We have to figure out our future core team

[SCO96]

8 minutes ago, bythenbrs said:

If we somehow magically learn to draft well [I know, don’t laugh], it will take at least 3 more drafts to produce a roster that can go 9-7 or 10-6 consistently.  Doing it in 2 would mean that we have miraculously ‘caught lightning in a bottle’, landing the future Luke, Cam, Smitty, Peppers in back to back drafts.  Those are some long odds.

Let's look at this from a positive point of view.

1) Our O-line is actually good. All we are really lacking is a "young" and "healthy" player to man  the CENTER spot. Injuries have caused our problems in recent games.

2) If Brooks fully recovers we may have a dynamic back for the next 3 years.

3) I think Legette and Sanders have potential. One of the reasons I don't want to see BY behind center is that he'd only stunt their growth because he can't get the ball to anyone more than 10 yards downfield. Coker looks like a keeper. I think Mingo is headed down the same path to obscurity as TMJ.

4) If we had a solid QB our offense would be respectable.

No positives on defense.

1) Outside of Horn we have no real threat at DB

2) Our LB's are pretty much a group of JAGs at this point.

3) Our D-line can't stop the run or rush the passer. I don't think we have a healthy player who could start on a contender. I think D. Brown is good but not great. 8 sacks in 4 seasons is pretty lackluster in a passing league. In his defense, I do think he would be better if he had better players around him. That said, I don't think he'd ever be the best player on a GREAT DEFENSE.

4) If we pulled a 2020 Rhule move and spent the entire draft on DEFENSE I wouldn't be too upset.

If Brown returned to his 2023 form and If we could find a playmaker at Safety, 1 of the LB spots, a legit pass rusher, and a solid cover CB to complement Horn, our defense could improve in a hurry. I'm sure there are GMs around the NFL who could rebuild this defense in 1-2 seasons. Unfortunately, I don't think our FO is up to the task.

 

[jayboogieman]

50 minutes ago, JawnyBlaze said:

Where is this coming from that Brown may never recover?

It's a knee injury( torn meniscus ) to a huge human being. Brown weighs over 300 pounds, which is not good for his knees, and overall health, in the first place. Depending on the severity and length of the tear, he may never recover from it or get back to what he was even with surgery.

[Aussie Tank]

We’ve got a pretty good Oline that’s a start. D Brown and Horn on D letting Luvu walk hurts

[KaijuGato]

Outside of finding the core for this team, we need to find some leaders. Look back, we had leaders on both sides of the ball. Either it was Luke or TD on defense or Cam and Olsen on offense. We’ve had leaders on this team that provided a heart beat for this team, something we could all rally behind.

Look at the successful teams around the league. They have leaders on the team. Either it’s the players or a coach that empowers his team to bite off knee caps. All these teams have that it factor. 

We are lacking in all departments. Lack of roster talent, lack of leadership, and no heart beat. Hell at this point we are not even a team just a roster of players.  
 

A Team can be defined as: “a group of very different individuals who enjoy working together and who share a commitment to working cohesively to help the organization achieve its common goals and fulfill its purpose.”

Yeah that ain’t us…

[Swaggasaurus]

I don’t think you pay Jaycee Horn. He’s either hurt or plays like he’s hurt at all times. The core of this team should be the The OL, Brooks maybe if he fully recovers and isn’t a fumble machine. XL and D Brown. 

Draft Ward or Sanders. Go to 4-3. Get real 4-3 ends (Which we haven’t had in forever.) I want some Charles Johnson’s. We haven’t set the edge since the Obama administration.

Always wear white pants. 

If you are a “don’t draft QB person” you’re a fuging moron and don’t recall having to pick between one read CJ and SkinnyMinny Bryce. You can’t build a team and hope the next class has a great QB. Look around the league, great ones are rare and there are two coming out.
🫢🫳

 

 

Edited October 22 by Swaggasaurus

[KaijuGato]

22 minutes ago, Swaggasaurus said:

Draft Ward or Sanders. Go to 4-3. Get real 4-3 ends (Which we haven’t had in forever.) I want some Charles Johnson’s. We haven’t set the edge since the Obama administration.

If you are a “don’t draft QB person” you’re a fuging moron and don’t recall having to pick between one read CJ and SkinnyMinny Bryce. You can’t build a team and hope the next class has a great QB. Look around the league, great ones are rare and there are two coming out.
🫢🫳

This is that desperate way of thinking. Yes, can Ward and Sanders might be the top two quarterbacks going into next year‘s draft but that is only a small part of the rebuild phase for this team. You’re talking about switching back to a 43 defense and going out and trying to get a 43 edge rusher, but we’re gonna have a hard time finding that in free agency versus going after them in the draft. There is a lot more defensive players on the front end of this upcoming draft and there is decent offensive players. So if we can get into bed with a team that falls in love with one of these quarterbacks we can potentially get a hall of draft picks if we trade back.  Then we start building that defense and a gap quarterback for the time being. There is a lot more quarterbacks that are worth more in the 2026 draft and there is this year‘s draft so if we play the game and keep building this team up that way a rookie quarterback can succeed in year one and not hope to succeed in your two or three with a  treacherous year one. A good run game and a good defense helps a rookie quarterback extremely. Hopefully with Brooks, the run game will be secured and if we use next year‘s free agency and draft to secure the defense, a rookie quarterback in 2026 can be successful.

[Swaggasaurus]

8 minutes ago, KaijuGato said:

This is that desperate way of thinking. Yes, can Ward and Sanders might be the top two quarterbacks going into next year‘s draft but that is only a small part of the rebuild phase for this team. You’re talking about switching back to a 43 defense and going out and trying to get a 43 edge rusher, but we’re gonna have a hard time finding that in free agency versus going after them in the draft. There is a lot more defensive players on the front end of this upcoming draft and there is decent offensive players. So if we can get into bed with a team that falls in love with one of these quarterbacks we can potentially get a hall of draft picks if we trade back.  Then we start building that defense and a gap quarterback for the time being. There is a lot more quarterbacks that are worth more in the 2026 draft and there is this year‘s draft so if we play the game and keep building this team up that way a rookie quarterback can succeed in year one and not hope to succeed in your two or three with a  treacherous year one. A good run game and a good defense helps a rookie quarterback extremely. Hopefully with Brooks, the run game will be secured and if we use next year‘s free agency and draft to secure the defense, a rookie quarterback in 2026 can be successful.

2026 QBs are projections. It’s always next years QB class until it’s not and you are left picking between what we had to pick from last time. Cam Ward has it all, most importantly between the ears. Of course supporting cast is great. I bet the 9 picks before Mahomes would like a redo. 

[mc52beast]

Whatever they end up doing they will have to build thru trades and the draft. Nobody that’s any good wants to play in Charlotte.

[SCO96]

14 hours ago, Swaggasaurus said:

I don’t think you pay Jaycee Horn. He’s either hurt or plays like he’s hurt at all times. The core of this team should be the The OL, Brooks maybe if he fully recovers and isn’t a fumble machine. XL and D Brown. 

Draft Ward or Sanders. Go to 4-3. Get real 4-3 ends (Which we haven’t had in forever.) I want some Charles Johnson’s. We haven’t set the edge since the Obama administration.

Always wear white pants. 

If you are a “don’t draft QB person” you’re a fuging moron and don’t recall having to pick between one read CJ and SkinnyMinny Bryce. You can’t build a team and hope the next class has a great QB. Look around the league, great ones are rare and there are two coming out.
🫢🫳

 

 

I could be wrong, but didn't Tepper "influence" Ron Rivera to transition to the 3-4 shortly after he took over the team?

I didn't like the idea then and I don't like it now. I know quality 4-3 DE's don't grow on trees.  It's hard to find guys who are stout enough to stop the run and quick enough to rush the passer. But, it appears to be just as hard for Carolina to find a 3-man front to stop the run and pressure the QB.

Based on his 7 year track record, if Tepper is in favor of something, then the coaches and FO should do the exact opposite. I agree with you. We need to go back to a 4-3. I think D. Brown would be more affective as pass rusher in that scheme.

[DeAngelo Beason]

18 hours ago, UnluckyforSome said:

I don't know how accurate that statement is, but I would say with a strong defense it is more likely a team can control the game and grind out wins against better competition sometimes, rather than playing shootouts where the team with the ball last, wins.

Well, it's gotten us to two superbowls and quite a few playoff berths.  Things have gone to hell in a handbasket ever since we started hiring these supposed offensive gurus.

[Waldo]

I don't think the people in charge are capable of building a core or anything much around it.

This team is going to need to draft really well while also building a roster that has the kind of structure that puts people in places to succeed. Looking at the D it is a joke, I have no idea why we brought in so many duds the last 2 years. The offense will lose some guys and still needs some big pieces to not regress while not going out and spending like drunk clowns in free agency. I just don't see the current crew pulling that off.

Edited October 23 by Waldo

[JawnyBlaze]

19 hours ago, jayboogieman said:

It's a knee injury( torn meniscus ) to a huge human being. Brown weighs over 300 pounds, which is not good for his knees, and overall health, in the first place. Depending on the severity and length of the tear, he may never recover from it or get back to what he was even with surgery.

Oh, so just unfounded speculation? I thought there was something I hadn’t heard about. 

[Prowler2k18]

21 hours ago, kungfoodude said:

When people balked at me saying "years" for this building, I couldn't really understand why. I don't think people appreciated how big this building effort was nor how bad our roster was(some of us tried to warn everyone here).

This is not a small undertaking. It's massive.

This has always been my take as well. As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. With the current state of this team, it’s going to take a few seasons to get back to respectability and longer to be mentioned in the same breath with Detroit or Green Bay.

 

[UnluckyforSome]

4 hours ago, DeAngelo Beason said:

Well, it's gotten us to two superbowls and quite a few playoff berths.  Things have gone to hell in a handbasket ever since we started hiring these supposed offensive gurus.

I think I agreed with your statement for the most part.