Remember whe McNabb was passed over for Tim Couch?

[rayzor]

i don't know, sign some cheap scrub vet that's good for 2100 yards a year and hope we can back into a superbowl win and achieve regular season winning consistency in a pass-driven league

might as well re-sign fox. status quo rules forever.

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

i don't know, sign some cheap scrub vet that's good for 2100 yards a year and hope we can back into a superbowl win and achieve regular season winning consistency in a pass-driven league

He has to be an undersized career backup journeyman with questionable mechanics but a ton of "fire" too.

[X-Clown]

A top tier DL is much less a risk, and possibly more of a need here.

Defensive linemen can't be considered risky as top 10 picks?

2000 #1 overall Courtney Brown (BUST)

2001 #3 overall Gerard Warren (Journeyman at best, certainly not what Cleveland was looking for at that spot)

2002 #6 overall Ryan Sims (One of the reasons we were able to run for 800 yards against Tampa on MNF 2 years ago)

2003 #4 overall Dewayne Robertson (A guy who was bad enough that we didn't even try to get him last year when we had roughly 30 different starting defensive linemen)

2003 #6 overall Johnathan Sullivan (BUST)

2007 #4 overall Gaines Adams (RIP, but seriously guy was a bust in Tampa)

2007 #8 overall Jamaal Anderson (BUST)

2007 #10 overall Amobi Okoye (average at best)

2008 #5 overall Glen Dorsey (Remember when he was supposedly going to be the best player in the draft?)

2008 #8 overall Derrick Harvey (But he was the guy who would put the Panthers over the top!!!1)

2009 #3 overall Tyson Jackson (It's early, but he's trending toward the bust line)

[Kevin Greene]

Defensive linemen can't be considered risky as top 10 picks?

2000 #1 overall Courtney Brown (BUST)

2001 #3 overall Gerard Warren (Journeyman at best, certainly not what Cleveland was looking for at that spot)

2002 #6 overall Ryan Sims (One of the reasons we were able to run for 800 yards against Tampa on MNF 2 years ago)

2003 #4 overall Dewayne Robertson (A guy who was bad enough that we didn't even try to get him last year when we had roughly 30 different starting defensive linemen)

2003 #6 overall Johnathan Sullivan (BUST)

2007 #4 overall Gaines Adams (RIP, but seriously guy was a bust in Tampa)

2007 #8 overall Jamaal Anderson (BUST)

2007 #10 overall Amobi Okoye (average at best)

2008 #5 overall Glen Dorsey (Remember when he was supposedly going to be the best player in the draft?)

2008 #8 overall Derrick Harvey (But he was the guy who would put the Panthers over the top!!!1)

2009 #3 overall Tyson Jackson (It's early, but he's trending toward the bust line)

Quality post.

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

DL and WR can be as much of a crapshoot as QB. It just happens to be the money position and the end result is more venom spit at them when they bust. Like Reptile from Mortal Kombat except it's the sports media and message boards and it's spoken/written/typed words and not acid.

[X-Clown]

Remember when we went the safe route and picked riskfree surefire Hall of Famer Jason Peter in the first round instead of a risky player like Randy Moss, man those were the days...

[Brooklyn Bully]

i don't know, sign some cheap scrub vet that's good for 2100 yards a year and hope we can back into a superbowl win and achieve regular season winning consistency in a pass-driven league

Yippy! A mediocre one and done squad! That's so shooting for the stars!

I think some of you are scared to let the Panthers become a top tier team. You like being under the radar. Man up. It's time we're an elite team for the first time ever.

Four winning seasons in 16 years. How many times do I need to say this?

[grateflday]

A top tier DL is much less a risk, and possibly more of a need here.

A franchise QB is THE biggest need here. If Luck can be that guy you have to pick him. Of course assuming he comes out. You dont go the lesser risk route and pass on that. I much rather have Luck become a bust than to see him become a great franchise QB somewhere else.

The panthers can address their other needs through free agency, later draft rounds this year, and even the 2012 draft.

[Ohio]

Andrew Luck putting up stats against those horrific Pac 10 defenses makes him a sure bet, right?

Ohhhh I forgot, he led his team to ZERO points in the 2nd half vs Oregon. That atrocious Duck defense....

[frash.exe]

this forum is really funny it really makes me laugh sometimes. I'm not going to say this to try to convince the people who have already made their decision because it's pointless to try, but for any lurkers on the fringe.

some people think the panthers can just dictate their destiny, and that no matter what the philosophy you can win in the NFL. It doesn't matter if you want to run the ball at a 3:1 ratio, you really believe it can actually work.

you want a chance to be a consistent winning team? You pick a top talented QB, and you don't go half-assed about it either. I realize it's not a sure thing. I'm not saying Andrew Luck, or Cam Newton, or any other QB is a guaranteed all-pro in the making. But the game has changed where passing the ball is necessary to achieve consistency. It isn't 1993 anymore, the sooner you realize the complexity of the game has changed, the better. You either adapt or you fall, and the league keeps amending the rules in favor of throwing the ball. The Titans, Jaguars, Panthers, Dolphins, these teams have never been consistent in the last 5 years. These old power running teams that try to play defense (not very good, btw) are living in the shadow of divisional rivals with better passers (Brady, Sanchez, Manning, Brees, Ryan, Freeman). Even the one team that has a deep heritage of power running (Steelers) got their passer after only spending years struggling with the inevitable realization. And it's not like anyone's saying you can't abandon the run, because the Jets didn't, the Giants didn't, the Falcons didn't and the Saints rediscovered it in 09.

The terms for a shot at success are dictated by the nature of the NFL. You either pass well and have a good chance to win and string together consistent winning seasons, or you toil in mediocrity popping up every once in a while to lose the first playoff game you're in. (Being able to run doesn't hurt either but it is secondary. And no one player on defense can control the tempo of a game quite like a QB can, that's why you don't hear about game managing defensive ends/safeties/linebackers.) That's the reality of your situation. A first round top QB is potential salvation from that. A pass rusher cannot change the game like a prolific QB. A DT, no matter how "stud" he is impacts the game at a fraction a QB of comparable talent can. I will take the best QB in the game over the best player of any other position every single time.

Being able to pass is a probability but if you're persistent and committed to fix it eventually it will work out. Getting a very talented QB gives you the probability. Getting a guy in here that knows how to refine QB play, a scientist of the position compounds that probability.

So you've got a choice. Potential hit or miss vs. near guaranteed mediocrity.

Yea you can stop reading after this post

[Brandon]

A top tier DL is much less a risk, and possibly more of a need here.

This is a fallacy. In fact high draft picks on DL are not as successful as you'd think...

Also, I'm sure the Falcons were more than happy to see the Rams draft Chris Long. Tell me, how's that working out for those teams?

[Cavscout]

Teams never win superbowls without a leet 1st pick qb

I'd rather trade down, get a stud DL or wr, and pick up a 2 and 3 pick and possible additional #1 next season.

Then who is your QB next year?

[Cavscout]

Who said Clausen would be the starting QB. We will pick up a veteran this season no doubt about it. No who that will be is anybody's guess.

The Panthers are building with youth. Bringing in a veteran QB makes NO sense whatsoever. Why would you bring in a stop-gap veteran that would play for 2 years while the rest of the 'young' team grows together. :confused:

Getting a young rookie franchise QB like Luck, Mallett, Gabbert, or Newton that could have grow and learn with your young team is a better way to go, IMO:yesnod:

[Saint J]

Carolina's hand is forced here, you HAVE to pick a QB. With Brees, Ryan, and Freeman in the division now you have to find a QB to compete with them or you won't be relavent for a very long time. As said above the days of game managing QBs, power running games, and dominating defense are over. The league has evolved with the amount of great-good QBs in the league.