Otah

After the Panthers got Stewart they started right away trying to trade back into the first with every team from the Bear at 14 down to the Eagles at 19 which took a deal so we could get Otah. That tells me they wanted both of them very badly and I would guess that may have been the plan from the beginning. They must have thought Otah had a better chance of dropping since they picked Stewart first.

The panthers want to run the football more than anything else and they took some strong measures to try and make that happen.

Drafted a 1st round power back to go with a 1st round small/quick running back.
Paid a steep price to also get a top OL who projects to be a real power in the running game.
Moved Gross to LT and Wharton to LG where they were a pretty good set to run behind a few years ago.
Signed some massive guards.

They have obviously got a plan and are putting the pieces of that plan together. We as fans many think we have a better or different plan but we're not putting together the team. I happen to like the direction the plan is going.

We laid a 2nd and 4th on the line to get the best possible pieces for that plan. According to the panthers Stewart and Otah are better than Otah and Rice or Forte or Choice or whatever other RB we could have gotten in the 2nd or 3rd and they think so to the tune of a 2nd and 4th round pick. For what Carolina wants to do I can't disagree with it.

For better or worse the Panthers are firing both barrels to become the team they want to be.

 

People should stop calling Stewart a power back. Despite his weight, he is not a power back. He prefers to bounce things outside and will make moves to avoid contact rather than break tackles. That's not to say that he can't break tackles, he just prefers to go for open field.

Not at running back, no. Gamble's contract runs out after this season, though, and Lucas is getting up in years. Meanwhile no one knows if Salley is even adequate. As for TE, we do have some youth but it remains to be seen if either is a long-term starter. King needs to be more reliable catching passes, and both guys need to become better blockers. O-line also becomes an issue if we don't sign Gross.

 

stewart = emmitt smith?

unfortunately, panthers 2008 o-line looks nothing like the dallas line from 1990.

 

I don't have any argument if we move to contracts running out or ability level in terms of replacing players. Point was solely regarding replacement due to age. On that front we look fine.

ps....calling Stewart a "power back" makes us ignorantly blissful people keep our heart rate down when thinking about the selection!

 

Bring back Dr. Shortt!!!

 

That's a much better comparison than the idiots at ESPN and NFL.com comparing him to LT and Larry Johnson.


Trashman:
Quibble if you want to, but the point is that we aren't "young" anywhere except LB and (as you pointed out) RB. That will become a problem if we have to go through a rebuilding effort, so hopefully this team isn't to that point yet.

 

The recession is already here.

 

Mel Kiper calls it #3 reach of the draft

3. Panthers overpay for Jeff Otah
The Carolina Panthers paid dearly (a second- and fourth-round pick this year and their 2009 first-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles) in order to move back into the first round and draft Pittsburgh left tackle Jeff Otah. He's going to be a good player, and should open holes for running back Jonathan Stewart for years to come, but it was a steep price to pay.

 

My problems with the cost aside, I read Otah's Q&A and really like his attitude.