This is us

Johnson’s departure gives the Panthers just two remaining players from their 2023 draft class, the final group selected under former general manager Scott Fitterer. Quarterback Bryce Young, the first overall pick in 2023, and guard Chandler Zavala, a fourth-round pick, are the only remaining members. The team traded wideout Jonathan Mingo, a second-round pick, to the Dallas Cowboys in the middle of last season. Defensive back Jammie Robinson, a fifth-round selection, was waived by the team shortly after Mingo’s departure. Robinson was waived by the Arizona Cardinals, who claimed Robinson last year, in August as part of their annual 53-man deadline roster purge. He is currently on the Kansas City Chiefs’ practice squad.

Johnson’s exodus from Carolina follows more than two years of underwhelming production on defense and special teams. Billed as a run stopper, Johnson, 26, produced 62 tackles, a half sack and two pass breakups in 31 career regular-season games (five starts).  Johnson was outplayed throughout the summer by Thomas Incoom, who joined the team midway through last season from the Denver Broncos’ practice squad. Johnson also dealt with a hip injury that cost him the final two games of the preseason. Johnson’s push from the roster became a likely scenario after the Panthers signed Patrick Jones in free agency and selected Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen on Day 2 of April’s NFL Draft. Incoom’s steady rise throughout the summer, especially on special teams, made Johnson even more expendable. However, Jones enduring a hamstring injury in the first month of the season, and holdover DJ Wonnum dealing with a hip injury, Johnson’s presence became necessary against the Patriots. He registered just one tackle, despite playing heavy snaps. An odd choice from the start Johnson, who split his college career between Miami and Oregon, was a highly recruited high school prospect. Following his transfer to Oregon, Johnson split his time between playing tight end and defensive end. Johnson’s lack of experience as pass rusher was evident in his first training camp with the Panthers. He flashed as a run stopper, but he never seemed to evolve outside of that skill set. The Panthers famously traded up with the Pittsburgh Steelers to select Johnson in the third round of the 2023 draft. Unfortunately for the team and the player, Johnson was never able to live up to his draft billing.

Read more at: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports...rylink=cpy

How many GM candidates did Tep interview before he found someone who would work with Rhule and let him call the shots? 14, 15?  Something like that.  What a clusterf....  We are the franchise totally destroyed by meatballs.

What gets me most is drafting Bryce, who I said would be a complete miss and set a team back 5 years.

The second biggest “loser” was Brian Burns. Such a stupid trade, a 2nd and a 5tn for this:

As the Panthers still struggle to generate pressure consistently, Burns leads the league in sacks with five. He's also managed 20 pressures (8th), two batted passes (1st), and no fewer than 13 stops (1st). His 88.7 overall grade from Pro Football Focus ranks ninth among qualifying edge rushers, which is a phenomenal start to the campaign.

Cowgirls got two firsts; yea two firsts and a pro bowl tackle. This was the second worse trade our organization ever made.

Sad part is we have to rebuild. IMO, through the draft and we have no one of value to trade for draft picks. Derrick Brown maybe? I mean we have a left tackle we probably couldn’t get a sixth rounder for pick for. There are just no assists in this team which means it will take a year or two longer so four to five to rebuild. And we can’t do it with Morgan’s drafts the past two years. Tmac will be a winner but XL what a seventh rounder how in the world could Dan pick him a one.?

Remember when this team had Sam Darold and Baker Mayfield?  How Dam bad was that coaching?  Wonder what Tepper thinks watching these guys succeed elsewhere.

The Carolina Panthers traded Christian McCaffrey to the 49ers in 2022. Here’s how the trade worked out.

Panthers acquired:
2023 2nd round pick
2023 3rd round pick
2023 4th round pick
2024 5th round pick

The Panthers used the 2nd round pick to help trade up to the first overall pick in 2023 for Bryce Young

The 3rd and 4th round picks were used to draft DJ Johnson

The 2024 5th round pick was used by Dan Morgan on Chau Smith-Wade

LP is this accurate. I don’t subscribe to The Athletic

An NFL scout says that Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young has been “awful” during the team’s 1-3 start:

“He’s looked uncomfortable in the pocket, struggled to see the field, lacked anticipation, and failed to be consistently accurate. I don’t think he’s the guy."

Via The Athletic.

#NFL #Carolina #Panthers

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6673658...-rankings/

NFL QB stock report, Week 5: Is Panthers QB Bryce Young a lost cause?


Bryce Young’s late-season surge in 2024 was supposed to signify a turning point in his career trajectory. But now that his momentum has fallen flat, there’s a potential issue brewing for the Carolina Panthers.

Still just 24 and in his third season, Young is anything but a complete product. If we’ve learned anything from the likes of Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold, nobody’s story should ever be fully told at this stage of their career. Young has also bounced back from more dire circumstances, including last year’s early benching.

But the 2025 reviews are not favorable, according to a coach, an executive and a scout who have studied Young’s performances this season. He has been downright “awful” at some points during the Panthers’ 1-3 start, according to one evaluator who was granted anonymity so he could speak openly about another team’s player. He’s looked uncomfortable in the pocket, struggled to see the field, lacked anticipation and failed to be consistently accurate.

“I don’t think he’s the guy,” another evaluator said.

To be fair, the Panthers have been in rebuilding mode for the better part of a decade. They’ve churned through six head coaches, including interims, since 2019 before landing on current coach Dave Canales. And by continuously switching systems, it’s been years since they’ve been able to build a roster with a unified vision.

Worse, Mayfield and Darnold were both with the Panthers before Young’s arrival, and both have turned into quality starters since they left Carolina. So, while Young hasn’t played well, let’s not pretend he’s been dropped into an ideal situation.

The Panthers bet the house on Young being their franchise quarterback, yet they can’t be confident in their search for answers. In March 2023, the Panthers traded two first-round picks, two second-rounders and star wideout D.J. Moore to the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 pick, which they spent on Young. They had been overly motivated to find a star QB after years of positional purgatory, but the return on investment hasn’t materialized.

It’s not as though the Panthers went rogue in that draft. For most, Young did have the edge over C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson as the top QB of the class, so their evaluation was logical.

But other teams have since pushed back on the Panthers’ process, noting the massive risk of paying such a steep price to move up for a player who wasn’t considered a sure thing. What’s more, because of Young’s slender frame, executives said — both then and now — it was unwise to use the No. 1 pick on a player who’d have to prove to be the exception rather than the rule.

There’s been added pressure to make the pick work, too. Stroud delivered an outstanding rookie season, while the Panthers fired head coach Frank Reich after his 11th game; general manager Scott Fitterer was fired after the season. Meanwhile, one of the picks the Panthers traded for Young wound up being the No. 1 selection in 2024, where Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye were among the six first-round QBs available.

So yeah, it’s understandable why the Panthers feel a sense of desperation to make it work with Young. It’s why they invested in the offensive line and used back-to-back first-round picks on wide receivers. It’s why they hired Canales, who has done nice work in the past with quarterbacks Geno Smith and Mayfield.

Young should have enough runway to at least attempt to turn it around. Veteran Andy Dalton, who turns 38 next month, is the only other quarterback on the active roster, though Hendon Hooker is available on the practice squad. Suffice to say, the Panthers owe it to themselves to see it all the way through with Young.

The Panthers benched Young last season after two games, but those circumstances were different. Canales desperately needed a spark after his offense only mustered 13 points through two losses, and he needed a veteran to settle the masses. And although Dalton had faded by his fifth start, it’s unclear when he would have relinquished his perch if it weren’t for a thumb injury he suffered in a car accident.

Young played his best ball after returning to the huddle. He won four of his 10 starts down the stretch, completed 61.8 percent of his passes for 2,104 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions; he added 223 rushing yards and five scores on the ground. By expected points per dropback, Young (0.07) ranked 18th among all qualified QBs during that span, a tick behind Darnold (0.08) and two picks back of Washington rookie phenom Daniels (0.09).

But Young hasn’t kept it going. He’s completed only 60.4 percent of his passes for 753 yards, five touchdowns and three picks this season while also losing a couple of fumbles. Among qualified passers, Young ranks 30th in EPA/dropback, ahead of only Titans rookie Cam Ward, Browns veteran Joe Flacco and Bengals backup Jake Browning.

At this point, the Panthers would be all but declaring their intentions to split with Young if they benched him again. If it does reach that point, it’s also likely the Panthers would be barreling toward their eighth consecutive season with a losing record. And since owner David Tepper bought the team in 2018, he’s never employed a head coach for three full seasons, which effectively puts Canales on the clock.

This, of course, is the type of turnover that keeps organizations in constant peril. It may also lead to the breaking point that opens the door for Young to find a fresh start with another team.


I do not think Bryce will ever be a starting QB anywhere else. Bryce is a great guy but sadly he is not cutting it here.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6673658...-rankings/

NFL QB stock report, Week 5: Is Panthers QB Bryce Young a lost cause?

This, of course, is the type of turnover that keeps organizations in constant peril. It may also lead to the breaking point that opens the door for Young to find a fresh start with another team.


I do not think Bryce will ever be a starting QB anywhere else. Bryce is a great guy but sadly he is not cutting it here.

Sadly, I think you're right.

Ii's no secret that I've not been "all in" on Bryce. I have my reasons..... But it MOSTLY revolves around his physical attributes. We can be honest about our reasons and still like a player personally. It's sort of like moving a speedy CB up to play DT in the middle of the line. He might be a good player, but he just doesn't FIT the performance metrics for the position.

That, IMO, is exactly what happened with Bryce.

I’ve still got optimism.

1. Dan needs more season(s)

2. Think Dave needs another.

3. Can’t keep firing the head guys n expecting to build anything. I don’t care what else happens, if we don’t give Dan/Dave another year/time, who’s gonna want this job(s)? We knew it’d be a minute last year n we got 5. The past 8-10 years have screwed our team badly. 21,22,23. Lots of lost capital, draft n cap. Why not give Dave n Dan another year? I trust Dan more right now. “Burn it down”, n we’re set back again. I’d like to see what a 3-5 year plan looks like (starting with those hires). We’ve not seen that in a, since…Rivera!

Still hoping guys, my logical thought out plan right now

I’ve still got optimism.

1.  Dan needs more season(s)

2.  Think Dave needs another.

3.  Can’t keep firing the head guys n expecting to build anything.  I don’t care what else happens, if we don’t give Dan/Dave another year/time, who’s gonna want this job(s)?  We knew it’d be a minute last year n we got  5.  The past 8-10 years have screwed our team badly.  21,22,23.  Lots of lost capital, draft n cap.  Why not give Dave n Dan another year?  I trust Dan more right now.  “Burn it down”, n we’re set back again.  I’d like to see what a 3-5 year plan looks like (starting with those hires).  We’ve not seen that in a, since…Rivera! 

Still hoping guys, my logical thought out plan right now

I am with you Josh...not in favor of changing GM or HC.  Want Tepper to stay OUT of plan and player selection.  Let the football guys do their job.  Hell....he is 7 years in and still not a good owner.  He needs to have some patience (and humility)

I’ve still got optimism.

1.  Dan needs more season(s)

2.  Think Dave needs another.

3.  Can’t keep firing the head guys n expecting to build anything.  I don’t care what else happens, if we don’t give Dan/Dave another year/time, who’s gonna want this job(s)?  We knew it’d be a minute last year n we got  5.  The past 8-10 years have screwed our team badly.  21,22,23.  Lots of lost capital, draft n cap.  Why not give Dave n Dan another year?  I trust Dan more right now.  “Burn it down”, n we’re set back again.  I’d like to see what a 3-5 year plan looks like (starting with those hires).  We’ve not seen that in a, since…Rivera! 

Still hoping guys, my logical thought out plan right now

I am with you Josh...not in favor of changing GM or HC.  Want Tepper to stay OUT of plan and player selection.  Let the football guys do their job.  Hell....he is 7 years in and still not a good owner.  He needs to have some patience (and humility)

Agreed lp.  Appreciate ur optimism.
Understand Tepper concerns.