NFL Draft Open Thread

One of my favorite nights of the year is upon us – first round coverage of the NFL draft. Although we will have to wait until the weekend to hear Nate Irving’s name called, there’s still plenty of interesting things going on. We’ve been talking about the Panthers’ likely (and stupid) decision to draft Cam Newton here. My co-favorite team – how much fun was last fall/winter for me, cheering for easily the two worst teams in pro football – is on the clock next. Not much suspense there, either – unless the Panthers sober up and take him first, Alabama’s Marcell Dareus will be the second player chosen and hopefully lead the next “Orange Crush.”

This might be the last NFL excitement for quite some time…so enjoy it while you can.

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

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33 Responses to NFL Draft Open Thread

  1. gotohe11carolina 04/29/2011 at 2:44 AM #

    sigh, my chargers wasted yet another draft pick on some no name hybrid end kid out of Ill (they really needed a nose not an end if they’re serious about run stuffing.) there was a real running back there for the taking (ingram), not some weak willed california kid. the kid liuget didn’t even make first team all big 10. i don’t think they’ve had a good first round draft pick since rivers with the possible exception of cromartie. just venting was really hoping for a real rb to give rivers a little help so he didn’t have to throw 40+ times to win… i’m sure liuget will be a fine player and will be helpful giving them some toughness that they lost when olshansky left…

    all of that said how can anyone here be a panthers fan, they’re kind of like the professional arm of unx. as the post above said, i’m glad they gambled on newton as it gives me one more reason to root against them and await their impending doom. they really could have used dareus at the nose cause from the looks of their roster they don’t have anyone who can play over center.

  2. redredred 04/29/2011 at 9:06 AM #

    IMO Cam Newton will be a bust. Too many character issues with that guy, but without seeing him play, this is just that… an opinion.

    To me Hurney is the bigger issue. How can he justify taking Cam this year after taking three QB’s in last years draft? I could see it if he were the new GM and not the same guy who was making those calls when Fox was the HC. Granted they got Clausen for cheap, but it still puts some speculation on his ability to make good personnel decisions. At least at the QB spot.

  3. bradleyb123 04/29/2011 at 10:16 AM #

    I’m not seeing the problem with Cam Newton. Maybe someone can enlighten me as to why there’s so much venom with that guy? Is it because of what happened with his dad shopping him around to the highest bidder? Or does it have something to do with his skills? Because last time I checked, he won the national championship and the Heisman trophy. Seems like a beast on the field, too. So what gives?

    Or are people really pretending to care about something that happened OFF the field? It’s not like he murdered dogs or something.

  4. sundropdrinker13 04/29/2011 at 10:31 AM #

    ^ He played in a simple offensive scheme and is not considered a NFL-ready starter. He will take a few years to understand more complicated offenses and to get comfortable with them. Panthers needed more help at other places than the QB position. Shoulda took Greene, or the DT or CB. Then next year get Luck with that #1 pick as well. Who will they get with next year’s #1 now? Drafting Newton was a stupid decision on their part, and just one more example of how terrible a GM Hurney really is. I say draft Luck next year and move Newton to LB 😉

  5. TOBtime 04/29/2011 at 12:52 PM #

    Cam is a PROJECT at QB and you DO NOT waste a first round pick on a project at a skill position. Ever.

    And please let the Heisman and NC bull go. Football is a team sport. Auburn had a great D this past year in case no one noticed that they shut down a very prolific OR offense in the NC game. Also in that game, if Cam can hit the broadside of a barn, Auburn scores 35. Notice they did not.

    The Panthers need to rebuild the D-line from the Jenkins/Peppers Super Bowl run. Remember how they did that with a very un-exciting QB named Jake Delhomme? Vince Young was a “popular” pick and also a project with off the field issues.

  6. highstick 04/29/2011 at 7:29 PM #

    Well, there was no guarantee they’d get that shot at Luck next year, but my gut feeling is by selecting Cam, they may again have the first pick in the draft. He is in for a rude awakening cause he will not be able to do the things he did “on the Plains”.

    How much the character issue matters won’t be know until it plays out. If he’s a Albert Haynesworth type, then “we told you so, Hurney”. If he’s not, I’ll be shocked, but glad for him. I wouldn’t have picked him in 100 years, but that’s why I’m not an owner, just a fan. Maybe Steve Smith just needs to bust him in the nose early on and see if he can take it!

  7. highstick 04/29/2011 at 7:31 PM #

    Danged typos…I forgot you can’t edit on the main page.

  8. TOBtime 04/30/2011 at 8:49 AM #

    And if you didn’t have enough reason to hate the Giants and the vastly overrated Eli Manning, they now have Marvin Austin. With Nicks and Austin the Giants now have 2 players whose combined IQ equals the Wonderlic score for Phillip Rivers.

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