New schedule, new season, let's do this. The road to...











I think the schedule is a little hectic with travel, but seems favorable in general. We don't have any brutal stretches, and our last 4 games should be much needed wins coming down the stretch.

4/15/2016 8:20:53 AM

11-5 this year.

4/15/2016 9:11:55 AM

4/15/2016 9:41:14 AM

From Barnwell

Quote :

"On the flip side of all this, the team that gets to enjoy long weeks most often this year? That's the defending NFC champion, Carolina. Including their time off before the season and their bye, the Panthers will have a whopping seven games in 2016 with eight days or more between contests. Four of Carolina's first seven games come on extra rest, including matchups against the Broncos (in the season opener) and Cardinals, while the Panthers face just one team on short rest over that same time span. The Chiefs, naturally, have the fewest long weeks in their schedule. They're tied with the Steelers, each having just three long weeks on the books for 2017."

4/15/2016 11:21:49 AM

I'm calling 13-3 (losses @Seattle, @Atlanta, and a WTF last second loss wedged in somewhere else)

[Edited on April 15, 2016 at 2:37 PM. Reason : -]

4/15/2016 2:36:05 PM

If Crybaby Cam shows up: 11-5
If Man Cam shows up: 14-2

4/15/2016 2:40:14 PM

We need to get this guy

4/15/2016 2:46:42 PM

Quote :

"If Crybaby Cam shows up: 11-5 If Man Cam shows up: 14-2"

4/15/2016 3:00:32 PM

There's something I don't understand the last column of the schedule posted above...is Twitter broadcasting the Nov. 17 game? The rest of the logos are all TV networks, so what is Twitter doing there?

4/15/2016 3:29:53 PM

it's probably one of those games where they post peoples' live tweets during the game since it looks like it will be broadcast on (2) networks

4/15/2016 3:35:00 PM

If I cared what people on twitter are saying about the game, I'd go read it on twitter. I don't get why this is a thing. CNN also seems to consider twitter feeds as "news," and I don't get that either.

4/15/2016 3:37:54 PM

Twitter is streaming a large part of the Thursday night schedule this year

4/15/2016 3:39:21 PM

^^http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/06/sports/football/nfl-will-stream-thursday-games-on-twitter.html

4/15/2016 3:40:30 PM

Ibtwontmaketheplayoffs

4/15/2016 3:51:07 PM

Quote :

""If Crybaby Cam shows up: 11-5 If Man Cam shows up: 14-2 16-0+SB""

4/16/2016 3:15:09 PM

Adjust those predictions? Josh Norman tag pulled back, he's a UFA effective now.

4/20/2016 5:37:51 PM

man

4/20/2016 5:40:38 PM

ummm....WAT

4/20/2016 5:45:45 PM

Marty gives ZERO fucks.

4/20/2016 5:52:13 PM

Lol "Marty"

I'm not sure what Gettleman has up his sleeve, but this is ballsy as hell

4/20/2016 5:56:51 PM

Lol whoops.

4/20/2016 6:21:05 PM

Wow, what a boss

4/20/2016 6:40:52 PM

interesting.

4/20/2016 7:06:36 PM

Last season we lost our best receiver and the rest of the group more than stepped up. I have faith that the same can (but not necessarily will) happen on the other side.

[Edited on April 20, 2016 at 7:09 PM. Reason : -]

4/20/2016 7:08:18 PM

apples and oranges

4/20/2016 7:25:53 PM

I was really looking forward to Rivers and Norman talking shit in Charlotte this year.

4/20/2016 7:26:26 PM

Maybe they'll get to talk shit twice if he ends up in Oakland.

4/20/2016 7:57:26 PM

This isn't over. Face could guarantee that he's gone and he'll resign for half his asking. Don't count your chickens just yet brochachos.

4/20/2016 8:41:49 PM

Can someone explain what the advantage to this move is?

4/20/2016 9:02:54 PM

they were worried about his attitude after not getting the contract he's asking for

also frees up a ton of cap space

4/20/2016 9:06:43 PM

Definitely frees up cap space

I would've hoped to let it ride out a little more and that he'd at least be here this season, but oh well. I don't foresee any Charles Johnson type scenario though, unfortunately.

4/20/2016 9:30:02 PM

Really puts the onus on finding a way to generate more pass rush, since opposing receivers won't have much stopping them

4/20/2016 9:32:33 PM

the advantage of this move is that we dont over-invest in Norman for the longrun. Its a huge risk trying to sustain last years success - but it does create opportunity to spend that $32M more wisely across the team on other FAs:
backfill CB - Antonio Cromartie / Jerraud Powers?
+OT depth - Jake Long ?
++ veteran WR - Anquan Boldin?
+++ safety - Walter Thurmond III?

Norman is a great corner, but he hasnt shown consistency for long enough to be worth all that. We got by with patchwork corners last season and in the playoffs - they weren't why we lost the SB.

4/20/2016 10:59:53 PM

^We got by with "patchwork corners" ... like Norman?

And hell no to Cromartie. He's been terrible for a while now.

4/20/2016 11:29:51 PM

i was always terrified that they would overpay for norman, who's very good but also a product of the overall strength of the defense/system and a little old to be getting a long term big money deal. i was hoping he would play under the tag this year since we seem to have a championship window, but I assume removing the tag was a sign that a holdout was going to happen.

i just now worry about who's going to be out there with bene and boykin for next year. they need someone better than mcclain for sure, unless he or one of the other young guys makes a big leap.

4/20/2016 11:36:52 PM

It's kind of like Nnamdi going from Oakland to Philly, but Lake Norman isn't trying to hear that.

4/20/2016 11:43:04 PM

This is really, really odd... I guess we will make a trade because it's kinda late in free agency to spend the money to replace him...

I can't blame him for putting up a tough front the franchise tag is a bullshit rule. And of course he's not gonna sign for $11m/yr.

I'm glad we didn't panic and sign him to a bad long term deal. Curious to see what our backup plan is though.

Does anyone have this type of cap room though?

I guess a team could unload a guy or two via trade on draft day to free up space but that's a huge amount of space to clear this late in free agency

4/21/2016 2:54:00 AM

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/

Appears at least 9 teams have the space left that Norman is looking to get. Some of which have already spent big this offseason.

4/21/2016 9:08:09 AM

Seven teams already contacted JNo per ESPN, with apparently the 49ers being the "front runners", but I expect he'll get the biggest offer from the Jags and take it.

I do expect his game to take a huge drop at this next stop.

I don't blame him for chasing the money, but I think he's let the hype get to his head. Just have a feeling he's going to get exposed wherever he ends up.

4/21/2016 9:13:36 AM

I am curious what the Panthers were offering him as a contract that he was turning down. Obviously they weren't going to hit in the 16mil range, but how far off of that were they?

Personally, if he heads elsewhere, I think you're right, he would get exposed. Just prefer he be on a team that the Panthers don't play this year, so yes to the Jags.

I am also curious as to whether players end up on these teams that are not positioned for success, if they regret that extra money they decided to sign for or not.

4/21/2016 9:23:36 AM

Quote :

"It's kind of like Nnamdi going from Oakland to Philly, but Lake Norman isn't trying to hear that."

Depends. If he goes to another zone coverage team, he'll be fine. But if he goes somewhere that plays press man or something, we'll wait and see. Darrelle Revis was as good a man coverage guy as anyone ever, but when he went to TB and played zone, he wasn't the best in the game (regardless of his injuries). Playing in the right scheme for your strengths is so important for individual success in the NFL.

4/21/2016 10:07:08 AM

I'm curious what folks think about the panthers trying to trade up in the first round to take a CB?

4/21/2016 10:39:25 AM

Mackensie Alexander (RSo CB Clempson) is projected to go late in the 1st & we all saw what an impact player he was in the Natty. Not sure what his NFL future is, but damn if he didnt make a huge difference in the Natty.

4/21/2016 10:53:39 AM

The drafts I have seen see Alexander going late teens early 20's. Would he drop that far? More likely Jackson III is available at the bottom of the first round, which would be a pretty good pick there.

Nevermind, seeing some others have him dropping as well. I think there will be someone valuable at the bottom of the first round as opposed to trading up to get someone else.

[Edited on April 21, 2016 at 11:04 AM. Reason : ...]

4/21/2016 11:02:50 AM

Quote :

"General manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Ron Rivera took part in a pre-draft press conference on Thursday. Below is Gettleman's prepared opening statement on his decision to remove the franchise tag from cornerback Josh Norman. "Since becoming the general manager, my philosophy has been to always do what’s in the best interest of the Carolina Panthers, which means building a team to sustain success. I don’t subscribe to the 'window' theory, that teams have a window and have to win now. I don’t subscribe to the 'we’re only one player away' theory, because in my mind football is the truest of all team games. Sustained success can be accomplished by being thoughtful and intentional with all roster decisions. "When we decided to place the franchise tag on Josh, we were fine with him signing it and then working on a long-term deal. As we got deeper in conversations, we realized there was a significant difference in our thoughts and theirs. The intervening weeks gave us additional time to evaluate where we are going as a franchise. With the realization that a deal was not going to get done, our internal conversations kept leading us to the fact that the one-year deal was becoming less and less attractive. So we made our decision yesterday and we are moving on. "I will say that all communications with Josh and his agent were professional and respectful in tone. We certainly respect Josh and all that he had done for us. As I said yesterday, we wish Josh well.""

4/21/2016 1:42:32 PM

Gettleman said he hasn't "shut the door" on Norman just yet. And Norman just hired a new agent. So...

4/21/2016 2:19:55 PM

Quote :

"A source told ESPN's Josina Anderson that Norman is hiring Ryan Williams of Athletes First to be his primary agent. Norman is reluctant to sit through a five-day waiting period to change representatives while he looks for a new team, so current agent Michael George "eventually will be out of the mix," the source said."

4/21/2016 2:56:32 PM

This is a pretty huge error on Gettlemans part obviously. If this was any other general manager I'd be freaking out but I feel like he wouldn't be dumb enough to do this unless we had some type of deal in place.

Right now we have no defensive ends, corner backs, or safeties. If Davis or kuechly get hurt look out.

4/21/2016 4:56:20 PM

I get the hyperbole, but I think Johnson, Ealy, Benwikere, Coleman, etc fill some of those positions

4/21/2016 5:25:22 PM

It's a surprise Gettleman didn't force him to play out his franchise tag. He says Norman's threat to hold out had nothing to do with it, but on some level he has to be thinking "this guy isn't worth the headache". I think he's right, Norman isn't good enough to be a locker room cancer.

4/21/2016 6:22:01 PM