More Picks?

It won't if we wind up trading peppers to get the picks back.

At least they way we 'mortgage' ourselves isn't a disaster ala gilbert.

Since Gregory has been on board - our drafts are very solid. I'd rather mortgage ourselves in this way than in Free Agency....

2007:

Beason - pro bowler
Jarrett - promising
Kalil - starter
Johnson - promising
Robinson
Rosario - 1 great gmae
Shaw - gone
CJ Wilson - watch him win the nickle

2008:

Stewart - stud
Otah - stud
Godfrey - starter
Conner - promise
Barnidge - ?
Hayden - ?
Taylor - ?
Schwartz - ?
Bernadeau - ?

 

Gantt said later in the article we wouldn't trade players for picks ( not that he knows ).

 

Minus the first rounders (which I deleted) we've got two starters and a bunch of projects at best.

That's that reason first rounder's are so freaking important.

 

Under Fox we've yet to have a first round bust...Morgan being the closest and it had nothing to do with ability as it did injuries.

Second round picks are where the busts have occurred under Coach Fox; Ellison, Colbert etc... We can ill-afford a wasted pick this year where minus our first round stud. A miss at least for a starter with the second pick leaves us in a lurch banking on projects to pan out.

 

I'd be wary about moving further back in the draft. Not sure what we'd get for trading our 2nd away, depends on where we were moving to. A 3 and a 4 maybe? We're in a position where we just need to take the best player sitting there, assuming its not a RB or LB.

 

Morgan was a siefert pick - 2001.

Ellison was a 3rd, I think. But the second rounders under Gregory have been very solid, and Godfrey, a third, started from day one.

 

Which was strange to see from Fox. We really didn't give him any competition to start did we? Terrence Holt? Nate Salley? Yikes. He earned it and was decent enough but he did have a few break downs. It'll be interesting if there is a nice safety prospect sitting there at 59 William Moore? and we possibly move Godfrey back to CB.

Either way its hard to see our picks coming in and making a big impact this year. Obviously every year the draft is good for restocking on depth but this year seems to be especially important.

 

We haven't lost any first rounders. We gave up a second ( traded a second and a later first for a first ).

A second is alot to give up, but it's alot less than a first.

Additionally - even from your list, both we have a second and a third rounder starting, that's fucking strong. We also have strong players in Jarrett and in Johnson.

Our activity in FA tells me these guys are going status quo. I'd almost expect very few changes in starters.

I'd like to see better DT's, but what do i know. My bet is we draft for depth/potential at DL, OL, and DB.

That said - remember how many years we presumed they'd draft safeties and receivers?

 

I can see us picking a G or a CB in the second. As much as we need DL help, we still need it there too. We could possibly have the top interior lineman fall to us, or a CB that could start or be a nickle. There might not be much of a difference in the DL scraps that are left at the second and what's likely to be there in the third.

 

The topic of the thread is chatter about the Panthers getting extra picks; it's either coming from trading lower where we typically get servicable players or trading an existiting player.

I don't think it's extraordinary to have a couple of seconds starting. Actually that is exactly what you want out of second rounders, though they may not start day one. Kalil didn't start his first year and Marshall has yet to be considered up until Lucas was released.

Actually, we have done better in the third with Wharton and Godfrey (though Godfrey was the defacto starter).

I'm not sure I would consider Jarrett and Johnson a sure bet yet. Remember, people were ready to give up on Jarrett last season and Johnson hasn't proved himself as an all-around DE so much as a pass rushing specialist.

The notion that we've had great drafts the last several seasons, I don't agree with as I do with saying we have drafted BETTER recently. The caviat to that is the Panthers have notoriously been draft-challeged, so having better drafts recently is like saying we finally got to ride the long bus without tinted windows.

p.s. Yeah, Morgan was Siefert's, but first rounders has always been our one sure bet minus the injury plagued ones and couple with law-related issues. Talent has been there. After the blue chips, Panthers' draft scouting is historically like playing the lottery--all luck with no skill involved.