Stepping back a bit and it dawned on me.

[Ivan The Awesome]

This team is definitely different from the 2015 team but in ways similar. I think the swagger is back, but this time for whatever reason it seems more credible. If you just go back a decade at the beginning of the Newton era, the brass was honestly just getting by with whatever they had through the draft or roster and sprinkling in vets here and there, A major focus point was always the vets, which isn't a bad thing per say. However that can bite you in the ass, as it did Rivera. 

Enter Tepper, changes the structure from within, changes the business side, reformes it to his liking and quite frankly to his image. He hires his guy, the guy he wants, Tepper knows what he wants. The same thing happens when Rhule gets here, he starts to restructure this football team, he changes the culture with the pieces he's given, keeps the players he sees for the long haul, gets rid of the ones that are not, then comes Fitterer...The foundation is set, Fit like fuging Thanos, gathers his infinity stones, robbing teams back and forth from the beginning. IDENTIFYING talent that either no one wants or did want but he came in and steals them. Building upon the foundation that was built by Tepper and Rhule, only making it stronger. 

I remember when certain players were traded to other teams for peanuts and thinking, "The fug, you mean to tell  me we couldn't give up a x round pick for this guy?" Literal peanuts.

*side note, that 6th rounder that was given up for Gilmore essentially is of 7th round value since it's a future pick, not next years. Also that's another point I don't think anyone has touched about the beauty of this trade, he made it happen for FUTURE picks, to BELICHEAT of all people.*

I know I've been vocal about the O-line, and hearing him talk on sports talk and in interviews by the media, as much as I am impatient about it, I have come to the realization that even though Fit is a motherfuging magician, there's somethings that will take time to fix. His aggressiveness in the trade market and free agency AND the draft will more than likely fix those line issues.

With that being said, gone are the days that this team will not be in the talks for players that are on the trading block and we can get for literal peanuts. Fit is the Anti-Hurney and Nega-Gettleman. 

 

 

Edited October 10, 2021 by Ivan The Awesome

[TANTRIC-NINJA]

As Panther fans, we have never seen a combination of a coaching staff, front office, and ownership with this much credibility and competence. This is also partnered with a modern mindset that is hyperfocused to have the best possible roster possible to win on Sundays. 

I think we are also seeing how much of a roadblock J. Richerdson was as an owner that hindered all this from coming together in the past:

*Hiring, firing, and rehiring a GM like Hurney.  

*His refusal to part with cash 

*Hancuffing a front office from making aggresive moves bc that player has tattoos or some other non football related JR bias.  

*Pissing off 75% of the players union with his pie chart that blacklisted Charlotte as a free agent possibility. 

Tepper buying the team is the burning sage that should purge the demons from for the previous ownership and clownshow.

Even if you are not a fan of Tepper you have to admire that once he decided to scrap the incumbent staff..this team and front office has elevated it's credibility very quickly  

Edited October 10, 2021 by TANTRIC-NINJA

[Panthera onca]

I love how the decision makers are laser focused on drafting high end athletes, especially on defense. It seems like most years we had pretty average to low team speed. Now we have guys that can run all over the field and that makes a huge difference over the course of a 17 game season.

[Black&BlueBubba]

Fitterer is the MVP of the season so far.  So pumped at actually being aggressive building a team.   

[OneBadCat]

Whats crazy is that despite all that the Rivera era almost worked. And it was solely because that's how good Cam and Luke were. Cam making miracles and generating the running game for the team with a weak o-line. Luke being the Peyton Manning of LBer's putting everyone in the best position. Basically doing Ron's job for him.

Could you imagine them on this team. Dynasty son.

[joemac]

34 minutes ago, OneBadCat said:

Whats crazy is that despite all that the Rivera era almost worked. And it was solely because that's how good Cam and Luke were. Cam making miracles and generating the running game for the team with a weak o-line. Luke being the Peyton Manning of LBer's putting everyone in the best position. Basically doing Ron's job for him.

Could you imagine them on this team. Dynasty son.

Yes. Prime Cam and Luke on THIS team would not be fair to the rest of the league. I do wish we could have gotten to see what Joe Brady and Cam could have done together. 

[chbright]

Pump the brakes a weee bit. That 2015 squad was pretty special all around and at the time, we all thought it was the start of the Panthers' dynasty, whoops. 

I am cautiously optimistic, like all the other optimism around these parts, but I've seen the same optimistic story before. Some of the cracks then are for sure around now. backend full of vets patchwork with glimmers of youth sprinkled in, a much more questionable OL than 2015 by miles, overall depth concerns throughout. 

 

The glimmer here is we don't have a naturally cautious staff and have a GM that is much more a wheel and deal guy that can get a lot of value coming out way for not a lot going out. Between his trades in the draft to stock up on talent and his low hanging fruit trades to bring in better talent for minor picks, I've like some of what I've seen. Little concerned on the rentals for picks but..... Otherwise big upgrade for the franchise. Kinda quick but he has shown out after less than 1 year in the chair more than all the other GMs in Charlotte, not that he's that masterful but God we had some terrible GMS.