CHARLOTTE — It's just as well that it's been cloudy and damp and a little dreary around here most of the week. Because it's not like the Panthers front office is out enjoying the spring weather anyway.
We are officially in windowless room season, in which Dan Morgan and Brandt Tilis and the rest of them hole up in the draft room and pore over all the numbers, all the film, all the stuff that goes into their (voluminous) draft preparation.
Any tan Morgan might have is just a leftover from earlier this week at the league meetings in Florida, but that's fine with him. He'd much rather be in front of all those screens and all that information and all that ball than be hanging around the pool at some palatial resort anyway.
Honestly, they could probably draft now; the entire league probably could. But there are just under three weeks to prepare, to study, and to plan out every scenario in hopes of getting it as right as possible.
Speaking of going through every possible scenario, there's this pile of mail. So, let's get to it.
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I just did a crazy draft. I picked WR, WR, LB, QB, trade, get 125 158, Edge, DT, S, CB, K, TE. Do you think this would be a good future? — Chris, Inman, SC
As I thought this week while wondering how Cory Booker was able to stand on his feet and talk for 25 hours without a bathroom break, Depends.
Do these people have names? Are they even people? Or have we finally turned this sport into a bunch of Cleatus the Fox Robots, faceless automatons who exist for our sporting entertainment and perform according to code?
I get it, the mock draft generators are a fun diversion in April. (When they start being a fun diversion in January, February, and March, or become more than a fun diversion, you might walk into a room one day to find a chair and all your friends standing around nervously. Nobody thinks they need an intervention until they arrive at theirs.)
But it's important to remember there are human beings attached to these names, and those human factors are a key part of what teams are going over right now when they consider job applicants. Meetings and interviews the next few weeks give them an idea of the person. Is he a good citizen? A leader? Does he respect women? Can he be part of a team? Does he accept teaching? Is he intrinsically motivated? That stuff matters a lot, more than just filling positional quotas.
To Chris's original point, which he tried to get to succinctly before I steered him into a philosophical ditch, he accurately identified many of the things the Panthers would like to leave the draft weekend with.
Do they need a pass-rusher? Of course they do. (I hate hate hate, double hate, loathe entirely the new draft jargon EDGE, especially when it comes in all caps. A) Excessive capitalization is unnecessary and bad. B) Also, it's OK to call things what they are, I promise. We'll all nod and acknowledge that you know football because you say the football words.)
Do they need a receiver or two, another defensive lineman, a safety, a corner, and a tight end? Sure. Would a kicker in the draft surprise me? Not necessarily. And would they trade down in certain spots to acquire more stuff? Probably. In a vacuum, all of that makes sense. But in a vacuum, there's also a lot of dog hair and food crumbs.
That said, starting the draft with two WRs is nuts, man. Unless they're Jerry Rice and Randy Moss or something.
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Are we giving away the game again? Last year it was Xavier Legette letting the cat out of the bag pre-draft, and now this sudden Dave Canales/Jalon Walker lovefest. What's going on over there? — Will, Rock Hill, SC
Will is likely referring to Canales doing an interview with Kay Adams this week from the league meetings, in which she lobbed out the Georgia linebacker's name, and Canales was complimentary.
Adams is an excellent interviewer, by the way, because she has the gift of making people comfortable and turning what could be an awkward setting (You there, sit in this chair while I interrogate you with very bright lights shining in your face on an already hot and humid day) into a conversation.
But one of the things I suspect is that if she had asked Canales about Mykel Williams or Tyler Warren or Tet McMillan or Mason Graham or Abdul Cater or Travis Hunter, Canales would have been equally complimentary.
From watching Dave work for a little over a year (by the way, it was adorable the way Pete Carroll called him David this week), I've gathered that he's a person who is motivated by the possible.
He sees players for what they're capable of doing in the future rather than what they are doing right now. He thinks in terms of development and what they can become down the road (which is part of the reason he's convinced Legette can become "that guy," having already identified landmarks a year and two years down the road he thinks last year's first rounder will reach).
Now, do they like Walker? They like a lot of people. And a lot of other teams like Walker, too, perhaps including one of the seven teams choosing in front of the Panthers. So it's possible their feelings for him are a moot point. But interpreting Dave Canales' buoyant positivity as an indication of draft preference might not be the most accurate targeting. He's buoyantly positive about practically everything.
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I loved your thoughts about the expense of a No. 1 veteran WR and the tendency some teams have to overpay a two out of desperation to try to be a one. I'm not sure whether Legette is a one or a two when he reaches his peak, but as a testament to my Old Guy-ness, I recall back when Jerry Jones was popular with those outside the people looking back at him in his bathroom mirror. His Cowboys had some guy named Michael who ended up in the HOF and another guy, nicknamed Hollywood (like many others), who had a phenomenal year because teams double-teamed Michael. Jerry elected not to re-sign him because he wanted too much money, so he signed to be the No. 1 with Tampa Bay. He never lived up to expectations and was out of the league in a few years. I confess to loving Brandon Aiyuk, but not at the price the trade would have cost. I'm also enamored with Tet McMillan, although I admit he's been called a young Mike Evans, who I've watched eat our lunch more times than a schoolyard bully for over a decade.
My question is whether we are wiser to look for someone speedy to develop or keep the faith with the folks we have with a likely supplement of cheaper aging veterans until we can land someone early in a future draft? I like the idea that we are going to substance over show with this rebuild, and I love your insights. — Tom, Garner, NC
Raise your hand if you had an Alvin Harper reference in this week's 'Bag. Fine, Tom, put your hand down now, you look silly.
There have been a lot of receivers over the years, a lot of players in general, who benefitted from a situation that can't be replicated in another place.
More than any other sport, professional football is about the fit rather than the individual gifts. Tee Higgins was the object of local fascination earlier this spring, and he's amazing when paired with Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase. Would he have been as effective on another team, with another quarterback, and with other receivers who aren't necessarily among the three or four best in the game right now? Hard to say.
McMillan's really good, and probably ought to be in the conversation at No. 8. While I'm not sure about using the first two picks on wideouts like Chris up there (sky point emoji thumb down emoji), it's reasonable to expect that they'll address the position. Finding a fast one would be nice, but it's worth remembering that Legette ran a 4.39, so it's not like they're without speed. Can you find one of those in the second, third, or fourth round? Probably. Another young one to grow alongside Legette and Jalen Coker (and Bryce Young) makes sense while they get another year of wisdom out of Adam Thielen.
There's nothing wrong with imagining a young Mike Evans type, but the need for help on that defense is probably more acute. This was not a one-year project, which means you don't get to do everything in one offseason (or even two). But you also need to make sure you don't set a league record for points allowed again, either.
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Hi, Darin. Jalen Coker is such an intriguing player. I know you're not one for hypotheticals, but if you could do a Hindsight 2024 Draft and reset the field based on last season's rookies, where would Coker fall? Certainly not as an undrafted free agent, I would assume, especially after finishing second among all rookie receivers in yards per catch.
I checked, and he was the 19th-ranked receiver at the combine with a very pedestrian grade of 5.88. He seems to have a healthy supply of those qualities that don't necessarily show up in 40-yard times and standing broad jumps. He's a guy who's easy to root for, sort of like his fellow undrafted running mate, old No. 19. Your work is greatly appreciated, Darin. Take care. — John, Savannah, GA
Given a do-over, he'd have certainly been drafted, likely in the middle rounds, given the way he produced when he had chances last year. And I think that with 11 seasons and 8,311 yards of evidence, someone would have likely chosen Adam Thielen at some point as well in the do-over world.
Part of the reason Coker wasn't selected last year is that he was dealing with a hamstring injury before the draft, which caused him to run a pedestrian 4.57 40 at the combine. He said that when healthy, he was running some sub-4.5 times, which would have likely resulted in him being chosen.
That illustrates one of the dangers of relying on any one factor too heavily.
All of the things are important, the testing, the medical, the interviews, the background checks. But also the film, which is often the most trustworthy indicator. There have been plenty of players who produced in college but didn't in the pros for various reasons, but generally, producers produce. Coker did in college at Holy Cross, but he looks like a player who, ... wait for it, ... develops as he goes.
Smart evaluators gather all the information and consider it a collective whole. And sometimes, guys still slip through the cracks.
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Hello Darin. I hope all is well. My apologies if this has already been covered, but if Sam Martin's production is basically the same as Johnny Hekker's and they both are the same age - why the change? Thanks for all the great work. I appreciate the great writing and all of the insight. — Keith, Newton, NC
Thanks, Keith. Catawba County, represent. When I was a kid, way before the internet or computers in houses, my parents had to drive me 10 miles one way to the library in Newton to find stuff out. And when you ask as many annoying questions as I do, that's a lot of trips to the library. My parents were amazing (as evidenced by the fact Mom is reading this Mailbag. Hi Mom.)
Allow me to begin this punter discussion by proclaiming my abiding professional respect and deep personal fondness for one John Robert Hekker. He was a real one in every sense of the word. The All-Decade punter of the 2010s, he was great at his day job, and presented the opportunity for great mayhem on special teams with his ability to pass and the occasional headbutt. He also had a subversive sense of humor, which I appreciate dearly. Plus, he was a true human being who cared about others, and there's not enough of that in the world. I could talk all day about Hekker, and that's without JJ Jansen's help.
But part of me fears that Hekker was a victim of his circumstance the last couple of years, which contributed to a trend line that was hard to miss. This was not the easiest place to punt. He had 236 attempts in the last three seasons, compared to 150 for Martin in Buffalo while playing with a consistently high-functioning offense. So Hekker's gross punting average falling from 48.5 in 2022 to 45.7 last year could have been a matter of fatigue (it also includes a couple of blocked punts, which weren't necessarily his fault). But it wasn't just distance, his percentage of punts inside the 20 had dropped as well (48.1 to 32.9). Again, a lot of that is conditional. When the team you punt for doesn't cross the 40 as often (as was the case at times here over three seasons), it's harder to nail punts at the 5.
I anticipate that he will have a good season now that he's back with his old Rams special teams coach, John "Bones" Fassel, in Tennessee. He is a true professional and, again, a person I'm really grateful I got to know.
But football moves on, and decisions get made. When you take a cold look at the numbers (and that's hard when there's a truly warm human being attached to them), there's a justification for it. Martin's held up a little better than Hekker over the last couple of years, with steadier performance at a time when Hekker's had declined a little. There's also the fact that Hekker was a free agent with a choice in his destination, and Fassel is someone he has a long relationship with. All of that matters and factors into it.
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What do you expect Brady Christensen's role to be this year? Does he remain a rotational player or have a chance to work into the starting lineup? I feel like he was the most underrated signing/resigning this off-season. His value as a do-it-all player where he's solid at every position has tremendous value that I think a lot of the fanbase overlooks since he's not technically a "starter." — Derek, Winston-Salem, NC
Yeah, being able to keep a nine-deep line together is rare and the kind of thing no one should take for granted. It just doesn't happen often, especially when you consider this team's history.
I imagine his role will be like his role last December. He's effectively a sixth man who can plug in at any position. Other than center Austin Corbett, they were also largely fortunate last year in terms of injuries, and you can't always count on that.
Having a guy on the roster who has capably started at tackle, guard, and center is a luxury, and knowing Christensen is there helps with a lot of things. Along with Chandler Zavala, Cade Mays, and Yosh Nijman, they have multiple options in case things go wrong and a baseline for evaluating draft picks as they think about keeping that line strong for the future.
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Hey Darin! It's been a minute since I last chimed into the Mailbag. I have been super busy with junior year and just learning the ups and downs of life in general. It definitely has been a year full of many life lessons and navigating rejection, life/school balance, and learning that sometimes there are things you can't control, unfortunately, all at once.
Anyway, my question this week is about Cam Newton: Could he come back to the Panthers in some sort of role, whether it be sort of what Kemba Walker currently does with the Hornets, a media role, or even some competition with Dalton in training camp for the backup spot? Or is all this new coverage just smoke? Would love to see a third and somewhat permanent or stable reunion between him and the franchise. — Zach, Charlotte
One of the benefits of being old is seeing what the passage of time is able to accomplish — for cities, for ball teams, and for people.
We mentioned this back in December when this came up, there have been a lot of former players go through stuff with lots of organizations, and that will be true as long as human beings are playing this game and not robots. Nothing has to be forever, though. Time and water built the Grand Canyon.
But whether it's Julius Peppers or Steve Smith or Thomas Davis (all of whom went away but then came back), coming home is a natural part of the cycle, an individual scene in the arcs of their life stories. Just as the door was always open for them, it's always open for Cam.
What I know for sure is that the history of the Panthers can't be told without Cam Newton, and the history of Cam Newton can't be told without the Panthers. The season he had 10 years ago, when he was part of a 15-1 team and led an offense lacking star power to a Super Bowl, was one of the best individual seasons in football history. That's why he won the MVP and why he deserves (in my opinion as one of the people who votes) serious consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Cam Newton walked so Lamar Jackson could run. He changed the game, literally and figuratively. That deserves to be celebrated, and so does the entire 2015 team.
Also, it sounds like Young Zach has learned some things in the past year. He's as resilient as he is curious, so I'm sure he handled all that well, and because he has self-awareness, he also knows that this is the part of the 'Bag where I say GET BACK TO CLASS, ZACH.
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As a day-one die-hard Panthers fan, it's a rare treat when I actually get to see the team on TV. These days, it feels like I'm lucky if I catch them twice a year — usually when they're up against the Falcons. Last season, I did get a surprise bonus when they played in Germany, which was awesome to see, even if it meant watching the game early in the morning. It's been a rough stretch lately, but I'm holding out hope. How many years do you think it'll be before the Panthers start getting some love again with more nationally televised games? — Jensen, Chattanooga, TN
We'll find out in May when the schedule comes out, but I'd be surprised if they're not more visible this year.
It's not that the networks will be lining up for a shot at a 5-12 team from a mid-size market, but it makes sense they'd get some more run for one important reason — they were kind of entertaining coming down the stretch.
If you think back to the overtime win to close the season in Atlanta, with a couple of young quarterbacks (even if Atlanta's rookie was the older one) trading shots, that was a cool game to watch. Networks like showing people cool games instead of boring ones. So, the Panthers ought to reasonably expect to get more run, maybe with Bryce and Michael Penix under the lights.
But while I can't promise you televised games, I can make you this week's Friend Of The Mailbag and get the appropriate honorarium on the choo-choo headed your way. Which will make you prime time, no matter what time of day it is.
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When's the Panthers show coming back on TV? — Bobbie, Garner, NC
Soon, sort of.
The Panthers Huddle is weekly through training camp and the regular season, but we do have a number of specials coming up throughout the offseason.
A draft episode will arrive the first weekend in May, along with another version in mid-May as the team gets into OTAs. There's also a minicamp special in mid-June, and a training camp special in early August before the weekly rotation kicks in.
We'll also have a live draft show on our YouTube channel and on Panthers.com going into the first night of the draft, so stay tuned for lots of televised content.
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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 do you think the Carolina Panthers record will be this upcoming season? — Devon, West Des Moines, IA
Better.
I was just reading some of your Mailbag and was surprised at one answer you gave. Unless I misread it, someone asked if we had ever traded back up into the first round. My surprise was when you didn't respond regarding last year when we traded up to No. 32 in order to get Legette with that coveted fifth-year option. I realize we only had to trade one slot, but that one slot could be very valuable if LeGette pans out the way we are hoping! — Carol, Charlotte
There were a couple of questions about trading back, meaning going down in the order, as they did in 1995 when they went from No. 1 to 5 took Kerry Collins and in 2007 when they traded the 14th pick for Jon Beason and Ryan Kalil. But there was also this about trading up.
"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."
And you're right; if Legette turns into "that guy" the way Canales thinks he will, that will be worth it.
Have the Panthers lost all decency? I just heard on Channel 9 that the Panthers cheer squad was dancing to the trashy hip hop music "Raise Up" by Petey Pablo, and someone wants to make it an official state song? It's bad enough that all the sports players are using the F word constantly, and we have to listen to it in just about every game. This is a current low for sports. Stop the vote for this song to represent North Carolina! — Judy, Vale, NC
I'm sorry you don't enjoy that, Judy. It's a big world, and there's room for us all, and it's OK if we don't all like the same things.
But in fairness, even the clean version of Petey slaps, so we may have to agree to disagree on this one. I'm currently spinning my shirt over my head like a helicopter, in fact.
What is the minimum age to enter to Shakira's concert without an adult? — Ivonne, Waxhaw, NC
Nope, sorry, Ivonne. You have to tell your parents you're coming to see Shakira. Her hips don't lie, and neither should you.
Had a former co-worker who once snuck out when she was 15 to go to a Flo Rida concert and left her phone at a friend's house so her parents would track her phone and think she was having an innocent sleepover. She's lucky nothing bad happened, and she's lucky she moved to another city because the dad in me would routinely yell at her for making a terrible life decision.
Kids, don't make terrible life decisions. Your parents worry.
