Tag: Carolina Panthers

Listen: Luke Kuechly talks about what comes next for Cam Newton

Kuechly recently spoke with Sirius XM NFL Radio and talked about what comes next for Cam.

Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly were the cornerstones of the Panthers franchise for almost a decade, anchoring the offense and defense, respectively. Halfway through a dizzying offseason, both players are now gone, leaving behind a huge void for a team in need of leadership.

Even though he’s now retired, we know Kuechly wants to continue being involved in football in some way, whether it’s coaching or broadcasting. While Newton is not done playing yet we don’t know where he will continue his career.

Kuechly recently spoke with Sirius XM NFL Radio and talked about what comes next for Cam. Listen.

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Watch: Alvin Kamara reacts to Christian McCaffrey’s new contract extension

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara reacted live on camera to Christian McCaffrey’s contract extension with the Carolina Panthers.

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New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara was kicked back and shirtless, enjoying a casual afternoon of “Call of Duty” with some friends and writers from Bleacher Report when a notification flashed across his vision.

“Ooh wait pause, pause, pause” Kamara said, reading from his phone live on Twitch, the popular video game streaming platform. “Carolina’s Christian McCaffrey signed a four-year extension, $16 million a year.”

The report came from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, detailing a blockbuster contract extension between the Panthers and the new face of their franchise. The Panthers showed former first-overall draft pick Cam Newton the door earlier this offseason, prompting Kamara’s teammate Cameron Jordan to try and talk his longtime rival into jumping on board.

When asked to share his thoughts on what McCaffrey’s big payday meant for him, all Kamara had to offer were smiles.

“Hey man, look, I don’t even,” Kamara grinned, “I just play football. I’m just a football guy. I don’t worry with all these contracts and all these things, all this money.”

Still, Kamara took time to offer a shoutout to McCaffrey, thanking his peer for raising the bar and appreciating his talents. The two talented running backs have drawn plenty of comparisons over the years, having entered the NFL in the same 2017 draft class and going on to make mincemeat out of the same NFC South defenses every other week. They also both each excel at making plays on the ground as easily as through the air.

But McCaffrey has proven able to shoulder a heavier workload than Kamara, who has done his best work when paired with a complimentary weapon like Mark Ingram or Latavius Murray. The exact ramifications from this deal on Kamara’s future are hard to pin down, but there will be some sort of aftershock. And while he’s playing coy publicly, that’s certainly going to weigh on Kamara’s mind if the Saints make him an offer ahead of the 2020 season, the final year on his rookie deal.

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Notre Dame Side to Christian McCaffrey’s Mega-Deal?

Christian McCaffrey signed an extension today with the Carolina Panthers for that amount and it makes him the highest paid running back in the history of the NFL. You might be wondering what that has to do with Notre Dame, but it’s as simple as following the bloodline of college football:
Recruiting.

An average of $16 million dollars over four years. Is it even possible to spend that amount of money? It would require great effort to do so, I know that.

Christian McCaffrey signed an extension today with the Carolina Panthers for that amount and it makes him the highest paid running back in the history of the NFL. You might be wondering what that has to do with Notre Dame, but it’s as simple as following the bloodline of college football:

Recruiting.

Christian McCaffrey is the favorite player of North Carolina high school senior-to-be Will Shipley. Shipley is a big-time recruit and has been heavily pursued by Lance Taylor, the Notre Dame run game coordinator.

Taylor was also the college running backs coach of one Christian McCaffrey back during both their days at Stanford. Taylor left Stanford following the 2016 season to take a job with the Carolina Panthers as their wide receivers coach and was rejoined by McCaffrey who the Panthers selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Taylor took to Twitter to congratulate his former player for signing the monstrous deal on Monday.

I don’t think I’m crazy in thinking the congratulatory tweet by Taylor has a double meaning. Obviously he’s excited for his old running back that agreed to a historic deal. That’s not it though, at least I don’t believe it is.

I’m not saying Christian McCaffrey signing a record deal is the reason Will Shipley will one day sign at Notre Dame because first off, right now nobody knows where Shipley ends up. What I will say is that when you’re recruiting a player of that talent level, the connection from Shipley to Taylor to McCaffrey certainly only helps things.  Mix in the timing of this all going down as recruiting visits aren’t allowed and it may not be the deciding factor in Shipley’s ultimate decision, but it certainly is more than a nothing, too.

At least I’d guess that’s the way Lance Taylor sees it.

Stay tuned. Once the dead-period lifts it’s going to be all systems go to land one of the biggest prizes in the 2021 recruiting class.

22 Twitter takes on Christian McCaffrey’s massive contract extension

Here are 22 different takes from Twitter that offer a wide range of thoughts on the subject.

The Carolina Panthers are making Christian McCaffrey the highest-paid running back in the history of the NFL. His new four-year extension is worth a total of $64 million, which is even more than the team committed to starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

Anytime a running back gets paid these days it generates a healthy discussion among football fans and analysts on social media. Some people believe that McCaffrey is worth every penny of his new deal – others are adamant that running backs don’t matter.

Here are 22 different takes from Twitter that offer a wide range of thoughts on the subject.

Face of the franchise

Hate to say it

Valuation $18 million?

PFF: WAR = YIKES

Quit complaining

Every penny

Going to be interesting

Grossly overpaying

RBs don’t win games

More than a RB

Getting off cheap

Yes and yes

Now trade him?

A difference maker

Not a WR

Dumb deal

Can’t pay them, can’t not pay them

A different breed

What are they doing?

Aging gracefully

Awesome for everyone

Overpay

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Panthers and Christian McCaffrey agree on extension; but what are his MVP odds?

Breaking down Christian McCaffrey’s NFL MVP and AP Offensive Player of the year odds following his huge contract extension

The Carolina Panthers and RB Christian McCaffrey agreed to a four-year, $64 million contract extension, according to USA TODAY Sports‘ Jori Epstein.

The new $16 million average makes McCaffrey the highest paid running back in the league, but what are his odds of bringing in MVP type honors in 2020?

McCaffrey awards NFL future odds

NFL MVP Winner

Per BetMGM, McCaffrey is set at +3300 to be this season’s NFL MVP.

In terms of fractional odds, that’s 33/1 and implies he has a 2.94% chance of winning the league’s top individual honor in the 2020-21 season.

Also see: 2020 NFL MVP Odds: Is Christian McCaffrey worth a bet?

A $100 wager on McCaffrey here would return a $3,300 profit if he were to win the MVP title.

Looking for action on future NFL bets? Place your legal sports wagers online at BetMGM now.

NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year

McCaffrey’s odds are considerably shorter for the offensive player of the year honors, per the oddsmakers at BetMGM, as he comes in at +1300.

That implies he has a 7.14% chance of winning the AP’s offensive award, with 13/1 fractional odds. A $100 wager on McCaffrey here returns a handsome profit of $1,300 with a win.

Want action on the 2020 future odds? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

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Report: Christian McCaffrey is signing $16M per year extension with Panthers

Christian McCaffrey is signing a four-year, $64M contract with the Carolina Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers have solved a big riddle Running back Christian McCaffrey and the team that drafted him eighth overall in 2017 have on a contract that will pay the star $16 million per season. The extension, which makes him the highest-paid running back in the league, will carry through the next four years.

McCaffrey has been the ultimate dual-threat RB in the NFL. In his first three seasons, he has accounted for 2,923 yards rush and 2,523 receiving yards.  In 2019, the running back accounted for 2,392 yards of total offense. McCaffrey has scored 39 touchdowns.

Analysis: Extension makes Christian McCaffrey the foundation of Panthers’ offense

Panthers make Christian McCaffrey the foundation of their offense with four-year extension.

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Last week, Panthers coach Matt Rhule told the media in a Zoom call that Christian McCaffrey is a player that you can build a team around.

Clearly he wasn’t just blowing smoke.

Today, Adam Schefter at ESPN reported that Carolina has signed McCaffrey to a four-year contract extension that makes him the highest-paid running back in the history of the NFL.

The deal will pay McCaffrey $64 million over the course of the deal. That number is particularly interesting because it’s exactly $1 million more than the three-year contract quarterback Teddy Bridgewater just signed. While a lot goes into negotiating every deal and every player’s situation is unique, the decision says alot about what kind of team Rhule is trying to build.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that the Panthers plan to run McCaffrey into the ground the way the Seahawks do with their backs. In fact, it would come as a surprise given the way offensive coordinator Joe Brady ran things during his one year at LSU.

Then again, giving McCaffrey more money than Bridgewater makes it clear that the team considers him to be the foundation of their offense – not the starting quarterback. That’s quite an interesting dynamic in an era that’s soon to see the game’s best passer command more than $40 million per season.

Of course, this isn’t the 80’s and McCaffrey is much more than your average bellcow running back. He also happens to be perhaps the greatest pass-catching back in the history of the league, which makes him a special kind of weapon.

There’s a strong case to make that players like right tackle Taylor Moton and wide receiver Curtis Samuel should have been prioritized for extensions first. However, the Panthers are betting that they have a singular talent at a position that’s probably become too undervalued in recent years. Only time will tell if it’s the right call.

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Panthers sign Christian McCaffrey to 4-year extension

Report: Panthers sign Christian McCaffrey to 4-year extension

According to a report by Adam Schefter at ESPN, the Panthers are signing running back Christian McCaffrey to a four-year contract extension that averages $16 million per year. As Schefter notes, the new deal makes McCaffrey the highest-paid running back in league history.

McCaffrey was picked by Carolina at No. 8 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. His rookie season showed promise but nothing spectacular. Since then, he has established himself as the best player at his position in football, making this a fair market value.

While paying running backs a lot of money generally doesn’t work out well in today’s NFL, McCaffrey is a bit of a unicorn. In 48 games, McCaffrey has totaled 2,920 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns. He’s added another 2,523 yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver.

At just 23 years old, McCaffrey likely has a lot of good football left in him. By the time his career is over, he may well be mentioned among the greatest running backs to ever play the game.

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Panthers quarterback situation ranked No. 22 in the NFL

Where does that leave the Panthers’ quarterback situation compared to other teams?

The Panthers roster has undergone some seismic changes this offseason. No position looks more different than the most important one on the field.

After several months of uncertainty and anxious speculation, the team released former MVP QB Cam Newton. The move saved the team $19 million in salary cap space but also hurt their depth at this spot. To replace him, Carolina signed Teddy Bridgewater to a three-year, $63 million deal. The team also traded Kyle Allen and signed P.J. Walker.

Where does that leave the Panthers’ quarterback situation compared to other teams? According to Connor Orr at Sports Illustrated, he has them ranked No. 22 at this position going into the draft.

“There isn’t a single playcaller I am more excited about in 2020 than Joe Brady in Carolina. The former LSU assistant’s baseline knowledge of the Saints’ system should help Bridgewater get off the ground running, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Panthers add at the position in two weeks.”

Orr’s analysis is mostly on the spot. Brady’s creative playcalling and familiarity with Bridgewater should help soothe a lot of the burn that the offense will feel without Newton. However, there’s plenty of room to improve, so it would not come as a shock at all if they pick a quarterback in the draft. That said, we think No. 22 is just a tiny bit too low for this group. There are at least three teams we think they should be ranked ahead of.

First, Orr has the Bears at No. 21, which is entirely too generous. Mitchell Trubisky is arguably the worst starting quarterback in the league and Nick Foles doesn’t qualify as much of an upgrade, either. Foles has his moments and we predict he’ll eventually win their QB1 job. That will only give them an average starter, though. Chicago should probably be no higher than No. 24 right now.

The other two teams who are worse off than the Panthers in our humble opinion are the Rams (No. 15) and the 49ers (No. 13).

Despite his status as a former No. 1 pick, Jared Goff isn’t much better than Trubisky and his extremely burdensome contract guarantees they won’t be getting back to the Super Bowl anytime soon. Bridgewater is a far superior option and P.J. Walker has more potential than John Wolford, as well.

As for San Francisco, Jimmy Garoppolo is a strange case and one of the most difficult quarterbacks to evaluate in today’s NFL. While he regularly makes impressive high-level plays, Garoppolo misses far too many of the easy throws that Bridgewater makes comfortably. He also is made to look a whole lot better than he actually is thanks to Kyle Shanahan’s brilliance as a playcaller. Pair him practically any other offensive coordinator and Garoppolo’s reputation would likely take a significant tumble. That’s not to say Bridgewater is a better quarterback, but we’d much rather have his contract than Garoppolo’s.

If the Panthers pick up one of this year’s top QB prospects, they could rise in rankings like these a lot.

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Watch: Robby Anderson’s top plays from the 2019 season

Let’s take a look at some of Anderson’s top plays from the 2019 season.

For the first time in franchise history, the Panthers decided to pay free agent wide receivers this offseason. In addition to signing Seth Roberts, Keith Kirkwood and Pharoh Cooper, the team added former Jets wideout Robby Anderson, who agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal.

Considering Anderson’s talent, age and experience compared to what other wide receivers around the league are making these days, that’s quite a bargain. Carolina is getting one of the game’s best deep threats.

Let’s take a look at some of Anderson’s top plays from the 2019 season.

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Anderson finished the year with 52 catches, 779 yards and five touchdowns.

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