NCCommish
Footballguy
He has terrible feet. Unless he can drastically improve them he will not be a tackle in the NFL. Not for long anyway.
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****The 2019 Carolina Panthers Thread**** We Rhule At Losing (7 Viewers)
- Thread starter BassNBrew
- Start date
NCCommish
Footballguy
And why the huge confusion over who our current RT is? Remmers rated out well in pass protection needs to improve in his run blocking consistency. But he only allowed one sack. And he had a lot to do with stabilizing the O-line. I really feel like he is getting completely overlooked.
Pantherz
Footballguy
It sure looks like the Humphries pick(to Arizona) in the first round threw a monkey wrench into our draft. It shouldn't have been a suprise since there were several teams picking right before us with the same need. Oher was pretty bad the last two years at right tackle, so I can't imagine they really believe he will magically turn into a serviceable left tackle.
BassNBrew
Footballguy
With a fifth round grade at that. I don't understand how you don't take Clemmings, but then again I'm not evaluating these guys for a living. I just hope DG hasn't let his success turn him into one of those guys who thinks he's a far superior talent evaluator. We drafted a LB/S, a WR/TE, and now a OT/G.
What an awful draft. We trade up and miss every time. To think, if we had traded up well we could have ended up with Landon Collins, DGB and Clemmings. Pretty sure all of us would have thought we hit a HR and filled 3 spots. I think this is a drafts we look back on in a few years and give ourselves an F on and wonder what would have been.
BassNBrew
Footballguy
Three days ago you would have been laughed at for tossing out a scenario where we got three first round picks.
Yep, and we were one slot away from making that a reality with no problem at all. Ugh. Could have been a phenomenal draft. I don't mind Shaq and Funchess, they have potential. If they got Clemmings. Is be ok.
Englishteacher
Footballguy
coming nup on our two comp picks in the fifth here
BassNBrew
Footballguy
spider321
Footballguy
NCCommish
Footballguy
He had several games with 20 or more tackles I think he can play. Still does seem like an odd pick. I like the RB pick though.
pantherclub
Footballguy
I love this draft
spider321
Footballguy
You'd love it if they picked Hannah Montana, Mickey Mouse, and Manti Te'o's girlfriend.
simey
Footballguy
Sam Mills was told by several that he was too small to play LB too, and he was smaller than Mayo. It took some time, but Mills went on to prove them wrong. Mayo won the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He was second in the nation in tackles. In time, he may end up to be quite good for the Panthers. For now, he won't cost much, and he could provide good depth.
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stratocatter
Footballguy
He was willing to live in a shed to play ball, respect.
NCCommish
Footballguy
Unofficial rookie free agent sigings
:
SS Brian Blechen - Utah 6'2', 226, 4.77 40. Traditional in the box safety. Pretty solid tackler and decent play diagnoser.
Damiere Byrd - South Carolina 5'9" 173, 4.27 40. WR/KR. Elite speed should get a chance on punts and kicks right away and work into the receiving side down the road a bit. Awful crowded at WR all of the sudden.
Gary Peters - Clemson 6'0", 190, 4.6 40 CB. Played well for Clemson the last couple of years IIRC.
Terry Redden - Memphis 6'2", 292. 5.04 40 DT. Stats are ok but not eye popping. Of course his main thing may have been absorbing blocks to keep the linebackers clean so stats would be lower.
Arthur Miley - Southern 6'6" 263, 4.8 40 DE. Know nothing about this one and can't find much. Any Southern fans here?
Darious Cummings - Florida 6'1", 305, 5.49 40 DT. Florida gets more notice so there is stuff out there on him. He switched from Florida State to Florida. He had a decent year last year according to the stats. I'm sure we have some Gator fans around to fill us in.
Dean Marlow - James Madison 6'1", 203, 4.5 40 Safety/KR. So more special teams guys. When they say they are going to fix a problem they throw everything at it. Anyway this guy looks like he is going to make this team via special teams. He has some issues that might limit him at this level for FS and he doesn't really have the bulk to be an in the box SS.
Again unofficial via black and blue review.
:
SS Brian Blechen - Utah 6'2', 226, 4.77 40. Traditional in the box safety. Pretty solid tackler and decent play diagnoser.
Damiere Byrd - South Carolina 5'9" 173, 4.27 40. WR/KR. Elite speed should get a chance on punts and kicks right away and work into the receiving side down the road a bit. Awful crowded at WR all of the sudden.
Gary Peters - Clemson 6'0", 190, 4.6 40 CB. Played well for Clemson the last couple of years IIRC.
Terry Redden - Memphis 6'2", 292. 5.04 40 DT. Stats are ok but not eye popping. Of course his main thing may have been absorbing blocks to keep the linebackers clean so stats would be lower.
Arthur Miley - Southern 6'6" 263, 4.8 40 DE. Know nothing about this one and can't find much. Any Southern fans here?
Darious Cummings - Florida 6'1", 305, 5.49 40 DT. Florida gets more notice so there is stuff out there on him. He switched from Florida State to Florida. He had a decent year last year according to the stats. I'm sure we have some Gator fans around to fill us in.
Dean Marlow - James Madison 6'1", 203, 4.5 40 Safety/KR. So more special teams guys. When they say they are going to fix a problem they throw everything at it. Anyway this guy looks like he is going to make this team via special teams. He has some issues that might limit him at this level for FS and he doesn't really have the bulk to be an in the box SS.
Again unofficial via black and blue review.
The Commish
Footballguy
It's not IMO. We need to accept the fact that this organization isn't going to entertain guys like DGB. They just aren't. That said, I have watched Funchess since he was in high school. Being a Michigan fan, this kid has all the necessary tools to get it done at the NFL level. What you see right now in him, is what he was in high school. Michigan did very little to develop him. Any sort of progress he's made over time has been because of his own work ethic. It's really embarrassing to see how little was done with him. Then they moved him to WR and the wheels came off. They really doubled down on stupid in his development. So I am excited to see Ricky P get his hands on him. NOTHING was done with his receiving mechanics, at all, ever at Michigan. I have the confidence in Ricky to mold this guy into what he can be. He was a beast as a blocker his freshman year just for his sheer size against the defensive backs and LBs. There's really no need to go into "hips", "stride", "breaks" or whatever else the "technicians" will talk about. I'm conceding all that garbage now for the reasons state above. I still like him much better at the TE position, but he can play the WR also. It's going to be interesting to see what they do with this kid.BassNBrew said:
Let all the "lol, listen to this homer", "take off the rose colored glasses" talk begin. I have to go read about the rest of these drafted players as I've only heard mention of one other and was on a camping trip this past weekend. I have some catching up to do.
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Again, I think I would have been fine with Thompson and Funchess, even if they aren't Collins and DGB if we had traded up for Clemmings. I don't care if I we are leery of a stress fracture. In the 4th round, I want a guy who could be a potential 1st round pick and a our solution for a long term LT. I don't want a guy who could be a good guard, but certainly doesn't have the potential to be a tackle. We have a solid set of guys in the middle and it is a heck of a lot easier to pick up a good guard later in the draft (like we did with Turner last year in the 3rd). As NCC mentioned (I don't know anything about him), he has terrible feet, so drafting a guy who can play T like Byron Bell is not what we should be doing. Replacing Byron Bell is the main thing we had to do and while Oher/Martin may work out, take the potential of Clemmings of a low ceiling guy.
The Commish
Footballguy
It's absolutely true. Trust me
The unknown is if he's willing to learn, which I have no reason to doubt. He was willing to be WR1 on the team even though he had never played the position ever until last year (full time). He had some very choice words for the coaching staff when he made his announcement to go pro. I didn't really like him airing the dirty laundry but i can understand his frustration.
The Commish
Footballguy
After reading a bit, the best word to describe my opinion of this draft initially is "befuddled". I'm sure there's some logical progression here, but I'm not seeing it. The picks seem to trail off a bit after the first two. I can't throw DG out on his head yet though. Two good drafts gives him a lot of patience on my part. We also need to see what happens during the summer free agent period. I'm reserving judgement at this point.
FUBAR
Footballguy
That sure seems like the right approach here. Fans don't really have to understand the logic, if the players pan out the Panthers are one of the best teams in the nfl. They have Some holes for sure but most teams do.
omally
Footballguy
I don't question any of the picks they made. They spend a lot of time researching players that they feel would be the right fit for the team. Gettleman, who at one time was a scout, said that they only drafted five players, but quality is more important than quantity. There also hasn't been a big turnover of the roster this past year, so most are back. They have a plan, and hopefully the players they drafted will pan out. Nobody is a sure thing, even in the top 10.
solorca
Footballguy
I'm quite happy with the draft overall.
Shaq Thompson may appear to be a bit of a head scratcher in the first, but it's worth noting that once Humphries was off the board, there wasn't a tackle left that likely has the ability (at least from what I've seen) to be a LT starter. Thompson offers flexibility and will strengthen our strongest position. That's a good thing. It also gives us some room to breath if something were to happen to Davis or Klein. If you want to see how important it was to strengthen the line, look at the Panthers during the games that Thomas Davis missed last year. It was really ugly.
On that subject, David Mayo is a true MLB who can be a decent backup to Keuchly in the middle and he is an excellent tackler. That's special teams gold...and exactly what you look for in the later rounds.
Funchess is the one pick that I have some concerns about, mostly because of his hands. With Benjamin already having rough hands, I worry that combined, we're going to see a lot of drops. Proehl is the right coach to work with both guys though, and Funchess is a little faster than Benjamin (on tape/real situations). Ginn, Brown, and MAYBE Hill can help with speed, so I wasn't someone who thought we had to have a speed guy...but I would have preferred Strong over Funchess. Still, nothing to be too upset about.
As for the other two guys...
I LOVE Darryl Williams. He was a very solid RT in college and while I am a fan of Remmers, this brings some competition and likely sets us up to have a starter for many years at the position. Yeah, it sucks we didn't get an LT, but as soon as Humphries went off the board, that plan was shot anyway.
Likewise, I"m a bit fan of Artis-Payne. From everything I saw of him in college, I was a big fan. He's older than I would like (going to be 25 before the season starts), which is likely why he was even available where we drafted him anyway. He's a great compliment to Stewart and I see him as a potential replacement in a year or two.
I see a lot of complaining about trading, but I have no issues with that. We have a very young and talented team, with limited roster spots avaialble. If we drafted 9, or even 7, it's unlikely more than 4-5 would have made the team anyway. I do think we paid too much to move up for Funchess, and would have liked to have that third round pick...but all in all, I'll accept it.
One other note, I see a lot of fans who complain about how we took guys who were "valued at" certain levels. Fans, analysts, etc. have no idea where these players are valued. They are taking guesses based on their personal beliefs. Every NFL team has a staff larger than ESPN, CBS, etc. committed to scouting these players to finding the best fits for their team. The talking heads are evaluating players in general terms and have no true knowledge of what a team is looking for, needs, or covets. Just because Kiper and others have a third round grade on a guy we took in the first doesn't mean that the player is worth any less. Plus, the two picks that were panned the most, Thompson and Funchess are tweeners...guys who many don't know where they project in the NFL. Those guys are notoriously hard to grade and are often discounted as a result. It's the reason Jimmy Graham was available where he went in the draft. It's the reason people said that we "reached" for Thomas Davis many years ago.
As a final thought about draft grades, rankings, etc, I'll leave you with this...
Our 2010 draft received a draft grade of a B from Mel Kiper and glowing reviews from many others. We were declared a "Big Winner" for that year. It's the best grade Kiper has given us in the past 7-8 years. That wonderful class had Jimmy Clausen, Armanti Edwards, Brandon Lafell, David Gettis, Jordan Pugh, Tony Pike, RJ Stanford, and Robert McClain. Oh, and the guy that Kiper said was "just ok" was Greg Hardy...the only guy from that draft that was anything more than a bit player.
Our 2012 class received C's across the board, mostly dropping our rating because we took a guy named Luke Keuchly in the first at LB...a position that wasn't a need for us.
I'm ok with C grades.
Shaq Thompson may appear to be a bit of a head scratcher in the first, but it's worth noting that once Humphries was off the board, there wasn't a tackle left that likely has the ability (at least from what I've seen) to be a LT starter. Thompson offers flexibility and will strengthen our strongest position. That's a good thing. It also gives us some room to breath if something were to happen to Davis or Klein. If you want to see how important it was to strengthen the line, look at the Panthers during the games that Thomas Davis missed last year. It was really ugly.
On that subject, David Mayo is a true MLB who can be a decent backup to Keuchly in the middle and he is an excellent tackler. That's special teams gold...and exactly what you look for in the later rounds.
Funchess is the one pick that I have some concerns about, mostly because of his hands. With Benjamin already having rough hands, I worry that combined, we're going to see a lot of drops. Proehl is the right coach to work with both guys though, and Funchess is a little faster than Benjamin (on tape/real situations). Ginn, Brown, and MAYBE Hill can help with speed, so I wasn't someone who thought we had to have a speed guy...but I would have preferred Strong over Funchess. Still, nothing to be too upset about.
As for the other two guys...
I LOVE Darryl Williams. He was a very solid RT in college and while I am a fan of Remmers, this brings some competition and likely sets us up to have a starter for many years at the position. Yeah, it sucks we didn't get an LT, but as soon as Humphries went off the board, that plan was shot anyway.
Likewise, I"m a bit fan of Artis-Payne. From everything I saw of him in college, I was a big fan. He's older than I would like (going to be 25 before the season starts), which is likely why he was even available where we drafted him anyway. He's a great compliment to Stewart and I see him as a potential replacement in a year or two.
I see a lot of complaining about trading, but I have no issues with that. We have a very young and talented team, with limited roster spots avaialble. If we drafted 9, or even 7, it's unlikely more than 4-5 would have made the team anyway. I do think we paid too much to move up for Funchess, and would have liked to have that third round pick...but all in all, I'll accept it.
One other note, I see a lot of fans who complain about how we took guys who were "valued at" certain levels. Fans, analysts, etc. have no idea where these players are valued. They are taking guesses based on their personal beliefs. Every NFL team has a staff larger than ESPN, CBS, etc. committed to scouting these players to finding the best fits for their team. The talking heads are evaluating players in general terms and have no true knowledge of what a team is looking for, needs, or covets. Just because Kiper and others have a third round grade on a guy we took in the first doesn't mean that the player is worth any less. Plus, the two picks that were panned the most, Thompson and Funchess are tweeners...guys who many don't know where they project in the NFL. Those guys are notoriously hard to grade and are often discounted as a result. It's the reason Jimmy Graham was available where he went in the draft. It's the reason people said that we "reached" for Thomas Davis many years ago.
As a final thought about draft grades, rankings, etc, I'll leave you with this...
Our 2010 draft received a draft grade of a B from Mel Kiper and glowing reviews from many others. We were declared a "Big Winner" for that year. It's the best grade Kiper has given us in the past 7-8 years. That wonderful class had Jimmy Clausen, Armanti Edwards, Brandon Lafell, David Gettis, Jordan Pugh, Tony Pike, RJ Stanford, and Robert McClain. Oh, and the guy that Kiper said was "just ok" was Greg Hardy...the only guy from that draft that was anything more than a bit player.
Our 2012 class received C's across the board, mostly dropping our rating because we took a guy named Luke Keuchly in the first at LB...a position that wasn't a need for us.
Our 2013 and 2014 classes also received C's and D's. The classes that gave us Star, Short, Klein, Benjamin, Ealy, Bene, etc.I'm ok with C grades.
Jayrok
Footballguy
Good posting, solorca.. I also don't put any stock into what people like Kiper say about draft picks. At first I was scratching my head over giving up picks to trade up, but I will give Getts the benefit of the doubt and hope he knows what he's doing. We couldn't sign all those picks anyway so I don't have a problem with trading them for a quality player.
My only issue is losing the 3rd round pick to move up and get a guy that could have possibly fell to us anyway in the second. That 3rd round pick would have been nice to have.
I like the Mayo pick if he can be the special teams beast I've heard about. And I like the Artis-Payne pick. And while there were other better (maybe) players available in the 1st round, I like the versatility of Thompson. Will he play OLB or will he be the SS some of us wanted in someone like Collins (Bama)?
Good points on the 2012-2014 draft grades. Looking forward to this season!
My only issue is losing the 3rd round pick to move up and get a guy that could have possibly fell to us anyway in the second. That 3rd round pick would have been nice to have.
I like the Mayo pick if he can be the special teams beast I've heard about. And I like the Artis-Payne pick. And while there were other better (maybe) players available in the 1st round, I like the versatility of Thompson. Will he play OLB or will he be the SS some of us wanted in someone like Collins (Bama)?
Good points on the 2012-2014 draft grades. Looking forward to this season!
The Commish
Footballguy
Is this a Marty Hurney alias?!
Just kidding....he pounded on this for about two weeks leading up to the draft. All the "technicians" around here and the internet are comical at best with this nonsense of "value" for the reasons you laid out pretty clearly. Anyone up in arms over "need" or "hips" or "catch radius" or whatever other buzz words you want to throw out are comedic fodder to me.
I'll say one last thing about Funchess that I didn't mention before. That dude battled some significant injuries last year. If one is judging the pick based on his performance last year, you've created an instant straw man. I'd recommend going back and looking at the second half of his freshman year and his sophomore year to see what he's really capable of.
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solorca, I understand some points, but I don't agree with a lot of your assertions. First of all, I don't recall the draft grades you had. I remember Kuechly being very lauded as a pick and a great value so I did a quick search and found this nice summary below of the 2012 draft grades. It sure doesn't look like Cs all around.
That said, the players we (BnB and I posted our thoughts and seemed to agree) mentioned a few times (Landon Collins, DGB and Clemmings) all went soon after/or 1 before our picks, so it wasn't like we were so right about our picks that the other guys slid rounds after when we could have had them. They were obviously ranked high enough by the other teams to get picked close.
Also, I don't recall any of us who didn't like some of the picks bashing the trades. BnB and I specifically said that we couldn't use all the picks, so we should trade up. We just thought we made some questionable picks. We could be wrong and honestly, I'd like to be proven wrong. I wasn't a big Benjamin fan when drafted, but I think it was NCC that posted some thoughts/quotes about him and I warmed up on him quickly. I just don't feel the same on the top 3 guys we got. The late round guys are guys I hope pan out, but the first 3 were the ones I hoped would be guys who could fill the holes and make us a team who could compete for a SB. I just don't feel that way at all. I liked Kuechly as a pick, loved Star as a pick. NCC even got me to warm up quickly Ealy (especially with Hardy and Johnson's contract).
That said, the players we (BnB and I posted our thoughts and seemed to agree) mentioned a few times (Landon Collins, DGB and Clemmings) all went soon after/or 1 before our picks, so it wasn't like we were so right about our picks that the other guys slid rounds after when we could have had them. They were obviously ranked high enough by the other teams to get picked close.
Also, I don't recall any of us who didn't like some of the picks bashing the trades. BnB and I specifically said that we couldn't use all the picks, so we should trade up. We just thought we made some questionable picks. We could be wrong and honestly, I'd like to be proven wrong. I wasn't a big Benjamin fan when drafted, but I think it was NCC that posted some thoughts/quotes about him and I warmed up on him quickly. I just don't feel the same on the top 3 guys we got. The late round guys are guys I hope pan out, but the first 3 were the ones I hoped would be guys who could fill the holes and make us a team who could compete for a SB. I just don't feel that way at all. I liked Kuechly as a pick, loved Star as a pick. NCC even got me to warm up quickly Ealy (especially with Hardy and Johnson's contract).
PLAYER PLAUDITS
--ESPN analyst and two-time All-Pro linebacker Tedy Bruschi loved the first-round selection of linebacker Luke Kuechly: "He's smart. He's instinctive. This guy is going to be a star."
--Peter King of SI.com called guard Amini Silatolu
ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay seconded that by labeling Silatolu as the most impactful player in the Panthers' draft: "I think he is a phenomenally talented offensive guard. Should be a starter Day One."
--Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network described defensive end Frank Alexander
--Pete Priscoe, senior NFL columnist for CBSSports.com, labeled wide receiver Joe Adams
--McShay said cornerback Josh Norman
OVERALL GRADES
--Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News, while categorizing the Panthers among "this year's playoff contenders", gave their draft an A-: "Kuechly and Silatolu bring much-needed physical nastiness to each side of the ball, and Adams was a nice gift for Cam Newton
--Priscoe gave the Panthers a B : "General manager Marty Hurney had a heck of a draft. It started with linebacker Luke Kuechly in the first round and it continued all the way through it. I love Adams and Norman on the final day."
--Lombardi also gave it a B : "I think it's a really nice, complete draft."
--ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper gave the Panthers a B- while adding a bold prediction about how quickly the draft class will help: "I'll go with Carolina as the team that wins the division."
--Will Brinson, senior blogger for CBSSports.com, didn't offer letter grades but included the Panthers among five "winners" in the draft: "They took a big step addressing their rush defense by adding Luke Kuechly, they found Cam Newton a sneaky weapon in the fourth round in Joe Adams, and Amini Silatolu could end up ultimately replacing Jeff Otah
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The Commish
Footballguy
I personally believe the pick of Thompson specifically is one that takes a rather large step forward towards a SB visit. It will allow them to stay in their base defense way more than they do today. That's a significant upgrade. Look at Kleins snap numbers compared to Davis and Luke. I hadn't paid much attention until I went to see what this Thompson kid was all about.
NCCommish
Footballguy
The Panthers got 3 guys considered starters. That was the league average. And on all this Cleemings love dude is an RT if his foot heals properly. Stress fractures have ended more than one big mans career early. So drafting him was really no different than drafting Williams.
JFS171
Footballguy
Was out of town most of the weekend but followed the draft as best I could. I was a bit surprised at the first round pick, but over time grew to like it. Carolina can now play base defense while the majority of the league is forced to go to nickel, all due to the coverage ability of their LB corps. And as for thinking it was a reach, PFF and others on twitter reported Dallas was strongly considering Thompson at 27.
In the 2nd, I wasn't crazy about giving up their 3rd round pick, but when Ricky Proehl bangs the table for a WR, I'll defer to him. I didn't like the Benjamin selection at the time last year, until I heard Proehl's conviction about it. Funchess isn't slow - he's just not a track athlete. His starts from a track stance are clumsy and slow, but football isn't played from a track stance. There's plenty of evidence of him getting open at Michigan. It's pretty interesting too to go read the blurbs from last fall and into the season about how high Funchess was going to go. Carolina had him rated as a 1st, and they didn't give up anything next year to go get him. Hurney would've sent the 2016 1st plus our 3rd to go get him, then would've torched our 2nd on a backup QB.
Looking at the draft as a whole, I think Carolina got 2 impact starters right away. They added depth and competition with the 4th round OT (who they picked OVER Clemmings for his fanboys in this thread -- isn't it possible the draftniks just overrated Clemmings?). Artis-Payne likely fell due to his age, but they like the zone read experience coming from Malzahn's offense, and I think he could see time this year spelling Stew and is big enough to step in if Stew goes down.
All in all, I was happy to see GMan be aggressive and recognize that 9 rookies weren't making this team. Best to go get the ones that can not only make the team, but can also make impacts instead of just serving as depth. At this point, hasn't GMan and the front office earned a pass? When they completely whiff on a draft or consistently overdraft poor prospects or continually trade away future picks for now (all things Hurney was guilty of), then we can start to question. At this point, I don't have to understand exactly what they're doing... they've earned the benefit of the doubt and then some.
In the 2nd, I wasn't crazy about giving up their 3rd round pick, but when Ricky Proehl bangs the table for a WR, I'll defer to him. I didn't like the Benjamin selection at the time last year, until I heard Proehl's conviction about it. Funchess isn't slow - he's just not a track athlete. His starts from a track stance are clumsy and slow, but football isn't played from a track stance. There's plenty of evidence of him getting open at Michigan. It's pretty interesting too to go read the blurbs from last fall and into the season about how high Funchess was going to go. Carolina had him rated as a 1st, and they didn't give up anything next year to go get him. Hurney would've sent the 2016 1st plus our 3rd to go get him, then would've torched our 2nd on a backup QB.
Looking at the draft as a whole, I think Carolina got 2 impact starters right away. They added depth and competition with the 4th round OT (who they picked OVER Clemmings for his fanboys in this thread -- isn't it possible the draftniks just overrated Clemmings?). Artis-Payne likely fell due to his age, but they like the zone read experience coming from Malzahn's offense, and I think he could see time this year spelling Stew and is big enough to step in if Stew goes down.
All in all, I was happy to see GMan be aggressive and recognize that 9 rookies weren't making this team. Best to go get the ones that can not only make the team, but can also make impacts instead of just serving as depth. At this point, hasn't GMan and the front office earned a pass? When they completely whiff on a draft or consistently overdraft poor prospects or continually trade away future picks for now (all things Hurney was guilty of), then we can start to question. At this point, I don't have to understand exactly what they're doing... they've earned the benefit of the doubt and then some.
The Commish
Footballguy
Wile (K) signs an UDFA contract.....has a really strong leg, just not all that accurate from distance. Another product of no coaching while in college.
JFS171
Footballguy
On the La'El Collins front... I know Jonathan Jones posted an article about how it was too similar to Rae Carruth and Carolina likely wouldn't have much interest. Not sure I buy that if Collins is completely exhonorated.
I get why no one drafted him... that's not worth the risk of the PR hit if he was involved in anyway - not in today's NFL. But if the man is innocent, I think Carolina would have a good shot at him. He's friends with Trai Turner and keeps in touch. The Carolina coaches showed heavy interested in him at the Senior Bowl and worked with him as much as anyone. The team was reportedly keeping close tabs on him the entire draft process. Add in the fact that if I'm Collins and I want to 1) play for a winner, and 2) play ASAP... how does it get any better than Carolina where the OT need is apparent, it's a playoff team, and you've got Super Man behind you to cover up any mistakes you make with his legs.
I think if he's cleared completely (which say what you will about that), that he makes a whole, whole lot of sense in Carolina.
I get why no one drafted him... that's not worth the risk of the PR hit if he was involved in anyway - not in today's NFL. But if the man is innocent, I think Carolina would have a good shot at him. He's friends with Trai Turner and keeps in touch. The Carolina coaches showed heavy interested in him at the Senior Bowl and worked with him as much as anyone. The team was reportedly keeping close tabs on him the entire draft process. Add in the fact that if I'm Collins and I want to 1) play for a winner, and 2) play ASAP... how does it get any better than Carolina where the OT need is apparent, it's a playoff team, and you've got Super Man behind you to cover up any mistakes you make with his legs.
I think if he's cleared completely (which say what you will about that), that he makes a whole, whole lot of sense in Carolina.
NCCommish
Footballguy
Collins was regarded as a high character guy. Never even a hint of trouble. I think it is really unlikely he was involved. Still couldn't draft the uncertainty. I hope they go for it when he is cleared. We had no shot in the draft in the end this may work out for us at least.
Jayrok
Footballguy
same here. I think Peters makes this team and was a little surprised he wasn't drafted.
stratocatter
Footballguy
I like the idea of less defensive subbing, it is a good counter to the hurry up as well as a coverage upgrade in general. But I don't feel so great about Thompson's run defense. So how is that deal gonna work?
I complained, yes, about the third. I am frustrated at the lack of a successful strategy to acquire a LOT. Nothing against Funchess per se, but his hands... I wanted a guy who catches everything to counter the drops we already have rather than add to the total. I do have a lot of respect for Proehl though. maybe it will be good.
I will have to look for what Funchess said about his coaching in college.
I complained, yes, about the third. I am frustrated at the lack of a successful strategy to acquire a LOT. Nothing against Funchess per se, but his hands... I wanted a guy who catches everything to counter the drops we already have rather than add to the total. I do have a lot of respect for Proehl though. maybe it will be good.
I will have to look for what Funchess said about his coaching in college.
NCCommish
Footballguy
The only way they were going to get an LT was to trade up in the first. There were only a couple in this draft. People don't seem to understand that there are very few LTs in this draft. The best o-libeman in the draft is probably going to play guard. I don't know who we were supposed to be targetting.
stratocatter
Footballguy
I understand the number of guys who were said to be qualified fwiw. I know, for another year, we weren't in great shape to get one. I got frustrated with the reality playing out.
But also, what I am getting out of this is that Gettleman is sold on Oher just like he was sold on Chandler/Bell last year. I do have small hope that he is possibly the blind squirrel finding a nut this time, I think it's a little better bet, but if he is wrong it will suck. And Gettleman's (admittedly short) track record on judging OL talent isn't confidence inspiring.
My point on the trade/giving up the 3rd is, we were willing to move up significantly to get another WR. The difference in moving up from 25 to say, 19 or 20, is roughly equivalent to going from 57 to 41 according to the value charts I have seen. I don't know that they tried to move for OT but have not heard any talk that they considered it. I would like for them to have at least made the attempt, show me it is important to them. More important than throwing projects and retreads at the problem. I can accept it not working out, if I know they are trying. What I saw, was them trying harder for a WR than for a LOT.
Funchess may turn out to be great, Shaq may be as well. I guess it boils down to I would rather have a great OL than two great WRs or three great LBs, even though really I would like all three.
But also, what I am getting out of this is that Gettleman is sold on Oher just like he was sold on Chandler/Bell last year. I do have small hope that he is possibly the blind squirrel finding a nut this time, I think it's a little better bet, but if he is wrong it will suck. And Gettleman's (admittedly short) track record on judging OL talent isn't confidence inspiring.
My point on the trade/giving up the 3rd is, we were willing to move up significantly to get another WR. The difference in moving up from 25 to say, 19 or 20, is roughly equivalent to going from 57 to 41 according to the value charts I have seen. I don't know that they tried to move for OT but have not heard any talk that they considered it. I would like for them to have at least made the attempt, show me it is important to them. More important than throwing projects and retreads at the problem. I can accept it not working out, if I know they are trying. What I saw, was them trying harder for a WR than for a LOT.
Funchess may turn out to be great, Shaq may be as well. I guess it boils down to I would rather have a great OL than two great WRs or three great LBs, even though really I would like all three.
NCCommish
Footballguy
They feel they got enough in Oher and Martin. Both of whom are upgeades over Bell.
If you didn't like what they had to give up to move up in the second it seems unlikely you'd be happy with what it took to move up in the first. Keep in mind we would have had to get ahead of NO to pick the last left tackle. What do you think the number 15 pick would have cost?
The Commish
Footballguy
I'm not sure "sold" is the right word to describe DG's position. I think he probably feels he's "good enough" like Bell was last year. This will probably be his position until he can get a quality tackle in the draft without having to sell the farm to get it. Barring significant injuries, I don't really see the Panthers being near the top of the draft board for a while. I think that's a good thing, but that also means we (fans) need to be more patient because "immediate impact starting left tackles" aren't typically found outside the top 15-20, so if they draft one in the first round, he's going to have some questions and be a slight project.
I think I'm getting a little more zen in my older years
I think I'm getting a little more zen in my older years The value just screamed bad for OT this year. With Lael dropping everyone jumped a spot. Scherff was a reach. Flowers was a reach. Peat was a reach. Ogbuehi won't play this year and went 21st.
I actually could see all OTs being misses relative to where they went. Expecially Scherff and Flowers.
Humphries was the one guy that made sense but seeing his post draft comments I'm glad we missed on him.
I actually could see all OTs being misses relative to where they went. Expecially Scherff and Flowers.
Humphries was the one guy that made sense but seeing his post draft comments I'm glad we missed on him.
The Commish
Footballguy
I think there may have been a little panic in the war room coming up to get Funchess. It's reported that the Rams had 5 other teams on the phone and a bidding war ensued. Not saying all those teams wanted Funchess, but there were many teams wanting that spot for one player or another. The Panthers probably got caught up in it just a little bit.
