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Panthers 21. Bills 0. A Black&Blue Game Review.

James Ross Ellis

General Observations: – David Tepper has turned out to be such a cartoon villain version of an NFL owner that it’s actually entertaining. It’s like the Panthers are owned by The Penguin. His accidental, on-air admission of having a burner twitter account is hilarious, and you have to love him indirectly calling the Carolina fanbase sewage, or whatever the exact phrasing was. I guess the fact that he was too cheap to fully guarantee a contract for a serial predator to become the face of the franchise lets him off the hook for his utterly embarrassing failure in Rock Hill. However, I do … Continue reading Panthers 21. Bills 0. A Black&Blue Game Review.

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Brandon Smith’s College Tape Is A Can Of Smashed Assholes

James Ross Ellis

#12 As a player, he actually reminds me of Eric Reid, meaning he’ll be stuffing the stat sheet full of meaningless tackles 8 yards past the line of scrimmage. He doesn’t take on blocks and he’s generally useless playing downhill, as he has no feel or moves as a blitzer. Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane. Jesse Luketa (#40) is clearly better, and he was drafted three rounds later. Shitty pick. Shitty team. Shitty teams stay shitty by making shitty picks. Another life mystery solved. Happy Memorial Day, everyone. Continue reading Brandon Smith’s College Tape Is A Can Of Smashed Assholes

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Deciphering Fitterer’s Combine Presser

James Ross Ellis

Today, we’ll do our best to decode Scott Fitterer’s combine press conference, separating fact from fiction, while making a few offseason predictions. It will be fun. Takeaway #1: Darnold Is Out Of Here Bye Felicia. According to Fitterer, Sam needs to “take the next step”, which is coach/GM speak for “this guy is holding us back.” Obviously, this is correct, but the spectre of Darnold’s $18 million cap figure has left many people wondering – present company included – whether or not the team might run it back with Sam. The lack of even a lukewarm endorsement seems to preclude … Continue reading Deciphering Fitterer’s Combine Presser

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Free Agency Preview: Ranking All Of The Available Quarterbacks

James Ross Ellis

With the official start of free agency less than three weeks away, let’s take a look at the most important, coveted position in the sport. Keep in mind, this list does not include possible trade targets, such as Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Deshaun Watson. Tier 1 – Elite N/A Yeah, no Tom Brady or Peyton Manning this year.  Sorry. Tier 2 – Starter/Potential Starter Jameis WinstonMarcus MariotaRyan FitzpatrickTeddy Bridgewater Winston and Mariota, the #1 and #2 overall selections of the 2015 draft, are now the concensus Options A/B on the free agent market.  Fitzpatrick was widely regarded as the … Continue reading Free Agency Preview: Ranking All Of The Available Quarterbacks

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Frankie Luvu Re-signed

James Ross Ellis

The Panthers have made their first significant move of 2022 free agency. According to Ian Rappaport, the team has signed versatile linebacker Frankie Luvu to a two year deal. Financial terms have not been disclosed. Luvu was a breakout performer in an otherwise dismal season for the team, posting 1.5 sacks, 7 quarterback pressures, and 8 TFLs as part of Carolina’s linebacker rotation. His swiss army knife skillset was on display in the team’s week six game against Minnesota. Filling in at inside linebacker, he posted seven tackles and blocked a punt, which was returned for a touchdown by safety … Continue reading Frankie Luvu Re-signed

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Panthers Shut Out Of PFF’s Top 101 List

James Ross Ellis

The Panthers have posted their first shut out of 2022. On Tuesday, Pro Football Focus released their annual Top 101 List – a full ranking of their top 101 graded players of the season – and the Panthers were one of six teams to not have a player make the cut. The popular sports analytics company is widely cited as a resource for player evaluation, as their data collectors watch every single play of every single NFL player, charting and grading their performance on each play. This is a major reason why PFF is considered a more reliable player appraisal … Continue reading Panthers Shut Out Of PFF’s Top 101 List

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Panthers Round Out Coaching Staff

James Ross Ellis

The Panthers have added two more coaches this week, seemingly rounding out their 2022 coaching staff. Steve Wilks is back as secondary coach/pass game coordinator. He was a member of the Ron Rivera staff for a combined six seasons – five as DB coach, one as defensive coordinator. He helped develop young stars such as Josh Norman and James Bradberry, while also getting the most out of career backups such as Colin Jones, Robert McClain, Drayton Florence, Melvin White, and slot specialist Captain Munnerlyn. This extensive track record of success with veterans and rookie alike was likely a key factor … Continue reading Panthers Round Out Coaching Staff

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James Campen – A Closer Look

James Ross Ellis

James Campen has been hired as the team’s offensive line coach. He brings 25 years of NFL experience with him – seventeen as a coach, and eight as a player. He started with the Packers as an entry level assistant in 2004, before being promoted to offensive line coach in 2007, and he served Mike McCarthy (and new Panthers OC Ben McAdoo) in this capacity until 2018, when McCarthy was fired. He then worked for three different teams in a three year span, all resulting in fired head coaches: – 2019 Cleveland Browns (Freddie Kitchens) – 2020 Los Angeles Chargers … Continue reading James Campen – A Closer Look

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Inside The Hiring Of Chris Tabor

James Ross Ellis

The Panthers have hired Chris Tabor to be their special teams coordinator. He brings 14 years of NFL experience with him, starting in 2008 with the Chicago Bears, where he served as an assistant to legendary special teams coach Dave Toub. More background: – Browns ST coordinator from ’11-’17. – From ’11-’16, the Browns were the only team in the NFL to have a player voted as AFC Special Teams Player of the Week at least one time each season. – Served with FOUR DIFFERENT HEAD COACHES in Cleveland (I’ll touch on this later in the review). – Most recently served as … Continue reading Inside The Hiring Of Chris Tabor