It's That Time Again... The Armanti Thread

[Carl Spackler]

I was just checking the box score from last night and Pilares had 2 catches for a total of 11 yards. Armanti had 1 catch for 13 yards. To suggest that AE would make the roster over Pilares is preposterous!

What's also preposterous is that you are embarrased by people posting hypothetical lineups on a football message board.

Not enough evidence for any definitive picks yet. Some folks will get cut, possibly AE or Pilares--- just too early to tell.

Pilares: KR #1

Edwards: KR#2, PR#2

Pilares could get cut but if he does get cut, so will AE. The fact AE had 2 more receiving yards in a preseason game means less than nothing. I understand he has a lot of fans who want him to do well, and if I thought he deserved a spot I'd say so. But the fact is we have enough players at that position who offer more than he does to warrant keeping him.

It also amuses me that AE fans, when badgered with jokes, don't have any defense so they just say "but, but Clausen..." This isn't about Clausen. It will take a miracle for him to avoid being cut too. We're trying to get the best 53 guys on the team. Not 49 good ones and a few that Hurney still loves.

[Floppin]

I don't know why the team waited until Clausen was in to put AE in, considering he's been running with Anderson all camp. That was a little weird, especially after all the reports of how he had been building great timing with Anderson. I suspect that the coaching staff wanted to get an extended look at Tutu and Murphy to see exactly what they had there. I expect AE to run with Anderson in the game later this week.

His route running did look really good though. Compared to previous years anyhow. I still maintain that Gettis is NOT a lock to make this team. He has literally never seen the field during live action for this coaching staff. He's going to have to have a pretty good showing when he finally hits the field to be able to stick I think.

[EasternJ]

Pilares: KR #1

Edwards: KR#2, PR#2

Pilares could get cut but if he does get cut, so will AE. The fact AE had 2 more receiving yards in a preseason game means less than nothing. I understand he has a lot of fans who want him to do well, and if I thought he deserved a spot I'd say so. But the fact is we have enough players at that position who offer more than he does to warrant keeping him.

It also amuses me that AE fans, when badgered with jokes, don't have any defense so they just say "but, but Clausen..." This isn't about Clausen. It will take a miracle for him to avoid being cut too. We're trying to get the best 53 guys on the team. Not 49 good ones and a few that Hurney still loves.

I posted those stats as a bit of a joke, but also as an example of how you can't possibly, at this point in preseason, predict that someone like Pilares will beat out AE. They have three catches combined.

Of course, based on the past two years, the criticism and lack of expectations for AE are somewhat deserved. He hasn't produced, so the expectation is that he won't. From a punt return standpoint, he definitely was a bust last year, but from a receiving standpoint, who knows-- we didn't have enough of a look at him.

I never bring up Clausen as a defense for anyone. Other than just having to watch him flail last night, he's a #3 QB and won't be much of an issue anyway. Of course, as with the receiver roster, you certainly want the best guys you can get-- even at #3 QB.

[Carl Spackler]

Damn, I guess if AE fans can be this hopeful I have reason to say "I'm not sure Brees or Brady can keep up with Cam. There's no more than 8-10 players in this league who have a shot at tackling Cam. Cam should easily win MVP and Super Bowl MVP the next two seasons. No way he throws more than 2 or 3 incompletions this season."

See, that's being hopeful to the point of ridiculousness.

Much like thinking Gettis or Pilares will get axed to save AE. Why stop there? Nobody's guaranteed a spot. Maybe they cut Smith to save AE. After all, AE can also step in and be a top-three QB at any point.

It's one thing to hope your guy stays on, but some of the methods of justifying it on here are impressive even for Charlotte's chapter of the Yosef Club.

BTW Eastern J I'm not targeting you in this. You're defending your kind, but I'm not calling you out so much as others.

[EasternJ]

Damn, I guess if AE fans can be this hopeful I have reason to say "I'm not sure Brees or Brady can keep up with Cam. There's no more than 8-10 players in this league who have a shot at tackling Cam. Cam should easily win MVP and Super Bowl MVP the next two seasons. No way he throws more than 2 or 3 incompletions this season."

See, that's being hopeful to the point of ridiculousness.

Much like thinking Gettis or Pilares will get axed to save AE. Why stop there? Nobody's guaranteed a spot. Maybe they cut Smith to save AE. After all, AE can also step in and be a top-three QB at any point.

It's one thing to hope your guy stays on, but some of the methods of justifying it on here are impressive even for Charlotte's chapter of the Yosef Club.

BTW Eastern J I'm not targeting you in this. You're defending your kind, but I'm not calling you out so much as others.

Yeah, there are those folks that want him on the team even if it means cutting someone better. I think it's nice to have a guy from your school make it in the NFL-- especially on the team you follow, but only if he is the best guy for the job. I guess its tough for some people to be objective.

[Floppin]

I obviously don't want him to be on the team in favor of someone who's better. I only want him on the team if the coaches feel like he's the best option available. I also believe that this coaching staff doesn't play favorites, so if he does make the team it's because they DO feel that he's the best option. My argument that Gettis might not make the team, isn't because I hope that he gets cut in favor of AE, if he's a better receiver than AE then he should be on the team. It's just that I don't think that his spot is as penciled in as some people like to think.

[Carl Spackler]

I think it's nice to have a guy from your school make it in the NFL-- especially on the team you follow

You should already be glad someone from your school played for the Panthers whether he's cut or not. Many fans don't ever get to enjoy that, especially if they went to a 1-AA, D-2 or D-3 school.

[Carl Spackler]

My argument that Gettis might not make the team, isn't because I hope that he gets cut in favor of AE, if he's a better receiver than AE then he should be on the team. It's just that I don't think that his spot is as penciled in as some people like to think.

Which sucks for Gettis, because he showed promise. But that promise feels like it happened five years ago, and since then we've added Murphy. So he might get axed. Personally I would only keep five WR. On several occasions I've seen Olsen, Barnidge or Tolbert lined up in a WR spot. So I'd keep the five best, who are IMO as of now Smith, LaFell, Murphy, Pilares and Adams. Save a PS spot for another one, and use an extra spot for a CB or DL.

[Brooklyn Bully]

The true test of a homer is when they see a guy avg 1 yd more than usual on PRs or KRs and say he's vastly improved, and also say that his route running is that much more fluid (like he's Fitzgerald all the sudden). You want Armanti here? The kid will need to do what Adams did when he returns a ball, he'll need to catch every pass thrown to him and advance it up the field. THAT is improvement. "Homer Improvement", is not.

[carolina-chuck]

CUT HIM !!!!

[bigjohn]

I bet he runs more with the second team in one of the next two preseason games. Looks to me like they are giving all the receivers a shot there. No receiver should be judged on being on the field with that third unit. Clausen is terrible and that offensive line they had in there with him couldn't block me on the pass rush.

I'm a homer, and I think Armanti is probably going to get cut. He or Pilares will get another shot somewhere else should they get cut.

Agree that Armanti would be a better option at 3rd qb, just for the sake of a roster spot. We're screwed if we get to that 3rd qb anyway, and I think he'd fit in better than Clausen anyway.

[KillerKat]

Right now he's like the number 7 or 8 WR. We even have a better backup PR option in Munnerlyn, who averaged 10 yards when he did it. Adams, Gettis, and Hogan can be the backup KR. The kid has never taken snaps at QB and he is not an NFL QB so I don't see him as a 3rd QB. There just isn't room for him on this team. All he is doing right now is showcasing himself to other teams.

[Proudiddy]

The true test of a homer is when they see a guy avg 1 yd more than usual on PRs or KRs and say he's vastly improved, and also say that his route running is that much more fluid (like he's Fitzgerald all the sudden). You want Armanti here? The kid will need to do what Adams did when he returns a ball, he'll need to catch every pass thrown to him and advance it up the field. THAT is improvement. "Homer Improvement", is not.

LOL, I didn't go to App St. Nor am I an "Armanti fan." This thread was made to discuss objectively whether he had any chance of making it or not. If you search my posts on Armanti, you would see I've posted many times that he should be cut - especially after several of his "returns" last year. I still don't know why they had him out there as long as they did and he just didn't show anything.

But, maybe it's just me, he looked the part of a WR last night - just in his movements. It wasn't as nearly as painful to watch as it was the last two years, where he couldn't even find a spot in zone defense to sit in, he'd just run into people like an idiot. His route running looked natural, so did his catch, and the return I saw, he looked much more decisive.

I honestly don't see how he will make it, but I have hoped since we drafted him that he would develop - for his sake and our sake, so it certainly would be nice if we got a return on that investment.

[Ivan The Awesome]

A rookie stepped in and did better at punt returns in his first game.

This pretty much makes anything Armanti does moot at this point.