The Mini Camp Thread....(updated Sunday)

[SmootsDaddy89]

Bro its MINI CAMP, the depth chart at this point means absolutely nothing.

Pay attention to draft coverage man, Martin screams cover 2 CB, and that's what all the scouts were calling him.

Dude I'm not going to go back over the points I've already made about minicamp. But I will say this. Fox usually only starts rookies from day one when they are CLEARLY the best option available. As in, there are no other viable alternatives. Otah started at RT from the beginning because we had a giant hole there. Bridges was a good backup, but he should never be a full-time starter. Godfrey started at FS because, again, there was a hole there that needed to be filled. And he was obviously better than freaking Nate Salley. There is no hole at DE. Even if Peppers sits out the entire season (he wont) Brayton and Johnson are more than qualified to start a full season. Having said that, we also went into minicamp in 2004 with Artrell Hawkins and Ricky Manning Jr. as our starting CBs, both of which were thought to be good starters. Gamble beat out Hawkins for a starting job. So it isn't unprecedented for rookies to beat out entrenched veterans. But my reasoning that Brown probably doesn't have the same chance Gamble does is that he's LIKELY going to be a liability in the run game at his current size if he does start. If he can play against the run at his size as well as Strahan did, then he'll start. But keep in mind, even Strahan didn't start his rookie year.

And the whole "He's a Ron Meeks' type of DE" argument is nonsensical. Ron Meeks doesn't have a "type" of DE. This isn't e-harmony. The DEs used by the Colts were Tony Dungy's type of DE. He has no loyalty to the cover 2, he's already said as much. Just because Brown is small and quick like the DEs in Indy are, that doesn't mean Ron Meeks was masturbating furiously in anticipation the entire time Fox and Hurney were trying to make a trade to get him. Stopping the run is the number one thing a Fox DE must be able to do. If it wasn't, Johnson would have started over Brayton last year. They selected Brown on the belief that he CAN be that kind of DE. (And with 21.5 TFL last year, they have good reason to believe as much) But he's going to need time to develop. He was taken because he's the perfect candidate to come off the bench for a year; learn and get bigger and stronger, and then become the eventual replacement for Peppers, assuming he's gone after this upcoming season. He was NOT taken to be thrown in as starter willy-nilly because a bunch of posters on a message board think we've metamorphosed into the Colts now somehow.

[scpanther22]

He wasn't re-signed.

No one else has him either. He still could be back if one of the current guys doesn't work out.

i wonder why.. gibson seems like a good fit in a meeks defense and i know he would be cheap.

[bleys]

Dude I'm not going to go back over the points I've already made about minicamp. But I will say this. Fox usually only starts rookies from day one when they are CLEARLY the best option available. As in, there are no other viable alternatives. Otah started at RT from the beginning because we had a giant hole there. Bridges was a good backup, but he should never be a full-time starter. Godfrey started at FS because, again, there was a hole there that needed to be filled. And he was obviously better than freaking Nate Salley. There is no hole at DE. Even if Peppers sits out the entire season (he wont) Brayton and Johnson are more than qualified to start a full season. Having said that, we also went into minicamp in 2004 with Artrell Hawkins and Ricky Manning Jr. as our starting CBs, both of which were thought to be good starters. Gamble beat out Hawkins for a starting job. So it isn't unprecedented for rookies to beat out entrenched veterans. But my reasoning that Brown probably doesn't have the same chance Gamble does is that he's LIKELY going to be a liability in the run game at his current size if he does start. If he can play against the run at his size as well as Strahan did, then he'll start. But keep in mind, even Strahan didn't start his rookie year.

And the whole "He's a Ron Meeks' type of DE" argument is nonsensical. Ron Meeks doesn't have a "type" of DE. This isn't e-harmony. The DEs used by the Colts were Tony Dungy's type of DE. He has no loyalty to the cover 2, he's already said as much. Just because Brown is small and quick like the DEs in Indy are, that doesn't mean Ron Meeks was masturbating furiously in anticipation the entire time Fox and Hurney were trying to make a trade to get him. Stopping the run is the number one thing a Fox DE must be able to do. If it wasn't, Johnson would have started over Brayton last year. They selected Brown on the belief that he CAN be that kind of DE. (And with 21.5 TFL last year, they have good reason to believe as much) But he's going to need time to develop. He was taken because he's the perfect candidate to come off the bench for a year; learn and get bigger and stronger, and then become the eventual replacement for Peppers, assuming he's gone after this upcoming season. He was NOT taken to be thrown in as starter willy-nilly because a bunch of posters on a message board think we've metamorphosed into the Colts now somehow.

have to say I agree on this...

[dexterpyro]

^^^Second

[PowerlessDan]

CONTINUED:

“Day two, and you guys are already killing me, but just remember I won’t die alone.”

Awesome. Thanks.

[Soul Rebel]

anyone know the time that afternoon camp is today? i would love to head back over and check 'em out this afternoon.

[mantal]

Thanks Mr. Scot, great read...

[Mr. Scot]

Happy to be of service. Sorry I can't be out there today.

[monstercat]

I don't care what people say, I don't think starting line ups mean much of anything right now, at least not on defense. Except for Gilhamer(sp), this whole defensive coaching staff is brand new to the Panthers and they have no history with any of the players, aside from D-Lew, who played for Meeks for a short time. Plus, it's pretty obvious that Fox has given Meeks a free hand to run his defensive practices as he sees fit, which from reading Mr. Scot's and other reports, is totally different from years past.

[rayzor]

i'm expecting training camp to be a whole lot more intense than in previous years. last year the attitude was good but i think this year it's going to be killer...very much reflecting the attitude of the largest personality out there, coach meeks.

he will be the tone setter for this year, imo.

[rayzor]

btw...mr. scot, you've done an incredible job so far. i hate that you aren't going to be out there today.

hopefully you will be there for the other practices and will be at training camp (even though i'm going to be there quite a bit myself). i very much enjoy reading the reports.

[carpanfan96]

Nice info as usual Mr. Scot.

My favorite quote was the I won't die alone by Baker, that was classic.

[Jackofalltrades]

I can tell you folks from first hand experience that Mr. Scot's account of practice actually does remind me of basic training at Ft. Sill; especially the part about making the whole unit do things over when one guy screws up.

It sounds like there is some good old fashioned whip cracking going on at BOA, and I'm glad.

Mr. Scot, you are the man!

I told someone out there that I was having flashbacks of Parris Island while watching the DL, I love his intensity.

[pantherclaw]

First of all. Thanks to EVERYONE who has posted what they've seen AND heard!

Especially thanks to you Scot, you always put in a lot of detail.

I definitely like what I'm reading and hearing about our coaching staff.

Last, don't see why anyone is concerned about where anybody is on the depth chart at this point, cause there is no real chart, specially concerning the rookies ~ until training camp.