6. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have the talent. For whatever reason, they can
Posted: Wed Jun 4, 2008 3:13 pm
by fatlever
speaking of adding WR depth... there was an article today in the observer talking about torry holt wanting to end his career in charlotte, hopefully with his brother still here.
of course, i think that would be two years from now.
back to the playoffs discussion... like you said, its all about injuries with the panthers. that seems to always be the case. the team doesnt have enough depth or young talent to overcome injuries at key positions, so if jake or smitty (god forbid) go down, the season is over.
Posted: Sun Jun 8, 2008 12:04 pm
by ohara
I actually feel pretty good about this upcoming season. Here are my thoughts.
We have the 9th easiest schedule this yr.
All signs are that Jake's arm is stronger. As long as he's healthy, I feel good with the QB spot. Also, I think Moore showed us something last yr as a Rookie being thrown into the fire. If he has to play, he will have the confidence.
We did upgrade at the WR with DJ and Moose coming over, and from what I have read, Jarrett looks to be much improved. I love the TE from the Draft-great pick.
Otah at RT will be great I believe. He will allow for a great running game with Stewart and Williams. Stewart was my hope for the Draft, and I am high on his potential.
My only concern is the D-Line. We nailed the S we needed in the Draft. That kid is gonna be really good! I know that the FA signing of Brayton on the DE position is suppose to help, and we have a couple young guys who may step up. But we have to get more pressure from our front line. If we cannot pressure the opposing QB, our Defense will be our Achilles Heel and cost us dearly.
*One interesting note. With our depth at LB, it would not surprise me to see the Defense play a lot of 3-4. They will not officially change from a 4-3 to a 3-4, but I think it may be a hybrid. Maybe 60%-40% of 4-3 and 3-4. Just a hunch, but we have solid depth at LB and may try to throw the opposition off by switching it up several times during the game.
I have confidence the team. I would hate to see things go south, as Fox and Hurney would surely be gone by the season's end. They threw it all into this year's Draft. If they are gone, they wont have to deal with the fact that we dont have a 1st next year. I know a lot of people wanted Fox fired this yr and go after Cower, but I dont think Cower was ready. He wants this yr off. And there is not guarantee that he even plans to Coach again-period.
Assuming we stay healthy, I think best case is 12 - 4 and we win our Division. Worst case is 9 - 7, we miss the Playoffs, and will be looking for a new Coach and new GM.