Norris Thornburg

Former Panther Ryan Kalil Signs with the Jets, but Why the Hate?

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Center Ryan Kalil announced his retirement in 2018, prompting general manager, Marty Hurney, to find his long term replacement. Hurney signed top free agent center, Matt Paradis, to a three year deal. In a stunning development, Kalil signed with the New York Jets on a one year deal Thursday afternoon. The Jets’ twitter account announced the signing. Kalil reversed his retirement papers and decided that $8.4 million was enough to come back into the league. The question is, why is there so much hate?

Jets announce the signing of Kalil

In 12 seasons, Kalil gave his all for the Panthers organization, and quite frankly it’s shocking to see so many people talk bad about him on social media. He is a five time Pro Bowl player and two time First-Team All Pro. He poured his heart out and left everything on the field for so long in Carolina. It’s not like Carolina needed him now. The Panthers wouldn’t have paid Kalil that much money to come back. Carolina has already invested a lot of money in Matt Paradis, who is a really good player in his own right. It’s puzzling why fans are throwing shade at a man who decided to provide for his family for one last season.

2018 was Kalil’s last season, but money talks. According to reports, conversations between Kalil and the Jets have been going on for a month. Finally, Adam Gase convinced Ryan to come out of retirement to block for Sam Darnold, who went to Kalil’s Alma Mater, USC. After long negotiations, Kalil had 8.4 million reasons to come out of retirement. Panthers fans shouldn’t blame the guy. If a team is willing to throw that much money at you, I’m sure anyone would take it. It’s not like Kalil requested a trade. It’s time to give Kalil a break. No man would turn down that money. Both Carolina and Kalil are better off. Carolina gets a young star center for three years and Kalil is going to make bank elsewhere. Kalil staying in Carolina on a one year loan wouldn’t have helped the team. Had Carolina paid him to stay, they’d be without a top center next season.

The signing also prompted other prominent media members to call Kalil out. One person tweeted “I’d take $8.4 million for a half season too”, which was an obvious dig at Kalil’s injury history prior to last season. Is Panther Nation not better than this? It’s not like Kalil ever talked trash about the Panthers and remained salty for years (like a certain former Panthers running back). He never had any off the field issues. He didn’t have domestic violence issues, like some players. He never got into an altercation with coaches or teammates. He didn’t go to a division rival. He didn’t even go to a team that Carolina plays this year. So I ask again….Why the hate? For 12 years, he literally gave his blood, sweat and tears for Carolina. Let’s get rid of the negativity and be happy for Ryan. As a former Panther who demands respect, he’s earned it.

To go along with this positive message, I’m going to help you get to know Ryan on a more personal level. Here are a few little known facts about him:

Kalil is of Lebanese and Mexican descent.

He comes from a football pedigree, as his father played for the Buffalo Bills (drafted in 1982) and had a short stint in the USFL.

His mom won Miss California in 1981.

His wife, Natalie, is a former cheerleader for USC.

Ryan and Natalie have two daughters.

Ryan co-owns a movie production studio with Detroit Pistons star, Blake Griffin. The LA based company is called Mortal Media.

Kalil has been interested in the film industry since he was a child. He made several claymation films during his childhood.

Kalil and fellow USC Alumnus, Will Ferrell, made a football training spoof for the NFL Network.

For Ryan, this is a new chapter. As fans, we tend to get caught up in our teams. Sometimes, we should think about the player and look at things through their eyes. Let’s be happy for the guy. He was the cornerstone of Carolina’s offensive line for 12 years. Being able to make that much money and provide for your family for one more year is a blessing. People are allowed a change of heart. I’m not telling Panther Nation what to do, but I’m choosing to wish Kalil the best. He deserves happiness, as we all do….and he has more than 8.4 million reasons to be happy. #KeepPounding

By:Norris Thornburg August 1, 2019

Takeaways From Amazon Prime’s “All or Nothing”

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By: 4MR-Norris Thornburg July 26, 2019

By now, everyone has at least heard different talking points about “All or Nothing” and discussed it among friends. If you haven’t watched it, you need to. Yes, there’s gratuitous use of curse words, but that is life in competitive sports. It’s an amazing show that gives fans an in-depth look at the 2018 Panthers.

There are several things I learned while watching the series. Some things I already knew, and some I didn’t. The show is fun, intriguing, surprising, insightful and will have you hyped up and ready fo the season to start. From start to finish, it’s a must-see. Things I learned:

Cam is a Leader

It’s baffling that people still question Cam’s leadership. Cam constantly motivates his teammates to do better, no matter the situation. He leads by the way he plays. He seemingly puts the team on his back when they need him. The way he gets excited when other players make great plays is awesome. The way he plays through pain and doesn’t ever say anything is the sign of a leader. The way he accepted the coaches sitting him for the remainder of the season and getting excited for Heinicke was good to see. It was refreshing to actually see Cam in this light. Hopefully it’ll show fans of other teams, what Panther Nation already knew. Cam is a leader…..and it was well documented in this series.

Cam Loves Helping Others

Cam does so much for the community, but “All or Nothing” showed Cam walking through the streets of Charlotte handing out food to the homeless on Thanksgiving. He’s done that more times than have been reported, but having it on this series will show fans of other teams how Cam makes a difference within the community.

Ron Rivera is One Hell of a Coach

That speech during the Pittsburgh game had fans ready to go hit someone. Rivera is a player’s coach. He’s well respected within the locker room. He knows how to motivate his players. He knows his stuff. Side note: It was fun to see how Rivera called each player “kiddo” and showed how he thinks of these guys as his own. He truly cares about the players, as well as, the game. Seeing how Rivera never lost the locker room during the losing streak, is a testament on how good of a coach he really is. The Panthers are lucky to have him.

There’s a Reason Devin Funchess isn’t Here Anymore

Yes, Funchess was going through a lot with the death of his cousin and yes, everyone grieves differently. However, you never let it break you to the point that you get into an altercation with coaches. He’s a professional. He’s not supposed to let things hinder his playing ability. He showed that he still has some growing up to do. This might not be fair assessment, but it’s how he looked on the small screen. He had a lot of drops in key situations. Panthers thought it was best to let him walk to get a fresh start elsewhere.

Owner David Tepper is Great

Seeing David Tepper excited about the team and walking around shaking the hands of fans, was good to see. Seeing how passionate he is about the Panthers and how competitive he is, should make people pumped about the future of this franchise. Tepper is a fan of football. He yells and cheers for the Panthers like he’s been a fan of the team for 25 years. He knows the business side of the NFL. He realized the issues that faced the team from a business standpoint, and made necessary changes. He had a practice bubble built when he noticed that the Panthers had an unfair disadvantage in regards to practicing outdoors. He voiced his opinion about the team direction and mentioned that the success of the team is hinged on both the offensive and defensive lines. Having Tepper as an owner is an advantage to the Carolina Panthers.

Donte Jackson Has the Tools to Be Great

After watching the series, Jackson tweeted that the show didn’t portray him correctly, and that he wasn’t the only one that was tired of losing. The series didn’t exactly do Jackson wrong, but it showed how tough it is for rookies in the NFL. Jackson has the mental toughness, attitude and skill set to be really good, if not great, in this league. He made a few mistakes last season, but they were rookie mistakes. He was really good in most cases. The guy is going to be special. His pick-two against the Saints last year was one of my favorite plays of the year.

Efe Obada’s Story is Inspirational 

This was one of my favorite parts of the series. Born in Nigeria, Efe and his sister moved to the Netherlands and then were both trafficked to London at the age of 10. Once in London, Efe and his sister were left homeless. He slept on the streets and then went through 10 different foster homes. He eventually found American football in London and worked hard. Efe has said publicly that he used to hang around the wrong crowd, but once he found football, he straightened up. Great story about working hard and getting where you want to be. Bettering yourself through hard work is a story we can all relate to.

There could’ve been a number of takeaways from this series, but these were some of the bigger ones. No matter what you learned, one thing is for certain. This was an amazing look into the team, as you’ve never seen before. It’s just a shame that it was only eight episodes and an even bigger shame that the season didn’t end on a better note. No matter what, we will keep pounding! #4MR #WhatARush

 

Predicting the 53-Man Roster: Pre-Training Camp

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Training camp begins today, and everyone is anxious for the players to take the field. There will be a lot of training camp battles for only a few open spots. Obviously, there will be other players brought in after cuts and injuries, but this article will revolve around cutting the current 90-man roster down to 53.

QB

Cam Newton

Will Grier

Kyle Allen

Taylor Heinicke

Explanation– Heinecke is a good backup, but it’s a toss up between him and Allen. I went with the guy I thought would be a better emergency quarterback. Also, with the team putting more emphasis on having a contingency plan in case Cam gets hurt, I feel they’ll keep three QBs instead of two.

RB

Christian McCaffrey

Jordan Scarlett

Elijah Holyfield

Cameron Artis-Payne

Reggie Bonnafon

Explanation– The easy pick would be Artis-Payne as the back up and Scarlett as the RB3, but I feel like they’ll keep Scarlett due to his upside as a bruiser (and lower contract) and Holyfield because he has a similar skill set to CMC. If they put either of those players on the practice squad, they’d be snatched up.

FB

Alex Armah

Explanation– Keeping Armah will pay dividends in the run game.

WR

DJ Moore

Curtis Samuel

Jarius Wright

Torrey Smith

Chris Hogan

Jaydon Mickens

Aldrick Robinson

DeAndrew White

Rashad Ross

Andre Levrone

Damion Jeanpiere

Terry Godwin

Explanation– I picked our top five receivers and a returner. It was a toss up between Mickens, Robinson and Ross. I chose Mickens due to his explosive return game. I also believe that Terry Godwin will end up on the practice squad and develop into a nice slot receiver for the future.

TE

Greg Olsen

Ian Thomas

Chris Manhertz

Ethan Wolf

Jason Vander Laan

Cole Hunt

Temarrick Hemingway

Marcus Baugh

Explanation– This is an easy one. Keeping Manhertz as the third tight end, mirrors what they’ve done every year. Keeping Manhertz as a blocker will have a ton of benefits for the offense. We know he can catch passes from McCaffrey too. 

OT

Greg Little

Taylor Moton

Daryl Williams

Dillon Gordon

Dennis Daley

Explanation– This could look a little different if Little wins the left tackle spot (like we all hope) and they move Williams inside. If Williams moves inside, I think Daley stays on the roster. If not, he will go to the practice squad.

C

Matt Paradis

Tyler Larsen

Parker Collins

Explanation– Just keeping the top two centers. Carolina loves Larsen’s versatility as well.

OG

Trai Turner

Greg Van Roten

Kitt O’Brien

Dorian Johnson

Norman Price

Kofi Amichia

Brandon Greene

Taylor Hearn

Explanation– This will look a little different if Williams moves to the inside. If he does, I think Dorian Johnson will be gone.

DE

Mario Addison

Bruce Irvin

Efe Obada

Marquis Haynes

Brian Cox

Explanation– It was a toss up between Haynes and Cox, but Haynes fits in the 3-4 scheme better than Cox. Also, Efe Obada bulked up so he can move inside when needed. Sorry Brian!

DT

Kawann Short

Dontari Poe

Gerald McCoy

Kyle Love

Vernon Butler

Woodrow Hamilton

Bijhon Jackson

Destiny Vaeao

Explanation– Going with the top five players here, and they have the most versatility. McCoy, Short and Butler would be a good rotation at DE in the 3-4 sets, too. This whole defense looks very talented.

LB

Brian Burns

Luke Kuechly

Shaq Thompson

Jermaine Carter

Jared Norris

Christian Miller

Andre Smith

Jordan Kunaszyk

Jonathan Celestin

Brandon Chubb

Sione Teuhema

Antoine Williams

Explanation– Christian Miller is a first round talent and I believe he will beat out Andre Smith for this roster spot. I also believe he will get plenty of opportunities to prove himself this year. Jermaine Carter will thrive more in this defensive scheme than last years.

CB

James Bradberry

Donte Jackson

Javien Elliott

Ross Cockrell

Kevon Seymour

Corn Elder

Cole Luke

Lorenzo Doss

Josh Thornton

Explanation– Sorry, Miami fans. Corn just didn’t make the cut. When given the opportunities last season, Corn struggled. It’s possible that he figures the game out this year, but he better hurry. Seymour and Cockrell are coming back from injury, and that gives us great depth at a position where we need it.

S

Eric Reid

Rashaan Gaulden

Colin Jones

Quin Blanding

Corion Ballard

Kia Nacua

Damian Parms 

Explanation– Jones is a special teams ace and an above average (barely) safety. Blanding was my dark horse pick to make the 53-man roster in my article “The Guys That No One is Talking About” and I still feel that way. The guy is a tackling machine, and I dont feel like any other safety on the roster can beat him out of that last spot.

K

Graham Gano

P

Michael Palardy

LS

JJ Jansen

Again, this could change based on training camp battles, injuries and transactions. However, this is how I feel that the roster will shake out after the smoke clears. Be on the lookout for an article before cuts, that gives my “Post-Training Camp” roster predictions. #KeepPounding #4MR #WhatARush

By: Norris Thornburg July 25, 2019

5 Reasons the Carolina Panthers Won’t Make the Playoffs

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Training camp starts tomorrow and there’s plenty of excitement surrounding the Panthers. Fans have just watched the team on Amazon Prime’s “All or Nothing” and saw an in-depth look into Carolina’s 2018 season. There’s a lot to be excited about. On paper, this team looks like a contender. They need to take it game by game, but the ultimate goal is to make the playoffs to have a chance at a Super Bowl. However, in the NFL, it’s rare that things go as planned. Here are five reasons that Carolina won’t make the playoffs:

1. Injuries to Key Players

Over the last couple of years, the injury bug has hit the Panthers pretty hard. If, God forbid, it continues to bite Carolina and no one steps up, it’s going to be a long season. Especially if Cam Newton gets hurt again. This season almost solely depends on Cam’s health. Cam’s health might also depend on the health of his offensive line, as we saw last season. Hopefully, the injuries will be kept to a minimum.

2. Miles Traveled 

Carolina will be traveling 22,008 miles for away games this season, which is enough for eighth most in the league. By comparison, last season Carolina only traveled a little over 6,000 miles all season, which was the least amount in the league. Traveling long distances takes a toll on teams, but it’s a part of the game. The good news is, 8,000 of those miles are to and from London. Take those 8,000 miles away, and they only travel 14,008 miles this season, which would’ve been good enough for 20th. More good news: Carolina’s bye week comes right after the London trip, so they’ll have time to rest. With any luck, this won’t hurt the team too much.

3. Rough Second Half Schedule

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Week 10 starts a rough stretch for Carolina. In that eight game stretch, they play the Packers, Redskins, Colts, Seahawks, Falcons twice and Saints twice. Carolina has the ability to beat any of those teams, but this is still a tough stretch. The Packers aren’t the same team as in year’s past, but they still have Aaron Rodgers. Seahawks still have Russell Wilson. Colts played well last season in Andrew Luck’s return. With the Falcons and the Saints, division games are always tough. Especially against these two teams. The hope, as always, is that Carolina gets a fast start in the season and gains momentum heading into the second half of the season.

4. Mistakes

If Carolina wants to make the playoffs, they need to limit their mistakes. Prior to Cam’s injury, it appeared that he had a handle on Norv Turner’s efficient offense. He only had 4 interceptions before the Pittsburgh game, where he hurt his shoulder. A healthy Cam who can stay efficient would be a huge plus. The offense as a whole needs to limit the turnovers. The defense needs to be in position to make plays and cause turnovers. If this doesn’t happen, it will be long season.

5. Lack of Chemistry

Sometimes, teams just don’t have the chemistry that they had the previous year. New players come in via draft and free agency and sometimes their personalities don’t mesh well with the core. There isn’t any information that has been given to say this is happening, but it could.

This article isn’t designed to be disrespectful to Carolina, but quite the opposite. They will make the playoffs as long as none of these things happen. Here’s to hoping that nothing keeps them from achieving their dream of a Lombardi Trophy.

#KeepPounding #4MR #WhatARush

By: Norris Thornburg July 24, 2019

5 Reasons the Carolina Panthers Will Make the Playoffs

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Training camp starts tomorrow and there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the Carolina Panthers. Fans have just watched the team on Amazon Prime’s “All or Nothing” and got an in-depth look inside the 2018 Panthers. There seems to be a lot of buzz about this team, even from national news outlets. Hopefully, everything will click with the team and they’ll get back to being in contention for a Super Bowl. Here are five reasons that the Panthers will make the playoffs.

1. Ron Rivera