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Striking a deal with one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL in Kawann Short has been a priority for Carolina and they have finally locked that in according to sources.
Read MoreThis year may just be the year Carolina seeks a long-term solution that will round out a an up and coming secondary and allow Kurt Coleman to move to free safety, his more natural position.
Read MoreOkay, so I should have known NOT to try to communicate anything of any substance via Twitter. Explaining reasons for anything doesn't work well among that Short Attention Span Theater crowd, who would rather click and "like" a pretty picture than actually go click and have to truly READ WORDS, so I'll have to write this article to spell some things out.
Read MorePost-UFA signings and pre-draft days make for a long, roughly six-week wait, and every possible scenario gets discussed ad nauseum to the point where we fans just want the dadgum draft to happen already!
Read MoreI have to admit that I’m pretty late getting on the Corey Davis hype train, but I have been watching some of his tape lately and thinking about what taking a WR this high means not only for the rest of this draft but for the Panthers going forward. Corey Davis, for those who don't know, is a 6'3" 212 lbs. WR from Western Michigan who accrued 97 rec for 1500 yds. and 19 TDs in his senior season and totaled 332 rec for 5285 yds. and 52 TDs over his collegiate
Read MoreThe Panthers will meet with top running back prospect Leonard Fournette out of LSU next week.
Things started stirring on Wednesday when neither head coach Ron Rivera or Dave Gettleman showed up at LSU's pro day. It seems now that's because they knew they would be bringing him to Charlotte to meet. Running backs coach Jim Skipper and offensive coordinator Mike Shula both made the trip to Louisiana for the pro day.
Fournette made another impression when he weighed in at 228 pounds, down from 250 at the combine and back to his college playing weight. When asked about the weight at the combine, Fournette said it was "water weight" and he would be losing it. Fournette commented on this to Charlotte Observer's Jourdan Rodrigue later.
“I think some (teams) wanted to see if I could get down to that size. I think it was a plus for me. ... I might be 250 playing, so I just wanted to show them that I can do what I need to do to get my business in order.”
It seems the closer the draft gets, the chances of Fournette being around at eight are getting slimmer to many. Carolina has stated all off season that they want to be able to run Cam less to help preserve him for the long haul. Jonathan Stewart's recent one-year extension was more of a cap space move than anything else and Fournette could be a bruising replacement when Stewart is gone. But then again.
Then with all of this you have the Christian McCaffrey rumors at an all-time high and he could be a big help in "evolving" the offense and be a key weapon to Cam Newton as well. Buckle up Panthers fans, the next few weeks are going to be interesting.
Written By Tripp Morgan
Follow @TrippMorgan6 and @Cat_Chronicles for the latest news and updates surrounding the Carolina Panthers.
Article photo by Jesse Fraetis.
The last few weeks have been full of mock picks by analysts and fans alike for who the Panthers will take at pick eight. A popular name lately has been Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey.
McCaffrey was being mocked in the late first, early second round before the combine but has steadily gained steam since his combine and pro day. Visits and talks with teams have certainly also played into that.
Stats like how he had more yards per carry versus eight man boxes than any other running back in the nation, including LSU's Leonard Fournette, have also pushed it.
More and more mocks seems to be following Josh Norris' and Jourdan Rodrigue's early prediction of him fitting in with the Panthers at the eighth pick. Now NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah has him to Carolina in the same spot with his mock draft released Wednesday. Then this tweet later on the night from Peter Schrager really got the tweets flowing.
Here's one for Wednesday night. Heard from multiple front office execs over last few days. Feeling is now Christian McCaffery goes Top 10.
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) April 6, 2017
Sure, McCaffrey could go to one of the seven teams before Carolina, but the fit here just seems to perfect for a team looking to "evolve." Throw in the fact that Panthers recently wide receivers coach Lance Taylor was McCaffrey's running back coach during his tenure at Stanford and it makes even more sense.
McCaffrey would bring versatility to a Panthers offense that needs another weapon for Cam Newton. His running and receiving ability being used the right way could be tough to plan for on opposing defenses. I know what you're thinking, "Would Shula know how to use him correctly?" I believe so, and that's also where his former coach Lance Taylor comes in. If anyone know how to use him, it should be him.
This will likely grow the closer we get to the draft and could even change between now and then like it has drastically since the combine, but one things for sure, whatever name is announced at pick eight should be one we've all heard.
Written By Tripp Morgan
Follow @TrippMorgan6 and @Cat_Chronicles for news and updates surrounding the Carolina Panthers.
Article Thumbnail Image by Jesse Fraetis
I was having a discussion with my expanded Panthers crew/family via direct message on Twitter this morning because I don't do nearly as much public "tweeting" as I used to do...especially on non-Panthers matters. Okay, so I post cat pics too but that's neither here nor there. My point is that, after discussing Fournette ad nauseum for what seems like eons & decades now, I think I may be on to something.
Read MoreThe Carolina Panthers have finally made the move everyone's been waiting...
April fools. Don't be too mad with us. Have a great weekend!
More news of work outs from top draft prospects continue to roll as we near the draft. Another one for the Panthers is scheduled with Wisconsin's LB T.J. Watt, brother of NFL star defensive end J.J. Watt according to NFL.com.
You're probably thinking we have enough linebackers, but Watt is actually believed to be an effective edge rusher in a 4-3 defense like the Panthers according to many scouts.
Watt battled knee injuries for two years before finally getting healthy in 2016 and breaking out with 63 tackles, 15.5 for loss, and 11.5 sacks. Scouts also said he already looks stronger than he did on tape during 2016 and they expect that to improve.
He posted a 4.69 40-yard dash, 37" vertical, and a 10.5" broad jump. Most analysts have him going late first round or early second as a projection. With that, the Panthers are probably getting a look at him in case he were to fall to them in the second round. He's not an option at pick eight.
Written By Tripp Morgan
Follow @TrippMorgan6 and @Cat_Chronicles for the latest news and reports on the Carolina Panthers
Article photo by Jesse Fraetis
Arguably the best tight end in the 2017 draft and fan favorite, O.J. Howard, is scheduled to work out with the Panthers.
Howard went into the combine at 6'6" and weighed 251 lbs, but was able to push out an impressive 4.51- 40 yard dash. Howard is almost assured to be a top 20 pick in the draft with his talent level. According to a report from NFL.com's Connor Orr, Howard is expecting to do a lot of in-line blocking drills with the Panthers, who happen to be his first private workout. Howard has also said he takes pride in blocking, which would play a big part if he were to be on the Panthers offense.
Combine Comparison
— Tripp Morgan (@TrippMorgan6) March 21, 2017
OJ Howard:6'6" 251lbs
40-4.51, vert-30", 3 cone-6.85 BP-22
G. Olsen: 6'5" 255lbs
40-4.51, vert-35.5", 3 cone-7.04 BP-23
Many want to see the Panthers take Howard with the eighth overall pick, allowing for the offense to get back to 2011 form with the Olsen and Shockey duo while also grooming him behind one of the best tight ends in the NFL in Greg Olsen. This may sound good, but recent Rivera statements have hinted otherwise in a presser with Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer.
“You look at what we’ve got, it’s a very deep position for us right now,” Rivera said. “We like the young guys that are trying to be developed. They’re all young guys that fit what we do, know what we do. They’ve been around. So we feel pretty good about that ... but you never know.”
There's no doubt Howard would be a great addition to the Panthers and have some impact immediately, but the fact is there are more needs, some bigger, at other positions.
Written By Tripp Morgan
Follow @TrippMorgan6 and @Cat_Chronicles for the latest news and updates surrounding the Carolina Panthers
Article photo by Jesse Fraetis
The rumor/report, what I call a remort, surfaced on Twitter from @DrafftWire, which noted that they had "heard" that Carolina and San Francisco were interested in trading draft positions.
Read MoreBefore I get to the main points of what I have to say, I just want to mention that the draft is supposed to be a fun time for fans to speculate on how their team will improve and get better so if you don't agree with any of this just remember that we all want to accomplish the same goal of getting the Panthers back to the Super Bowl.
Read MoreWhen 2016 ended, many wondered if Jonathan Stewart would remain a Carolina Panther. The 30-yr old back, who has had a history of injury problems, was slated to make $8.25m. Without knowing the nuances of Stewart's contract,
Read MoreIn 2015, the Tennessee Titans finished 25th in rushing yards per game. In 2014, they ranked 26th in the league. They had been desperately searching for some semblance of a ground attack for years.
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