Sporting News Panthers Preview

[TheRealDeal]

Talent wise, Carolina has just as much if not more than what the other recent debut HCs had on there roster when they started rookies at QB.

It doesn't take years to build a football team (that is a myth). You get a good coach and a FO that want to win.....and in today's NFL it happen almost overnight.

Whatever you want to see is fine but don't ignore the fact that we have a project QB, a team built to run the ball (especially WR/TEs) transitioning to a more open offense (we drafted a WR who can't catch in the 2nd round just because he was big and could block), a defense with a lot of question marks still, less time to prepare our young team and school them on the new philosophies and schemes of the coaches on both sides of the ball, a very tough schedule, a very tough division, question marks in the trenches, etc.

I would love for this team to gel like those 3 or 4 other teams did but we are not in the same situation they were so don't kid yourself

[hepcat]

I expect a 6-10 season, and that would show some great improvement. Last years Panthers could have been in that ballpark if they caught some luck in a few games (1st New Orleans game, Cleveland, couple others).

With a more "big play" capable QB and a new coaching staff to mix it up, we could steal a couple from the divisional opponents who got used to John Fox's predictable playcalling. There are some winnable games on the schedule. The homers calling for us to have a WINNING record next year are just nuts. A turnaround that fast in this division would be unbelievable. It'd be awesome, but incredibly unlikely.

[Peppers90 NC]

My only expectation is to be considerably better in week 17 than in week one. I also expect to have an aggressive defense and a diverse offense.

[prowler2k8]

I expect a 6-10 season, and that would show some great improvement. Last years Panthers could have been in that ballpark if they caught some luck in a few games (1st New Orleans game, Cleveland, couple others).

With a more "big play" capable QB and a new coaching staff to mix it up, we could steal a couple from the divisional opponents who got used to John Fox's predictable playcalling. There are some winnable games on the schedule. The homers calling for us to have a WINNING record next year are just nuts. A turnaround that fast in this division would be unbelievable. It'd be awesome, but incredibly unlikely.

Realistically, our record should be the same as TB's from 2 seasons ago (6-10) when Freeman started at QB. Keep in mind, though, that the Panthers have more talent on the roster now (especially if DeAngelo and Smitty stick around) than the 2009 Buccaneers or the 2008 Falcons when their respective rookies started at QB. And let's not underestimate the impact of a new coaching staff committed to playing aggressively, which is a total change from the philosphy of the last few years. Although a winning season may not be unlikely, it is not entirely out of the question IMO.

[Peppers90 NC]

Realistically, our record should be the same as TB's from 2 seasons ago (6-10) when Freeman started at QB.

You think they would get the second overall pick at 6-10? Secondly, Freeman didnt start the entire season. They went 3-13.

[CRA]

Whatever you want to see is fine but don't ignore the fact that we have a project QB, a team built to run the ball (especially WR/TEs) transitioning to a more open offense (we drafted a WR who can't catch in the 2nd round just because he was big and could block), a defense with a lot of question marks still, less time to prepare our young team and school them on the new philosophies and schemes of the coaches on both sides of the ball, a very tough schedule, a very tough division, question marks in the trenches, etc.

I would love for this team to gel like those 3 or 4 other teams did but we are not in the same situation they were so don't kid yourself

I am not ignoring anything.....QBs can either play or they can't. Mark Sanchez didn't have this imaginary "edge" over Cam. Sanchez, Flacco, Ryan....they all went to teams that focused on running the ball and playing D.

also, go back and watch Chud's offense in action in Clev....it isn't more open to note than plenty of the offenses Fox had in his tenure here.

also, foolish to try to judge SOS before a season starts. Drew Brees breaks a leg week 1 and Roddy White tears a hammy......Go back and look at SOS preseason and what it legitimately turned out to be for prior years.

again, no more questions here than a lot of other first year HCs had in recent years.....either you found a good new HC or you didn't. Winning isn't this 3-5 yr process once hyped.

Okay, tell me how some of those other teams where in much better positions than Carolina? About everything you said about Carolina could be applied to them. Easy to argue some of them were in worse position.

[TheRealDeal]

I don't have the time nor the desire to go back and look over all the information you requested of me. Maybe later today.

It seems that you are trying to prove we are going to be one of those success stories and make the playoffs this year and all I'm saying is anything could happen.

Off the bat, those other 3 QBs were much further along in terms of being an NFL QB than Cam is, they had a whole off season to workout with their teams, Ryan came into the league when the NFCS wasn't nearly as good as it is now, Flacco had a defense full of great players already entrenched there for many years, Rex brought over some players from the dominant Ravens defenses and had the best running game in the league to help Mark.

None of those seem like normal situations or anything like what we're in but you keep believing. I'm not saying your wrong, I'm just saying there are a lot of things to take into consideration.

[CRA]

I don't have the time nor the desire to go back and look over all the information you requested of me. Maybe later today.

It seems that you are trying to prove we are going to be one of those success stories and make the playoffs this year and all I'm saying is anything could happen.

Off the bat, those other 3 QBs were much further along in terms of being an NFL QB than Cam is, they had a whole off season to workout with their teams, Ryan came into the league when the NFCS wasn't nearly as good as it is now, Flacco had a defense full of great players already entrenched there for many years, Rex brought over some players from the dominant Ravens defenses and had the best running game in the league to help Mark.

None of those seem like normal situations or anything like what we're in but you keep believing. I'm not saying your wrong, I'm just saying there are a lot of things to take into consideration.

I am not saying we will see that type success......just saying it has happened regularly enough in recent years not to dismiss it.

Mark Sanchez wasn't a better starting prospect as a rookie than Cam. Yeah, Mark did have a great ground attack.....and we have the best backfield/OL combo in the league for running. You could probably debate strength and weakness with Flacco as well......the whole "pro ready" arguement is fairly weak. The Golden Calf of Bristol looked like Joe Montana compared to Clasuen.

If memory serves correctly, the NFCS was considered the best division in the NFL when Ryan arrived. The worst team that year went 8-8 if I recall.....we can't really act like Ryan had a weaker division for his debut. It was the PROVEN best.....this upcoming year is still an unknown

[Darth Bobo]

My 2c.

I look at our team as a group of units, and basically just speculate on how the units might change from last year to this.

QB/RB: Newton may have more potential than any QB we've ever had, but he's had no chance to develop it, and I don't think he'll get one before the season begins, because of the lockout. The best evidence we have to date says that Clausen will be the starter. We may lose DeAngelo, and if we do I do not believe the dropoff will be extreme because of our depth. In a nutshell, and in spite of the hype I see only a marginal improvement at the QB/RB tandem.

WR/TE: With Shockey coming on board, and Rivera's familiarity with TE pass plays ala Antonio Gates, along with a reasonable dose of physical development for LaFell/Gettis, I feel more confident that this unit is on the path to incremental improvement and success.

OL: If we are optimistic about Otah's health, Wharton's longevity, and Kahlil's next career move, then perhaps this unit will improve on last year's deplorable performance. If instead, we are pessimistic about any of the three factors, then things could get very ugly again on the line which would likely result in another season of low scoring games. If they do, Newton's chances of starting before he is ready escalate because of his perceived physical ability to escape pressure and move the chains forward if only slightly. Skilled physically capable offensive lineman take years to develop, and the Panthers are at least one year behind schedule going into this year, next year we will be two years behind schedule. The addition of Shockey indicates less help blocking on the line, not more. This unit totally frightens me.

LB: Considering the talent we have at this position, and that we play a 4-3, I think we are probably the best in our division at this unit when healthy. I do not believe we will decline from that in 2011. Thomas Davis should known now that he is in an urgent make/break situation, and he has to perform this year...or else.

DB: We have declined in this unit from previous years, but at least we've developed some players along the way. Gamble is losing a step and we are losing Marshall. This is another unit that needs an infusion of talent, and the receivers in our division are going to rub that point in. One cause for optimism is that Rivera has a long history of favorable turnover ratios. Can he create turnover and blitz opportunities for our DB's and do they have soft hands?

DL: It was amusing to hear the ignant analyst insist we needed to replace the 20million dollar Peppers during the offseason. Hopefully some of our rivals will make the same mistake and underestimate us there. We threw 2 early picks at tackle, and it'd be fair to probably assume that one of them will be better than one of last year's starters. We may not dominate there, but we will have improved. That should be most apparent in the 4th quarter of games. We will make some comebacks, because our D-line will have more depth & stamina than our opponents expected.

Coaching: Unwise to speculate on my part, and fortunately for us also unwise for any opponent to do so either. Rivera will get a chance to bring creativity to our offense on his honeymoon, so we should see lots of entertaining unfamiliar stuff. If Armanti can ever be worth anything in the NFL, this is his shot while the team identity is still in flux. If the O-line is healthy, the TE position finally has a chance to develop. If instead the O-line repeats 2010, then Shockey will be miserable here. Are we going to bring back the corner blitz? I'd like to see us try. We've got some hard to tackle QB's in our division, and while some are fast, none are quick. We've got some speedy, quick, and nimble DB's who can get in a QB's face and be disruptive if they are given the chance.

We will not be the worst team in the league this year, and I personally would bet against us being the worst in our division, though I would not choose another team specifically in our division to say will be behind us. Every team in this division is one QB injury away from being out of the race, except maybe us. It wouldn't make a huge difference for us, if any of our QB's was out because we have to plan for any of the three to start. We have no clue at all who that will be.

[bleys]

My 2c.

I look at our team as a group of units, and basically just speculate on how the units might change from last year to this.

QB/RB: Newton may have more potential than any QB we've ever had, but he's had no chance to develop it, and I don't think he'll get one before the season begins, because of the lockout. The best evidence we have to date says that Clausen will be the starter. We may lose DeAngelo, and if we do I do not believe the dropoff will be extreme because of our depth. In a nutshell, and in spite of the hype I see only a marginal improvement at the QB/RB tandem.

WR/TE: With Shockey coming on board, and Rivera's familiarity with TE pass plays ala Antonio Gates, along with a reasonable dose of physical development for LaFell/Gettis, I feel more confident that this unit is on the path to incremental improvement and success.

OL: If we are optimistic about Otah's health, Wharton's longevity, and Kahlil's next career move, then perhaps this unit will improve on last year's deplorable performance. If instead, we are pessimistic about any of the three factors, then things could get very ugly again on the line which would likely result in another season of low scoring games. If they do, Newton's chances of starting before he is ready escalate because of his perceived physical ability to escape pressure and move the chains forward if only slightly. Skilled physically capable offensive lineman take years to develop, and the Panthers are at least one year behind schedule going into this year, next year we will be two years behind schedule. The addition of Shockey indicates less help blocking on the line, not more. This unit totally frightens me.

LB: Considering the talent we have at this position, and that we play a 4-3, I think we are probably the best in our division at this unit when healthy. I do not believe we will decline from that in 2011. Thomas Davis should known now that he is in an urgent make/break situation, and he has to perform this year...or else.

DB: We have declined in this unit from previous years, but at least we've developed some players along the way. Gamble is losing a step and we are losing Marshall. This is another unit that needs an infusion of talent, and the receivers in our division are going to rub that point in. One cause for optimism is that Rivera has a long history of favorable turnover ratios. Can he create turnover and blitz opportunities for our DB's and do they have soft hands?

DL: It was amusing to hear the ignant analyst insist we needed to replace the 20million dollar Peppers during the offseason. Hopefully some of our rivals will make the same mistake and underestimate us there. We threw 2 early picks at tackle, and it'd be fair to probably assume that one of them will be better than one of last year's starters. We may not dominate there, but we will have improved. That should be most apparent in the 4th quarter of games. We will make some comebacks, because our D-line will have more depth & stamina than our opponents expected.

Coaching: Unwise to speculate on my part, and fortunately for us also unwise for any opponent to do so either. Rivera will get a chance to bring creativity to our offense on his honeymoon, so we should see lots of entertaining unfamiliar stuff. If Armanti can ever be worth anything in the NFL, this is his shot while the team identity is still in flux. If the O-line is healthy, the TE position finally has a chance to develop. If instead the O-line repeats 2010, then Shockey will be miserable here. Are we going to bring back the corner blitz? I'd like to see us try. We've got some hard to tackle QB's in our division, and while some are fast, none are quick. We've got some speedy, quick, and nimble DB's who can get in a QB's face and be disruptive if they are given the chance.

We will not be the worst team in the league this year, and I personally would bet against us being the worst in our division, though I would not choose another team specifically in our division to say will be behind us. Every team in this division is one QB injury away from being out of the race, except maybe us. It wouldn't make a huge difference for us, if any of our QB's was out because we have to plan for any of the three to start. We have no clue at all who that will be.

I didn't read all of that, but from skimming through, I agree with most of it.

[CRA]

My 2c.

I look at our team as a group of units, and basically just speculate on how the units might change from last year to this.

QB/RB: Newton may have more potential than any QB we've ever had, but he's had no chance to develop it, and I don't think he'll get one before the season begins, because of the lockout. The best evidence we have to date says that Clausen will be the starter. We may lose DeAngelo, and if we do I do not believe the dropoff will be extreme because of our depth. In a nutshell, and in spite of the hype I see only a marginal improvement at the QB/RB tandem.

WR/TE: With Shockey coming on board, and Rivera's familiarity with TE pass plays ala Antonio Gates, along with a reasonable dose of physical development for LaFell/Gettis, I feel more confident that this unit is on the path to incremental improvement and success.

OL: If we are optimistic about Otah's health, Wharton's longevity, and Kahlil's next career move, then perhaps this unit will improve on last year's deplorable performance. If instead, we are pessimistic about any of the three factors, then things could get very ugly again on the line which would likely result in another season of low scoring games. If they do, Newton's chances of starting before he is ready escalate because of his perceived physical ability to escape pressure and move the chains forward if only slightly. Skilled physically capable offensive lineman take years to develop, and the Panthers are at least one year behind schedule going into this year, next year we will be two years behind schedule. The addition of Shockey indicates less help blocking on the line, not more. This unit totally frightens me.

LB: Considering the talent we have at this position, and that we play a 4-3, I think we are probably the best in our division at this unit when healthy. I do not believe we will decline from that in 2011. Thomas Davis should known now that he is in an urgent make/break situation, and he has to perform this year...or else.

DB: We have declined in this unit from previous years, but at least we've developed some players along the way. Gamble is losing a step and we are losing Marshall. This is another unit that needs an infusion of talent, and the receivers in our division are going to rub that point in. One cause for optimism is that Rivera has a long history of favorable turnover ratios. Can he create turnover and blitz opportunities for our DB's and do they have soft hands?

DL: It was amusing to hear the ignant analyst insist we needed to replace the 20million dollar Peppers during the offseason. Hopefully some of our rivals will make the same mistake and underestimate us there. We threw 2 early picks at tackle, and it'd be fair to probably assume that one of them will be better than one of last year's starters. We may not dominate there, but we will have improved. That should be most apparent in the 4th quarter of games. We will make some comebacks, because our D-line will have more depth & stamina than our opponents expected.

Coaching: Unwise to speculate on my part, and fortunately for us also unwise for any opponent to do so either. Rivera will get a chance to bring creativity to our offense on his honeymoon, so we should see lots of entertaining unfamiliar stuff. If Armanti can ever be worth anything in the NFL, this is his shot while the team identity is still in flux. If the O-line is healthy, the TE position finally has a chance to develop. If instead the O-line repeats 2010, then Shockey will be miserable here. Are we going to bring back the corner blitz? I'd like to see us try. We've got some hard to tackle QB's in our division, and while some are fast, none are quick. We've got some speedy, quick, and nimble DB's who can get in a QB's face and be disruptive if they are given the chance.

We will not be the worst team in the league this year, and I personally would bet against us being the worst in our division, though I would not choose another team specifically in our division to say will be behind us. Every team in this division is one QB injury away from being out of the race, except maybe us. It wouldn't make a huge difference for us, if any of our QB's was out because we have to plan for any of the three to start. We have no clue at all who that will be.

only thing I disagree with is the first part

QB/RB - There is really no way Jimmy starts. You either start Cam or the vet you bring in.....I just don't see how Rivera couldn't logically start a season w/ Clausen. That means instant improved QB play....which also improves the ground attack in comparison to last year.

[bleys]

that too...

[Cyberjag]

So John Fox takes over a 1-15 team and wins 7, yet he's just terrible. And Rivera, who's a genius, will be lucky to win 4 games?

Huddle logic at it's best. :)

BTW, my best guess is that we start Clausen and finish with Newton, and we probably better last year's production by a touchdown per game. Defense stays roughly the same. Schedule looks hard right now, but since most of the teams on there are supposed to be good then we'll probably catch a break and instead of losing to someone who's supposed to be lousy we'll beat someone who should have been better.

Regardless, it's going to be a fun year. I don't think we make the playoffs, but the team is still young and there's going to be a lot of opportunities to see a play here and there and look forward to the future. And forget Luck, the last team to get back to back #1 picks was the 2000 and 2001 Browns, it's HARD to be that awful two years running.

[Darth Bobo]

QB/RB - There is really no way Jimmy starts. You either start Cam or the vet you bring in.....I just don't see how Rivera couldn't logically start a season w/ Clausen. That means instant improved QB play....which also improves the ground attack in comparison to last year.

You may be spot on about Newton's starting. I can only guess.

2010 was a psychological catastrophe for Jimmy Clausen, the season began with his optimism and ended with him standing alone, without confidence, apologizing for the 2010 season. Who else (other than Delhome, Lucas, or Bright) has the all-too-eager blame finger of Steve Smith emasculated more? Jimmy showed some mental toughness by keeping more composure than J. Russel or V. Young did.

First, I'd give Jimmy a second chance, because we aren't heading for the playoffs, all Jimmy has to do is forget last year and improve. I personally feel it would be a mistake of bias to assume that Jimmy cannot. If Jimmy proves as his detractors suspect that he cannot even perform as a competent backup to Newton, that information will become obvious and valuable to the Panthers, as we can begin seeking a replacement for him.

Second, I'd insulate the capable but inexperienced Newton from the same kind of psychological catastrophe that Clausen faced if at all possible. Personnel decisions like switching a starter seem much worse to fans when they are repeated, then they do the first time they are made. Considering that, Cam Newton may be too expensive not to consider his psychological stability and confidence before putting him on the field. And we don't even know what our strengths are going to be at the beginning of the season. Would it not be better to hand Newton the reigns after we know what we can/cannot do?

Cam is a proven is a winner, and we need him to continue to believe that about himself no matter what. We need him to ride the wave of confidence, not get knocked off of it and try to get back on. That, we should leave for Jimmy. It's the cards he was dealt, and he has to make the most of that. If Cam sees Jimmy fail as starter, then it will be easier for him to believe that he has earned the right to be where he is. And Cam should never be a starter by draft-right. All players have to earn their right to play to get respect from their teammates. If Cam is put on the field while Jimmy sits in envy, waiting for his second chance, then every small failure may eat away at Cam. If Cam starts over Jimmy without ever having played a single NFL game and fails early, Jimmy may come back and play better than anyone expected. In that case, the coaching staff looks lame for not knowing who the better QB was, and for putting Cams ego at risk before he was ready. That would be irrespsonsible.