What’s going on in Charlotte with the Panthers these days?

I want to start here. There was a time where you would be in charge of somebody's Hall of Fame candidacy, correct? That is correct, and you know it's interesting you say that because there's a piece just posted on panthers.com about that very topic and what it means for future panthers candidacies. How about that?

How about the dumb luck of me? All right, so look, I was trying to hurry and finish that so I could sit out on my porch in the sun and talk to you about it. I mean that was the real motivating factor. Very nice. So by the way, who is your piece about? I mean is it about Julius Peppers? It focuses on Julius Peppers and effectively, and I don't want to give the whole thing away, but basically if Demarcus Ware is the second ballot Hall of Famer and Jason Taylor a few years ago was the first, it feels pretty apparent that Julius's chances next year are very very good. Yes, it's it's it's but Peppers, Peppers was an awesome awesome football player.

Yeah he was, I mean and again without putting too fine a point on it because I don't want to give away all the good stuff. I want people to go to panthers.com and read this fine piece and enjoy it this weekend, but Julius also had the benefit of longevity. I mean there are very few players who were able to make an all decade team once.

Julius did it twice. He was dominant in the 2000s and the 2010s and I just, like I said, I think we've worried about this for a little bit based on some weirdo Hall of Fame candidacies, but I believe that a man who is fourth on the all-time sack list behind only Bruce Smith, Reggie White and Kevin Green should probably cruise in pretty soon here. No, I don't think there's any doubt that he's going to be a Hall of Famer. What are you what are your thoughts on Steve Smith? Again, when we found out last night that none of the receivers in this year's class made it through, I think it just kind of pushes him out another year, honestly. I mean until we figure out, and I say we as the committee is one of the 49 people who vote on that thing, until we figure out what to do with Reggie Wayne and Tori Holt and Andre Johnson, it's going to be hard for any other receiver and Steve's been a semifinalist the last two years. If Fitzgerald will come up in a couple years and then a bunch of guys with big numbers coming after him until we figure this one out, it's just going to get tougher and tougher for any other receivers. I mean I was in there about 10 years or so ago when we were stuck for three years with Chris Carter and Andre Reed and Tim Brown, and for three years none of them got through and until Chris Carter finally broke the log jam and then they went bing bing bing right in order.

So I think a similar thing's going to have to happen for Steve to make any headway. I think he deserves to, I think he deserves to be in the final 15 at least if not in the hall sooner rather than later simply because of his resume. I mean if you look at Steve's numbers, they're certainly deserving and again you can see all those numbers in tabulated form at panthers.com. Another reason I ask this question is that like I'm an unabashed Tory Holt fan as much personally as I am what he did as a wide receiver and he got you know he's at the altar again and I mean personally I think there are wide receivers in the Hall of Fame that he is better than and I can't, I have no concept as to why we're still waiting here especially in a year where the only offensive player elected was an offensive tackle and I'm not saying anybody on that list is undeserving.

These guys are all deserving. I mean I had no problem with anybody who's in. And one of the tricky parts of this discussion every year is I mean you mentioned yeah there's four defensive players and an offensive lineman. Well there's 22 starting positions on the field and they give us five spots for modern candidates each year so everybody doesn't get one every year. So I mean it's it's a tricky balance and we've sort of pushed through some of the old prejudices. I mean along a few years ago safeties weren't getting to the Hall of Fame terribly often. The last few years you know you've seen Laura Duntler, John Lynch and some others go through. Darren Woodson's a finalist again after a while so I think you know the committee over time kind of like those Super Bowl overs over time reaches a certain stasis that we like.

I mean time solves a lot of problems it always has and I think in time this thing will balance out. I mean I truly if you wanted to tell me that next year's Hall of Fame class was those three wide receivers Julius Peppers and somebody else that makes as much sense to me as anything. Just like the Panthers draft a few years ago was only defense maybe we will have a class that's only wide receivers. Go for it and Julius Peppers once played some wide receivers. I was reminiscing about that the other day in the office in 04 against New England when they tried to use them as a goal line wide receiver. Didn't quite work out and really only made Steve Smith mad but um beyond that it's uh yeah I mean I and that could be it.

I don't know if the committee has the constitution to send three players of the same position through in one year but it based on based on some of the things we're looking at in the future that could be the case. Darren Gantt panthers.com is joining us here I would just I wonder if Steve Smith expressed his anger to Julius Peppers or maybe I kind of kept it on the on the low. Well I tell you what he did do when they pulled him out of that game to put Julius in against the the Patriots here in 04. He ripped his helmet off with two hands and flung it down to the turf and and it bounced and almost killed security guard J.C. Felder who was standing on the sidelines right in the path of a helmet that was thrown with some degree of intent.

Wow that would have been a he definitely would have gotten fined for that. Uh all right broad question when you look at this matchup between the Eagles and the Chiefs your thoughts. I I think Chiefs I lean Chiefs but I also have to raise my hand and say I thought the other two teams were going to be playing in this game so I mean you don't rely on me for gambling advice right why I don't invest in these markets. Um it's it's tricky to me because the Eagles are on such a role and they've got such a good roster and they're so deep in so many places uh any team is vulnerable if their third and fourth quarterbacks go out with injury during a game the way San Francisco did that's the team I thought was going to plow straight through this thing. I just love the way they could beat people up on both sides of the ball and certainly once Purdy and Josh Johnson go out the other week I mean that kind of doomed them but when you look at what Philadelphia has done it's hard not to be impressed by how deep that roster is but I just don't want to be the idiot who doesn't think Patrick Mahomes is going to do Patrick Mahomes things I just I'm I'm convinced he has he has got this in him I think there's some silly people out there who wonder you know oh he's only won one are you kidding me it's really hard to win one and and what they've done this year um offensively in the face of getting rid of a Tyreek Hill I mean it's just been astounding and it just kind of cements the fact to me that in a generation where we've got a lot of good young quarterbacks he's him as the kids say yeah although Joe Burrow uh said actually I guess him also him more than one people can be him that is there's man we do have some great young quarterbacks coming in we're not going to talk about the panthers quarterback situation except I will ask you one question about about the upcoming draft uh before we get out of here Darren Gant from panthers.com is joining us um but Jalen Hurts while maybe not him is in you know he's a he isn't he yeah he's pretty good he's pretty good I mean I I think there are people in the league who use the phrase he's a win with or a win because of and and clearly Patrick Mahomes is a win because of but I think Jalen Hurts is absolutely a win with I mean you can win with that guy especially when you've got a roster like they've got I mean I just again the guy who's him in Philadelphia is Howie Roseman I mean when you watch the offensive line that that allows him you you've got the kind of flexibility to go out and make a trade for an AJ Brown and still the kind of cap room to go get Hassan Redick I mean those were impact players that they brought in to supplement what was an ascending core a year ago but it just you know went in there and took big cuts and they all hit they don't always I mean sometimes teams go out and make big moves and spend a bunch of money the eagles have done that before and it hadn't quite worked out I remember Vince Young and the dream team but it's this year the job Roseman's done putting that thing together has been amazing and Hurts is enough of a quarterback to make all that stuff work I think he's he's done a good job of knowing who he is and he you know they've done a good job of stripping things down and keeping it I don't want if you say keeping it simple that almost takes away from what Jalen's been able to do it's not like he's just a passenger out there he's affecting some of this but yeah I mean he is he is quickly moving up from oh sure second round pick you know throw any old rookie in there and see what happens to a guy who is affecting change oh there's there's no question in the style of offense that they run and the way that he impacts that is a huge part of what they do and he doesn't have to be the quarterback that drops back 30 times a game and picks a defensive part they're not asking him to do that so he's perfect for what they do right which the fit matters doesn't it yeah it absolutely does and and you you and I have had this conversation before my personal belief is that if I was a GM I'd never give a quarterback a second contract and Jalen Hurts is kind of evidence of what you can do when you rely on all the other goodies that you can get when you've got one on rookie scale deal I mean now that plan works until you draft Patrick Mahomes and then what do you do with him after seven years but you know I would trade him for a whole bunch of goodies is the answer and go get me another cheap one or two so um and all kind of other good stuff but anyway yes Jalen Hurts quite good Patrick Mahomes great and that's probably the simple version of the way I lean the way I lean Jeffrey Lurie the owner of the Eagles has already said that he Jalen Hurts has already proven who he is they're going to pay Jalen Hurts a fair amount of money and my opinion of the NFL salary cap is that it's at minimum 70 million dollars too small that it probably could could extend another hundred million that would enable teams to pay the other guys and pay their quarterbacks a lot of money if they wanted but then quarterbacks will just make 85 million a year as opposed to 35 to 40 million dollars yeah and that's coming just wait until after this year when them new broadcast fields kick in yeah but the the salary cap isn't going to go up that much we we all know how these people operate um there again panthers.com what do you think they'll do with number nine in panther time are are we sure it's going to be number nine I think I you know I I think you've got to I think it's pretty clear based on the way Dave Tepper operated a coaching search this year which unlike three years ago I would say was professionally and deeply and you know he's profoundly committed to doing offense modernly for a change so I I think by going out conducting a thorough search finding Frank Reich we're still waiting to see what some of those key positions on that offensive coaching staff's going to be but I you know there's some reason to be encouraged by a few of the names I've heard and I I think when you do that when you go that direction you have to think about trying to get in play for one of these young quarterbacks I mean is that CJ Strout is that Price Young is it will live assistant Anthony Richardson I think you know depending on which one of those guys you're talking about you may have to make a move up maybe a significant move up and I think you've got to consider all that stuff I mean I I just don't think you build it this way and getting a spot where you're in where you finally got an offensive line I figure Bradley Boseman probably ends up back here mostly because he wants to be and yeah I figure they'll work something out there that's just me guessing not breaking news or anything like that but I think when you build this place where it's pretty pretty stable for a change in front of a young quarterback if it comes time to make that move you you do it again look at Jalen Hurts rookie quarterbacks can do good things in this system and or in this in this setting I I should say not this system because we don't know specifically what the Frank Wright system is going to look like I think it's going to be dictated by which one of them quarterbacks it happens to be but I I think it is reasonable to suggest they are interested in one of those four young gentlemen and depending on which one strikes their fancy may uh have to make a move do you think that one of the quarterbacks that ended the season on the roster will start the season on the next one with one of the best savings rates in America banking with Capital One is the easiest decision in the history of decisions even easier than choosing slash to be in your band next up for lead guitar you're in cool yep even easier than that and with no fees or minimums on checking and savings accounts is it even a decision that's banking reimagined what's in your wallet terms apply see capitalone.com slash bank for details Capital One and a member fdic membership fees apply after free trial cancel any time can I be real for a second that goal you have to exercise and eat better you really can do it but nobody is going to do it for you and nobody is going to do it for you and nobody has to because you can do it if you have the right tools and a community that cares about helping you get results and that's us Beachbody it's as convenient as your tv or laptop but you need to decide that you're worth it let us help you succeed here's how go to beachbody.com to claim your free membership and start feeling great uh well Matt Corral I mean he was on injured reserve he'll probably be on the roster yeah he'll probably be on the roster I'm sure he will will Sam Darnold or PJ Walker be here um maybe one of them I think it kind of depends I mean I think um you know there's some other free agents out there and I think if you believe as most people do that they're going to draft a quarterback you're going to want some kind of bridge veteran bridge veteran is that Sam Darnold possibly I think he played creditably and competently coming down the stretch in the last six games um is that Jacoby Bressett or somebody like that who Frank knows from the cult that you know it could be a one of those people it's like ordering off a Chinese menu you pick one from column A one from column B um you know you're going to need one of them column B guys like Bressett like Sam you know maybe PJ's that guy PJ's also a former Frank Reich uh player he was there uh when Andrew Luck decided it a couple weeks before the season that he was retired so um yeah I mean there there's a bunch of possibilities and and I think they will need somebody who has shown some degree of being able to start some games and I think each of those three names we just mentioned has done that in the past Darren Gant enjoy the Super Bowl with no pressure uh and we'll keep checking out what the old guy has to say at panthers.com at Darren Gant with two Ts for extra talent uh my friend happy Super Bowl Sunday yeah I appreciate it it's it's America's national holiday and all we are is one we're really only a couple years away from this thing getting pushed back another week so it's own president's day weekend and that way we can all have Monday off too that is true well some of us will not have Monday off but that's fine uh I don't want to be off the day after the Super Bowl we have things to talk about well that's fair too hashtag content exactly hashtag work ethic uh Darren take care man see y'all you got it he's the best with one of the best savings rates in America banking with Capital One is the easiest decision in the history of decisions even easier than choosing slash to be in your band next up for lead guitar you're in cool yep even easier than that and with no fees or minimums on checking and savings accounts is it even a decision that's banking reimagined what's in your wall terms apply see capitalone.com bank for details Capital One and a member fdic