Jeremy Shockey, TE, Carolina Panthers

Yeah, I was rooting for the #1 pick probably by week 7.

Fool's gold as it turned out, last year was the worst ever.

 

I can't imagine us being any worse, but I think there's a good chance we'll be contending for the top pick again, if only because of a brutal God Damn schedule. I'm hoping we can just be more competitive. Last year was like trying to watch Michael J. Fox cut his own hair.

 

I did post that link about our schedule being tops in terms of difficulty, but I would think more so than ever, that could be misleading for 2011. There will be a tremendous amount of movement with players, as there has been already.

All I can remember that was positive about 2010 was that our defense, on the cheap, was in the league's top-8 in yards per play yielded. It's a young, very talented group in many areas, particularly at end and LB.

The QB play was horrible, on every level. It was the same story in 2009, until Moore pitched in a few good performances. Let's not overlook the fact that down the stretch in 2008, the QB play was mediocre, at best. And it almost singlehandedly cost us a chance to host the NFC Title Game.

I already have more faith in this staff, with respect to how the offense will be managed. I also believe that either Donovan McNabb or Carson Palmer will be under center for Carolina next season. I could also be dead wrong on that, but there are a ton of elements to this year's draft that would allow us to trade down to snag one, particularly Palmer. If Marvin covets one of those DT's, and Mike Brown comes off his high horse, I could see them swapping 1's with us for Palmer. We'd probably owe them another pick, but what helps this team become contenders sooner? Retaining your 4th or 5th rd pick in 2011, or acquiring a QB that is probably as ideal a fit for Chud's system as will be available.

Clausen played admirably, but he wasn't ready for the shit sandwich that was fed to him. Neither was Moore, St. Pierre, Pike.........etc.

I'm done predicting wins/losses. But if you move the ball like you did two short years ago, with all the same pieces on the line and the backfield intact, you can do some good things.

I am also done with Cam Newton. I can't deal with 16 more games of rookie QB-ness. 2002, with a very average upgrade at QB and RB, netted a 6 game improvement from 2001. If I can have as much enjoyment out of 2011 as I did from 2002, it would be a success. Or, you could just fucking aim high and do what Miami did in 2008.

 

Shockey is not a bad dude. He's actually well-respected by his peers, and his teammates. That's been fairly standard for him.

He does like hot women and booze, but I would take a guess that most of our players do, as well. I know I do.

 

Yep the '10 team had a good bit more talent than the '01, fresh coaching and Rodney Peete got us 7-9 in '02

 

There goes Shockey's fantasy value.

 

Could he at least wash his hair once in awhile?

 

Oh yeah!

 

can't believe I haven't said anything about this yet. Maybe I'm hedging on some dipshit bumping this next March after it failed or he walks and goes to a team we don't like.

He's good. We probably need his attitude. In a near-perfect world he'll fix what fans have perceived a wrong for the last 8 years, he'll do well on the coryell option routes (5s, 8s) and exploit the drags (2s) that we haven't done. He'll motivate smitty to be what he was instead of this neutered version. And it'll have meant we're making good on these statements from the Rivera hiring - "promises", for most fans I guess - which is a good sign. Find what you want to be and go be it.

I don't believe we're done at TE, since we propped him up for one year. Gantt gave me props for noting the Coryell TE history in under 140 characters.