Bringing you part two of this week’s fan mailbag! Come see answers to your questions!
Hello Panthers fans! Welcome to Brian Answers, part two of your weekly CSR mailbag for everyone! This week’s topic of the week was addressing questions about the coaching staff and the future of the team. Most questions were coaching focused, however we covered a wide range of Panthers related subjects. To recap, this piece is part two of our weekly fan mailbag, where we answer commented questions from the Brian Asks piece from earlier in the week. That is your place to ask your questions, whether they be Panthers related, football related, or even completely off topic (killing me with the lack of food questions this week)! Let’s dive in!
Bull123: read that coach is pushing XL to get back on the field…is he gonna be anything more than a mediocre player for us?
will brooks ever see the field for us again?
Xavier Legette was mentioned as “week to week” following the Cowboys game. As of Thursday, he still hasn’t practiced. I don’t really see any reason to read too far into these last few games as far as snap counts go, especially with an injured player like Legette. He’s shown enough flashes that I don’t see him falling into bust category just yet. As far as Jonathan Brooks goes, him getting hurt was just unfortunate but even if he’s out all next season, I’d expect the team to give him a chance again in 2026. No reason not to.
bolshy: What’s the biggest problem with this franchise: players, coaches, management, or ownership?
I think its mainly an issue of trying to right the ship from horrible management and coaching decisions in the past. I don’t think any reasonable unbiased spectator would have expected Dave Canales to come in and make this team a playoff contender, nor do I think anyone would have expected one draft (lacking a first round pick to start with at that) was going to right the ship either. Criticize David Tepper all you want for the past, but he’s seemed to stay out of things from an owner/management perspective now. I think the biggest problem is just that there isn’t enough distance just yet from the missteps of the past, which could very much change this offseason.
SmoothC85: Why is Evero still employed? One of the worst defenses in the nfl since arriving at Carolina. And why is he dead set at running a defensive scheme that he doesn’t have the personel to run and not make adjustments like actual good coaches and coordinators do?
I mean, when the team actually gives him the personnel to run his scheme, he might be more successful? I do understand the “scheme around the players you have” approach, but Carolina’s defense just isn’t good from a personnel perspective no matter what way you slice it. In Ron Rivera’s hayday he ran a similar scheme when his secondary was mostly replacement level players and his defensive front couldn’t stop the run or rush the passer. Anyone remember 2011 and 2012, Cam’s first two seasons? Defense was atrocious, and that got fixed pretty quickly.
Senanima: Would a strong Change.org campaign actually abolish the silver helmets? Black. All year!
I think the silver helmets call back to the Panthers uniforms of the past. But those black helmets sure are flashy.
KeepPounding88: Taking a complete shot in the dark, who do you think will be our 1st round pick on draft day? Not factoring in who you want us to take, or who the analysts predict us to draft, or how our draft position could change by the end of the year, just a pure gut feeling prediction.
I think the easy answer is EDGE Abdul Carter. Carolina doesn’t really have an answer long term at Edge Rusher and that’s going to be an expensive one to solve in free agency. DJ Wonnum and Jadeveon Clowney both are technically under contract for 2025, but both will not be cheap. I’d be very happy with DL Mason Graham as well. The last time the Panthers defense were in this dire straits, the Panthers brought in two high end interior linemen in Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short. Getting Graham plus a returning Derrick Brown might have that same effect. I am YOUR defensiveback Stan on CSR, but I can’t argue with Carter or Graham. It just makes sense.
dayneB12: I’ve heard rumors that Canales is staying for next year. Does Tepper actually want to keep him or is it just because he knows he won’t be able to bring anyone in if he keeps firing head coaches?
I don’t really see a reason why anyone would fire Canales after just one season. He’s the young up and comer offensive mind they were supposedly looking for since moving on from Matt Rhule. I do believe Tepper actually wants to give the head coach some time to formulate a program and culture, I just think Frank Reich’s whole regime was so bad that Tepper now seems trigger happy. I don’t think anyone can look back in hindsight and think “man, they really should have kept Rhule/Reich”. But I’m sure they are out there somewhere.
schrodingersblackcat: What is a good nickname for Jalen Coker?
“The Anomaly”. Since he’s the exception to the rule of UDFA wide receivers who make a name in training camp, only to be cast aside by a wily former UDFA who has stuck around for many years. If Brenton Bersin were still around, this story would have been squashed from the jump.
Panthers75: Does Canales have the wherewithal to make corrections for the remaining schedule? What was it, 3 years ago when we started off well, played Dallas, got destroyed and the rest of the teams on the schedule followed their blueprint? I’d really like to watch competitive games for the rest of the year
I don’t know if its as much about making adjustments at this point as simply surviving the season and evaluating the talent you have. Dallas was an absolute matchup nightmare as far as Carolina’s offense vs Dallas’s defense. I’m sure many teams will adopt a similar game plan, and honestly, my biggest concern is more how the team responds to their momentum being squished than whether not not the coaches can make adjustments. There’s going to be a lot of new faces next season via the draft (at least) that should bolster the group and allow for better coaching management, in my opinion.
JakeNCDC: What present day veteran QB — 5 or more years in the league — or recently gone out of the league QB — is Bryce Young most likely to be like in year 3 and beyond?
Cam Newton. Take it to the bank. 2013 Cam resurgence imminent.
kimbersdad: How much of the scouting department was gutted after last years draft???? Im hoping they got new blood in there.
Hard to say as this information isn’t really public aside from random tweets here and there from Joe Person and other beat writers about movement throughout the year. But I do think having Brandt Tillis there alongside Dan Morgan shows hope for a new regime to continue to evolve.
schrodingersblackcat: Speaking of fan clubs, who do I need to talk to about running for Treasurer of the JJ Jansen fan club? Been a card carrying member for years.
I’d join the club. Surely he won’t retire this year, right?
That’s a wrap. Join us next week for your holiday edition of the mailbag, and KEEP POUNDING!