Robert Kraft: We're Going to Get a Deal

[philp]

The uncapped year and the very real likelihood of the lockout next year are the only reasons the Panthers did what they did this season. Under no other circumstance could Jerry Richardson have gotten away with gutting the team similarly to what the Florida Marlins did after winning it all.

That being said, what really screwed things up was Jimmy Clausen falling into the Panther's lap during the draft. There is no way Carolina saw this coming and going into the draft with the plan in place to cut old, go young, draft for 2 years down the road and hope for the best in 2010 all went to crap among fans when Clausen was immediately, prematurely and possibly mistakenly anointed the savior of the franchise. Suddenly winning in 2010 became a priority when it appeared the Panthers had put that entire thought process away until 2012.

Enter a couple other players who turned some heads during preseason (Hardy, Gettis) and all of a sudden the rebuilding process of 2010 may show some promise. Until reality sets in. The Panthers are 2-3 years away from being good or even being relevant again. It's a choice they made and had second thoughts about after it was too late. Now it's a decision they are forced to live with for another 9 games.

wow, you're blaming for all of this?

[pantherclaw]

Yeah, the OL has sucked. Coaches are taking the run away from us.....coaches are simply playing a numbers game our OL can't win this year. Fox isn't countering, he instead continues to do his same old thing.

the offense isn't good enough to execute in scenarios where the chance for success is slim.......opponents gameplan for us and our plays. Fox instead preaches execution. We need a coach that will adapt based on what we have to work w/ and what oppoents are doing. Fox ain't that kind of coach. Fox is gonna bring gameplan A against every team until the game is out hand.

for years opponents have sprinkled in comments about the predictability of Fox.

If the players can't execute the plays of a system they've been in for awhile, they are going to start executing other plays?

I'm not making an excuse for the coaches...but if the players aren't executing, it doesn't matter the play.

People say we are facing loaded fronts from opposing teams. Really? Like the panthers haven't been dealing with that for the majority of the last decade. 8, 9 man fronts isn't anything this team hasn't faced, and over come before.

So once again, that brings it back to execution. Any one of 11 players can ruin that. From a qb pressing cause he feels he needs too carry the offense, to linemen who aren't getting off the snap the way they use to.. can't blame that all on one tackle missing.

[Carolinator]