Ekwonu contract

[pantherclaw]

5 hours ago, scratched said:

What is to gain by waiting to pick up 5th year option on His contract? 

Other than it's a busy time of year?  

There is no rush.  They have time. 

[PanthersNCSU]

4 hours ago, Jay Roosevelt said:

He's not that far off from being a top-10 LT, though. Everyone assumes the league is flush with good LTs, but that really isn't the case. Even an average LT can be hard to find these days.

Ickey may not be top-10, but he's probably top-15. And he's still young with room to get better. It's not that outrageous to think he could be a top-5 LT over the next 3-5 years.

Ding ding ding. The state of LT's is bad...and getting worse. Only a few colleges could probably be trusted to coach up a LT, and now with NIL/transfer portal causing so many moves? Forget about it.  If you even have an average LT at this point, I think you hold on for dear life. 

 

 

[Basbear]

Just like the Horn deal, you got to gamble that they will live up to the contract.

 

It's not an easy choice, but pay him and pray its the right move.... 

[LinvilleGorge]

12 minutes ago, Basbear said:

Just like the Horn deal, you got to gamble that they will live up to the contract.

 

It's not an easy choice, but pay him and pray its the right move.... 

We're praying Horn can stay healthy. He's been elite when on the field. That's a lot different than praying Icky learns how to pass protect. 

[Basbear]

8 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

We're praying Horn can stay healthy. That's a lot different than praying Icky learns how to pass protect.

it is different, but each is a similar big factor in the contract. It's similar in the risk too, either contract could haunt the Panthers. Benching Icky or injuried Horn would be a serve gut punch. 

Icky did play better and horn did play 16 or 15 games. 

My main reason is to hit the reset on LT after spending 6th overall and 4years of training, its just too much. It's not like he sucks or 28th rank LT. He's still young, pay and pray. 

Edited Wednesday at 09:17 PM by Basbear

[Basbear]

I think there is a lane in which, Icky is moved over to RT after this season. CHeaper and better fit.

 

Panthers use an early pick on LT and the whole huddle becomes a biatch fest and mods cry. 

[LinvilleGorge]

12 minutes ago, Basbear said:

pay and pray. 

That's the Marty Hurney approach. I sure hope we don't go back to that.

I paid the guy like he's elite so hopefully that will manifest itself...

[Basbear]

9 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

That's the Marty Hurney approach. I sure hope we don't go back to that.

I paid the guy like he's elite so hopefully that will manifest itself...

That's just our current hand, its unfortunate. No easy solution and damned if you, damned if you don't. 

Signing each is less wrong...

Just wait until BY is up for a contract..... horn and icky will be nothing and each is super nerve wrecking...

Edited Wednesday at 09:38 PM by Basbear

[LinvilleGorge]

2 minutes ago, Basbear said:

That's just our current hand, its unfortunate. No easy solution and damned if you, damned if you don't. 

Signing each is less wrong...

Just wait until BY is up for a contract..... horn and icky will be nothing and each is super nerve wrecking...

Our current hand is to pick up his fifth year option and then we have up to two more years to work on developing him and evaluating him. 

[Gapanthersfan]

3 hours ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Our current hand is to pick up his fifth year option and then we have up to two more years to work on developing him and evaluating him. 

Yes, and it also gives them time to shop him if they can hit lotto in the draft this season and score an LT of the future. If they shock everyone and go LT in the first or second round, it will send a crystal clear picture of how they see Ickey. 

The prospect of having him play LG… that ship has sailed. It’s just not in his nor the org’s best financial interest. He is going to get LT $, like it or not. This team can’t afford to dish LT money to a guard. 

Horn got his because he is that dude and is a DAWG through and through. Him sprinting down the sideline last season to take on defensive  lineman in the ruckus… that’s all I needed to see. 

[shaqattaq]

22 hours ago, MHS831 said:

Some Huddlers call him average at best, but his trajectory has been going up.  Recognize the job this OL coaching crew did this year--they were not kissing footballs--they were improving young players--Zavala is probably a starting RG on another roster; Mays outplayed Corbett; and Ekwonu is in the top half of the league as a LT. 

 

I know that there was a thread on this video a while back, but it ties in exactly with your point. Rewatch from 9-15 minute marks (or all of it if you really want to get fired up). A lot of talk about Ickey's improvement. So glad we have Hunt locked in long term next to him.

[MHS831]

25 minutes ago, shaqattaq said:

 

I know that there was a thread on this video a while back, but it ties in exactly with your point. Rewatch from 9-15 minute marks (or all of it if you really want to get fired up). A lot of talk about Ickey's improvement. So glad we have Hunt locked in long term next to him.

I really like Cade Mays at C---I don't think Corbett should be the starter without competition. 

[MHS831]

27 minutes ago, shaqattaq said:

 

I know that there was a thread on this video a while back, but it ties in exactly with your point. Rewatch from 9-15 minute marks (or all of it if you really want to get fired up). A lot of talk about Ickey's improvement. So glad we have Hunt locked in long term next to him.

We are doing the same thing on defense this year---

[shaqattaq]

23 hours ago, Gapanthersfan said:

And this is it. 

To me, it’s 2 things:

1. Can he get in to the top 10 in pass blocking so that this team can take that next step? 

2. Is he a DAWG? Does he eat, sleep and breathe football. Film junkie. 

The consistently good franchises in the league have DAWGs at LT who are top 10 pass blockers. ‘Good’ or even ‘pretty good’ doesn’t cut it.

This is one of the most expensive and longest term contracts a team will sign on to. Mess up and sign a guy who just ain’t it… at LT =  multi-year purgatory. The cap hit is too big, and no GM/coach will sit a guy that expensive. Career suicide. Team purgatory.

 This season is IT. If he doesn’t find himself in the top 10 in pass blocking then Dan has a real tough decision on his hands. Top teams have straight up dudes at LT.

‘Good’ LTs can get you to the playoffs, but there will always be another Von Miller on the other side of the line. Just imagine Ickey 1 on 1 with Miles Garrett.

Choose wisely. 

FWIW, I went back to the last 4 minutes of the Sept 2022 Cleveland game and he appears t hold his own, even though Thomas did come in to help on a lot of plays. He's done nothing but get better since then.