Teams Carolina Panthers - Cardiac Cats

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Panthers like NFL legacies – and Christian McCaffrey is just one of them

BY JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@charlotteobserver.com



When the Carolina Panthers picked Christian McCaffrey eighth overall in last month’s draft, much was made of McCaffrey’s strong football lineage.

But there are NFL legacies dotting the Panthers’ roster.

McCaffrey is one of two Carolina rookies whose fathers preceded them in the NFL. Ed McCaffrey won three Super Bowls as a rangy receiver during a 13-year career.

Undrafted defensive lineman Bryan Cox Jr.’s dad played 12 seasons, making three Pro Bowls, winning a Super Bowl and donating $150,000 to former commissioner Paul Tagliabue’s charitable causes in the form of fines.

They join a handful of returning Panthers’ players who grew up around the game, thanks to their dads.

Ryan and Matt Kalil used to do offensive line drills led by their dad, Frank Kalil, a center who was in training camp with Buffalo before playing several seasons in the USFL.

Defensive end Larry Webster’s father, also named Larry, played 11 years in the NFL and won a Super Bowl ring with Baltimore in 2001.

Cam Newton’s dad, Cecil, didn’t make an active roster. But he tried out for the Cowboys after wrapping up his college career at Savannah State.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he likes having former players’ sons on the roster for the same reason he likes having players, such as tight end Greg Olsen, whose dads were coaches: They understand the game.

“They’ve been around it most of their lives and I think that really helps when it’s time to compete,” Rivera said recently. “They’re really all about it because they’ve been around it so much.”

And the downside?

“That they’ve been around it so much,” Rivera said.

“At some point it could be a burden. Guys might want to get away from it for a little bit. I always think it’s a plus, that you have a guy that either the mother or father competed at a very high level.”

Bryan Cox Sr., the former NFL linebacker and assistant coach, said the children of ex-players usually have access to the best training facilities and have fathers who understand how to be well positioned for the college recruiting and NFL pre-draft processes.

McCaffrey, whose brother Max is a Packers receiver, says he wasn’t old enough to appreciate his father’s career – at least while Ed McCaffrey was still active.

”I was born in ’96. He retired in ’03. So I was like 5 or 6 when he retired,” Christian McCaffrey said. “I remember little glimpses, but not a whole lot.”
 
The Charlotte Observer believes OT Michael Oher's (concussion) time with the Panthers appears "just about done."

This is speculative, but Oher is trending in the wrong direction going into minicamp. Oher hasn't been in contact with the Panthers in over a month and recently suggested he's not over his concussion symptoms. The Panthers could be forced to turn to rookie Taylor Moton or Daryl Williams if Oher can't get cleared.

Source: Joe Person on Twitter
 
GG.exe said:
The Charlotte Observer believes OT Michael Oher's (concussion) time with the Panthers appears "just about done."

This is speculative, but Oher is trending in the wrong direction going into minicamp. Oher hasn't been in contact with the Panthers in over a month and recently suggested he's not over his concussion symptoms. The Panthers could be forced to turn to rookie Taylor Moton or Daryl Williams if Oher can't get cleared.

Source: Joe Person on Twitter
Click to expand...

Our edges are a worry, bugger all depth, interior has some really good players and backups, but our LT and RT depth chart is hideous.

Matt Kalil is going to have to play every game this year and return to his rookie year form, im not a fan of Williams so here's hoping Moton can step up at RT but its a lot to ask of a first year player.

Spinning this into a positive, hopefully we have enough money when Oher comes off our books to re-sign Turner, would be shattered if we lost him but when you hear that he will be the highest paid guard in the NFL you have to wonder if we can afford to keep him. I would have preferred us not taking the option on Benjamin's 5th year for a bit more flexability going into next off season, but then again its not like we are deep at WR either.
 
NFL.com's Ian Rapoport believes ex-Panthers GM Marty Hurney could replace Dave Gettleman on an interim basis.

The Charlotte Observer's Joseph Person first floated the idea on Twitter, and Rapoport weighed in saying it's "definitely a consideration." If true, it's a ludicrous consideration. Hurney left the Panthers in salary cap hell, tying one hand behind Gettleman's back. Hurney's October 2012 firing was richly deserved. (Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams disagree.) Owner Jerry Richardson would be taking a time machine back to an era of football he needs to forget.


Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter
Jul 17 - 2:48 PM
 
The Charlotte Observer reports fired Panthers GM Dave Gettleman was "not interested" in giving disgruntled TE Greg Olsen an extension.

Per reporter Joseph Person, Gettleman found it unnecessary since Olsen was just given a three-year, $22 million extension in 2015. Olsen has been making noise about a holdout, and owner Jerry Richardson seems to have grown sensitive to the perception that Gettleman was cold-hearted with veteran players. It's true that he was, but it's also true that it's a necessary evil for any winning NFL franchise. Olsen's odds of getting extended are much greater than they were 24 hours ago.


Source: Charlotte Observer
Jul 17 - 1:54 PM
 
Panthers fired GM Dave Gettleman.

To call this move shocking would be an understatement. The Panthers suffered through a disappointing 6-10 season in 2016, but they went to the playoffs in Gettleman's other three years in charge including a Super Bowl berth in 2015. Gettleman is a respected talent evaluator who drafted well in Carolina. All of that suggests something behind the scenes prompted this move. It is worth noting star TE Greg Olsen has thrown around the idea of a holdout, LB Thomas Davis is entering his contract year, and Gettleman did not handle the departures of either Steve Smith or Josh Norman particularly well, a fact NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports bothered owner Jerry Richardson. Brandon Beane, who likely would have been the top in-house replacement, accepted the Bills' GM job in May.
Related: Panthers

Source: panthers.com
Jul 17 - 12:28 PM
 
I was so excited about the potential our offense had with some new weapons but both tackle spots are still pretty ordinary. Cam has been way off due to his shoulder injury over the off season. Now with the Olsen injury it will be interesting to see how we go.
 

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Honestly thought CMC was waaaaay overhyped in the preseason, a couple of nice things here & there but nothing world-beating.

Anyway, great to grind out a win today, shades of 2013. Needing a few things to click, but hey 2-0!
 
Here's hoping Jed Yorke goes on another firing spree and gives Shanahan the arse ASAP, imagine the things he could do with our offense.

The lack of creativity is just pathetic, using McCaffery as in between the tackles runner is a sure fire way to shorten his career and take away all the talent he does have in a hurry.

Cam's drop off is a slight concern, but like most of you I'm just hoping its rust and he will get better as the season goes along, but the play calling needs to be changed in a hurry. Unfortunately if the team keeps winning nothing will probably change even though it needs to ASAP.
 
Bucking Beads said:
Should have moved on Shula at the end of last season. Matt Kalil was pretty ordinary against the Bills too.
Click to expand...

Yup, can't believe near every Carolina supporter knows how crap he is but Richardson kept him and fired Gettleman cause he didn't wana give vet players bigger contracts (proven DG was right already via Olsen injury??)

Im willing to give the o-line a bit of a break without the heartbeat of it, Ryan, not out there yesterday, looked good with him in it against what i think is a better D-Line in week 1 vs SanFran than what we faced yesterday.
 
Really ordinary performance yesterday. The defense showed they aren't as good as they thought. Brees picked us apart with ease. Offense is obviously a massive problem. A whole heap of issues and the biggest one being Cam Newton. He shouldn't be playing at all TBH. Shula has gotta go FFS. Jonathan Stewart had 2 carries in the second half yesterday. That is crazy
 
EFL Boy said:
He simply isn't a pocket passer & they're continuing to try mould him into one. I get the injury risk and everything, teach the man how to slide, he's only valuable to us as a dual-threat QB.
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Spot on, if he has a shorter career than most franchise qb's then so be it.

He will never be a pocket passer. Trying to turn him into one just makes us a predictable team with a guy who can't complete passes at a good enough rate to be a winning team.
 
Ive honestly had enough, it appears he will never grow up. There's only so many excuses that can be made for his behaviour, today's performance there are no excuses for, i mean he didn't even give her an apology when she went and asked for one, then when i read this:

Rodrigue ended by asking Newton – whom she had introduced herself to on the first day of her employment with The Observer in October 2016 – if he knew her name after she had covered the team almost every day for the past year.

Newton said he did not.

“Jourdan Rodrigue, Charlotte Observer,” she said, and then walked away.

Seriously, i dont know anymore, leaves me dumbfounded at how anyone could be so self centred and ignorant. Makes it really hard to support my team when you have someone like this as the face of the franchise.
 

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