For me its down to Coples or Jenkins

[Marguide]

Frankly, it's too early to zero in on one or two players. That said, DL should be priority #1 imo.

We could have Revis paired with Gamble, and we would still see little return unless we improve our D-line. If a corner turns out being BPA at our pick, and none of the D-line options look good, then fine, take the corner. But we damn well better have a plan B for the D-line, i.e. FA, or we are going to be very disappointed in our D next year.

[pantherclaw]

If i were a betting man....

I'd bet that the panthers draft a lineman in the first round.

Either way, it'll be BPA.

[Donald LaFell]

yeah, i guess we need to be content with having NO real quality starter in the middle of the Dline.

just throw any average 3rd rounder or 30 year old DT in there and we'll be fine.

Rivera said they're fine so ill take his word I think we go after DE over DT. You can call it a smokescreen but last year hurney said we needed a qb, dt, and cb in that order and who did we take?

[scarface]

CB class is deep and I like Brandon Hogan so at this point (before the combine) I'd rather take Coples, Brockers/Still, Upshaw or trade down and get Ingram, Zach Brown, Poe or Perry.

...though I would be perfectly happy with Jenkins or even Kirkpatrick.

[rayzor]

Why so quick to give up on Fua,Mcclain anyway?

*sigh*

again, who said i was giving up on them? i want them in the rotation.

i want to make the interior of the line dominant...not just for a year (hello 2009 with 2 old guys) but for years (hello giants).

why not try to make the dline dominant without hoping that maybe that old guy and two 3rd rounders and a couple late round picks and a udfa might somehow be able to scrap together to become something good? why not get serious about it and try to take the best DT talent in the draft?

meh...go ahead and feel good about maybe having a mediocre presence in the middle of the line. i want to have at least one legit and dominant starter at each position. i'm not sure what the problem is there and i'm not sure why it's so bad that i don't have confidence in mcclain and fua being that?

did rivera say that those two guys were ok? sure, but what else is he supposed to say? they might pan out, but i just don't know if the talent is there to pass up a guy like brockers or one of the other top end DTs in this draft. i don't know if they make DT as stout as it needs to be to have tha dominant presence on the Dline.

i just want us to get better in the trenches and then work backwards to strengthen everything else.

[prowler2k8]

If i were a betting man....

I'd bet that the panthers draft a lineman in the first round.

Either way, it'll be BPA.

I agree. If think this year the Panthers wil primarily focus on strengthening the "trenches" - with the defensive secondary being 1A.

[Yaboychris28]

Coples reminds me of a Justin Tuck types player. He can play inside or outside and still be effective. I wouldn't mind drafting him if he falls to us

[panther4life]

*sigh*

again, who said i was giving up on them? i want them in the rotation.

i want to make the interior of the line dominant...not just for a year (hello 2009 with 2 old guys) but for years (hello giants).

why not try to make the dline dominant without hoping that maybe that old guy and two 3rd rounders and a couple late round picks and a udfa might somehow be able to scrap together to become something good? why not get serious about it and try to take the best DT talent in the draft?

meh...go ahead and feel good about maybe having a mediocre presence in the middle of the line. i want to have at least one legit and dominant starter at each position. i'm not sure what the problem is there and i'm not sure why it's so bad that i don't have confidence in mcclain and fua being that?

did rivera say that those two guys were ok? sure, but what else is he supposed to say? they might pan out, but i just don't know if the talent is there to pass up a guy like brockers or one of the other top end DTs in this draft. i don't know if they make DT as stout as it needs to be to have tha dominant presence on the Dline.

i just want us to get better in the trenches and then work backwards to strengthen everything else.

I pointed out those 2 old dudes in 09 to show you that dt's are not the mvp's of the defense or even the defensive line. You cited that you want a line like the Giants have because "they have been a dominant line for years" and I am inclined to agree with you there.Where we disagree is why they are dominant.

Their starting DT'S this year were Linval Joseph:2nd year player(much improved from his rookie campaign btw), first year starter. drafted in the 2nd round. The other was Chris Canty, who was a 4th round pick and joined their team in 09.

and you remember this link, http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/dl you posted for everyone to see? Well according to it the Giants gave up 4.3 ypc up the middle (26th overall) vs us at 4.51ypc (31st overall).

So the defensive lineman they carried over from their 08 superbowl roster and 2012 superbowl roster were Tuck(DE),Umenyiora(DE),Kiawanuka)(DE).Strahan(DE) was a part of that team as well and was replaced by Pierre Paul(DE) on this years roster.

Not a single DT played on both teams!

If you want to be like the Giants, get at least 3 good/great DE'S every year.

[chubs2496]

I pointed out those 2 old dudes in 09 to show you that dt's are not the mvp's of the defense or even the defensive line. You cited that you want a line like the Giants have because "they have been a dominant line for years" and I am inclined to agree with you there.Where we disagree is why they are dominant.

Their starting DT'S this year were Linval Joseph:2nd year player(much improved from his rookie campaign btw), first year starter. drafted in the 2nd round. The other was Chris Canty, who was a 4th round pick and joined their team in 09.

and you remember this link, http://footballoutsiders.com/stats/dl you posted for everyone to see? Well according to it the Giants gave up 4.3 ypc up the middle (26th overall) vs us at 4.51ypc (31st overall).

So the defensive lineman they carried over from their 08 superbowl roster and 2012 superbowl roster were Tuck(DE),Umenyiora(DE),Kiawanuka)(DE).Strahan(DE) was a part of that team as well and was replaced by Pierre Paul(DE) on this years roster.

Not a single DT played on both teams!

If you want to be like the Giants, get at least 3 good/great DE'S every year.

This is exactly what I'm talking about. U don't have to have an all pro dt. Just need a average player. If u have studs on the outside then it will work out. We wouldnt have the same talent as the giants would have but we would have 3 pretty solid de. And Charles Johnson is gonne explode this year. And I think hardy played really well. Add coples to the mix or maybe even Ingram from USC and it would be a pretty stout line even with an aging dt in Edwards and 2 rooks

[iskassim06]

This is exactly what I'm talking about. U don't have to have an all pro dt. Just need a average player. If u have studs on the outside then it will work out. We wouldnt have the same talent as the giants would have but we would have 3 pretty solid de. And Charles Johnson is gonne explode this year. And I think hardy played really well. Add coples to the mix or maybe even Ingram from USC and it would be a pretty stout line even with an aging dt in Edwards and 2 rooks

Exactly!!

[nagai]

You guys are way downplaying the quality of the Giants DT's. Tuck was not always a DE, he was the starting DT the 1st time they won a superbowl and he was a BEAST. He played plenty of DT this year too as part of a rotation. Canty was also extremely good in the superbowl. Pass rushing DT's are very important.

[carpanfan96]

You guys are way downplaying the quality of the Giants DT's. Tuck was not always a DE, he was the starting DT the 1st time they won a superbowl and he was a BEAST. He played plenty of DT this year too as part of a rotation. Canty was also extremely good in the superbowl. Pass rushing DT's are very important.

Coples can play the same role that Tuck played, lining up at DT and DE depending on down and distance. Coples has the strength to play DT.

[nagai]

Coples can play the same role that Tuck played, lining up at DT and DE depending on down and distance. Coples has the strength to play DT.

Yep I completely agree. This was the sort of thing I was alluding to in my Coples thread. I do think he's the next Justin Tuck. People have a fair point about his effort though.

[davos]

Regardless about Coples specifics, he fits a perfect need for the Jags and I don't see why they wouldn't either go with him on the line or a potential elite wide-out.

Blackmon will be gone by that pick and there's no way in hell they're reaching for Jeffery or Floyd. They're trying to hit refresh this season with a new owner, uniforms, identity, and overall trying to sell tickets...they're gonna be wanting a potential playmaker. I just don't think Coples makes it to us if we're talking about where the prospects stand as of today.