment and the OL. I have less overall concerns with the defense, although we do need to consider thar could go South, as well. It is a VERY young unit. They might take take lumps than we think.

Edited June 7, 2021 by kungfoodude

[kungfoodude]

2 minutes ago, SBBlue said:

I can see where it looks like that.  I was bristling at the "entire league knew", as if there was consensus, not controversy.  I'm trying to say other teams miss a lot too, the profiles list strengths and weaknesses and the overall draft grades given are often off from where they taken and then don't predict NFL performance or durability as exemplified by our own line with some serviceable UDFAs and horrid early rounders.

Hindsight 20/20 and all that.  

 

Yeah, the knocks were pretty universal and consistent. That ends up being the same for most professional evaluators, do you see glass half full or glass half empty?

Everyone misses in the NFL but trading up to get a bust magnifies that error immensely. Furthermore, Hurney had such an extensive track record of making that mistake. It just seemed doomed from early on.

Sadly, that ended up being the case.

[rayzor]

3 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

I think a lot rides on our QB experiment and the OL. I have less overall concerns with the defense, although we do need to consider thar could go South, as well. It is a VERY young unit. They might take take lumps than we think.

I expect lumps. As long as I see continual growth I am quite ok with it.

[SBBlue]

6 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

I think a lot rides on our QB experiment and the OL.

 

1 minute ago, rayzor said:

I expect lumps. As long as I see continual growth I am quite ok with it.

I was trying to look for BC's performance against good competition.  So I watched some tape.  The guy is not a mauler, he's a frustrating moving wall for opponents.  He doesn't even try to put them in the dirt, just keep them from making the play which he succeeds at most of the time.

He faced Payton Turner from Houston, 1st rounder to Saints.  Now Houston moves their guys around a lot so he wasn't up against him every play.  BC largely did the job.  One play though Payton juked, went inside and got the sack.  

BYU OL vs Houston 2020 - YouTube

 

[45catfan]

58 minutes ago, SBBlue said:

With 17 games, it seems more likely that 9 or 10 games might not do the job.  

Exactly.  The AFC was hot last year and a 10 win Dolphins team was on the outside looking in and that was obviously still on a 16 game schedule.

[kungfoodude]

43 minutes ago, rayzor said:

I expect lumps. As long as I see continual growth I am quite ok with it.

Agreed. It is about progression and moving in the right direction. I don't think any of us is expecting an elite unit this season. 

I want to see that we are moving in that direction though. Big improvements in coverage and 3rd down conversions. Pass rush and sack totals tick upward. More solid against the run.