Tag: 2023 combine

Report: Panthers will be aggressive if they fall in love with a QB

According to NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe, the Panthers will be aggressive in trying to trade up the draft board if they fall in love with one of the QBs.

Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer may be trying to get in on his biggest deal yet.

According to national NFL reporter Cameron Wolfe, the Panthers will likely make a bold effort to move atop this year’s draft board. That, of course, is contingent on if they really, really love at least one of this year’s quarterback prospects.

“Well, the Panthers are certainly going to go get a quarterback,” Wolfe said on Friday. “And the Derek Carr situation is something we’ve been tracking for weeks now. They are gonna talk to him again on Monday over the phone. But what I hear here is their preference is to find their franchise quarterback long term via the draft.

“So they’re doing a lot of homework on these quarterback prospects here. And the one thing to watch as we look at teams here who are trying to trade up, Carolina should be high on that list. I’ve been told they are gonna be aggressive if they fall in love with their guy.”

Wolfe went on to mention one of those guys, in particular.

“One guy to keep an eye on is Anthony Richardson,” he added. “He’s met with all the quarterback teams here. Carolina’s meeting apparently went great. They loved his work on the board. He’s a guy that, obviously, has some development to do. But he said earlier today, he’s like Cam Jackson—Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson together. And you have a staff like Carolina has with Thomas Brown, Frank Reich, some of the offensive coaching staffs there. They are a type of group that wants to develop their quarterback.”

Fitterer said as much on Wednesday, stating his preferred route to go under center is the draft-and-develop approach. He also mentioned how well the team’s meeting with Richardson went.

We’ll just have to wait and see how, or if, he approaches other teams about a trade for their quarterback.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

CJ Stroud: I’ve been the best player in college football two years in a row

2023 draft prospect and Ohio State star CJ Stroud believes he was the best player in college football over the last two seasons.

With so much talk about the refinement and size of Bryce Young as well as the potential of both Anthony Richardson and Will Levis, CJ Stroud may have turned into the “safe” quarterback option in the 2023 draft. But that’s probably not how he sees it exactly.

The University of Ohio State standout commanded the lectern during his media availability at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine on Friday. And when asked about his spectacular performance in the Peach Bowl against the eventual national champion Georgia Bulldogs, Stroud said he believes he’s had plenty of eye-opening outings like that.

“Everybody kind of highlights that game, but for me, I think you can put on my film, I think I’ve been the best player in college football two years in a row,” he said. “And I think I’ve consistently done that. And I think, honestly, I think I haven’t even touched my potential yet. I think that I have a lot more to get better at. But I have a lot more—not only to prove, not only to y’all—but to myself.”

Stroud apparently proved a bit during his meeting with the Carolina Panthers earlier this week. General manager Scott Fitterer, in an interview for The Clubhouse with Kyle Bailey, thinks the Buckeye is legit.

“Yeah, that performance was really impressive,” he said of Stroud’s Georgia game. “I think he showed some mobility in that game. I think he makes a lot of throws that a lot of guys can’t make. He’s a natural passer back there in the pocket and he sees the field.”

We’ll see more of him on Saturday, when the quarterbacks hit the field at Lucas Oil Stadium.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Bryce Young: I’ve been this size my whole life

Bryce Young wouldn’t leave his media availability at the combine without answering questions about his size.

Bryce Young measures up quite well with many of the top quarterback prospects in recent memory. But it’s his literal measurements that may give teams some pause.

2021 Heisman Trophy winner and University of Alabama star spoke with reporters early Friday morning at the NFL Scouting Combine. Young, who may barely be six-feet tall and a smidge under 200 pounds, was—of course—asked about his size.

“I’ve been this size, respectfully, my whole life,” Young said with a smile. “I know who I am. I know what I can do. For me, I think it’s fair. Everyone can speculate and ask whatever questions are necessary. But I’m going to continue to control what I can control, continue to keep working my hardest to put me in position. I’m confident in myself. I know what I can do.”

Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich certainly knows what he can do. Reich seemed smitten when talking about Young, who they met with in Indianapolis earlier this week.

“Highly intelligent, very fast processor, very poised, accurate passer, playmaker and he checks a lot of boxes,” Reich said on Wednesday. “No moment’s too big for him. Very, very good player. He seems like a great young man. Very impressive.”

General manager Scott Fitterer was on the same page as Reich in an interview for The Clubhouse with Kyle Bailey later that day. He even said Young had a bit more to him than he previously believed.

“So I will say that he was a little bit bigger in person than I thought he would be,” Fitterer stated. “But I’ll tell you what—sitting down with him, he was so poised and just so in control. And the way he talks football, it was so fluid coming out of his mouth. Coaches couldn’t even get the question out and he’s already answering, or he went on to answer before they even asked the question because he understands the game so much.”

So, will size matter? Maybe not if you’re as special as Young.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Anthony Richardson models game after Cam Newton, Lamar Jackson

Florida QB Anthony Richardson, or Cam Jackson to some, said he models his game after Panthers great Cam Newton and Ravens superstar Lamar Jackson.

Last Friday, ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler revealed an interesting quote he heard from a league executive regarding Anthony Richardson—one that compared the 2023 draft prospect to a mix of Cam Newton and Justin Fields.

One week later, Richardson gave us a quote and a hybrid comparison of his own.

During his media availability at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine on Friday morning, the University of Florida quarterback told reporters he looked up to Newton and then Lamar Jackson growing up—modeling his game after the two former Most Valuable Players.

“I started calling myself Cam Jackson in 11th grade,” he said. “Just trying to make big plays, just like Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson.”

The big dual-threat weapon was also asked by Vashti Hurt of Carolina Blitz about his meeting with one of his idol’s former teams.

“That was another great interview as well,” he said of his talk with the Panthers. “Just getting to know them, just getting on the board and drawing a few plays for them and recalling a play they taught me earlier in the meeting. That was another great interview.”

General manager Scott Fitterer also had a positive review about the meeting, stating on Wednesday that Richardson was “really good” and is “much further ahead mentally” in terms of processing than some may believe.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbxc4awx2fz2sn9 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Panthers’ Amaré Barno holds on to 40-yard dash record for DL

Georgia’s Nolan Smith may have torched up the combine on Thursday, but Panthers DE Amaré Barno still holds the 40-yard dash record for defensive linemen.

University of Georgia standout Nolan Smith ruled over the first day of on-field drills at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine. But his run at the throne came up a little short.

On Thursday, the 6-foot-2, 238-pound pass rusher clocked, at least at first, a blazing 4.44-second 40-yard dash. Then, upon further review, the official time bumped him up (or down, really) to a ridiculous 4.39 seconds.

That performance put Smith second all-time amongst defensive linemen in the 40-yard dash. So, still at No. 1, remains Carolina Panthers defensive end Amaré Barno—who is a relatively distant three one-hundredths of a second away.

Barno ran into the history books at last year’s combine. The Virginia Tech product had the official stopwatch read a 4.36, which would later help him get scooped up by the Panthers in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

As for the runner-up, expect Smith to go a bit higher than that. The projected first-rounder also recorded eye-opening numbers in the vertical jump (41.5 inches) and the broad jump (10 feet, eight inches).

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbxc4awx2fz2sn9 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Well Guarded? Cowboys meet with IOL prospect O’Cyrus Torrence at combine

Many expect the Florida guard to be the top interior lineman, but not everyone holds such lofty expectations. | From @KDDrummondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys, like all 32 NFL teams, are doing their due diligence at the scouting combine this week in Indinapolis. While many fan’s eyes remain focused on the drills and testing, those results will stand the test of time. The more vital things happening when it comes to the 2023 NFL draft are the medical checks and the team interviews. Those give each squad a direct line of sight into the subjective nature of evaluating a prospect.

As such, fans should pay close attention to which prospects have formal meetings with their clubs. Almost all teams and players have some level of informal conversations, but a formal meeting shows heavy interest. The Dallas Cowboys have said heavy interest in Florida guard O’Cyrus Torrence.

The Cowboys current left guard, Connor McGovern, is an unrestricted free agent. Dallas planned to play last year’s first rounder, Tyler Smith, inside at guard in 2022 until a late camp injury to left tackle Tyron Smith changed those plans. Smith enters 2023 in the final year of his contract with a $13 million price tag, muddying the waters who what Dallas plans to do, especially with right tackle and RFA Terence Steele nursing a late-season ACL injury.

Torrence would give Dallas their second go round of high-pedigree drafted linemen following the team’s investments in Smith, Travis Frederick and Zack Martin in the first half of last decade. Pairing him with Tyler Smith for years to come to protect Dak Prescott.

Some expect Torrence to be the first guard off the board in April’s draft, but others aren’t too sure he’s a pro-ready prospect. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranks him No. 28 overall in his pre-combine Top 100.

28. O’Cyrus Torrence, G, Florida (6-5, 337)

Considered a potential first-round pick last year, O’Cyrus Torrence didn’t necessarily need to transfer to Florida. He wanted to prove himself against SEC competition, though, and that is exactly what he did with an impressive 2022 season. Torrence has the play strength and competitive appetite to be a plug-and-play starting guard.

Meanwhile The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez sees him disappointing on such lofty expections, calling Torrence a fourth-round talent.

There are also issues with Torrence in pass protection. It appears he lacks the quickness to be a quick reactor to twists and stunts and effectively pick them up. Torrence also fails to consistently move his feet while engaged. When Torrence is engaged, he will plant his feet in the ground and look to defeat defenders by using his upper-body strength and throwing them to the ground—this could lead to holding penalties. When defenders attack Torrence’s edges, his lack of lateral agility shows and could lead to him giving up pressures or committing holding penalties.

This is nothing new in draft circles; beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What the Cowboys think of him, along with the teams picking in front of them, is really all that matters.

Biggest takeaways from the Panthers’ combine media availability

Here are the biggest lessons we learned from Panthers GM Scott Fitterer and HC Frank Reich at the combine on Wednesday.

Did you happen to miss Wednesday’s action from the Carolina Panthers power duo of general manager Scott Fitterer and head coach Frank Reich? Well, we got you covered.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the team’s media availability at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.

Panthers ‘definitely interested’ in Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker

During his interview on The Clubhouse with Kyle Bailey, Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said the team is definitely interested in University of Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker.

If the Carolina Panthers are unable to trade up from the draft’s ninth overall pick, they may be out of luck on day-one quarterbacks. But there may be an interesting fallback option.

After his media availability at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine on Wednesday, general manager Scott Fitterer joined The Clubhouse with Kyle Bailey to talk even more shop. Right before closing up his spot, host Kyle Bailey asked of Greensboro, N.C. native and University of Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker—who is gaining some steam heading into the spring.

“We met with him this morning and he was great,” Fitterer said of Hooker. “We didn’t have a bad interview with a quarterback. Sometimes you do and it’s like, ‘Ugh, we’re done.’ Hendon was really solid. When you watch the tape—he throws a great deep ball, he’s a nice natural passer. He’s got a lot to work with. He’s one of those guys we’re definitely monitoring and we’re definitely interested in.”

The 25-year-old is, unfortunately, coming off an ACL tear he sustained back in November. So, no, we will not be seeing him on the field in Indianapolis this weekend.

But before going down, Hooker proved to be one of the nation’s most exciting players under center. The 6-foot-4, 218-pounder completed 69.6 percent of his passes for 3,135 yards, 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions through 11 games. He also ran for 430 more yards and five more scores.

In addition to Hooker, the Panthers have already met with the “big four” of the class—Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbxc4awx2fz2sn9 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Doug Pederson praises Panthers HC Frank Reich’s work with QBs

Jaguars HC Doug Pederson thinks the Panthers, and their future at the QB position, are in good hands with his buddy Frank Reich.

Few people in this league know how Frank Reich functions like Doug Pederson does. And on Tuesday, he told us why the Carolina Panthers are lucky to have him.

During his media availability at the 2023 Scouting Combine, the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach spoke a little bit about the new Panthers head coach—who, in addition to being his good friend, was his first-ever NFL offensive coordinator.

“I’m just happy and thrilled for Frank and his family,” Pederson said. “He means a lot to me. Obviously, he helped me win a championship in Philadelphia. And I knew it wouldn’t be long. He’s a great coach, he’s a great mentor, he’s a great teacher. He played this game for a long time. So, just excited to get him outta our division and get him in Carolina.”

Before getting into that AFC South division, Reich served as the Eagles offensive coordinator from 2016 to 2017—a successful two-year stint capped off by a Super Bowl LII victory over the New England Patriots. Reich would then be hired as the Indianapolis Colts head coach—where he’d eventually battle against Pederson’s Jaguars twice in 2022.

Pederson, also a (very brief) member of Carolina’s inaugural squad in 1995, was then asked why Reich is so good at working with the quarterback position.

“He played it,” he replied. “He understands the mentality, he understands the mindset of a quarterback. And sometimes, that’s what it takes. He played this game, he played it as a backup—like I did for so many years. I think there’s a mentality there that you can really pass on to quarterbacks, and he’s got a really good feel for that.”

Hopefully for the Panthers, Reich will have a really good feel for an answer under center—one they may end up actually finding this week in Indy.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbxc4awx2fz2sn9 player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]

Everything Panthers fans need to know about the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine

The 2023 NFL Scouting Combine may help usher in a new era for the Panthers. Here’s what you’ll need to know about this week in Indianapolis.

The next step in the new era of the Carolina Panthers comes this week, when future of the NFL—and perhaps the future of their franchise—takes over Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.