Who Do You Pick As Your Tackle Of The Future?

Don't Mock the Draft, Decide It RD 2:

Well PantherNation, you have spoken and clearly said that we need an Offensive Tackle in Round Two after going with the dynamic Brandin Cooks in Round One.  Now we have to decide who we are going to trust to protect Cam for the next decade.  Below are five worthy candidates that will have a great chance of being available at Pick #60.  Take a careful look at each one and make your vote count.

1.      Billy Turner- At 6’6, 314 lbs., this two-time All-American started 56 out of 57 games in college and has already met with the Panthers.  In 2013, Turner started all 15 games at Left Tackle and gave up exactly zero sacks

2.    Cyrus Kouandjio-  At 6’7, 322 lbs., this massive man was First-Team All-American playing in the competitive SEC.  Interesting stat is that Cyrus opened holes for eight straight 100-yard games.  Rumors of issues with his knee are causing this First-Round talent to drop to Pick #60

3.    Jack Mewhort- At 6’6, 309 lbs., this All-American out of Ohio State is an intriguing prospect that has shown the ability to play all five positions along the offensive line.  This guy could potentially start at either Tackle or Guard spot for the Panthers on Day One

4.    Joel Bitonio- At 6’4, 302 lbs., this tough nosed Tackle out of Nevada plays with a nasty streak and finishes plays as well as any lineman in the draft.  He is able to play any position on the line which is invaluable on Sundays

5.     Seantrel Henderson- At 6’7, 331 lbs., this Hog Molly looks the part.  He is absolutely massive and shows above average athleticism.  Though off the field troubles and a back surgery makes Henderson a bit of a boom or bust proposition

Now that you know your options PantherNation, go vote and make your voice heard.  And follow me, @PanthersDrafter, on Twitter for ongoing discussions about the Panthers and the upcoming Draft.

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Why did we pick Brandin Cooks?

PantherNation has spoken and Brandin Cooks is our choice for Pick #28 in the upcoming Draft on May 8.  The voting was close, and certainly some will stomp their feet wishing we picked their guy.  But all of PantherNation is smarter than anyone of us.  So let’s take a deeper look and see why PantherNation chose Cooks.  We all know that we were 29th in passing last year, and that we lost our deep threat and punt returner in Ted Ginn, Jr.  Oh yea, we also lost our #1 Receiver in Steve Smith.  Cooks would immediately fill all of these roles.  He would be the #1 Receiver by default and with his 4.33 speed, he would be the one to take the top off the defense along with being an explosive punt returner. Still not convinced? True, there are a lot of other good options at 28.  A lot of other players are explosive too.  So why this guy?  Here is why I like the pick:  Brandin Cooks loves both football and what it can mean to his family.  He lost his father when he was only six years old and that had a dramatic impact on him and his siblings. All of this motivates this young man to be the best.  Read this article by the Oregonian to get a better idea of where this kid comes from and why he will be successful.

This 2013 Biletnikoff Award Winner reminds me of a lot of Steve Smith and you can’t argue with a great nickname either. Check out this video to see why the name Mach 7 fits.

This guy will make you get you out of your chair and I’m proud of PantherNation for making this selection.

Now granted, we do have other needs including Offensive Linemen and help in the Secondary.  Thankfully this is a deep draft and there are other Picks left to make. I agree that the Panthers need to invest a high round draft choice in this game-changing playmaker like Brandin Cooks.  Now the next step in letting your voices be heard is to decide what position we select at Pick #60.  You choice PantherNation:  WR, OT, CB or Safety?  Vote today  

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Carolina Panthers' Backyard Ballers: Clemson's Left Tackle Brandon Thomas

This is the first of a series of articles, titled Backyard Ballers, which will spotlight draft prospects from the Carolinas.  As a fan focused site, we too love our hometown boys.  Let's cheer those backyard ballers and follow them in their transition from Carolina colleges to the pros.  We wish they call could become successful Panthers one day, but we know that is unrealistic.  Their path may not go through Charlotte, but they will always be Carolina ballers to us!

Brandon Thomas, Clemson LT. 

We've all heard of Clemson University's Sammy Watkins of course. He's considered the top prospect in the entire nation at wide receiver and in a class replete with talent at the position. He and in-state rival Jadeveon Clowney get all the (non-quarterback) press, and frankly it's unusual for the state of South Carolina to have so much attention on multiple kids heading into the draft.

With so much attention on Watkins, Clemson's offensive guard Brandon Thomas has largely escaped the spotlight and that's exactly why I wanted to do a little digging to see what I could find out about him so I could relay that info to you, our loyal readers.

Also, since the Carolina Panthers are in need of an offensive lineman - or three - there remains a very good possibility that they could write down Thomas' name on a draft card in May, so let's take a look, shall we?

Don't Mock the Draft, Decide It - Phase II. You pick the Receiver

PantherNation has overwhelmingly spoken as to what position you want to see chosen at #28.  That is phase one of the “Don’t Mock The Draft, Decide It…” series by my friends here at Carolina Cat Chronicles.  Now, for phase two, we need to check out five candidates that could be the next Panther star to make memories with Cam Newton.  Below (and in no particular order) are the five that I believe will be there at Pick #28 and a little about why they could be the one.  You decide:

1.      Odell Beckham Jr.- As the Panthers Analyst for DraftTek.com, I get more requests for OBJ than anyone else.  This dynamic WR out of LSU is a playmaker with exceptionally large hands and a knack for the big play that would look good in Panther Blue.

2.    Brandin Cooks- Also known as Mach 7, this Biletnikoff Award-Winner looks a lot like #89 to me and would be a shot in the arm to our 29^th ranked offense.

3.    Jordan Matthews- At 6’3, 206 lbs., this First Team All-American out of Vanderbilt played against top competition every week and excelled. Jordan may very well be the most pro ready receiver of the group. Very low bust potential.

4.    Allen Robinson- Another big option for Cam.  This All-American out of Penn State set the school’s receptions record with 77 last year.  He is fundamentally sound and makes things look easy.

5.     Devante Adams- This Two-time All-American out of Fresno State is also a big target at 6’2 210 lbs.  An amazing stat for Devante is that he caught a TD in 22 out of the 26 games he played in.

RD 1: Panther Fans on the Clock

Make your voice heard throughout this process; don’t forget to vote.  And you can follow me on twitter @PantherDrafter for ongoing draft discussions.  And as always, Keep Pounding.

Carolina Panthers: Trading Experience for Hope

The Carolina Panthers aren’t known for making a whole lot of noise in the off season. Being the second youngest team in the NFL, they tend to just sit back and prepare for the draft. That’s exactly what was expected in the 2014 off-season, but what Panther fan’s got was the complete opposite.

Carolina ended the 2013/14 season with a winning record and a trip to the playoffs, where they were embarrassed on their home turf against the San Francisco 49ers. It’s a tough loss that will haunt the team and fans forever.

On the bright side, the Panthers finally had a solid foundation to build an excellent football team. However, due to egos, politics, and money, the Panthers successfully got rid of half of their starters, including the man who brought passion and fire to the offense, Steve Smith. Nobody will ever know the truth about what happened behind closed doors, but from a fan’s perspective, it looks as though the Panthers are giving up already on next season. With the export of players exceeding the amount of players imported, the Panthers need to really do their homework and make every pick in the 2014 NFL draft count. The Panthers need to focus on the later round picks to try and sniff out the talent that might be flying under the radar, such as a Michael Campanaro from Wake Forest. 

To DeSean Jackson or Not to Jackson? That is the Carolina Cat Chronicles Question

It’s been a rough offseason for Panther fans.  After a 12-4 finish, resulting in an NFC South Championship, fans’ excitement has been smothered by reality.  GM Dave Gettleman had warned that the Panthers were cap challenged and that righting the ship would not be easy or quick, the high of success caused fans to ignore the roster and contract difficulties facing Carolina.  Fans, however, felt the cooling shock of the first sobering dose when fan favorite, and thought to be untouchable franchise legend, Steve Smith fell victim to the business. Gettleman cut the lifetime Panther in the face of fan outrage without what appeared to be the slightest of remorse or emotion. Then fans saw Mike Mitchell sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ted Ginn, Jr. sign with the Arizona Cardinals, both instrumental in Carolina’s 2013 success.  

People had known it could happen. We should have known it probably would happen, but the drug of success had clouded our vision. The sobering continued as Captain Munnerlyn, a small guy hero to the a small guy franchise, inked a long-term deal in Minnesota. Fans were in such a state of desperation that they were clamoring for Gettleman to sign Brandon Lafell, longtime fan whipping boy, just to give the offense a semblance of stability.  The fact that fans were so disheartened by Lafell’s exit exemplifies their desperation.

DraftTek.com Carolina Panthers Mock 2.0

Hey sports fans!

Drafttek.com has just updated their player ratings so I thought I would go check out what they have for their latest "Big Board" and their projections for the Carolina Panthers in the draft.

First, here's their top ten - for what it's worth - since several top teams (like the Rams) are shopping their high pick in this deep, deep draft:

1) Houston Texans - Jadaveon Clowney, DE, USC
2) St. Louis Rams - Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson
3) Jacksonville Jaguars - Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville
4) Cleveland Browns - Khalil Mack, OLB, Buffalo
5) Oakland Raiders - Greg Robinson, OT, Auburn
6) Atlanta Falcons - Jake Matthews, OT, TAMU
7) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Derek Carr, QB, Fresno State (??)
8) Minnesota Vikings - Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan St.
9) Buffalo Bills - Mike Evans, WR, TAMU
10) Detroit Lions - Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, FS, Alabama