Are the Panthers ready to decide?

You're still the reigning until they give out these awards in in a few weeks. So I'm always proud to mention that for you.

All right, sir. Do you think all of the Panthers work is done? I do for the quarterback position and the number one pick I do. Um, I I've had people tell me that different people, these aren't people in the building, but high ranking officials for other teams that were on the pro day circuit with the Panthers, that they felt like this was pretty wrapped up at the end of the pro days and that the Panthers had zeroed in on on this one. Bryce Young at that point.

Now, did they still have some other things to, to, to, you know, kind of, uh, wrap up, so to speak? Yeah, they were bringing each of those guys in for top 30 visits, for instance. And, um, you know, Bryce Young and Anthony Richardson came in last week. And then on Tuesday of this week, Will Levis and CJ Stroud came in on the same day, which I thought kind of was telling in its own self.

Right? Neither of them got their own day, but, um, I, I just think, I think all of us early on in the process, we're trying to connect the dots to a big quarterback because that's Frank Riggs history, right? And I, I'm, I'm as guilty of it as anyone. And I think maybe we were overlooking what a special player that Bryce young is. And I, I mean, I've had multiple people tell me, uh, you know, even at the beginning, like on March 10th, when, when they made this trade with Chicago, that Bryce young was the type of quarterback he traded up for.

But, um, the, the, the size is an issue and it will always be an issue. Um, you know, unless or until Bryce young, you know, proves he can play at a high level and stay healthy, much like Russell Wilson has done. I, I didn't, I guess I should have known this, Adam. I looked up Russell's numbers a few days ago. He's played, uh, played in 173 of a possible 178 games.

And in the post season, he's played the equivalent of another season, 16 games of playoff games. And so Russell's built a little thicker than Bryce young, but you know, it's, it's about as close as a comparison in addition to Kyler Murray that, that we can get to in modern times. You know, what's interesting though, about Russell Wilson and I watched him play in college here until he decided he wanted to play at Wisconsin after, well, we don't have to get into the whole story with Tom O'Brien, but it's not, it's not nefarious. Um, maybe more so with Russell than it is with Tom. Uh, but Russell didn't take a lot of big shots and I think the same thing, and I've only watched Bryce young play for two college seasons. I don't see him taking a lot of big hits. The only time he got hurt was when he was trying to scramble for extra yards and he got hit on the sidelines. Uh, but he has not, I mean, he's been sacked, but he has not really taken big hits.

And if anything prepares you for life in the national football league, it's playing against SEC defenses. However, many times he has in his career, we talked to his high school coach yesterday, and that was an eye opening conversation. Cause the stuff that we see from Bryce young is the modern NFL quarterback is that what do you do when everything falls apart around you? And his coach is like, he did that in high school. He just made stuff happen, not running, throwing when everything broke down and we let him freelance.

They actually let him do all of those things all the way back to modern day in LA. Yeah, it's, it's interesting. A couple of things, um, uh, on that one, that injury you referred to at Alabama on the sideline, it wasn't even like a big shot. It was him being sort of tripped up and putting his, I believe it was his left hand down to brace himself on the fall and jamming up and spraining his, his non throwing shoulder. So he has, I think it was at the owner's meetings, um, and, and Phoenix about a month ago that Frank Reich was saying, look, there isn't a ton. That's not a big sample size of guys.

It's not. And, and so, but I thought Frank Wright may have made an interesting point. It might be apples and oranges, but to your point about Bryce sort of being a little slippery and not taking the huge direct shots. Frank Wright compared that he, he made the analogy to, um, Barry Sanders and, and maybe now Bryce is in a small as Sanders and plays a different position, obviously. But he does, when you watch the tape, like I think, and you talk to scouts, like if, if guys get their hands on him, a big guys, I mean that he's going to look like he's going to face in the NFL, like he did it as in the sec. I he's not going to like break free of tackles the way cam Newton did. It's just, that's not going to happen, but I think he's the kind of guy who will duck under sacks and step aside, step sacks, none meaning never going to get hit. He's going to, and you, you, if a big guy, 320 pound defensive tackle lands on Scott fitter and Frank, right.

Can everyone else in that building going to be holding their breaths? Because I think it's the weight and the, and the frame more going kind of width wise rather than height wise. That is the concern because he weighed in, it'll, it'll forever say 204 pounds on his combine bio and maybe in the back of his football card. But I think his, you know, his more natural weight as of now is around one 95.

Can he gain the 15 or so pounds that, that Russell has over the years? Maybe, uh, you know, and I thought it was interesting this week and then I'll shut up and let you ask your next question. But, um, I had asked, I had asked Scott fitter, um, something about, uh, Bryce young.

I'm sorry. I'm trying to remember what the, I don't remember what the exact question was, but what was this? It was about the weight rather than the height. And it was telling his answer because he, he basically laid out the plan they have for Bryce young when probably more so than if he's the pick at number one. Yeah.

And the quiet, the things that I have heard from fitter or about nutrition and all of that, uh, like here, here's been my, uh, my stance on this all along. If CJ Stroud were as good a quarterback as Bryce young is, this is not a knock on CJ Stroud. Cause I think he can be a good pro if he was as good as Bryce young is at playing the position. This conversation would have been over a long time ago. Yep. And if Bryce young were taller, the Chicago bears would have never traded the pick.

That's absolutely well said my friend. So, all right, let me get one more thing in here for you. Joe person from the athletic covers the Panthers pick number 39. They're, they're picking the second round.

What do you, first of all, what do you think they're looking at there? Obviously it will be depending on who's still left, but what do you think their druthers would be? And do you think there's a chance they trade back to kind of recoup some of the draft capital they had to give out?

I'll take the second question first. I don't think they're going to trade back. Scott fitter has said, uh, it said this to me at the owner's meetings, he thinks the sweet spot that kind of the second sweet spot in this draft, presumably after number one, uh, is between 20 and 45.

And he pretty good at looking at this. That was something that, that, that John Schneider was very good at Seattle because they would trade back a lot and they would see this kind of the second tier. And so, so no, I think they're going to stay put at 39. Um, they, I, the federal trade, some pics at some point in this draft, either going up, going back, but I don't think it'll be a 39.

I have been trying to talk into existence a tight end because I'm a big tight end proponent. And I remember when cam Newton was drafted number one overall in 2011, they had not just Greg Olson, but Jeremy shock. And both of those guys, Jeremy shock, his numbers were much better that year than I remembered.

Like they were almost identical to Olson. However, I think they're going to end up. I mean, fitter keeps mentioning edge rusher.

I don't think it's a smokescreen. It's the one position they haven't really addressed in create didn't address in free agency. They need someone opposite, um, Brian burns in this new three, four scheme that, uh, of arrows going to install or has installed. And so maybe BJ O'Jelore out of LSU, um, you know, that there will be a decent, a better than decent, they hope, uh, edge rusher available at 39.

I bet that's going to be the direction they go. I agree with you, but I also agree with the tight end love. They do have two other tight ends, Ian Thomas and Tommy Trimble, both on the roster. So they already have three tight ends when you add Hayden Hurst. But I agree if one of those top tight ends is still there at 39, it's going to be very tempting, uh, to, to snag one of them. I'm with you.

I'm with you. I think, and yeah, I like the kid at, uh, where was it? It's Washington state or Oregon state that, uh, Musgrave kid. Um, I like him a lot.

There's a six foot seven kid at old dominion. It's an interesting group and they may feel it is deep enough that they can wait and won't be any of these guys, you know, like the, the potential, or at least the, the, where these guys, the guys we're mentioning now are sitting, but they may feel like they can take a third day flyer on a trade in with, with upside. So, um, and I didn't somewhere they got to get another wide receiver to like, listen, DJ shark was signed to one year. Adam feeling is going to be 33 on it on in August.

I think they need to go get another wide receiver at some point in this draft. Agreed. You and I are, uh, you and I are on the same page, Joe person.

That's why, uh, we have such a great relationship. I appreciate your time, man. Uh, enjoy, enjoy the drink in there with your canes coverage and have a great weekend. Hey, thank you very much. All right. Talk, talk to you, Joe. Bye.