Can the Panthers afford to go Offense with their 1st pick in the Draft?

[Herbert The Love Bug]

In all honesty they best move would be to trade down in the first and acquire a 2nd or a third in the draft and a first in the 2013 draft.

We will definitely be picking in the top 5 and there are several players that team will trade a lot for to get into our position. Yet nothing really there that can help us that much or worthy of that high of pick. If we move down in the first, to middle to mid 20s of the first, there will be plenty of value there. Probably Monti Te'o, Vontaze Burfict, Janoris Jenkins or any number or guys to choose from. Then we'd also have another pick in the high rounds of the draft and at least 2 first rounds next season. Best move to make to build the team in my opinion.

[Razzy]

Other than OL depth and maybe a WR this draft will be D heavy.

[teeray]

Other than OL depth and maybe a WR this draft will be D heavy.

If this draft is D heavy than use every single pick on the D.

If we stay in the bottom 5 trade back if you can, stockpile picks, and load the fug up at every position on defense.

Then next season make everyone on defense earn their starting jobs.

No doubt we need help at OT and WR and at some point we have to get a #2 WR.

But Cam and Chud can overcome those and still be fairly productive. What they can't overcome is a defense like we have experienced this year.

We have a franchise QB. Now lets build from defense to offense. The sooner we can produce a super defense the sooner we will be championship contenders.

Just my opinion.

[Bj-Monster23]

I feel the best thing to do is to trade down. I know a lot of you guys have your mind set to Matt kalil or Justin Blackmon. The cool thing about this draft is that it has a little bit of depth in it. I believe we will be picking maybe some were in the top 5. We can trade down to like number 8,9,or10 and pick a solid LT like Martin from stanford or Riley Reiff from Iowa. They both are good prospect and will be solid LT's in the league. During this process we can pick up another second round pick and a third round pick. We could probably get something extra for next year also. With the second round pick we could pick up a Safety like Robert lester from Alabama which will upgrade that position and we can also follow that pick up with and OLB or something.

If I was GM my draft would look like this.

Trade down from the top 5 into the 8,9,or 10 overall pick. We pick up another second round pick and a third round pick. We pick up a second round pick in 2013 and maybe a fourth in 2013.

1. Jonathan Martin OT Stanford

2. Billy Winn DT/DE Boise State/ Chase minnifield CB VA

2. Robert Lester SS Alabama

3. Travis Lewis OLB OU

This is just something I been thinking of as of lately.

[Marguide]

Agree 100% that if the opportunity arises we should trade down.

Kalil & Blackmon look good but not overwhelmingly good. Get as many potential playmakers on D as possible. Sign a #2 WR in FA.

[LinvilleGorge]

BPA or trade down.

I'm a big proponent of taking the BPA within reason. Obviously we aren't taking a QB or RB, but I don't like reaching due to need. I think that's what gets teams in trouble. You have to take elite talent when you have the chance. It's not like we don't have enough holes on this team to be able to take an elite offensive player. I wish there was a monster of a DT or LB available, but I just don't see one worthy of a top 5 pick. Kalil or Blackmon on the other hand... yeah, they probably are.

Take one of them or trade down, get more picks, and load up on D.

[Catalyst]

Our defense is so awful that some folks here seem to have forgotten that we do also have needs on offense. Add to that the fact that there aren't any defenders projected to go that high (and no DT's or LB's) and that the best 7-8 players in this draft will almost certainly be offensive guys...

Can we afford to go offense? I don't think we'll have much choice without trading down.

[Herbert The Love Bug]

Our defense is so awful that some folks here seem to have forgotten that we do also have needs on offense. Add to that the fact that there aren't any defenders projected to go that high (and no DT's or LB's) and that the best 7-8 players in this draft will almost certainly be offensive guys...

Can we afford to go offense? I don't think we'll have much choice without trading down.

I agree, if we don't trade down we will get Kalil, Blackmon, or Jeffrey more than likely.

[tiger7_88]

I agree, if we don't trade down we will get Kalil, Blackmon, or Jeffrey more than likely.

Using a Top 5 pick on Alshon Jeffrey would be one of the biggest waste of picks in the history of the NFL draft.

Fatty ain't gonna consistently out-jump NFL corners and safeties.

[jamos14]

I will be pretty confident in whomever we pick. Hurney has done well with our 1st round picks with exception of the Armanti/Everette debacle.

[BigSyke]

at first i was for blackmon but not anymore, DEFENSE IS TO BAD!!!!

i slightly like kali. seen jordan get bad, but cam is elusive so it offsets.....

but i think they should trade down get load of picks for defense.

olb,corners,dt also look into free agency.

or get zach brown or morris clayborne in first round.........

try to get a solid 2to3 round reciever like kendall wright or maze. i mean if the qb is good it wont matter, look who brady throwing to.

but they still need a deep threat because guys like that is special and cant be made by the qb as much like te and slotwr

the offense is decent but defense is just too bad

[Snake]

I really wish Fiz would get drunk and come in and explain how trading down is not so easy.

[thefuzz]

If we take another 1st round LB I will lose what little faith I have in Hurney, same goes for RB's.

The logical picks for this team are going to be in the trenches. So we will probably take a WR.

[rayzor]

agreed that the trenches needs to be the focal point of the offseason. as i said, i'm not crazy about the idea of drafting another DT cause we have enough inexperience here. i'd like for additions to come from FA or via trade. with that said, i wouldn't be opposed to us drafting a DT in the 2nd or late in the first if we trade down (which i'd be incredibly surprised if we did). i just don't want to take one early in the first.

improving the Dline interior makes it easier for the LBs and secondary to do their job and makes everyone on defense more productive. by that same token, improving our oline makes the whole offense better and more productive.

for a team going through a rebuild there are two top priorities:

1) get yourself a franchise QB

2) build up the trenches

you can't really have a successful team without those key ingredients.