Hindsight on the 2010 roster moves

Hindsight is fun this time of year, because it's all you have to hold onto when you're 0-5. And I agree with much of what's being said in this thread.

Trading for McNabb and Boldin would have not been necessary. Picking up, or retaining several veterans for leadership and experience would have been a huge plus. Fox, other than Godfrey, almost never starts rookies. Godfrey, turns out, is leading the NFL in interceptions and plays hard in the box. Good player, good move. But my god, how many rookies is he playing with now, as starters or rotational starters?

1. PickleDickFuckNose
2. Gettis
3. LaFail
4. Mountaineer Package
5. Hardy

There's more too, that contribute in key roles.

Our offensive line depth is not what it was in 2008. Remember, early on that year, we were without several starters at a time, and we had Omiyale, Handgartner, Bridges--not worldbeaters, but apparently much more capable than our current crop.

2010 was not even a roll of the dice, so to speak. It was a controlled decision by the owner to spend less, start over in a way. Just awkward timing with Fox being in a contract year and his return almost a 100% no-go.

I believe what I have learned this season is that there is a fine line between being the 2008 Carolina Panthers and being 0-5. And we just happened to cross that line.

 

Agreed - I think my point is that it's fucking HARD to field an NFL team. Everything I thought last year would happen to the defense didn't, Everything i thought we'd continue on offense we didn't. The reasons are likely personal interactions and opinions inside the locker room and huddle that we'll never know about.

Remember the talk about how Clausen wasn't a popular leader? Just food for thought.

Yeah - we'll likely never know what's actually going on.

 

In different positions, though, that doesn't account for all the problems but you're being misleading.

 

you have to draft and sign players and get better each year or you're going to turn to shit.....even when you win the super bowl. I cant even think who the panthers have signed or drafted the last 2 years that has made the team better. This all falls on the coaches and front office.

 

It's not about the big ticket, high risk, low reward items. But you are correct. We just haven't been able, or chosen to rather, bring in quality veteran depth at:

1. QB
2. OL
3. WR

The defensive line and linebackers, plus the secondary, are doing fine. We spent wisely (other than Tank and Louis).

It's just hard to watch this offense, because it lacks so much continuity, timing, depth, experience and talent.

It's a shame we shit our pants on a couple long Forte runs, but other than that, seeing the defense take the field is about the only thing that excites me these days. I'll say this: if we want to try to salvage a season, win games, you have to go back to Moore, because as poorly as he played week one, he's not just flat out missing hand-offs and pulling out from under center early (insert pickle joke here)

 

Fox/Hurney has done decently in the first rounds. When we've had first rounders. Nobody has been a bust, and at least been starter quality talent.

A GM makes his money on the rest of the picks, and that's been pretty shitty, outside a few defenders.

 

It would take me too long to sit here and do an "apples for apples" comparison of Hurney's late round picks vs. the other 32 teams'.

I think we've had some very good drafts, with instant contributors (2003 comes to mind). But many of the instant contributors fade fast. Ricky Manning would come to mind, but he was a little damaged from the Super Bowl embarrassment, as well as the subsequent rule changes.

I think Hurney is one part of the equation. I think Fox is very much out of the equation, and probably was since his whole posse (Sunseri, Trgo, Lewis, etc) were all allowed to leave after 2008. Once again, that lack of continuity hurt us in 2009. Now, you go into 2010 with the same problem on the offensive side of the ball, and you see the same shit.

Fox can't work miracles with two consecutive years of new faces.

 

agreeing with you, we lost too much "veteran Pressence" in the huddle, in locker room, on the sideline..

 

also funny to me is that the motto just a few years ago.. "We're bringing back 21 of 22 starters..." yeah, what ever...

 

I just still think it comes down to two consecutive years of having to open camp with an entire round of new faces in one area (2009--assistant coaches), or another (2010--offense).

This franchise has been faced with major judgement calls since the playoff loss to Arizona. Extending Delhomme for 2009 and bringing back and healthy Smith, Muhammad, Offensive Line and Double Trouble made me feel decent about the Delhomme move. But, when you open up camp with a brand new QB coach, with new ideas, and you start with Philly/Atlanta/Dallas, shit happens. Jake actually played well vs. ATL, and went on to have another good second game vs. ATL. But there's no doubt his physical makeup is breaking down, which is leading to his depreciating confidence level. I have been to two Carolina games where it was clear, from a lower-level, end zone view, that the QB was lost:

1. 2009: Buffalo
2. Yesterday

For what it's worth, I wanted to sign Mark Bulger in July. I thought he would have been the perfect wedge between Moore and PickleDick. But we passed, and not because of money.

I think it's partially labor-related, but more related to Richardson wanting to hoard his cash for his next coach (not necessarily for the coach's wallet, but for the players needed to give that coach the springboard he needs to succeed). He pretty much told Fox: hey, you think you're worth top-5 money, take this young team and prove it.

So far, he's failed.