Speaking of that Tampa Bay offense, Carolina needs to do a much better job on the
defensive side of the ball, especially with the front-seven. In week one, the Raiders and running back Josh Jacobs ran all over us with 3 touchdowns and 93 rushing yards on 25 attempts. The Buccaneers run game wasn’t as successful in their week one loss to New Orleans but Ronald Jones II still had 17 carries for 66 yards, which is very respectable. The Panthers can not take this Tampa team lightly. One skill position player Carolina will be lucky to avoid is wide receiver Chris Godwin, who has been placed in the concussion protocol. In 2019, in their two matchups against Carolina, Godwin had recorded 18 receptions for 272 yards and a touchdown.

I believe this will be a decently high scoring game as both teams did not play well
defensively in week one but I think the turnover battle will decide it. The Panthers forced 0 turnovers and 0 sacks against Las Vegas and that can’t happen this week. They need to generate pass rush and force at least one or two mistakes by Tom Brady.
I can see both teams hitting 20 plus points with one or two defensive plays really deciding the outcome. My overall prediction is that the Panthers will lose 27-23.

#KeepPounding

Head coach Matt Rhule said without OTAs and preseason games in 2020, it is essential to put players in a lot of different in-game situations. In that way, the 89 reps they ran through should be a valuable evaluation tool for the coaching staff.

— Before drills had started, the specialists got some work outside the Atrium Health Dome. Players returned kicks and Joey Syle showed off his leg strength by bombing some kicks through the uprights.

— During practice inside, players went through a fun ball security drill where defenders try to strip the ball from the offense, but running backs like Christian McCaffrey and Mike Davis got to try forcing a fumble as well.

— The first-team offense went against the first-team defense. However, Matt Rhule did instruct the groups to rotate different players in. “Sometimes, you never know what a guy can do until you give him a shot,” Rhule said.

— The first 11-on-11 situation on Tuesday was a traditional move-the-ball drill. Derrick Brown had a nice run stop on McCaffrey on the first play. Robby Anderson also caught a short pass on the right and took it for a big gain with yards after the catch to put the offense in the red zone, but they stalled and settled for a field goal.

— Quarterback Will Grier put together a string of solid reps. Connecting with new WR TommyLee Lewis for an intermediate gain, Grier also showed some wheels on a red-zone play, scrambling inside the 5-yard line and Jordan Scarlett capped off the drive with a touchdown run up the middle. Following the score, the Panthers worked through an extra point, and a kickoff, much like it would be during a real game. Carolina kept that up throughout the session with punts and kicks.

— Defense stole the show today for the Panthers. Cornerback Eli Apple was particularly solid in coverage, and shortly after safety Kenny Robinson caused wide receiver Seth Roberts to fumble, defensive end Brian Burns knocked the ball out of McCaffrey’s hands. McCaffrey has only lost 4 fumbles in his first 3 seasons, so he was able to jump back onto the ball.

— It wasn’t all defense, however, as after a play-action fake, Bridgewater connected with Robby Anderson for a touchdown, floating the ball over Anderson’s shoulder in the end zone.

— P.J. Walker and Seth Roberts also executed for a touchdown in the red zone.

— Walker also connected with newcomer tight end Andrew Vollert over the middle and in for another score.

— During a two-minute drill, safety Juston Burris broke up a pass over the middle. 

— Bridgewater hit wide receiver DJ Moore with a pair of intermediate routes on the left side, both of which stopped the clock and helped put the offense in scoring position. Slye hit a field goal to complete the drive.

— Mike Davis got a few carries in a four-minute offense segment, helping burn time off the clock. Bridgewater tried to scramble for a first down on the left side, his slide was ruled down before he reached the marker.

— The 11-on-11 work finished with a pair of 2-point plays, and the defense won both with strong coverage. Bridgewater had to hold the ball longer than he planned to, and his pass was broken up. Walker tried to make something happen by moving back in the pocket, he was eventually surrounded by defenders and would’ve been sacked by Yetur Gross-Matos.

All in all, a great day for the Carolina Panthers at Training Camp. The team will be off (Wednesday) before returning on Thursday morning.

5: Jeremy Chinn Jr.

I’m very high on Chinn Jr, the 2nd round draft pick the team traded up to select will most likely line up as a Nickel Linebacker/Safety playing close to the line of scrimmage. I strongly believe he’ll be a great player for Carolina and I expect him to make a lot of plays in practice.

4: Ian Thomas

This 2020 season is make or break for Tight End Ian Thomas. With long-time Panthers great Tight End Greg Olsen now in Seattle, Thomas will need to step up. I believe he can but we have to really see it first, so I’d keep a steady eye on how many opportunities he gets in the offense.

3: Jordan Kunaszyk

The undrafted Linebacker from California had shown a lot of good things in last year preseason. He was a fan favorite of many and if the team is going to try and replace Luke Kuechly, a good young guy like Kunaszyk is a great start.

2: Teddy Bridgewater + P.J. Walker

The Panthers have to see during camp, not during the preseason, not during the regular season, if Teddy can really be the quarterback of the team for 2020 and possibly beyond. He has to show he can run and perform the offense that new OC Joe Brady will implement. I would also steadily pay attention to his most likely backup P.J. Walker and what he can do, we had seen alot of great play from Walker in the XFL and would love to him shine here as well.

1: Greg Little

Offensive Tackle Greg Little got riddled with injuries and poor play in his rookie season. I would be very excited to watch him really bounce back and become the future at Left Tackle. I have a lot of faith that his sophomore season will a good one.

Although Carolina might not end up with the best record in 2020, it all starts during camp. Barring any setbacks, I can not wait to watch these guys and everyone on the roster finally getting to play some Panthers football again.

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In 2020, I think D.J. Moore will break out even more as he grows comfortable with Teddy
Bridgewater at QB. DJ, if not for getting injured in week 15, would have had almost 1300 yards and possibly another TD or two. Also his yards/game was 78.3 so averaged out to a full 16 game schedule would’ve given Moore 1253 yards.

I believe Moore will have a great season in 2020 because of new offensive coordinator Joe
Brady as well. Brady is a coach that likes to throw the ball around the field and get his
playmakers the ball in space, while continuing to take a lot of shots down the field. Last week, Brady was asked about D.J. Moore and what he expects out of him this upcoming season. This is what he had to say: “D.J. is a dynamic wide receiver and he was one of the first men I met when I got this job. I’m excited to see this year for him and to establish himself. I have high expectations for D.J. and the type of football player he is. I’m excited to see him develop and I’m excited to see him take his game to the next level.”

The only thing that could hold D.J. Moore back is his ability to score touchdowns. First and
foremost, it starts with getting him more targets in the end zone by Teddy Bridgewater. As good as D.J. Moore has been from goal line to goal line, he has struggled to put six on the board consistently. Through his first two seasons in the league, only six of his 142 catches have gone for touchdowns. If that changes in 2020, D.J. Moore will be a dangerous receiver to opposing teams defensive backs.

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Coming off a historic 2019 season, I think McCaffrey’s numbers will decrease but only slightly; Christian will still be an All-Pro and be in the running for OPOTY once again.

Most Overrated: S Justin Burris.

The Panthers drafted DB Jeremy Chinn Jr. In the second round and during training camp/preseason i can see Chinn Jr. easily beating him out for the starting Strong Safety spot. I don’t trust Burris in run defence or pass defence right now, now he could change my mind but i would rather want the young development player to start.

Most Underrated: WR Curtis Samuel.

If Teddy can complete even half the missed deep ball throws Kyle Allen had missed in 2019, Samuel will still have a very sold underrated season, I’m predicting around 60 combined touches for 750+ yards and 11 total touchdowns.

Key New Addition: DT Derrick Brown.

The seventh overall pick Derrick Brown will make the most day one impact on the defensive line and in 2020 we should see the run defence improve greatly from almost dead last in 2019.

Key Loss in Free Agency: DE Mario Addison.

With long time Panther Mario Addison now on to the Buffalo Bills, I can see Carolina struggle to get a consistent Pass rush from anyone but Brian Burns, leading to a lot of double teams on him and Kawann Short.

Biggest Surprise: QB Teddy Bridgewater.

A lot of people have almost completely ruled Teddy Bridgewater playing well in 2020, saying because of him the team will finish 3-13 or worse. The Teddy Bridgewater that I seen with New Orleans in 2019, if he plays near that level, he could play the team to a 6-10/7-9 record.

Takes the Biggest Leap: DE Brian Burns.

Brian Burns will need to take this leap forward with Mario Addison’s production now gone, i believe that he will have atleast 9 sacks, 12 TFL, and be an absolute force against opposing Right Tackles in 2020.

Prove It Year: CB Donte Jackson.

There isn’t anyone else that needs to prove that he can be an outside cornerback more than Donte, he hasn’t shown he can yet, flashing his talent but the limitations in his technique have held him back. With new defensive coordinators and other coaching changes, now in his third season, I’m hoping they can help Jackson really tap into that potential we all had seen in 2018.

Written by: Colin Massey

@carolinapantherscanada

As a reminder, all trades made on draft night within the top ten selections will still be included. The 2012 was loaded with quality quarterbacks, while also fielding some of today’s NFL defensive superstars.

This was extremely difficult, as the amount of defensive talent in this draft is incomparable to any other, so here are a few honorable mentions to this draft list just to show you how deep this draft went: Fletcher Cox, Josh Norman, Dont’a Hightower, Melvin Ingram, Whitney Mercilus, and Janoris Jenkins.

That is right, all those top-tier defensive players did not make the top ten. That just shows how stacked this class was.

The 2012 NFL Re-Draft is open, and the Colts are on the clock.

1: Indianapolis Colts: Russell Wilson, QB

Easily the top quarterback in this class. I like the original pick with Andrew Luck, but Luck’s retirement pushes Wilson to the top slot. Unlike in Seattle, Wilson will be able to have a strong run game, and have protection, thus making him more dominant than ever.

2: Washington Redskins: Luke Keuchly, LB

While they originally went with RGIII, I believe they should have gone elsewhere. While Luke Keuchly might have retired this offseason, he is still the best defensive player in this class. The Redskins defense has been lacking for many years now, but this all changes when they get Keuchly.

3: Cleveland Browns: Bobby Wagner, LB

Bobby Wagner might have the closest skillset to Keuchly not just in this class, but in the NFL as a whole. Wagner is a tackle machine, and this pick would be a complete reversal in impact on the team compared to Trent Richardson. Wagner would become a fan-favorite in Cleveland, and potentially even lead them to success.

4: Minnesota Vikings: David Decastro, OG

The Vikings went offensive line in the original draft, so I decided to stick with the same position despite there being better talent still left on the board. DeCastro is a great lineman who was rock-solid guarding Big Ben. Kirk Cousins will be lucky to have a strong line revolving around this guy.

5: Jacksonville Jaguars: T.Y. Hilton, WR

They went with J. Blackmon with the original pick. I like keeping the picks in the same position, so the Jaguars in this redraft will select the top wide receiver from this class T.Y. Hilton. If only he had a good quarterback to throw to him.

6: Dallas Cowboys: Stephon Gilmore, CB

Gilmore is easily the top cornerback in this class, and is potentially the best cornerback in the league. Gilmore solidifies the Cowboys’ secondary, which would be a better pick than Morris Claiborne.

7: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Harrison Smith, SS

The hard hitting safety is just what the Buccaneers need. Smith has dominated the competition, and his power is no match to anyone else. Smith could have been the next Ronde Barber, but instead, he is dominating on the Vikings.

8: Miami Dolphins: Chandler Jones, DE

The Dolphins get a great pass rusher in Chandler Jones. In Arizona, he and Patrick Peterson were able to lead a very solid defensive unit. The Dolphins have many holes, but they cover a big one with Jones.

9: Carolina Panthers: Lavonte David, LB

With Keuchley off the board in this redraft, the Panthers need to take the next best available linebacker. David may not be Luke Keuchly, but David’s versatility and IQ make him worthy of being selected at the ninth slot.

10: Buffalo Bills: Casey Heyward, CB

The Bills originally went with Gilmore here, so they now need to find a different cornerback to select. While Josh Norman and Janoris Jenkins are great players, I believe that Casey Heyward would fit in well in Buffalo.

Round 1 Pick 2, Redskins: DE, Chase Young, Ohio State

Round 1 Pick 3, Lions: CB, Jeff Okudah, Ohio State

Round 1 Pick 4, Giants: LB, Isaiah Simmons, Clemson

Round 1 Pick 5, Dolphins: QB, Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama

Round 1 Pick 6, Chargers: QB, Justin Herbert, Oregon

Round 1 Pick 7, Panthers: DT, Derick Brown, Auburn

Round 1 Pick 8, Cardinals: OL, Tristan Wirfs, Iowa

Round 1 Pick 9, Jaguars: CB, C.J Henderson, Florida

Round 1 Pick 10, Browns: OL, Andrew Thomas, Georgia

Round 1 Pick 11, Jets: WR, CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma

Round 1 Pick 12, Raiders: WR, Jerry Jeudy, Alabama

Round 1 Pick 13, 49ers: WR, Henry Ruggs III, Alabama

Round 1 Pick 14, Buccaneers: OL, Jedrick Willis, Alabama

Round 1 Pick 15 Broncos: DT, Javon Kinlaw, South Carolina

Round 1 Pick 16, Falcons: OL, Mekhi Becton, Louisville

Round 1 Pick 17, Cowboys: LB, K’lavon Chaisson, Louisiana

Round 1 Pick 18, Dolphins: Safety, Xavier McKinney, Alabama

Round 1 Pick 19, Raiders: LB, Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma

Round 1 Pick 20, Jaguars: Safety, Grant Delpit, Louisiana

Round 1 Pick 21, Eagles: WR, Justin Jefferson, Louisiana

Round 1 Pick 22, Vikings: WR, Denzel Mims, Baylor

Round 1 Pick 23, Patriots: DE, AJ Epenesa, Iowa

Round 1 Pick 24, Saints: QB, Jordan Love, Utah

Round 1 Pick 25, Vikings: CB, Kristian Fulton, Louisiana

Round 1 Pick 26, Dolphins: OL, Austin Jackson, Southern California

Round 1 Pick 27, Seahawks: LB, Zach Baun, Wisconsin

Round 1 Pick 28, Ravens: LB, Patrick Queen, Louisiana

Round 1 Pick 29, Titans: CB, Jeff Gladney, TCU

Round 1 Pick 30, Packers: WR, Tee Higgins, Clemson

Round 1 Pick 31, 49ers: OL, Cesar Ruiz, Michigan

Round 1 Pick 32, Chiefs: CB, Trevon Diggs, Alabama

The 2017 NFL Draft was loaded with superstars ranging in all positions. This draft class included offensive superstars such as Christian Mcafferey, George Kittle, and Chris Godwin; but, also includes defensive pro-bowlers in Jamal Adams, Myles Garrett, and Tre’Davious White.

This re-draft will include all draft day trades. Plus, not all selections were based on skill: it depends on replicability at the position. For example, if this re-draft was purely based on skill, then close to half of the top ten picks would have been a runningback.

Now that the perameters have been set, let us re-draft:

1: Cleveland Browns: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Texas Tech

After being benched behind Alex Smith in his rookie season, Patrick Mahomes has played two star seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs. In this timespan, Mahomes has won the NFL’s MVP award, and most recently a Super Bowl victory, to name a few of Mahomes’ many achievements. The Chiefs made what will eventually be considered as the best move in their franchise’s history by trading to the 10th pick for Mahomes, nabbing the best player in the NFL. However, in this re-draft, the Browns decide to pick Mahomes instead of star defensive end Myles Garrett.

2: Chicago Bears: Myles Garrett, DE, Texas A&M

While Garrett’s season was cut short due to his incident involving Mason Rudolph in a regular season game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, let that not undercut Garrett’s talent. Garrett was more than well-deserving of the first-overall pick, but having the generational talent in Mahomes forces Garrett to move down a spot. The only reason I do not have Deshaun Watson landing here is because I think the Bears stick with Mike Glennon after signing him to a ridiculously large deal that offseason.

3: San Fransisco 49ers: George Kittle, TE, Iowa

While we all like to think of the Niners defense as formidable, it was not thanks to the likes of Soloman Thomas. But, that does not mean the Niners did this draft wrong, as they selected George Kittle in the fifth round. In this redraft, the Niners decide to select Kittle with their first round pick, and wait until the later rounds before even considering Thomas. Kittle has been an unstoppable force ever since being drafted into the league. At this point in time, the Niners have many holes, including quarterback, but they wait to get a quarterback until trading for Jimmy Garropolo. Kittle provides their team a dynamic blocker as well as a receiving threat that will scare defenses for weeks to come.

4: Jacksonville Jaguars: Christian Mccaffrey, HB, Stanford

The Jaguars initially selected Leanard Fournette at this spot. While I think this was a great fit, I believe that the Jaguars could have gone with a better running back. With uncertainty with Blake Bortles at quarterback, Mccaffrey will be playing in a nearly identical situation to the one he is currently in with the Panthers. Overall, CMC is a much better fit with this squad then Fournette is.

5: Tennessee Titans: T.J. Watt, EDGE, Wisconsin

Watt has improved in every season he has played, and has become a Defensive Player of the Year candidate with the Steelers. The Titans went with Corey Davis with this pick, which proved to be bust-worthy, especially now that they have a run-dominated offense with Derrick Henry. The Titans in this redraft go with defense, deciding between Jamal Adams and Watt. They eventually go with Watt, showing that they are confident in their safety group that is lead by Kevin Byard.

6: New York Jets: Jamal Adams, S, LSU

It is not often that in a redraft, a team goes with the same guy they went with in the actual draft. Even though there is uncertainty in his future with the Jets this offseason, the smart move is to keep their pick with Adams going at 6.

7: Los Angeles Chargers: Chris Godwin, WR, Penn State

While this may seem as a surprise to many, I think that the Chargers picking Godwin would be perfect. They initially went with Mike Williams, who they had hoped would provide Philip Rivers with a solid WR2 option. This would have spread the field more, allowing their star WR Keenan Allen and TE Hunter Henry to have more open space, creating more big plays. Williams has been a good pick, posting solid numbers when healthy. But, in comparison to Godwin’s breakout season, Williams stands no match. Chargers stick with a wideout here.

8: Carolina Panthers: Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama

Ever since the departure of Josh Norman and the rest of the core 15-1 Panther squad, the defense has been lacking in overall talent in exception to newly retired LB Luke Kuechly. This class features many great cornerbacks, including Tre’Davious White, and Marshon Lattimore. But, I am going with Humphrey. Since 2017, Humphrey has been hawking every pass thrown to him down, breaking up 47 passes, ranking fourth since he was drafted into the league.

9: Cincinnati Bengals: Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU

Like I mentioned in the previous selection, this class is loaded with studs at cornerback. The Bengals in the actual draft went with John Ross, going for a speedy wideout to be opposite to AJ Green. Ross has been plagued with injuries, making him not worthy of this selection. The Bengals secondary has been abysmal at best, so they take Pro-Bowl cornerback White at this pick. However, this Bengals team is still far from where they have to be, and even with the selection of White, I would still see the Bengals winding up with the first pick in tomorrow’s draft.

10: Kansas City Chiefs: Deshaun Watson, QB, Clemson

Those that are reading this, I know you are confused. The Chiefs trading to this pick for the fundamental purpose of drafting Patrick Mahomes. That is true. But, they still believe that they have their guy in Watson. While Watson might not be at the same level as Mahomes, Watson would play perfect to this speedy team. Andy Reid would style a playbook that would revolve lots of play-action, screens to both running backs and wide receivers, and QB runs, similar to the current Chiefs playbook. In my mind, this would be a no-brainer trade the Chiefs make to pick Watson.

Quarterback Cam Newton gave anything and everything to get back onto the field and prove his worth to the Panthers, all he wanted was a little bit of commitment from the team. The team never had his back through his injuries in 2019, it shows now that we wanted him out before the reports even got serious. In a Instagram post Newton has said “they gave up on me”, that five word sentence has stuck with me, i just can’t get the idea of a franchise giving up on a player that had never once to a chance to give up on them, it burns me knowing that we’ll never be back to the superbowl with the man that said we would be. I was definitely tired of hearing all the reports of Cam, regardless of what they said about him. In a way I’m glad it’s over but the how it ended, was the worse way it could’ve. Not only did the Panthers not get anything for the QB, they ruined the relationship with Cam and tainted the relationship with his fans forever.

Where does Carolina go from here at QB? A new quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater, who has been officially signed to a 3-year deal, worth 63 million. Carolina also has 2019 third-round pick Will Grier, Grier can hopefully develop a lot and i want to see a lot of that improvement in the preseason. The 3rd string QB at the moment would be XFL MVP P.J. Walker who in 5 games (all wins) had 15 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions. I’m really excited to watch Walker in our offence and i think even though i have claimed he’s the 3rd stringer, i don’t see any reason why we won’t see P.J. compete for the starting job in 2020.

Anthony Harris in 2019 was one of the better Safeties in the league with 60 tackles, 11 pass deflections, 6 interceptions and was a top tier cover safety. As a result of his incredible season, the 28 year old Harris is about to be properly compensated in free agency. He’s projected to go from making a grand total of $5.3m over his first five years to receiving $13-14m annually on a new multi-year deal, placing him among the likes of Tyrann Mathieu and Earl Thomas. The Vikings can’t pay Harris $13-14m because they have around/under $2m in cap space. Could Carolina offer that deal and make Harris one of the highest paid safeties in the league?

I think so, with James Bradberry and Tre Boston both most likely leaving to new teams for 2020, Harris is very versatile and he can play CB or FS but he would probably be better at FS with the Panthers. I think this would be a great move for Carolina, we need to rebuild the defence and I strongly believe Anthony Harris should be a part of it.