Reading the Tea Leaves: What Did Morgan Just Tell Us?

[Jon Snow]

1 hour ago, Waldo said:

Campbell is intriguing or just draft Membou. Just depends where Moton really is health wise and Ickey is development wise in their eyes.

Is it just me or did a bunch of the top teir 2 guys going early this year skip drills or am I reading that wrong?

 

I think most of them elected to workout at their schools pro-day. I know it's common practice but I would rather see these guys go up against each other at the combine. I would rather see a position group competing than them working out individually because I'm old-school I guess.

[Waldo]

3 minutes ago, Jon Snow said:

I think most of them elected to workout at their schools pro-day. I know it's common practice but I would rather see these guys go up against each other at the combine. I would rather see a position group competing than them working out individually because I'm old-school I guess.

I get guys skipping a skill set to hide deficiencies like XL and Bryce did but just seems like a bunch of guys projected to go in the 1st elected to wait on so many drills. Just seems heavier this year than normal. IDK

[Jon Snow]

5 minutes ago, Waldo said:

I get guys skipping a skill set to hide deficiencies like XL and Bryce did but just seems like a bunch of guys projected to go in the 1st elected to wait on so many drills. Just seems heavier this year than normal. IDK

They hurt themselves more than they can help. If they show up and underperformed it will only knock them down the draft board. That's the reason most opt out. They want to hold onto the hype until after the draft. I got news for folks. Most, if not all of the top 10 will be overdrafted due solely to predraft hype.

Edited 13 hours ago by Jon Snow

[Waldo]

5 minutes ago, Jon Snow said:

They hurt themselves more than they can help. If they show up and underperformed it will only knock them down the draft board. That's the reason most opt out. They want to hold onto the hype until after the draft. I got news for folks. Most, if not all of the top 10 will be overdrafted due solely to predraft hype.

Yeah that was my reading. Such a large pack of teir 2 guys hiding their actual performances and hoping for more time and a favorable school sets. It's not a very good draft in the first.

[TD alt]

2 hours ago, Waldo said:

Is it just me or did a bunch of the top teir 2 guys going early this year skip drills or am I reading that wrong?

We may as well get used to it. More and more agents are going to refuse to let players do anything that might affect their draft value, whether based upon teams' perceptions and/or valid concerns. They're going to make scouts prioritize the tape and/or the (dare I say) contrived drills at their Pro days. There's too much money at stake. It's akin to the scripture which says something like, "Better to keep your mouth closed and appear wise than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

[Waldo]

9 minutes ago, TD alt said:

We may as well get used to it. More and more agents are going to refuse to let players do anything that might affect their draft value, whether based upon teams' perceptions and/or valid concerns. They're going to make scouts prioritize the tape and/or the (dare I say) contrived drills at their Pro days. There's too much money at stake. It's akin to the scripture which says something like, "Better to keep your mouth closed and appear wise than to open your mouth and remove all doubt."

This year it makes sense for the obvious reason of that pack being so large and guys having more to lose then to gain if so few are showing out.

I'm not sure about other drafts. When there is more teir 1 guys they usually jockey for position more of the 39.5 million at pick 1 vs the 12.7 at pick 32. This year it could cost a guy falling to the end of the 2nd vs the end of the 1st in a deeper class.

[Basbear]

18 hours ago, Jon Snow said:

If that were the case why not take Campbell at 8? I mean you want the best LT then he will most likely be the bpa.

 

18 hours ago, rebelrouser said:

So a starting LT for Bryce from the 2nd or 3rd round? That sounds risky or do you mean we take one this year expecting him to start in '26?

 

Yes I left out the important part that it happens in 2026, but they need to start one of the plans soon.

Campbell at 8, id feel that's not the plan unless Motown came to them and said "I'm retiring". 

Even tho he's 29, Christ feels like plan D. Hes still fresh snap wise and if Motown misses games, if could happen this year. Followed by a contract extension in the off-season. 

Think of it like what happened with Shaq this past year, they have been linked to Josh Conerly Jr. Just so happened Shaq forced the plan to start this year. Motown was a iron man until this year, its his knees that are failing now. 

Just a theory, but Mike Kaye and others have feed into it. 

 

[mrcompletely11]

10 minutes ago, Basbear said:

 

 

Yes I left out the important part that it happens in 2026, but they need to start one of the plans soon.

Campbell at 8, id feel that's not the plan unless Motown came to them and said "I'm retiring". 

Even tho he's 29, Christ feels like plan D. Hes still fresh snap wise and if Motown misses games, if could happen this year. Followed by a contract extension in the off-season. 

Think of it like what happened with Shaq this past year, they have been linked to Josh Conerly Jr. Just so happened Shaq forced the plan to start this year. Motown was a iron man until this year, its his knees that are failing now. 

Just a theory, but Mike Kaye and others have feed into it. 

 

Moton will be 31 at the start of the season 

[Basbear]

19 minutes ago, mrcompletely11 said:

Moton will be 31 at the start of the season 

Yep, might as well start the process now.

I personally would avoid this and focus on the 20 other issues, but that could blow up in your face. Try to find a UDFA diamond and grow him with a year spent on PS. He missed games for the first time with knee and elbow issues. Plus if you look around the league at non-STers, 31 is classified as a fossil.... 

[rebelrouser]

Meh, planning for long term tackle would disappoint a lot of fans but this team is not on the verge of contending for anything significant in '25. Sounds like Golden really is ascending. I think he will be the first wr taken and that Tet could be the third.

[MHS831]

3 minutes ago, rebelrouser said:

Meh, planning for long term tackle would disappoint a lot of fans but this team is not on the verge of contending for anything significant in '25. Sounds like Golden really is ascending. I think he will be the first wr taken and that Tet could be the third.

It sure would. Here are three points (to your point) that would make it possible:

1. We have to be ready to win in 2026.  Drafting for 2025 needs may make us cheer, but the best GMs think long term.  Rodgers was drafted when Favre was good.  Love was drafted when Rodgers was winning.  So long term, it may be the right thing to do considering this draft, but since we have BC, the need is less than what it was before free agency.

2. Wide Receiver is our biggest need at the moment.  As you mentioned, where is the WR coming from in round 1?  Golden would have been a late first rounder last year.  Do you take one at 8?  Do you try to trade?

3.  Edge is our second biggest need (some say our biggest).  In the first round, there is Carter and then.........................the others.  At 8, I see no edge worth it.  Walker?  Maybe, but it depends how you use him.  He could be great if you move him around, but that is not the answer to your edge issue, if you ask me.

However the panthers are in "wait and see" mode concerning Moton.  In my view, if they felt good about it, they would take the risk; they did with Horn.  If they took a T at #8, I would understand, but I don't see it.  And you are right--this place would lose it.

2.

[mrcompletely11]

24 minutes ago, rebelrouser said:

Meh, planning for long term tackle would disappoint a lot of fans but this team is not on the verge of contending for anything significant in '25. Sounds like Golden really is ascending. I think he will be the first wr taken and that Tet could be the third.

I would be ecstatic to draft campbell and move icky to rt.    We would be set for years 

[MHS831]

9 minutes ago, mrcompletely11 said:

I would be ecstatic to draft campbell and move icky to rt.    We would be set for years 

even if we had to wait a season to see results.  I would have put Moton on the trading block instead of keeping him and everyone else in limbo.  Icky has improved at LT (PFF 71.7) and I am not sure I would screw with his progress--but Membou is a stud RT who could start by 2026--regardless, we should know now that you don't screw with the OL.  (Campbell is a beast, but the short arms seem to be stuck in my head...)

[mrcompletely11]

28 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

even if we had to wait a season to see results.  I would have put Moton on the trading block instead of keeping him and everyone else in limbo.  Icky has improved at LT (PFF 71.7) and I am not sure I would screw with his progress--but Membou is a stud RT who could start by 2026--regardless, we should know now that you don't screw with the OL.  (Campbell is a beast, but the short arms seem to be stuck in my head...)

Icky is a beast at run blocking but still has trouble with speed rushers.  If the staff thinks this isnt fixable then they have to figure something out.  Drafting campbell gives them the best pass blocking LT in the draft at pick 8.  Figure moton out and move icky to the right. Maybe draft a center in the 5thish and go from there. 

 

Having said that Campbell is not going past NEd