CHARLOTTE — The Panthers are about to turn the calendar and the page on a chapter of the offseason.
When it's April next week, all the focus will be on the draft and the promise of what's to come with those nine (for now) picks.
But in football, you have to look back to look forward (that's why they watch all that film. Speaking off, we have a cool new series of videos, subscribe to the YouTube Channel for the latest), and it's worth considering what the Panthers just did.
They needed to stabilize a defense. They took steps toward that by signing five guys from other teams to be starters or at least regular rotation pieces. They needed to re-establish that they wanted to be a draft-and-develop team. Extending Jaycee Horn was a big step in that direction since you've now done it two years in a row after rewarding Derrick Brown last year.
And the work they did on defense was solid. It's not the kind of stuff you have a parade for, but the idea of winning March is silly anyway. Those trophies don't age well. Now, they have a core of qualified NFL players to p defense. The run defense should improve with what Bobby Brown III and Tre'von Moehrig and Christian Rozeboom add to the mix, and the pass rush is better with what Tershawn Wharton and Patrick Jones II bring (15.5 sacks last year between them, including the playoffs).
You don't always want to be that busy in March, and they don't want to do it every year, but this year they needed to.
So with a solid base of players to build around, they'll look to draft the next wave of guys you build with.
And once it's April, that will be the sole focus around here, as it should be. But it's also worth considering the work that was done in March, which was considerable.
Onto the mail.
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Thank you for answering my previous question I sent. I showed it to my kids, and they thought I was the coolest person ever for like a whole hour! Anyway I've been hearing a lot of fans say we should draft a WR. I personally like our WR room and think the only thing it needs is a true No. 1 target that scares defenses. That being said, I also hear that this isn't the best WR draft class to find that type of player. Wouldn't it make more sense to run with what we have and see if Xavier Legette or Jalen Coker can take that step this season? If they can't take that step, maybe there will be better options next year. — Garrett, Ithaca, NY
Man, the Panthers should absolutely use a first-round pick on a wide receiver. Oh wait, they did that last year, and they still need to fix other stuff.
I'm not sure how it happened, but "No. 1 wide receiver" became a talking point this offseason. Last time I checked, Bryce Young was dealing out there last year with a couple of rookies, an old guy who still seems to have it in Adam Thielen, and a trusted veteran fourth wideout in David Moore. So would it be cool to have a Ja'Marr Chase or a Justin Jefferson? Of course. But those guys aren't available all that often, and when they are, they're very expensive. The only thing worse than not having a one is overpaying a two out of desperation. And, as we may have mentioned, the Panthers had other needs this offseason, so they couldn't focus on that one thing.
This was the year to spend the money upgrading the defense because, as you might have heard, it was historically bad last year. They gave up the most points in league history (534), averaging 31.4 points per game allowed.
The league average was 22.9 points per game. If the Panthers had allowed exactly 23 points in every game, they'd have been 4-3-1 in the final eight games. So the point isn't that they have to make this defense into the 1985 Bears (or even the 2002-03 or 2015 Panthers), they just have to get it better. And if you can do that, those strides the offense made last year should reasonably continue, with an intact offensive line, continuity of coaching, an improving quarterback, and the addition of another legit rushing option in Rico Dowdle to go with Chuba Hubbard and a tight end position centered around Ja'Tavion Sanders and Tommy Tremble. Plus, if you find a receiver who can run (to go along with Xavier Legette and his 4.39 40) in the middle rounds of this draft, that passing game can continue to evolve.
Also, we mentioned this last week, but there's very little Dave Canales enjoys more than developing young players. He has thoughts on it if you have time.
So yes, I think the appropriate play this season was to plug the holes in the bottom of the defensive boat, bail as much water as you can, and keep rowing steadily in the direction you're pointing. If you can add a sail later so you can really take off, great, but you've got to stop sinking first. And that's what this offseason has been and ought to continue to be about. This was never a one-year fix, so making big investments for long-term pieces is an unusual call. With all the deals they've struck, they're still very flexible for the future. They have 68 players under contract at the moment, but only 16 through 2027 or beyond.
The best thing is having a bunch of players who are good at football. The next best thing is having flexibility and options.
So yeah, Garrett, I'm with you. Tell the kids. And if they thought you were cool before, wait until they find out you're this week's Friend Of The Mailbag. When that T-shirt arrives, you will immediately turn into Miles Davis.
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With the draft rolling up, we have all kinds of predictions; here's my armchair GM go: With the 8th Carolina Panthers, take Tyler Warren. There is no better safety net for Bryce than an All-Pro tight end. I hear ya defense; y'all can have rest of the draft; Warren is a first-down machine (reminds me of Dave Casper). My question is, is there any chance our own All-Pro linebacker/GM would bypass our defense in the first round? — Will, Huntersville, NC
Dave Casper! Yes. See, it would have been pandering to say Wesley Walls or Greg Olsen, but Will went deep. That earns my immediate respect and affection.
And yes, Warren appears to be quite talented and a guy who will make a team happy for a long time.
As to whether he's the guy at No. 8, it's too soon to say. But I do think there's a chance the top pick (if that's where they end up picking) doesn't necessarily play defense. When Dan Morgan talks about taking the long view and picking the best player, I'm inclined to trust him. If that's the right receiver, I could see it. If it's a tight end, maybe (a running back, maybe not). A quarterback? No. Been there. But what if it's a tackle? Remember that list of 16 guys under contract through 2027 or beyond? None of them play tackle. Morgan has said they want to extend Ikem Ekwonu, and as good and steady as Taylor Moton has been, he's in the final year of his deal. So I don't think you can cross that off any more than you'd cross off cornerback just because you've signed Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson.
The needs on defense remain acute. None of those 27s-and-beyond play outside linebacker, and if there's a pass-rusher you like and you have a top-10 pick, that's a good place to find one.
The Panthers aren't at a place to strike much of anything off the list of possibilities, so you have to consider them all and listen to the board when it's talking to you.
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1. I haven't followed as closely as in recent winters, but a post-FA depth chart, and considering injury returns, as well as a wink to cream having risen to the top from last year's muddy pool of secondary candidates, it looks to me like we are projecting improved starters at every defensive position except for Horn and Jadeveon Clowney, whose spots least needed improvement before we even draft. Is that possible? Or maybe it just means we should expect deeper, fresher rotations among the front 7?
2. If you are truly an old guy and have any lull before the draft or need an excuse for a day off in the mountains, my High Country Senior Softball team may be a little short for our season opener down in Marion on April, 2, warmup 9:30ish, for two seven-inning games starting at 10ish, at the North Cove field several miles north of US 70 on US 221, on the right. Sorry, provided refreshments don't include barbecue. You are welcome! — Dean, Zionville, NC
A generous offer, Dean, and I appreciate you thinking of me, but I think I'm retired from team sports, and besides, I'm coming back from the owners meetings in Florida next week. Morning league softball rocks, though. When I was a younger Old Guy and living in Gastonia, the newspaper I worked at had a team in the industrial league. We had a couple of ringers and weren't bad, but when those cats from the Freightliner factory came in from third shift with a six-pack and a fresh carton of smokes and a grudge, they proceeded to take it out on us.
As to the depth chart on defense, well, it's deeper. That was the point of this offseason. Raising the floor was more important than thinking about the ceiling. Being not last in the league is now an attainable expectation. They now have six or seven qualified NFL defensive linemen. They added a 7.0-sack outside linebacker in Jones in addition to Wharton's pressure-creation up front. All of that should help.
And again, there are the nine picks (for now) in the upcoming draft. Even though they could go a number of ways, it's still reasonable to expect most of that work to be done on defense, to continue to add parts and raise the floor even higher.
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Hey Darin, it's been a while since my first submission, and this time, my wife is nowhere around, so I can type slowly. Anyway, there's something brewing in my gut, and it isn't the burrito from the taco truck down the street, but I have a feeling that Mr. Brandon Aiyuk will be on his way to Carolina on draft day when the 49ers send him and their first-round pick to Carolina for #8 and another pick! What say you about this possibility, and would it make sense? P.S. Always love the content and the energy you give (I could spend a whole day with ya!) — Laquon, Fayetteville, NC
See the above reply about "No. 1 receiver" for starters. Also, Aiyuk has a big option bonus ($23 million) that triggers on April 1, so that's the deadline for him to get dealt to begin with. And he's still coming off a big knee injury (ACL and MCL), so that complicates things too. Is he talented? Of course. But it's more complicated than that.
Now, is No. 8 overall available? Probably, based on the way Morgan was talking the other day.
He's a GM, so his natural inclination is to always have more stuff. And after they pick at 8, they don't again until 57, so if there was a way to find things between those points, he's all ears.
The way they moved around the board last year, going up and back, I kind of walk into April convinced that the nine selections they have right now might not be the same ones they end up using to select players in a month. We will keep track of them for you though, and have a trustworthy list on Panthers.com.
And if you ever want to come hang out, let me know. Especially if you have burritos.
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Have the Panthers ever traded down in the first round? — George, Liberty, SC
Not only have they done it, but they did it from the start of franchise history, and again later, with great effect.
The Panthers had the first overall pick in the 1995 draft, thanks to being an expansion team and winning the coin flip with the Jaguars. Then-general manager Bill Polian, like most GMs, wanted more stuff.
So he sent the top pick to Cincinnati (after some attempted Rock Hill subterfuge) for No. 5 and the Bengals' second-rounder (36th overall). That allowed him to move back and get quarterback Kerry Collins, who he probably would have taken anyway, and add more assets.
He needed the assets because he was in the mood to move that entire first draft (the work Polian did during the first two years was fast, frenetic, and successful).
After securing his quarterback, he used later picks to move back up into the first round to get premium positions covered. In a pair of trades up, he landed a cornerback (Tyrone Poole, No. 22) and left tackle (Blake Brockermeyer (No. 29), helping lay the foundation for the most successful expansion team of all time.
They've moved up more often than down in team history, but when they do trade down, they have hit it out of the park.
In 2007, they had the 14th overall pick, which the Jets really wanted so they could take Hall of Fame cornerback Darrelle Revis.
The Panthers gave them No. 14 and a sixth (191) for three picks, the Jets' first (25), second (59), and fifth (164).
They turned those three picks into linebacker Jon Beason, center Ryan Kalil, and linebacker Tim Shaw, a valuable special teamer.
Again, Revis went to the Hall of Fame, so great for the Jets. But the Panthers found the guys who would be centerpieces on either side of the ball during a great run in Beason and Kalil. It was a good trade for both teams, but again, most GMs want more stuff, and there's never been a better package deal in Panthers history.
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Thanks for keeping us so well informed through a busy free agency period. We appreciate you. Why do teams not trade back in the draft more often? Scott Fitterer did in 2021, yielding a franchise-high 11 players, tying a franchise-high set in 1995, as some young whipper snapper reported on 5/1/21. I really don't get it when teams give up their valuable picks to move up two spots for a player that no one had even considered taking until another round or two later. Are they that taken with their own egos or their insecurities or a combination of intangibles that we'll never understand? — Don, Trinity, NC
Thanks Don, we do it for the people.
I mean, sometimes you want a particular guy and are afraid somebody is going to beat you to them. The Panthers did it last year to get Legette, and they've done it before with cats like Chris Gamble, and that worked out OK.
The 2021 team needed fiber. So after flipping Teddy Bridgewater for a sixth, they made five more moves involving picks that weekend to bring in 11 new dudes, and four of them are still here and some of the rest are still in the league, so it counts as a very good draft (Horn, Tremble, Brady Christensen, and Hubbard remain).
Sometimes, you need to do it when you're resetting a roster. (They did not, however, need to draft a long snapper, but that's another story for another 'Bag.) And sometimes, if you need a particular player (say, for instance, a quarterback, a corner, or a left tackle), you go the other way. We have grown reductive as a society and made many things binary that don't need to be (I do not and will not embrace debate). There's a time and a place for both strategies; it just depends on where your team is at that particular moment. However, the most important part is not wasting those picks when you get them.
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My my my, spring has sprung, and the birds, bees, squirrels, and even the moles are raising hell, and the front office on Mint Street is doing the same. It is great to see Dan Morgan rising to the challenges that were and are before him, and now the DRAFT, OH BOY OH BOY!!! More on football later in the year. What in the Sam Hill is Shakshuka? For Pete's sake, you are dealing with a slice of fatback with a ham hock in a pot of mustard greens kind of guy here! At least you acknowledged the importance of beans and cabbage. Though they would result in a hot mess of flatulence in the O-line room or any room for that matter. The question is, been to Abdullah's with Sorensen lately? — Westray, Kershaw, SC
Just as there's a time and a place for trading up and trading down, there is a time and a place for both fatback and Shakshuka.
Especially in the summer when the vegetables are ripe, a nice Shakshuka is a true, simple pleasure.
Peppers, onions, tomatoes, and spices make the sauce; you add some eggs and enjoy with a loaf of crusty bread. It's fast, (used to be) cheap, and always satisfying.
Speaking of always satisfying, I will never tire of the tale of meeting the Madman from the Sudan (actually, his name is Larry, and he's from Toronto) on the way to Cam Newton's pro day in 2011 with my former colleague at a local newspaper Tom Sorensen.
Sadly, Abdullah the Butcher's House of Ribs and Chinese Food in Atlanta has closed (I swear it was real; look it up).
But when visiting scribes during the ACC tournament wanted a good meal, I took them to Zio on Providence, my favorite Italian spot in the city. There, after another incredible meal and great company, I took them to see the painting of Sorensen on the wall in the bar. There may or may not have been genuflection.
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At the risk of being a bit of a hypocrite, having spent the last few years telling people to move on from Cam Newton nostalgia, do you think Shaq Thompson could be a possible candidate to re-sign? He was the last member of the Super Bowl run (as far as I can remember off the top of my head), he's a true leader of the team, and he has shown that he is willing to be more of a supporter with the last two seasons being cut short by injury.
Follow-up that I thought of as I typed that: Is our LB room cursed? Yes, we have a rich history of incredibly dominant LBs (Morgan, Luuuuke, TD, Shaq), but they all also had careers marred by injuries. What's the Panthers' budget for curse-breaking? — Nate, Charlotte.
Nostalgia is fine. If you have good times in your life, there's nothing wrong with remembering them, as long as you balance it by looking forward too.
There's no such thing as a curse, and I won't be a party to introducing witchcraft into this 'Bag. Then again, the day kicker John Kasay broke his kneecap in half while warming up in Spartanburg, cornerback Eric Davis said "We've got a black cat for a mascot, and I'm starting to wonder."
You know who really gets injured? Football players. The ones who leave the game without serious injuries or multiple surgeries are the rare ones.
(Also, there remains a link to the 2015 Super Bowl team, none other than Friend Of The Mailbag JJ Jansen.)
Shaq's presence will always be felt around here. You don't need me to tell you that; just listen to Jaycee Horn. But just as Jaycee has moved over one spot into Thompson's place in the locker room (it's the designated veteran leader locker, right next to the athletic training room, for quick and convenient getaways), someone else was going to move into his spot on the field eventually. For all the good things you could say about him (and I can and will say many), he also played six games in the last two seasons.
The Panthers have Josey Jewell and Trevin Wallace and now Rozeboom at the position, and could add more help in the draft.
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Hi Darin, since we are exactly a month away from the NFL draft, are the Panthers planning on hosting a draft party at Bank of America Stadium for Day 1? — Shaked, Charlotte
There won't be a draft party during the first round this year, but we do have a lot of stuff planned. We'll have a live show the night of the draft for you to watch (details to come on Panthers.com).
We're also anticipating a welcome event on Friday, April 25, when the first-round pick arrives at the stadium. That will also be free, and we'll have more details on that in the weeks to come. But when Legette got out of a car last year, hit the Keep Pounding drum, and met his new co-workers and some local high school players, he became one of us. That was a sight to behold, and something you can be a part of this year.
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And on that note, let's go lightning round, brought to you by the patron saint of the lightning round Jeff from Fuquay-Varina, to close it out this week.
What are the Panthers going to do about WR1? There are rumors about Tyler Lockett or Brandon Aiyuk. — Weston, Forest City, NC
Again with the WR1 talk. (Also, I hate WR1 and QB1 and EDGE and three-technique and all the other silly football jargon. It's easier to just speak English if you have the ability.)
Even if that was a thing, I'm not sure Lockett is one anymore. He's a fine addition to a team, but they're going to see if they can add young before they add old, would be my guess.
Is it true that Ron Rivera is coming back as the bench coach? — Gary, Myrtle Beach, SC
No, but that would be awesome. Ron's great, and Charlotte is better for him having been here. If anyone ever tells you they don't like him, never trust that person's opinion again.
He's now the GM of the Cal football program, going back to help the alma mater. Check that, ACC Legend Ron Rivera. I hope he gets them into the ACC Championship Game, just so he can come back to Bank of America Stadium, where he is respected and loved. That will always be the case. I love reunions.
How'd you get into sports journalism? Something I'm kind of interested in. — Miles, Chicago, IL
Because I wasn't smart enough or good enough at softball to be something useful like a plumber or a third-shift mechanic at Freightliner.
You have your whole life in front of you, Miles. Don't ruin it with journalism school. (You don't want to end up like Zach, do you?) Seriously though, read a lot, write a lot, tell the truth always, learn to tell a good story, and that prepares you to do a lot of cool stuff in life, things that weren't even jobs when I got out of college. You know where to find me, we can talk about this more later.
But don't ever tell people you want to be a journalist unless you want to end up in all the wrong group texts.
