We bring you part two of this week’s fan mailbag, answering all of your questions from early in the week!
Happy Thanksgiving, CSR! Welcome to Brian Answers, part two of your weekly Panthers mailbag for everyone! We all got to enjoy a Panthers game for a change and feel all warm in our stomachs about the future, which I hope you are able to do today, whether it be with friends and loved ones, or even on your own (I know that feel friends). We’ll dive into all your questions from earlier in the week down below. To recap, Brian Answers is the second part of our mailbag, where earlier in the week you can ask your questions in the comments of “Brian Asks”, and see what we have to say. Let’s dive in!
KeepPounding88: For starters, I am 100% convinced that if the Chiefs had been undefeated going into this game, we would have found a way to close out the win. But as for my question, which player would you prefer to see us draft in the first round from this group: Abdul Carter (Edge, Penn State), Mason Graham (DL, Michigan), Malaki Starks (S, Georgia).
Thank you for the faith, KP88. I have been manifesting this since early in the preseason and I was very happy the Panthers and my short king QB almost made it happen, and almost delivered on another CSR miracle (we still take full credit for signing Eric Reid and re-signing Cam Newton, by the way). I am 100% on board with blaming the Bills for my prophecy not coming to fruition.
As far as your question goes, while the defensiveback Stan in me wants Malaki Starks, I am on the Mason Graham train. I think the biggest injection of adrenaline into this defense as a whole would be to pair a defensive linemen of that caliber with Derrick Brown to create a menacing interior. The Panthers certainly need the edge help, but the greatest iteration of the Panthers defense in a decade had a huge tandem force on the interior. Sign me up for Graham all the way.
Coach_K: Is Evero really getting calls for a HC gig? If so, does Canales have another DC in mind that maybe he worked with for a while or would it be a call up from one of the position coaches we already have?
I think the calls will still be coming in. Whether or not he ends up being a finalist is a different story. While his defense isn’t statistically top tier this season in many metrics, it is still impressive what he has gotten out of a defense missing its best defensive lineman and starting fringe roster pass rushers every week. I will be very pleased if Evero returns next season and gets the chance to truly rebuild his unit. If not, there’s certainly plenty of candidates with history with Canales out there. But at the same time, I’ve liked Canales’s approach of letting the defense be managed on its own, and I could see Tepper opening his checkbook for another upper tier name that Canales may not have history with. Robert Saleh was a name mentioned in the comments that I would be very happy with (and yes, I know they DO have history).
bolshy: Does Bryce continue to trend up or was this an outlier?
I don’t think the Chief’s game was an outlier. I think the bigger question is, was this the height of Bryce’s ceiling or is it a sign of things to come? Most of the plays Bryce made were the kind of things we saw from him in college, it all just conveniently came together on Sunday to show us why teams viewed him so highly. Bryce was playing with a confidence and poise we haven’t seen from him. I think he will continue to improve. But to what degree is where I am not sure. But if that version of Bryce is who we get going forward, the Panthers could win some games in 2025.
@WTMealey: Legette, Coker, Moore and Sanders(the one we like)
Where do you rank them as a group relative to other teams in the NFL.
Top 10, Middle 10 or Bottom 10.
Related how high a priority is another recieving weapon for Bryce this off season?
Don’t throw tomatoes at me, CSR, but I’d still say bottom 10 at this juncture. Not to say there isn’t room for improvement, but I think Dave Canales’s scheme helps a lot with these young guys. Legette isn’t really a complete WR1 yet, Coker and Sanders are promising but none of these guys have shown an ability to take over a game. But that’s okay! Hard to expect that in their rookie seasons. I do think bringing in another receiving threat is a priority, especially if the Panthers cut ties with Adam Thielen for cap reasons. With all of those guys coming on the cheap, the Panthers can afford to spend. They also have the draft resources to bring in a scheme fit for a compliment as well.
Senanima: 2 RB sets seem to me to be a lot more popular in trending up this year. You always have a change of pace back but theres some very good duos out there. (Ravens have like 50). It makes me think Brooks was a crystal ball 4d chess move to create ChubaBrooks. When will we get to see Brooks cook?
The NFL is cyclical. After the NFL became a passing league in recent years, the teams with strong rushing attacks head the Super Bowl contenders. And in that regard, I do see the vision with drafting Brooks. I don’t know if Dan Morgan and co had the foresight that Chuba Hubbard would become one of the most effective rushers in the league otherwise they might have extended him before the season even started. But, they played their cards right and should have an effective tandem for the next three seasons. Brooks may not cook this season, and that’s okay. I think he might get the chance to go off in the final two games, but it could happen earlier.
Hythloday: How mad were you when they let Mahomes scramble into field goal range on that last drive?
Is DJ Wonnum bringing a competent pass rush to thank for our overall defensive improvement?
I was mad as a fan but not surprised as an observer. The defense did a relatively good job of containing that all day. Sometimes the best players in the sport just make plays, and the way the league is set up these days allows for QBs to be bold since defenders have to be cautious with delivering hits even on scramble plays.
Wonnum absolutely has helped to bring some competency to this pass rush. I see why they brought him in and I hope they retain him next season for the second year of his admittedly more expensive part of his contract.
plancos: What is the best component of Thanksgiving dinner (excluding Turkey) when you are sitting and watching football?
Green Bean casserole is my personal favorite. Can’t get enough of that stuff with a compliment of some stuffing and gravy. Gotta rep the Cam Newton jersey as well, that 2015 Thanksgiving is one of my favorite games of all time.
dayneB12: Who is easier to hate: Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes?
I have to go with TAWM even after his departure from New England showed more of the fun person he can be. He took Greg Olsen’s job on commentary, and even though it isn’t his fault or decision I cannot forgive him. Olsen has become one of the best in that regard.
TXPanther: Now that Stroud has regressed, rank the QB’s from the last 2 drafts in order of who you would want to draft at QB. I have to watch more of Daniels since he was knocked out so early against us. I think Williams and Maye should probably be 1 and 2.
- Bryce Young. Fyte me.
Enjoy your holiday weekend Panthers fans. KEEP POUNDING!