Norris Thornburg

The 4 Man Fix Part 1: How to Make the Panthers Great Again

Prime Cuts with Norris

This has been a rough offseason for Carolina Panthers’ fans, filled with ups and downs. They’ve had to endure tons of speculation about the future of Cam Newton in Carolina, since week two. The hiring of Coach Matt Rhule made things a little better, after a five win season. There has been a lot of talk about a complete rebuild and that it might take a couple of years to become a contender.

Panthers’ fans then had some huge news, as word broke that they intended to sign Joe Brady for their open offensive coordinator spot. Brady had just helped LSU win the National Championship, as their passing coordinator. The happiness was short lived, as later that day Luke Kuechly announced his retirement from the NFL. This news catapulted Panther Nation into a state of depression.

Less than a month later, Greg Olsen and the Panthers announced that they had mutually parted ways. Fans are still having to hear about Cam being the answer for every team in the NFL except the Panthers. So yes, it’s definitely been a tough start to the offseason.

So that raises the question, what happens now? It’s hard to tell exactly what the team will do this offseason, but there are a lot of things that the team could do to become relevant again this year. We are going to start this five part series with some players who should be salary cap casualties.

Salary Cap Dumps

The Panthers currently have around $32 million in salary cap space. That’s not a lot when compared to the holes on the team. There are a few players that could be cut in order to gain more cap space.

Dontari Poe

Poe has a club option in his contract that the Panthers are unlikely to pick up. Poe’s cap hit is $13,145,834 with a dead cap of $3,333,334. Declining his option would add $9,812,500 to the salary cap. Yes, that would make another hole on the roster, but at this point Poe hasn’t played up to his salary. That $9.8 million could go a long way in free agency. In the past, teams could decline a player option and get a compensatory pick the following year, but the NFL changed that rule. It’s unclear if Poe’s contract was grandfathered in, as the rule was changed after Poe signed with Carolina.

If Carolina did get a compensatory pick for Poe, it could net as high as a fourth rounder, depending on his next salary, playing time and other things included in the formula. Also, there have been some questions about whether the team can decline an option on an injured player. The answer is yes, they can decline an option without paying an injury settlement. Although, certain circumstances can warrant a $1.2m injury settlement. (Thank you Nick Korte of Over The Cap for this information)

Jarius Wright

Mr. Third Down underperformed this year, although some of that could be contributed to lackluster quarterback play. Like Poe, Wright has a club option that the team will likely decline. With the team being in a rebuild, they need all the money that they can get. Wright’s cap hit is $3,666,668 with a dead cap of $666,668. The Panthers will gain $3,000,000 in cap space with declining Wright’s option. This is an easy decision.

Mike Davis

Davis was claimed off waivers in 2019, but did nothing to impress fans. Granted, he didn’t get any opportunities to do so. If Carolina cuts Davis, they would get $3,000,000 in cap space with no dead money. The Panthers need all of the help they can get.

If the team makes these three cuts, they will gain $15,812,500 in extra cap space. That will take the total to approximately $48,020,165 in salary cap space for the 2020 offseason. Keep in mind, the salary cap total hasn’t been established yet, but the number will be between $196.8m-$201.2m. The total used in this article is $199m, which is the estimate by Spotrac.

Side note: Carolina currently has $27.3m in dead cap space, and they’ll add more with the declined options of Poe and Wright. However, all of the current dead cap will fall off next year.

Stay tuned for Part 2, which will go into detail about players who deserve to be re-signed, and one who doesn’t. Also, with the combine coming up in less than two weeks, keep checking our college prospect visit list for more updates. We are just getting started. #KeepPounding

College Prospect Visit List

College Prospect Visits, NFL Draft, Prime Cuts with Norris


Here is a list of college prospects with whom we’ve met. We will add more as we get more info. At the bottom of the page, I will post the local visits and the 30 private visits. Teams are allowed 30 private visits. Local visit means that we have met with a player that either goes to school locally or they were born locally. Local visits are not counted against the 30 private visits. I will update the list as the information comes in, so check back often! Enjoy!! #KeepPounding #4MR #WhatARush

 

QUARTERBACKS

Joe Morgan – FIU

6’4  213 lbs


RUNNING BACKS

Reggie Corbin – Illinois

5’10  201 lbs

Eno Benjamin – Arizona St.

5’10  201 lbs

WIDE RECEIVERS

Chris Finke – Notre Dame

5’10  184 lbs

Diondre Overton – Clemson

6’4  210 lbs

TIGHT ENDS

Ben Ellefson – North Dakota St.

6’3  250 lbs

Harrison Bryant – FAU

6’5  240 lbs

Giovanni Ricci – Western Michigan

6’3  240 lbs

OFFENSIVE TACKLES

Jon Runyan – Michigan

6’5  321 lbs

Matt Womack –Alabama

6’7  325 lbs

 

OFFENSIVE GUARDS

Kevin Dotson – Louisiana

6’4  321 lbs


CENTERS

DEFENSIVE ENDS

Kendall Coleman – Syracuse

6’3  253 lbs

Austin Edwards – Ferris St.

6’5  280 lbs

Michael Danna – Central Michigan

6’2  250 lbs

Alton Robinson – Syracuse

6’4  260 lbs

DEFENSIVE TACKLES

Bravvion Roy – Baylor

6’1  333 lbs

Javon Kinlaw – South Carolina

6’6  310 lbs

Neville Gallimore – Oklahoma

6’2  301 lbs

LINEBACKERS

Shaquille Quarterman – Miami

6’1  241 lbs

Mykal Walker – Fresno St.

6’3  230 lbs

John Uche – Michigan

6’2  250 lbs

CORNERBACKS

Keith Washington II – West Virginia

6’1  181 lbs

Stanley Thomas-Oliver III – FIU

6’2  183 lbs

Nevelle Clark – UCF

6’1  187 lbs

SAFETIES

KICKERS/PUNTERS

Rodrigo Blankenship – Georgia

6’1  192 lbs

 

LOCAL VISITS

30 PRIVATE VISITS

 

 

 

A Look Ahead: Seahawks

Game Breakdowns, Prime Cuts with Norris

Seahawks
at
Panthers
1:00

The Falcons just continue to have our number. Interim head coach, Perry Fewell, didn’t really have an answer for Atlanta once the team started turning the ball over. I don’t condone tanking or trying to lose, but it could be happening whether we like it or not. Where’s Cam when we need him? Oh, and where’s our defense when we need them? Here’s a look ahead to the Seahawks:

Seattle Seahawks

Head Coach

Pete Carroll

Offensive Coordinator 

Brian Schottenheimer

Defensive Coordinator

Ken Norton Jr.

Key Acquisitions 

TE Jacob Hollister

DE Jadeveon Clowney (via trade)

WR Jaron Brown

S Quandre Diggs (via trade)

WR Josh Gordon

G Mike Iupati

K Jason Myers

Key Losses

G JR Sweezy

DE Frank Clark (via trade)

DE Barkevious Mingo (via trade)

TE Will Dissly (IR)

C Justin Britt (IR)

Earl Thomas

Key Draft Picks

DE LJ Collier

FS Marquise Blair

WR DJ Metcalf

The Seahawks made a lot of changes to their roster in 2019, and they haven’t missed a beat. Mainly due to the play of Russell Wilson. They had a really solid draft and got some good talent this past offseason.

Carolina Panthers

Head Coach(Interim)

Perry Fewell

Offensive Coordinator

Scott Turner (Norv Turner is Special Assistant to Head Coach)

Defensive Coordinator

Eric Washington

Key Acquisitions

C Matt Paradis

LB Bruce Irvin

CB Javien Elliott

WR Chris Hogan

DT Gerald McCoy

S Tre Boston

K Joey Slye

Key Losses

QB Cam Newton (IR)

DE/DT Kawann Short (IR)

DT/NT Dontari Poe (IR)

LG Greg Van Roten (IR)

K Graham Gano (IR)

LT Greg Little (IR)

LB Thomas Davis

C Ryan Kalil

DE Julius Peppers

Key Draft Picks

DE Brian Burns

OT Greg Little

OT Dennis Daley

At this point, the team is in shambles and in rebuild mode. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be a full rebuild, but a reload of talent. This will be helped by the top ten draft pick that they’ll inevitably get next year. Currently, the team is projected as the 12th pick, however, it could be top ten based on the teams around them and their schedule. With the Panthers officially eliminated from the playoffs, it’s time to look ahead to the offseason.

Things to Watch

Carolina

Kyle Allen had another turnover happy day on Sunday. He left a lot of points on the field and missed a lot of open receivers. The protection has been pretty spotty, at best. On Sunday, Allen will face a Seattle pass defense that’s ranked 29th in the league. Allen will need a good game to beat the Seahawks. Look for Allen to hit a lot of short passes to Moore and Thomas to gain some confidence. Even though Allen isn’t particularly good at deep throws, look for Allen to try to get Samuel the ball on go routes. Samuel is almost always open on every route he runs throughout the games.

Christian McCaffrey had 22 touches for 135 total yards and no touchdowns, on Sunday. Carolina abandoned the run early, even when the game was still in reach. This is telling, as it seems like the team is giving CMC less touches now that the playoffs are off the table. Coach Fewell guaranteed another win this year, so I could see the team running McCaffrey early and often this Sunday. Seattle ranks 13th in run defense, so look for McCaffrey to be used a lot in the passing game. Also, look for Curtis Samuel to be used more in he running game as well.

DJ Moore continues his solid play, as he had 81 yards on Sunday. Look for Moore to run a lot of short ins and slant routes, as he is good at getting open on those. Samuel needs to be looked to in the passing game more, as he’s open more times than not. Moore might be leading the team, but Samuel is the most complete receiver that Carolina has. Ian Thomas has improved his blocking and will be used a lot this Sunday with Olsen likely still out with a concussion. Samuel will continue to run the same intermediate/longer routes where he wins, in hopes to get the ball in his hands.

There’s not much that can be said about the Panthers’ defense that fans don’t already know. The loss of Short was huge for the run defense and our pass rush. Hopefully Coach Fewell can motivate these guys to do their jobs. Play your gaps, cover your man, don’t get beat deep……

Seattle Seahawks

Russell Wilson has played well this year, and was in the running for MVP mid season until Lamar Jackson took off even more. If Carolina can somehow disrupt his rhythm, they might have a chance to win. The Panthers better not let him out of the pocket, as he’s still one of the best improvisers in the game.

Chris Carson is a solid running back who has 1,057 yards and 5 touchdowns on the year. He’s very elusive and can run both inside and outside. Seattle does a good job at blocking for him and they could have a big day if Carolina continues down their path.

Seattle has a really good receiving corps, as they have Tyler Lockett and rookie DJ Metcalf. They also have Josh Gordon, who they signed off waivers a few weeks ago, and he will be implemented in the game plan more today.

The Seahawks defense isn’t as stout as they have been in recent years. They’re 26th in total defense, 29th against the pass and 13th against the run. Seahawks could have trouble stopping the Panthers’ offense on the road. Look for them to pressure Allen to get him off his game.

Keys to a Carolina Victory

• Run the ball early and often. Get McCaffrey going. He’s a volume runner. Give him the ball. He should be able to do work against this defense.

• Pressure Wilson, but keep him in the pocket. Easier said than done.

• Protect the ball. No turnovers!

• Contain Carson.

• Maintain gap discipline on defense.

• Utilize McCaffrey heavily in the passing game.

• Win the time of possession battle. The offense needs to sustain long SCORING drives to keep the defense fresh and take the pressure off of them.

• Allen needs to read the defense faster. Allen has been a one read quarterback for most of the season, but he needs to go through his progressions just a little faster.

Key Matchups

• McCaffrey VS Seahawks defensive line

• Samuel/Moore VS Seahawks secondary

• Bradberry VS Lockett

• Carolina’s pass rush VS Wilson

• Carson VS Carolina’s defensive line

• Carolina offensive line VS Seattle’s defensive line

Injury Report

Carolina

Greg Olsen OUT

Mario Addison QUESTIONABLE

Eric Reid QUESTIONABLE

Seattle

Jadeveon Clowney OUT

Mychal Kendricks OUT

Rashaad Penny OUT

Luke Wilson QUESTIONABLE

Ziggy Ansah QUESTIONABLE

Shaquill Griffin QUESTIONABLE

Seattle has a lot of injuries to key positions. The biggest loss is Jadeveon Clowney, who is a key pass rusher. Carolina will still be without Greg Olsen, as he continues to be in the concussion protocol.

Prediction

This one is tough. We never want the Panthers to lose, but with the playoffs out of reach and the team in rebuild mode, it would be kind of nice for them to lose out for draft positioning. Perry Fewell got his first full week of preparation, as did offensive coordinator Scott Turner. As silly as this might sound, I predict Carolina winning this game, 27-24. This just seems like the kind of game Carolina will win.

Draft Outlook: Where Will Carolina Pick?

NFL Draft, Prime Cuts with Norris


With the loss on Sunday, the Panthers moved from pick 14 to pick 12. Looking at the remaining schedule, it’s likely that Carolina will lose the rest of the games. Unless, of course, they pull off a miracle or the Saints sit their starters in week 17 again. There are three teams with the same record as Carolina, and two more teams that are within a game of them. Let’s take a look:

Denver Broncos 5-8

The Broncos are 11th in draft order, and they will likely move up. Behind the play of rookie quarterback, Drew Lock, Denver put up 38 points against the Houston Texans, beating them on the road. They play the Chiefs this week, but their last two games are against the reeling Lions and the Raiders. I’d like to think they’d win at least one of those games, but likely two of them. They should finish 7-9.

LA Chargers 5-8

The Chargers are currently in 10th place in draft order. They looked good against the Jaguars last week, as they dropped 45 points on them. They’ve won three out of their last six, and those three losses were close games. The Raiders beat them by two, the Chiefs beat them by seven and the Broncos beat them by three. They’re last three opponents are the Vikings, Raiders and Chiefs. Depending on which Chargers’ team shows up, they can beat any of these teams. Realistically, they’ll likely end the season at 6-10, after only beating the Raiders. They could beat the Chiefs in week 17 if the Chiefs sit their starters, as well.

New York Jets 5-8

New York is currently in 9th place in draft order, and they have a tougher schedule than you’d want them to have. Their next three games are the Ravens, Steelers and Bills. The only game they could possibly win is against the Bills, only because it’s a division rival and Buffalo only won by one point in their last meeting. If they can pull off the upset against any of these teams, it will help the Panthers’ draft order immensely. Hopefully they’ll end up 6-10.

Atlanta Falcons 4-9

Atlanta sits in 8th place, and we can all agree that we don’t want them drafting ahead of Carolina. The Falcons play San Francisco, Jacksonville and Tampa in their last three games. Realistically, I don’t think they can beat the 49ers, but they’ve been playing well enough to beat them. They should beat the Jaguars and Bucs, without a doubt. Even if the Falcons only win one more game and finished with the same record as Carolina, the Panthers would still jump ahead of Atlanta in the draft based on strength of schedule. They’ll likely finish 6-10, if they keep up their current play.

Jacksonville Jaguars 4-9

The Jaguars are struggling right now, and they’re sitting at 7th in draft order. Not sure that they’ll win another game, but it’s possible. The games they have left are against the Raiders, Falcons and Colts. It’s not likely they’ll beat the Falcons, as they’ve been playing well lately. The Colts have dropped five of the last six games, so it’s possible that the Jags could beat them. They could also possibly beat the Raiders, although it’s not likely they beat both. The Jaguars will probably win one of the last three, putting them at 5-8. Fortunately, they’ll still be ahead of Carolina in draft order due to strength of schedule.

WILDCARD

Detroit Lions 3-9-1

Detroit is a wildcard team in this scenario. They’re currently in 5th place for the order of the draft, and have a schedule that they could win two of the last three games. With their last three games being against the Bucs, Broncos and Packers, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that they’ll win two of those three. Especially if Matt Stafford returns to action. This scenario isn’t likely, but possible. If Detroit gets to 5-10-1, Carolina will move ahead of them in draft order.

The top 5-6 picks are pretty much set, and a few of these things likely won’t happen. After all is said and done, I expect Carolina to pick either 7th or 8th in the 2020 draft. With any luck, they’ll draft either left tackle Andrew Thomas (they might have to trade to 2nd overall to get him) or defensive lineman Derrick Brown from Auburn. What do you think about this draft position and who would you want at that spot? #KeepPounding

It’s Time For Willy G.

Prime Cuts with Norris


There are only three games left in the season and Kyle Allen has started all but two of them. With the Panthers officially eliminated from playoff contention, it’s time to put Allen on the bench and play Will Grier.

Kyle Allen has started 11 games, and has won five of them. Not singlehandedly, but the team has won nevertheless. Allen, basically a rookie, has had ups and downs throughout the season. He has a lot of deficiencies in his game, but he’s played decent enough (good at times, bad at times) to earn a spot as a backup, beyond 2019.

The reasoning behind giving Grier a chance is simple, you need to see what you have in the guy you chose in the third round. Marty Hurney told the media that he had Will Grier higher than Kyler Murray on their draft board. We already know Allen will have a spot on the roster in 2020, so why not give Grier a shot?

Will Grier celebrates with friends and family after being drafted 100th overall by the Carolina Panthers.

Playing Grier would also give other teams an idea of what Carolina has with him. If Grier goes out and plays well, the Panthers could use Grier as trade bait. The Patriots did that for Jimmy Garoppolo and got a second round pick from San Francisco. Not saying Grier is anywhere near the player that Jimmy G. is, but how would we know?

The team has said that they don’t want to ruin Kyle’s confidence by starting Grier, but at this point, it wouldn’t hurt. Interim head coach, Perry Fewell, recently said that Allen will start against Seattle, as he didn’t want to start a “quarterback controversy” right now. That’s kind of a lame excuse considering they’re both backups. How can you have a backup quarterback controversy? The team has also said that they have a young quarterback in Allen that needs to gain confidence in his position. Isn’t Grier also a young quarterback that could use some confidence?

Will Grier could be the quarterback of the future, too. Who knows? A lot of fans have been clamoring for Will to play for the last five or six weeks. Obviously the coaching staff has a reason for keeping him on the bench, but practice is a whole lot different than real game situations. Why not give the kid a shot in the last two or three games? You really don’t have anything to lose by playing him, but you have a whole lot to lose by wasting your third round pick.

Unless, of course, the team is trying to tank and they think Grier would win some games….The time is now to see what the kid has. It’s not likely that he could win any of the next three games anyway. What do you think, Panthers’ fans?

Stop Listening to the “Talking Heads” About Cam’s Future

Prime Cuts with Norris


Ever since week two, the talking heads in the media have written him out of Carolina. On September 15th, Michael Vick gave his bold prediction on Fox NFL Sunday that Cam wouldn’t be with the Panthers in 2020. It hasn’t stopped since that day. Analysts will tell their audience that Cam is washed up in one breath, and in the next they’ll talk about how he can transform another team into a Super Bowl contender.

The most recent story is from Ian Rapoport, who said the Panthers are open to trading Cam, and they’re holding out for a big deal. Let’s not forget that Rapoport is the same guy who said “Antonio Brown to the Buffalo Bills is a done deal” and then Brown was traded to the Raiders. Rapoport has been wrong so many times and is really good at covering all bases. After all, the best media members are able to create storylines (to engage readers) and then cover themselves with all angles, so that they are able to maintain credibility.

Cam is one of the most polarizing individuals in the NFL and he’s a great talking point to get clicks and views. That’s the reason every analyst can’t keep his name out of their mouth. The only thing to be sure of when talking about the future of Cam in Carolina, is no one is sure about anything. There have been no decisions made. Nothing is set in stone.

Cam is set to have surgery this week on his foot to repair the lisfranc injury that put him out for the season. The very decision about Cam’s future, hinges on how healthy he can get. Let’s be clear…..Carolina wants to keep Cam. David Tepper and Marty Hurney know that it’s hard to find franchise quarterbacks. However, there are many variables that will go into their decision, but it’ll be a few months until anything can play out. So, trading him and keeping him are both on the table at this point.

Let’s try to make sense of things from a logical standpoint, shall we? First and foremost, if a team wants mega compensation for a player, it usually means the team doesn’t want to get rid of the player at all. They’re just covering all the bases. Another thing is, releasing Cam makes no sense because you get nothing for your franchise quarterback. You won’t be able to sign any player or players with his $18 million salary that will have the same impact on a game as Cam. Nor will you have any draft picks in exchange for Cam to select a new quarterback.

If Cam can’t get back to 100%, then the team would likely put him on the trading block, which would make the most sense if they’re trying to move on. However, a team isn’t going to give them a “big deal” if he’s at 80%. With surgery looming and no guarantees about his health at this point, it really makes no sense to do anything but keep him. A healthy Cam is the best option at quarterback at this point. Especially when you consider that his salary is low compared to half of the NFL quarterbacks’ salaries.

Other variables will also go into the Panthers’ decision about Cam’s future. For instance, does Cam even want to play here on a one year salary? That’s a huge risk for a player of Cam’s caliber. Newton’s agent may want to try to get an extension before he takes the field. No one knows. Another variable would be, what if Carolina continues losing and ends up with the chance to get their next franchise quarterback? Would they let Cam play out his contract and let the rookie sit?

The talking heads also fail to realize that the team doesn’t even have a head coach or really even a general manager. David Tepper fired Ron Rivera and is keeping Marty Hurney with a more limited role, as he will be the college talent evaluator and scouting consultant. Without a head coach or general manager, there’s no possible way to figure out what the future of Cam Newton looks like. It’s all talking points and speculation. If I’m a potential head coach, a healthy MVP quarterback is a huge selling point.

In my personal opinion, if Cam gets healthy, you have to keep him. You’re not going to find anyone as impactful as Cam with his salary. The team isn’t going to get that back breaking deal that they want. They likely won’t get anything higher than a third round pick, which is the same round comp pick they’d get if they kept Cam and let him go after next season. A healthy Cam is still really good, as fans saw in the first eight games of last year, when he was putting up better numbers than he was in 2015. The team is set to have quite a bit of salary cap this offseason, and there will be a lot of moves to create more cap room. So the team doesn’t necessarily need Cam’s cap savings. But no one knows what’s going to happen yet.

Bottom line is, stop listening to the media. They are there to make stories about things that aren’t really stories at all. Their job is to get as many clicks as possible, and right now, Cam is their main source of income. Currently, Cam Newton is a Carolina Panther. The best course of action for the fans is to let things play out. The Panthers are rebuilding, but that doesn’t mean it’s an overhaul. If Cam is healthy, it makes perfect sense to keep him around next year. If that’s the road they go, drafting a franchise left tackle in the first round is something they need to look into. Nobody can play quarterback for the Panthers behind that line, and Kyle Allen isn’t the answer. Now, can we let Cam heal up and give him the respect that he’s earned?