What’s the Charlotte vibes on Draft day?

If you're going to trade from 9 to 1, you don't play it safe, right? If you're going to trade from 9 to 1, you've got to take the guy who's going to be the star. And personally, I think Bryce Young can be a star.

I think there's one other star among these first round quarterbacks, but he albeit comes with probably the biggest risk. Let's talk to Chris McLean from WFNZ in Charlotte in the mornings. Mack and Bone, I love going on with them. I love talking to Chris. How you doing, man? What's up, Adam? How you doing, man?

I am doing well. Was there a different pep in the step this morning? Oh, there was all the pep you could want in your step this morning. And it's amazing. First of all, it's amazing that we, as a Panther nation, that we are actually excited and positive and the majority are feeling good. I mean, granted, it hasn't involved playing a game, Adam. That's one rub here. But this off season, whether it is the coaching staff, whether it's the free agent moves, the fact that Matt Rule's not around with final say of personnel. I mean, then you throw in the deal up to get number one. I would say the majority, the overwhelming majority of Panther fans had pep in their step today.

So it feels good. I mean, all the shots taken at Matt Rule as he walks out of town and goes to Nebraska and he's going to turn Nebraska back into a juggernaut. No, he's not because it's not turning around. Nobody's turning Nebraska back into a juggernaut.

From Mac and Bone in the mornings, WFNZ in Charlotte. What was the last time there was this kind of a feeling about the Panthers? I was, I asked Bone that today, like, when was the last time we were this excited? I mean, he was trying to think of like an off season that we had this optimism. I, I, I took it back to, you know, like literally the last time the team was in the playoffs, you know, 2017 of course that was when we got swept by the saints that year. So that didn't last long as far as like an off season of hope.

I don't know. I was a dummy that believed in Matt rule. I hate to admit that I now I'm embarrassing myself in a triangle.

I've already embarrassed myself with that in Charlotte. Uh, but in terms of just like feeling like everything's about to fall into place, because it's not just the QB on its own. Like if Matt rule had drafted a quarterback in say his first season, you know, which might not have been a terrible idea for him, but they didn't do it. You would have felt like, Hey, we got a quarterback. This is great, but you wouldn't have had the cast around them. It really feels Adam.

And I don't know how you feel about this. It just feels like they have the cast around the QB and the division that they play in as well. That that's a factor where they can be competitive right away with Bryce. They have an old line that is as good as any since at least the super bowl year. And honestly, last year's might've been better. And they've, I like what they've done with the veteran, you know, weapons around him. I love a Vero Vero to me might be the best hire of the whole off season on the coaching staff, including Frank Reich to run a talented defense.

It's just, it's, that's the thing. It's one thing when you like, even when they got cam, we were excited about cam, but that team won two games the year before. Like there's a feeling that, Hey, this rookie quarterback might be able to win. I'll be at a stinky one, but I'll win a division, you know, right? Right. Well, look, they almost won the division last year. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, who played quarterback last year? They're all, they're all gone. Every one of them. They had like 19 guys that played quarterback last year and they're all on different teams.

Chris McLean from WFNZ in Charlotte is joining us here on the Adam Gold show. I mean, this is kind of a weird thing, but if a buddy of mine walked in to the office today wearing a cam Newton Jersey, and it struck me today that you could not have more of a polar opposite. From the 2011 draft cam Newton, superheroes, literally Superman walking through the, uh, the offices of mid street.

And if the pick is Bryce young and I believe it will be and should be Bryce young. I mean, you remember the play 60 commercial where cam is tossing the ball with the little kid and the kids get up coming for your job, right? That's Bryce young that's cam Newton and Bryce young play catch.

That is well played. It really is. We we've been talking about this too. Like it's just hopefully Bryce young, you know, puts himself in that conversation where, you know, we're talking down the road that he and cam right.

Two best. And it is crazy to think about how physically different they are, uh, personality wise, they're so different. Am has that player that, you know, cockiness, that attitude that, you know, some people love. And some people hate Bryce.

I truly believe personality wise. This is what I was trying to tell people. They're all hung up on the size and think this is some horrible mistake. The Panthers are making. I'm just like, wait till you hear this guy talk, wait till you see him around the city.

Like, I can't imagine anybody that's a Panther fan disliking the personality of this guy. They do. They did the similarities, I guess, are Heisman winning quarterbacks that played in the state of Alabama. But other than that, there's a whole lot different, but it's, I think it's, well, hopefully it's proof. You know, Bryce has to be able to play and play his butt off, but like they come in all different shapes and sizes, man.

There's not one, you know, way cookie cutter way to go out and get your quarterback. Yeah. They're also both incredibly good and winners and all of that.

I think they have an ability to kind of galvanize teammates and people around them. I am 100% bullish on the future of Bryce Young. And the more I think about it, if size is the only red flag, who cares? Drew Brees played how long in the NFL?

At six feet. Russell Wilson, we're not debating whether or not Russell Wilson is a good enough NFL quarterback, right? So to me, if, if size is the only red flag, then it ain't a red flag because anybody can get hurt. Cam got hurt. Well, exactly.

We had the biggest, baddest quarterback and his career is essentially over because of a shoulder injury. So that's a great point. And the thing that I was discussing this morning and trying to sell people on, because I'm one of those people, Adam, that if not, if not every Panther fans on board, it's bothering me, right?

If there's two out there sending texts, it's messing me up too much. I don't understand the thing about the size. You pointed out a couple of great examples. It's a different game. Look around quarterbacks are getting the ball out quickly. There's a lot more, you know, point guard type play on quarterbacks.

And there was in the old days when the big six, four guys stood back there in the pocket. And the other thing is kind of where you're going. Like just honestly, your audience watched a ton of college football. I'm guessing, right?

You did too. Come on, man. Bryce Young was the best quarterback the last two years.

Right? Like he was the best player in college football. Don't make it any harder by trying to figure out, well, will he get hurt or not? Well, he's this size. Like how, who knows, who knows if he's going to get hurt, but don't make, it's already hard enough to find a franchise QB. What are you going to do? Take a lesser guy on your board just because he's taller like that. To me, that doesn't make any sense.

I'm a hundred percent with you. Any play? How many times did he play against Georgia? They're all in the NFL. Everybody on that defense is in the NFL.

He's already played against NFL defense. His final thing for Chris McLean of WFNZ in Charlotte. I did this mental exercise with a couple of people on the radio on Friday.

I want to see what the, what your answer is. If the Panthers had the number two pick and Bryce Young is off the board, who would you take? I take Stroud. I do like Stroud. I don't know if he has the upside of Bryce because he consistently didn't.

I know, I know he didn't have to as much, but I don't know if the playmaking, I don't think it's playmaking is at the same level, right? Like when a play breaks down, but I still think that passing behind an improved offensive line, that accuracy and the position so important, I would still, I would go Stroud. Now would you, or would you go different position?

I would see here. This is the way I look at it. And I'm not going to say that you are wrong, but I was in that antagonistic mood on Friday, by the way.

I'm not in an antagonistic mood today. To me, if you're going for a quarterback and you're picking second, then roll the dice and take the guy who could be down the road, the freak. And to me, it would be Anthony Richardson a hundred times in a row. If you do it right, and they've got the people in the room to get it right, if you could do it right, Anthony Richardson would be the guy. There's no doubt. Like that's his feeling. I mean, as much as I love Bryce, his ceilings higher than Bryce, right?

Because he is a physical freak, but it just feels like that floor is so freaking low though, man. Like that's getting everybody fired if you, like if you pick Richardson and it goes badly. Yes, it is. And it's so easy to say that when I'm sitting behind a radio microphone as opposed to handing the card to the commissioner so he can announce it in front of millions of people in Kansas City. From Mac and Bone in the mornings of WFNZ, at Mac, WFNZ, Chris McLean. Thanks, man. Tell Bone I said hi and we'll talk to you guys later. Definitely, man.

Thank you, brother. Got it. It's easy to sit here and say these types of things. Sure. But if you're doing this, you have to be great. And by the way, I made the list of teams who should be in the market for a quarterback.

You're not going to believe how long the list is. Uh oh. You're not.

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