You're the GM

[frankw]

I get the sentiment in here. I wanted to clean house including the draft scouting staff last year.

But the issue becomes this is already an undesirable destination. By all accounts through our hiring process for GM and head coach which eventually had people here asking why it was taking so long it was because no one else wanted the job. Let's put aside the homer glasses for a few moments and readily acknowledge that. The only way that can change IMO is if Tepper exits the picture. Since that isn't happening there's really no major light at the end of tunnel.

Still. Much of this depends on how the rest of the season goes. I'm ready to see how ugly this gets. If it burns it burns. Get the smores. On the other hand maybe something finally clicks. It's going to be one or the other that's the only way this franchise can operate.

But if Morgan and Canales are fired and you guys are tired of yes men you better get ready for most likely someone even worse because that kind of candidate will be the only one willing to even entertain the thought of or consider the position. That's the reputation and it certainly won't be improved by seeking your 4th head coaching hire in 4 years. Just speaking facts

[kungfoodude]

2 minutes ago, frankw said:

I get the sentiment in here. I wanted to clean house including the draft scouting staff last year.

But the issue becomes this is already an undesirable destination. By all accounts through our hiring process for GM and head coach which eventually had people here asking why it was taking so long it was because no one else wanted the job. Let's put aside the homer glasses for a few moments and readily acknowledge that. The only way that can change IMO is if Tepper exits the picture. Since that isn't happening there's really no major light at the end of tunnel.

Still. Much of this depends on how the rest of the season goes. I'm ready to see how ugly this gets. If it burns it burns. Get the smores. On the other hand maybe something finally clicks. It's going to be one or the other that's the only way this franchise can operate.

But if Morgan and Canales are fired and you guys are tired of yes men you better get ready for most likely someone even worse because that kind of candidate will be the only one willing to even entertain the thought of or consider the position. That's the reputation and it certainly won't be improved by seeking your 4th head coaching hire in 4 years. Just speaking facts

IMO, Canales may end up representing the high water mark for Panthers head coaches under Tepper. I am not saying we might not be able to afford some hot names again, but it's not going to be the cream of the current/past/prospective coaching crop. It's gonna be last gasps, money grabs or lesser tier "hot" candidates trying to jump the line.

[Mr. Scot]

9 hours ago, DaveThePanther2008 said:

You have just been hired to be the GM.  You have a new owner and have been given full control of the roster.

What is your plan?

Placing phone calls to Kevin Colbert and/or Will McClay.

Then as soon as one of them is put in charge, go back to sitting my happy ass on the couch.

Edited Wednesday at 03:47 PM by Mr. Scot

[CanadianCat]

I agree with a lot of the OP's points. 

I have a few comments/ 

Offense: I think we have a plan and we have players to execute it. Let Cannels do his thing. 

QB: I would start BY the final 6 games, no matter how Dalton is playing to see what we got. He needs to ball out those games to stay on the team. Even if he balls out he needs to earn the #1 spot in training camp to stay on the roster. He doesnt stay on the team as a back up. You trade him for a 4th or whatever if that happens. 

Defense: Evero I think has been a good coach that has been given nothing to work with. We all knew going into the year that we basically abandoned the defense to build the offense. I think you allow him to test the market again this year and HOPE he gets hired so we can get a 3rd pick from the league.. if not we keep him and use the offseason and draft to build the D. I think he can succeed if we dont take away all the talent.

CB: Horn is a legit player. Im not trading him. Im extending him and bringing in help.

Draft: If we are top 3 Im trading down and down again. We need bodies and all the draft capital we can get. Im ok trading down for high picks next year to build that war chest. 

Overall I think we have a good offense strategy and the players to execute it - so no drastic changes need to be made. Lets build the defense and continue to acquire talent on the roster.

 

I know this is an unpopular take but the BEST situation for us, is that Bryce comes off the bench and becomes the player he was drafted to be. IF his time on the bench fixes him, we are a year a head of where we are going. His small sample size on Sunday showed him throwing down field.. maybe there is hope.. 

[Deltek44]

53 minutes ago, CarolinaRideorDie said:

Agree with a lot of your points. I would try to clear as much cap space as possible, the product on the field doesn't justify the debt. Only way we get quality free agents is to overpay but our team doesn't even have enough talent to compete. In the draft, we just need best player available regardless of position, we can't continue to miss. When you are building a team from scratch, you have to prioritize both sides of the line, it's not sexy but it's foundational. After the line, then you can add the playmakers. 

Franchises can turn things around in one season with the right leadership and direction. Look at Houston and Washington as recent examples. 

 

I follow the Wash model as well. I would tell Tepper he has to stay out of it if he wants it to turnaround. I would put a presentation together showing what Wash has done. I hire the coach and don't care what the media or fans think at the time. I make sure that coach is or has a plan to develop a rookie QB. I surround myself by quality people so we can at least become a classy organization. Then I go out and start trading anything of value for draft picks.

Easier said then done at this point.

[Jon Snow]

21 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Placing phone calls to Kevin Colbert and/or Will McClay.

Then as soon as one of them is put in charge, go back to sitting my happy ass on the couch.

This is what I've been begging for.

[d-dave]

My rambling thoughts:

Canales is going to get two more years after this.  You've got to show patience to stop being the laughing stock of the NFL.  Canales may have been a year early in the HC gig, so I'm more inclined to give him some time to figure it out.

As for the Defense - I'm split on Evero.  He's working with cast offs.  His only Blue Chip player is JC Horn.  The rest are replacement level or rookies. The past two seasons, he's had a good defense that was let down by the offense putting them out there all the time.  

On the flip side, it's looks like his scheme isn't very good at anything.  There are definitely DCs who are able to make something resembling chicken salad from chicken poo.  Can we improve on 3rd down?  Can we start to tackle better?  Can we take away something from an offense with some level of success?  If we don't see that, I'm fine to let him walk.

The scheme 34 or 43 doesn't matter to me too much.  We just need better players before we can really assess the scheme.  Outside of Horn, we have Xavier Woods (generally good, but has issues), Trevin Wallace (rookie, but there's something there!), and...Clowney?  Tuttle?  

As for the offense - I'm going to let Canales cook.  Bring Dalton back as a bridge QB.  If I can, I trade away Young.  If not, he's going to stick around and "develop."  I'd have no problem looking at another QB in the draft or a younger FA/vet to see what life Canales can bring out of them.

Player Acquisitions: Get talented athletes, dawgs, and producers in that order of importance.  We just need talent.  I don't care where or how, but we need to get more talented players across the board.

Pass Rush?  Good question.  Draft is probably the most affordable thing.  

Get more DL.  Pitch Tuttle (this was a bad fit, can't blame him for getting paid) and find big, angry men who can push other dudes around.

DBs - find good dudes who play good football and stuff.

These are my random ruminations...

[R0CKnR0LLA]

Need a huge trade down haul to restock the roster with talent. Hopefully one of the teams picking 6-10 hire Scott Fitterer in the offseason.

[kungfoodude]

1 hour ago, R0CKnR0LLA said:

Need a huge trade down haul to restock the roster with talent. Hopefully one of the teams picking 6-10 hire Scott Fitterer in the offseason.

I am generally not a fan of pointlessly trading down and I am definitely not a fan of trading out of the top 5 unless it is a HAUL.

We very, very, very rarely win in those trade down scenarios. More often than not we lose. 

I would say just get a talented player with that top 5 pick. If some Panthers-esque team comes along and wants to send us an elite young player and a pile of picks, that is a different scenario.

[Bear Hands]

I don’t even know where to start. 1 rule - gain capital, with how bad our drafts are, get a huge pool and maybe some hit.

Biggest targets:

Trenches (always target, even if a strength), Edge rusher, QB, & WR

Actual names:

I personally like that Mason Graham out of Michigan from the draft. It’s not a very packed class at the top so hope we can win a few more games and our young guys show promise. 

Maybe snag Malcolm Koonce in FA. Also like that Lions multi-tech kid Levi O. Need a few big pass rush boosts.

I dunno, that’s about all the energy I’ve got for this haha

 

[Khaki Lackey]

If I were GM, I'd immediately fire Canales and hire anyone who would take the job, which would probably be a college assistant special-teams coordinator, depending on how good his wife's meatballs are.

I would switch us back to a 4-3, them immediately switch back to a 3-4, then back to a 4-3 again after the draft.

I would sign 2 more overpriced guards and draft running backs in the first two rounds of the draft. Then use the third and fourth round picks to move back into the 2nd for another running back. Line backer in round 5, long snapper in round 6. Then watch the Lombardi's come rolling in. Dynasty.

[Tr3ach]

Right now, especially with the injuries and awful play in general on defense, I'm raiding teams practice squads just to take flyers on guys with potential.  Like Shaka Heyward on Bengals practice squad or Andre Carter on the vikings practice squad.  I believe both those guys are still on the practice squad.

[kungfoodude]

15 minutes ago, Khaki Lackey said:

If I were GM, I'd immediately fire Canales and hire anyone who would take the job, which would probably be a college assistant special-teams coordinator, depending on how good his wife's meatballs are.

I would switch us back to a 4-3, them immediately switch back to a 3-4, then back to a 4-3 again after the draft.

I would sign 2 more overpriced guards and draft running backs in the first two rounds of the draft. Then use the third and fourth round picks to move back into the 2nd for another running back. Line backer in round 5, long snapper in round 6. Then watch the Lombardi's come rolling in. Dynasty.

Log off, David.

[R0CKnR0LLA]

39 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

I am generally not a fan of pointlessly trading down and I am definitely not a fan of trading out of the top 5 unless it is a HAUL.

We very, very, very rarely win in those trade down scenarios. More often than not we lose. 

I would say just get a talented player with that top 5 pick. If some Panthers-esque team comes along and wants to send us an elite young player and a pile of picks, that is a different scenario.

have the panthers ever traded out of the top 5?