Do the Carolina Panthers have their QB1 decided?

So let's bring in Julian Council locked on Panthers podcast my friend.

All right, sir. They've got would you agree quarterback is figured out, right? Who's going to start a quarterback is figured out?

Yes. Who the long-term answer is? No, if that's still to be determined. Are you afraid John has to play football first in the NFL. We have to see that he succeeds and leaves his team to the playoffs multiple times before we can go out there and say that they have solved the problem.

The hope is that they've solved the problem. But until we see him play games, I can't sit here and say that. Yes, quarterback is fixed, but who's going to start?

We do know that it's going to be right. So are you are you well, first of all, I actually think it's like how great Bryce Young is that remains to be seen, but I do believe that Bryce Young walks out of the football field. I'll be surprised if he's not at least good. So I think that they have I think they do have their long-term answer at quarterback, but how great he is is a different story. But I do think that he steps on the field and I think he is he's the best quarterback.

They have had since 2018 today. Yes, I would and I would bet on him to do well over him failing like that. I am in the camp of I think Bryce on will be a good NFL player and I agree with you, Adam. It's just is it'll be to be determined later how good of an NFL player he'll be and what they will be a great one because we know Patrick Mahomes is great. We've seen so far that I mean, hell, maybe Jalen Hurts is great after this year, like there's a handful of guys that are really the top of the NFL. Now, can he be that?

I don't know. But right now in this division where it's wide open and you look in Atlanta and Tampa and Orleans where they don't have long-term quarterbacks figured out either. And, you know, hopefully Bryce is the guy here in Carolina. You know, they have the opportunity where they can at least have the best one division. And we've seen how I mean, obviously Tom Brady was great for a long time. Who did Buffalo? Who did the Jets? Who did the Dolphins have in that division to go up against them? Like it really helps if you have the right quarterback situation and the rest of your division is in flux trying to figure out who the guy's going to be and bringing in new guy every two years. Who's the best quarterback in the NFC South? Derek Carr right now. Until, I mean, until I look at that thing, until I see Bryce showing Derek Carr and I haven't seen enough of Desmond Ritter, although I think Ritter based off of what I saw from him in Cincinnati, I feel like he can be a solid starter. And obviously Arthur Smith down there in Atlanta year three where they had about two years throughout that cap situation. And now they could be somewhat competitive this year. They really need him to step up and in Tampa.

I don't know what they're going to do. Kyle Trask, Baker Mayfield, Scott Holper from Well-Wakened Opportunity. That does not seem like a good situation there for Todd Bowles and the Buccaneers.

No, no, it does not. All right, Julian Council, Lockdown Panthers podcast. You and I have talked about this particular issue before we talked about it before last season. All right, quarterback.

Let's just say, all right, we figured this out. What other positions do you think they still need to figure out? I think the only one that they are actually willing to address would be outside linebacker in particular, finding that other edge rusher opposite Brian Burns. If that's something that last year they failed to do Hassan Raddick, who was there in 2021, when he had a fantastic season playing with Brian Burns, he went to Philadelphia.

And of course Eagles into the Super Bowl and on Super Bowl media night. He said the Panthers had other plans and those were plans are of course, the Sean Watson trying to have enough cap states to try and facilitate that trade. Obviously Watson decided nah, I'm good. I don't want to come to Carolina and ready.

Really? He went back home from Camden, New Jersey, right across the river from Philadelphia. I don't really see how anyone can really begrudge it from going from Carolina to Philadelphia, being back home, making a lot of money, having great season. Like I'm just happy for the guy. I'm not sitting here being like, oh man, the Panthers really messed that one up because it didn't really seem like the money was ever really going to be right for his son ready. Even if they weren't going after the Sean, lots of that offseason, but they didn't bring anyone in last year. And while the sack number is only dropped in 39 and 20 and 21 to 35 last year, you just did not see the kind of pressure that you would want to see from a team that has a defense that I think can really ascend this year in this new scheme. Like burns went out there, had a great year, 12 and a half sacks. Frankie Lou had sacks, had seven sacks last season as a full-time starter, but he's made more of an inside linebacker in the scheme. I don't know how much they're going to ask him to be an outside linebacker this upcoming season. The son, not his son, a rig, but, um, Marquis Haynes, who would probably figure in to be the starter at outside linebacker last year, this upcoming season, he had five sacks and he didn't get his first sack until week 11 against Atlanta. So you can't have a guy who's your starter going most of the season without even producing anything in terms of a sack or tackle for loss.

So I would just feel like it would make sense. You go out there and find someone they didn't sign litter floating some of Buffalo. They didn't find Frank Clark. You sign with Denver. I don't know whether they were interested in either one of those guys all, but yet got Jonathan. Got ways available. You got guys like Belvin Ingram's available.

I mean, clowny, he's a name more than actually a guy who's going to help you, but I guess he's available in hometown guy from Rock Hill. So I just feel like that's a position that they should, that they probably would address. Whereas, I mean, wide receiver, it is what it is.

Like they, they have the guys that they have and they probably, they feel good about them. Although I still think that's going to be a pretty major weakness when you compare it to the rest of the NFL's wide receiver course, but it's better than what they had last year when you looked at what they had outside of DJ Moore. So outside linebacker, that other edge rusher, I feel like that is really the missing piece for this team, like defensively and overall because the roster everywhere else is fine. Good enough, I think, to compete in this division. I think they're good enough to compete as is in this division. I don't think anybody is going to be an 11 win team. I wouldn't be surprised if the division was one at nine and eight, but you and I agree on the wide receiver. Like, is there going to be somebody available in the, I mean, I guess they could have gone out and maybe kick the tires on DeAndre Hopkins, but is there going to be somebody who might be available in training camp that could make them better?

I don't know. It seems, they seem average at best to me, but it is an upgrade over last year. Here's the thing, Adam, they have more options. Last year, the only option was DJ more like, let's be honest, Robbie Anderson now known as chosen Anderson, even when he was on the team, then provide not much. It's not like they threw the ball that much to McCaffrey the passing game and those guys weren't around after what week five or six. So after that, it was pretty much Terrace Marshall who did show flashes. And as a player who I still think can help this team, a Frank Reich did let it slip yesterday that Jonathan Mingo, the guy that drafted in the second round potentially could be here to replace Terrace Marshall, and he's looked pretty good so far through OTA's and mandatory minicam for the last four weeks.

So I mean, I look at wide receiver. I just feel like that's a position that they're going to try address next year. You have Adam feeling like I feel like they can get something out of him at age 33 this year.

It's about age 34 to age 35 seasons in 2024 2025. What do you really expect me out of the Adam feeling then? And there's a reason why Minnesota move off to him and I'll Minnesota's barely moving off. In fact, a lot of guys move off of Dalvin Cook Hunter might be out of town. So I'm not really quite sure what's going up there with the Vikings. Not really all that concern either, but I just looking at the situation like DJ shark one year kind of guy. We'll see whether they can actually span on his route tree. You can be that big play guy and that's what Frank Reich is hoping. They just don't really have any of those long-term solutions that you really can bet on. Like the thing I'm looking at if I'm monitoring the situation up in Cincinnati with T Higgins, we saw the year prior of AJ Brown and I can anybody he wanted Tennessee and ended up getting traded and the Higgins is waiting for Joe burrow to get get paid and then they got a page Mark Chase.

I would say to Mark Chase before I take the again. So if I'm Cincinnati a team that's usually been pretty cheap. I could see that being a situation where Carolina could get a guy who could be a number one wide receiver because right now in the roster, there's not one and I just don't look at Hopkins coming in now. Who hasn't really been healthy last few years being the solution.

So I would kind of think that's something they're going to wait to do next year. They have better options now. Just adding Hayden Hearst to into Miles Sanders. So overall past catchers better options than without a year ago. So that's an upgrade even though it's a very average at best wide receiver core.

I know you and I have talked about this before. I love the acquisition Hayden Hearst. I think I think yeah on the low of all the things they did in this offseason and I like Miles Sanders as running back. I think Hayden Hearst second only to Bryce young in terms of new face that can have an impact on this upcoming season. He has a legitimate pass catching threat if he can stay healthy. Yeah, absolutely.

And that's the thing. And I know he said his goal is that he just wants to be healthy the season that he played the entirety of last season without that hernia issue that he had surgery on this offseason. So the fact that he was able to have really solid season for a team that he helped get to the AFC Championship game in Cincinnati.

Now that he's healthy, you know, he's still kind of working back to help but thinking that he's gonna be healthy this year at least starting into the season. You got to feel good about what he provides and the fact that this new scheme actually wants to utilize the tight end. I know Tommy Trimble who was trapped a couple years ago more of a run blocker, but there's thoughts that maybe with his athleticism he could add and add to the passing game even though I mean guys who don't do it in college. It's rare that you see them develop and do it in the NFL.

But sure there's this hope that maybe that can happen. But he was talking about to the Observer last week that they're actually coaching them to run Ralph and to be a part of this often. So knowing how Frank Reich has had some pretty solid tight ends. Eric Eberon, North Carolina guy who had his best season in his career with Indianapolis with Reich in that first year with Andrew Luck.

That's the hope that maybe Hayden Hurst can have a career year here in Carolina. So yeah, I agree with he's one of the better additions. I would even say Von Bell at safety is a big one because he was a leader and a captain in Cincinnati really helped them. I thought him and Jesse Bates are an excellent safety duo and that allows Jeremy Chen to come close to the line of scrimmage and probably makes the defense better as a whole. So yeah, I mean Bryce Young, Hayden Hurst, Von Bell, they made some pretty solid additions, even though you probably wouldn't look at them on paper be like, oh man, those are flashy dishes, but they're solid needed additions for the team this offseason.

I think makes them a better team and put them in contention to Wendy and FC South. Final thing about the Panthers for Julian Council locked on Panthers podcast. Any concern about JC Horn? I know the injury isn't considered serious. They say he'll be back for training camp, which is about six weeks from now.

Any concerns at all? It's unfortunate to that it happened the same week that he had spoken to Joe Person of the athletic about how he wasn't injury prone and all the injuries he's had have been breaks. You look at his rookie or broken foot and then last year had the broken wrist had a rib issue that cost him two games as well.

I don't really know what you're supposed to do about that. That's just football. He said it hadn't been muscle injuries. And again, this one's not it's a foot or ankle.

It's opposite of the one that he had injured back in 21. But yeah, I mean, there's got to be some level of concern, even if it's not serious because the guys not out there not getting refs late in OTA's mandatory minicamp. The fact that the Panthers had turned around the season as much as they could and were in contention for the division in week 17 because he wasn't out there and Dante Jackson weren't out there. That's a big reason why they lost that game. We have not seen nearly enough out of CJ Henderson that or positives out of CJ Henderson to have any sort of faith in his ability. Same thing with Keith Taylor third year player out of Washington. Like they just were liabilities last year. So much so where Keith Taylor was based in the meaningless week 18 game for Josh Norman coming off the street.

So that was a wild thing that happened. I was concerned because if those two guys aren't healthy, I just don't know. You can depend on the guys back there because Dante's coming off an Achilles. He said yesterday that he will be back for training camp. Frank Wright didn't mention that he would start off on pups.

I guess. Are we ready for training camp? We'll see. But yeah, those two guys, they're not healthy and they really have struggled Dante since 2020 with the turf. So the hamstring last year the Achilles most serious now JC. Yeah, I'm concerned. I don't know if I'm going to be all overly concerned. But yeah, it's certainly something that to be a little concerned about heading into this year.

All right final final thing because I know you've already circled August 9th and 10th on your calendar. Jillian because those are the joint practices with the New York Jets. Are you fired up to watch Aaron Rodgers work? Is that still your guy or what?

No, I don't care. I guess that's what I want to know Adam because I know you were a you said you were no longer a Jets fan. You were a Rodgers fan. I was. But then you stepped away from Rodgers.

He did. But now this is the Jets. Are you sure that you can't get back with you two actually? Oh man, I am. And you start singing J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets again.

I've got my popcorn. I am ready to watch to watch that madness unfold with no emotional attachment at all. I it look as a jet as a former Jets fan a recovering Jets fan as I as I term it.

I understand. I know all too well the stench that is the New York Jets. I know I don't I do not think Aaron Rodgers can overcome it. Well, the Jets did kill Carl. So I do understand that but if they want a Super Bowl, you're telling me you're not going to shed any sort of tears. I'll be fun. It'll be fun to watch but I know I don't like I saw on first take for his first take or get up one of those two ESPN shows where they asked the question if Aaron Rodgers wins a Super Bowl with the Jets.

Would he become the most beloved jet over Joe Namath? And frankly, that's offensive. Come on. Just broadly Joe's personality, right? Even though you know, it didn't tend to be a little little weird.

Sometimes very beloved. I can't I cannot see that being a possibility. But hey, you know what moving soon to see when those two teams link up down and why Wofford, especially, you know, the Jets are a team where they had quarterback last year or I guess if Mike White didn't hurt his ribs, they're probably a playoff team and for the fans is get a close look against them. And it's also semi the Packers. So there's a lot of Packers players on the Jets now. It's always good at joint practices against a team who actually will be what people believe to Super Bowl contender, but that is exact.

So can we really believe in them? Exactly. Exactly. They're not a Super Bowl contender, but they're probably a playoff team and I appreciate your time Julian Council lockdown Panthers podcast. I'm glad we did it man. I'll talk to you soon. Absolutely Adam. Talk to you. You got it.

Doing Council always always fun to chat with look just for so people understand Julian brings it up. So let's just fill in the blanks for people. I grew up in the New York area going to Jets games. I my family were seasoned ticket holders to the Jets from 1974 until several years after I went away to college.

So, you know, probably by 1990. We probably had given up our seats or my dad was just getting the seats and selling them the ticket brokers which is what he did for a lot of it anyway. So yeah, the jet I was a Jets fan for I don't know 30 some odd years. But I am no longer a Jets fan because if a team continuously stinks and doesn't get it they don't deserve your emotions. Like they they couldn't get out of their own. They just don't deserve your emotions. Yeah, I feel that as a Panther fan legit. Although we did get rid of some of the toxicity Matt rule. Oh, he was just part of it, right?

It was just part of it. And if if you are an unaffiliated football fan, and this is probably a very interesting we could probably make this so I don't have a team. Okay. I do not have a team for this year. We follow the Panthers. I would I am not a Panthers fan. We follow the Panthers and I will occasionally say we just that's just kind of just more of a natural in conversation thing because it is essentially our team here at the radio station.

But I don't know which team I would support. I have a thought as to who I think would be fun to watch this year. The Jets will be fun in a reality TV sort of a way. But I'm not sure that it won't be the most fun to follow the Detroit Lions. Yeah, so I could be convinced for this year to be a Lions fan. And maybe we should do that. We should declare an actual team. This is our team.

Right, right. I know the play-by-play voice in the Lions. I could probably get his name is Dan Miller.

I used to work with him in Washington. I can probably get Dan to come on. I don't know every week every other week and talk Lions should we could adopt them as our team. We should do it. So what we should consider that adopt the team.

We could adopt the team in every sport right except obviously hockey. We're our Kings fans Lions need a little love. They've been real bad for a long time. They are picked to win the division.

I know I believe in Vegas. They might even be the third or fourth choice out of the NFC to make it to the Super Bowl. They've been super impressive the last couple years that might they didn't make the playoffs last year.

Well, that might be that might be a little ambitious, but I think they can be good. Yeah, and I think the division is kind of crumbling around them. So maybe like the Panthers could win the division at nine and eight. Yeah, maybe the Lions could win the said the NFC North not the Central the NFC North. They have the potential. They just have to get their strategy together. It's a struggle because they'll start out really hot in the season. What happened to biting kneecaps for Dan Campbell? I know that should be enough waiting for it. Come on. We're going to bite your kneecaps off was a great strategy. By the way, if you can get away with it.