2021 Panther Draft Choices

A day 2 cornerback we're possibly interested in and have met with virtually;

https://twitter.com/CatCraveBlog/status/1364688695828348935?s=19

 

What are your thoughts on Fields?

 

Still makes me very nervous. Ohio QB's have historically not transitioned well to the NFL. His tape shows a lot of misses when trying to force the ball when he could pick a different option. Brilliant athlete and can be a real maverick at times from what I've seen. I think Wilson has better mechanics and Lance the bigger upside of them. Fields may well turn out to be fantastic wherever he goes but he really does make me nervous and that doesn't happen often with players mocked to us in numerous drafts. I also don't think it's worth giving up what we would have to in order to jump up the board for him.

 

I think he sticks to his first read too long and holds the ball too long as well. He's also not as decisive as he will need to be at the next level. But if that can be fixed he has a ridiculously high ceiling.

Regarding the quoted statement, you need to judge the player, not the helmet. Fields was considered as QB1b going into the season with T-Law being QB1a. There hasn't been an Ohio State quarterback considered as a great draft prospect in recent memory. Haskins was a 2nd day prospect that was severely over-drafted in the middle of the first by the Redskins, and he was still the best QB prospect that the Buckeyes had had in decades. Fields has always been head and shoulders above anyone in program history, so what other OSU QBs have done really doesn't matter a lot.

 

I still think to get him we'd give up more than we need to, and I'm just not sure it would be worth it. Like I said he might end up being fantastic but there are other options without giving away needed picks for the draft. Lance if he falls to 8 would be ideal I think, or if he doesn't then trade down and see if we can get a gem of a QB later on like Fitterer did with Russell Wilson in round 3 when they drafted him. We could even stock up on QB protection then bring in a decent placeholder from free agency or a trade (since Teddy is clearly being moved out) and look again for the franchise guy next year.

Moving up for Fields doesn't feel like the right move.

 

I've never seen anything other than the highlights for Lance. Those are made to make him look good.
I'd like to see him play in a real game, play after play. There is nowhere near enough film on him to assure me that he should be the Panther's #8.
I also don't want to move up and I really don't like doing a Hershel Walker.

 

moving UP for ANYONE doesn’t feel like the right move for carolina. The only time it makes since to move up is for a game changer from day one. . ... A “sure thing”.
Andrew Luck was a sure thing much in the way that Lawrence has been seen for years now. Same with two Mannings, and straight back to Elway. A little like Lance there have been rare small school future elites like Josh Allen and Big Ben but those cases are very rare. For every rarity worth taking in the top 10 there are dozens of Weinkes, Weedens, Trubiskys, Quinns, Youngs, Leinarts, Manziels, RG3s, etc,etc.

I just really can’t buy the 1st round hype for Lance, much less 8 overall. Just compare what was known about Luke when carolina last picked at #8 to what is known about Lance. The NFL wasn’t too big for Luke and that was evident vs tough competition over several seasons at BC. Will the game be too big for Lance? How many games has he played? What was his competition?
To trade up for Wilson or Fields would make even less sense. Why not just trade up for Lawrence if you are going to mortgage your future? Wilson only has a fraction of the resume that Lawrence does. With Fields Cyber brought up many valid concerns. Potential, ceiling, and talent alone do not insure NFL success. .. ask Jimmy Clausen the next time he’s bagging your groceries. If there was merely marginal overall talent at the top in this draft and no other position could immediately help your team then sure, roll the dice on a hyped QB prospect. .. If you don’t have a shit-ton of glaring weakness at MANY other positions on your current roster then by all means go for your rookie QB project. . .. otherwise it’s dumb to bypass other immediately needed positions that will reap much sooner rewards to gamble on a rookie QB.

 

we had the same feelings at the same time. .. you just used a lot less words to make the point. )

 

I watched a lot of Youtube on Lance, which is about all that is out there beyond highlights. Great athlete, great arm, great long ball, but I did not see him doing the 10 yd crossing pattern type precision stuff. Does not mean he can't, but guess the Panther brass will have to decide if he fits our offense. Of course Joe Brady is probably on his last season here, so who knows.

 

Whoever wants to know how Lance would have done against stiffer competition. . .

Start up EA Sports NCAA football (2012 for me) and if there is no South Dakota St just take a team like Ball State.
Give your QB an 88 to 92 in everything.
Try playing Ohio State. You can even give your QB Ohio States playbook to run.
See how that goes. .. that’s probably pretty close to how well Lance would have done Vs real competition.