Panthers Sign Avant to 1 Year Deal

[Ken]

We've got a lot of reverse homers on the board wight now.

 

We didn't sign him: "What?  We needed him! We'll suck without him!  Fug Gettleman!"

 

We signed him:  "What?  He's a scrub!  We had better players last year!  Fug Gettleman!"

 

 

Saw this somewhere(maybe here) and I think it's true. Some people complain just to feel better. If they don't complain they feel odd. I think there are quite a few here like that.  ^_^

[TheRed]

I'm sorry but I'm glad(well not sad/disappointed is better phrasing) that LaFell's gone. While I won't trash him because he had some good moments/big catches while he was here, I feel a lot better knowing the team has gotten proven vets who rarely drops passes in critical situations over LaFell.

Oh I know. Trust me. I made excuses for him for a long time, until the 2013 season that is.

Still, his story in New England has yet to be written. We will see.

[heel31ok]

Solid veteran possession receiver. He may not be better than LaFell at this point but he is a better fit for Cam and the Panthers than LaFell was.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using CarolinaHuddle mobile app

solid, but not better than LaFell?  How is he a better fit?

[SpeedOFLight]

I think people are getting caught up in the terms "#1, 3, or 4". At this point, we need reliable people and these signings have been solid. I actually think this wr by committee is better than what we had last year but we will see. I really don't like some things that our GM has done but I see he is setting us up for continued success in the future. Hold your horses! There is still the rest of the offseason and draft.

[panthers55]

I love the panthers just as much as you do buddy, but you have your Homer glasses on tight. You find me one non panther fan that will tell you this bunch is better than last years. It's not. He still has the draft to improve that but don't forget he didn't take a WR last year with that bunch. So if this one is so much better, why bother drafting a WR? Went 12-4 with those guys.

I am looking at the numbers and this is what I see:

 

Underwood had 24 catches for 440 yards and 4 Tds in 12 games.  You extrapolate that and you get 32 catches for 600 yards and 5 TDs for 16 games.  That compares to Ginn who had 36 catches for 556 and 5 TDs.  

Now how much better will Underwood be when he actually has a quarterback who can throw it deep and a running game to keep the safeties shallow?

 

You look at Cotchery who had 46 catches for 602 yards and 10 TDs and compare that to LaFell who had 49 catches 627 yards and 5 TDs.   Again I think Cotchery will play better than that with Cam.

 

Avant had 38 catches for 447 yards and 2 TDs.  Smith had 63 catches for 745 and 4 TDs.   

 

So if you compare these two groups there is a difference of very little. If you add in King and McNutt and at least 1 or 2 guys we bring in the draft ( I hope it is a stud WR and a great TE), we have little production to make up so the idea that this group could be as good as last year's or even better isn't far fetched at all.  Certainly not a s ridiculous as you seem to want it to appear.

[AceBoogie]

Can you just like remind us how much you want a receiver and how much you hate Gettleman on like a monthly basis? It's getting tiring to read the same post every day in every thread.

Steve Smith isn't playing like a HoFer anymore, get over it. He's old, he had little competition over the ball last year, made costly drops and had the production of ur average third stringer. LaFell is plain awful, how you can't see that is baffling. Ginn was considered across the league a complete bust until our sexy quarterback was able to milk some level of production out of him.

I don't hate Gettleman, I don't know the man. I don't agree with some of his decisions, but I don't hate him. Do I want a WR? Yep and that isn't all Gettleman's fault, but he's in the process of joining those who failed to build around Cam unless he can nail the draft.

Andrew Luck- Reggie Wayne, TY Hilton, Hakeem Nicks, Coby Fleener

RG3- Pierre Garcon, Desean Jackson, a 1k yard rusher in Alfred Morris

Andy Dalton-Aj Green, Marvin Jones, Gresham, Eifert, Giovani Bernard

Russell Wilson- you can say his WR corps is as bad as ours but If Percy Harvin is healthy he's a major threat and he also has a legitimate 1K yard rusher.

[rayzor]

I like this signing. Not overly thrilled, But I like it.

Now if rayzor is on board. That would help me feel better about it.

i am. he's a guy i wanted all along. in fact i wanted to draft him when he came out. not flashy, but as solid and reliable player as you will find. he catches anything coming to him and knows his role. he's the meat and potatoes type player that gets the ball moving forward and gives the QB someone he can count on.

 

having said all that, i still think we need to draft a WR early and double dip there. cam needs more weapons. he needs some lethal options and as good as i think avant is, he isn't lethal.

[AceMan]

Philly fans LOVED Avant and for good reason! Good signing!!

 

I feel like we will be fine with using only one high draft pick on WR now

[AceBoogie]

I am looking at the numbers and this is what I see:

Underwood had 24 catches for 440 yards and 4 Tds in 12 games. You extrapolate that and you get 32 catches for 600 yards and 5 TDs for 16 games. That compares to Ginn who had 36 catches for 556 and 5 TDs.

Now how much better will Underwood be when he actually has a quarterback who can throw it deep and a running game to keep the safeties shallow?

You look at Cotchery who had 46 catches for 602 yards and 10 TDs and compare that to LaFell who had 49 catches 627 yards and 5 TDs. Again I think Cotchery will play better than that with Cam.

Avant had 38 catches for 447 yards and 2 TDs. Smith had 63 catches for 745 and 4 TDs.

So if you compare these two groups there is a difference of very little. If you add in King and McNutt and at least 1 or 2 guys we bring in the draft ( I hope it is a stud WR and a great TE), we have little production to make up so the idea that this group could be as good as last year's or even better isn't far fetched at all. Certainly not a s ridiculous as you seem to want it to appear.

We aren't talking extrapolation, we are talking about actualities.

[Ken]

Oh I know. Trust me. I made excuses for him for a long time, until the 2013 season that is.

Still, his story in New England has yet to be written. We will see.

 

I see a lot of this in LaFell's future...  :lol:

 

[AceBoogie]

i am. he's a guy i wanted all along. in fact i wanted to draft him when he came out. not flashy, but as solid and reliable player as you will find. he catches anything coming to him and knows his role. he's the meat and potatoes type player that gets the ball moving forward and gives the QB someone he can count on.

having said all that, i still think we need to draft a WR early and double dip there. cam needs more weapons. he needs some lethal options and as good as i think avant is, he isn't lethal.

See that's an opinion I can respect, what I don't like is when people thinks this takes WR off the need list. I had that fear last year after we signed Hixon and Ginn, and sure enough we didn't draft a WR.

[FearTheCats]

solid, but not better than LaFell?  How is he a better fit?

 

Our offense's main goal is to milk the clock and keep them defense rested. In order to sustain drives we need sure handed receivers. Avant is just that, LaFell isn't. 

[AceBoogie]

Our offense's main goal is to milk the clock and keep them defense rested. In order to sustain drives we need sure handed receivers. Avant is just that, LaFell isn't.

Then what's the point of having a #1 Draft pick who's a once in a lifetime talent at QB if you just want him to play keep away. Cam needs to be the reason we win games, not the reason we don't lose them. Maximize his talent or you might as well be the guy in the Lamborghini that never goes over 35 MPH

[Happy Panther]

 

Can we sign these guys in something other than a broom closet?