NFL 2019 Season Thread

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Bizarrely, as many times as the Panthers have gone to the playoffs with Cam Newton at QB and Rivera at coach, the franchise still has yet to achieve two back-to-back winning seasons. There were a lot of points where people thought Rivera was going to get the hook after underachieving a year after making the playoffs.

They were 7-9 last year. If the trend continued, this should have been a winning season... but it doesn't look like it will. The Panthers are 5-7, have Luke Kuechly getting older all the time (and with serious concussion concerns), and Cam Newton is broken. Greg Olson is almost certainly near retirement. Their hopes fall almost exclusively on Christian McCaffrey and a promising DT corps, going forward.

They're going hard reboot, and I can't blame the new ownership and GM for doing so.

The situation with Newton is a WTF deal. I can see Carolina asking him to do a restructure salary due to injuries the last 2 seasons and GM keeping Kyle Allen around. I mean as much as Allen has struggled , we have to understand he hasn't started much and a lot of losses were close ones. Plus he has a great team friendly contract so keeping him around is pretty good.

Newton's health deal though is a BIG issue. If healthy he's a guy who can run and throw. But as we saw briefly this year he was hobbled badly.

[worstblogever]

The situation with Newton is a WTF deal. I can see Carolina asking him to do a restructure salary due to injuries the last 2 seasons and GM keeping Kyle Allen around. I mean as much as Allen has struggled , we have to understand he hasn't started much and a lot of losses were close ones. Plus he has a great team friendly contract so keeping him around is pretty good.

Newton's health deal though is a BIG issue. If healthy he's a guy who can run and throw. But as we saw briefly this year he was hobbled badly.

I've seen Bears fans online hoping the Panthers cut ties with him and that they can take a chance on Newton instead of Trubisky.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I've seen Bears fans online hoping the Panthers cut ties with him and that they can take a chance on Newton instead of Trubisky.

As much as Bears fans hope for that , the Bears seem hell bent on trying to make Trubisky work as a long term QB. Whether it happens or not....we will see. I can see Newton choosing to restructure for a season to see if he can rebound in Carolina. He's been there since 2011 and I can't see him leaving so quick.

[BeastieRunner]

My gut is telling me Newton goes to the Raiders in the next year or two.

[Scott Taylor]

My gut is telling me Newton goes to the Raiders in the next year or two.

As a backup or the starter? I mean, its not out of the question for Carr to be gone by then. And Vegas just seems like Cam's kind of town.

[BeastieRunner]

As a backup or the starter? I mean, its not out of the question for Carr to be gone by then. And Vegas just seems like Cam's kind of town.

I have no reason or evidence other than I just think he will.

They seem to have the history, a currently crazy coach, and rebranding effort to take a chance on rehabilitating SuperCam.

My gut would say as a backup but he wins out the role when coach makes it a competition. Then SuperCam has one last huzzah.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

As much as Bears fans hope for that , the Bears seem hell bent on trying to make Trubisky work as a long term QB. Whether it happens or not....we will see. I can see Newton choosing to restructure for a season to see if he can rebound in Carolina. He's been there since 2011 and I can't see him leaving so quick.

My guess is da Bears have to justify choosing Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, so they’re going to give him every chance to succeed....if he can.

[TriggerWarning]

I've seen Bears fans online hoping the Panthers cut ties with him and that they can take a chance on Newton instead of Trubisky.

Introducing the 2020 QB of the Bears: Andy Dalton.

I think they have to bring in a veteran in the offseason to push Trubisky and possibly take the job away from him much the same way the Titans brought in Tannehill.

If you could be sure Cam Newton was going to be healthy he'd be the choice but I think Cam is pretty much done as an NFL QB. He was basically a running back who throws the ball and now his body is falling apart the same way a running back's body usually does around age 30*. Even if he heals up he'll never be the running threat he once was which forces him to be a pocket passer and that has never been his strength. As such I think they go with Dalton who is a competent if not exciting QB who just needs a change of scenery like Tannehill did.

Wild card for Dalton in my book is the Chargers. Rivers is obviously severely declining before our eyes despite great talent around him so they need to look to the future. The question is do they do a full rebuild and draft a rookie like Tua (if he's there I can see them trading up to get him) or go with Dalton and the current roster.

*Cam Newton is why I don't think Lamar Jackson is going to last more than 4-5 years in the NFL. Lamar is amazing right now but I don't see it being sustainable due to the hits he is going to take.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

My guess is da Bears have to justify choosing Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson, so they’re going to give him every chance to succeed....if he can.

The draft then if you pull up videos had people questioning this move. Because they had signed Mike Glennon to a 3 year deal and the idea seemed to be , he would be their QB possibly. Hell they didn't even tell Glennon this when he signed and was stunned as everyone to see it happen on draft day. The ESPN crew and others debated drafting Trubisky so early in the draft then.

The Bears likely will keep Trubisky the starter unless a Cam Newton type star is traded. Backup wise I see them trying to keep the highest paid backup QB in the league in Chase Daniel. Someone who is so valued that his career earnings *$30+ million) show his value and he knows the system Nagy runs. They don't have to bring in an Andy Dalton and teach him Nagy's system since well , the main QB on the roster is struggling with it. (Nagy would go insane having 2 guys he has to teach that system and one has struggled for a couple years to get)

Odds are the Bears will likely try and sign Daniel to a 2 year deal to keep him around. He knows the system and is valued as a key backup QB the last decade as we see.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

One QB that may not be with his team next year is Jamesis Winston who has had a very up/down season. Bruce Arians was asked about Winston and his future. Arians response was about asking him that after December. Which is not a big endorsement for Winston right now.

In 5 seasons in Tampa , Winston has passed for good yardage but his throwing Ints and fumbles have been a big issue. This season alone he has thrown 20 Ints next to 20 TD's. He also has had 12 fumbles with 5 lost. Those have haunted Winston and had Tampa questioning if he'd ever take a next step or not.

[Surf]

So. COTY, Mike Tomlin, and it's not really close other than maybe John Harbaugh? Whodathunk.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

So. COTY, Mike Tomlin, and it's not really close other than maybe John Harbaugh? Whodathunk.

I'd cast my vote for Kyle Shanahan who's turned the 49ers into a power again.

[Surf]

I'd cast my vote for Kyle Shanahan who's turned the 49ers into a power again.

Full disclosure I loathe all things Shanahan, even with that he's in the consideration. Tomlin though is in the thick of the playoffs with a third string QB and a shell of what that team was just a year ago.

[TriggerWarning]

So. COTY, Mike Tomlin, and it's not really close other than maybe John Harbaugh? Whodathunk.

Shanahan or Payton will win it.

However I want to give some love and consideration to Brian Flores of the Dolphins. They have the least talented roster in the NFL and its not even close. They have maybe 4 players who have actually played this year (Xavien Howard is on IR) that might be good enough to be starters on some of the other teams - Ryan Fitzpatrick, Devante Parker, Mike Gesiecki, and Christian Wilkins. But even these four would just just be backups on most teams.

While they floundered early in the season if you've watched the Dolphins play the last 5 games you will notice that despite the talent level they are damn competitive now. Flores has this team playing way way better than they should be and is actually winning games they shouldn't now. The Dolphins may well win 6 games as they have winnable games against the Bengals, Giants, and Jets coming up plus a week 17 game against the Patriots where the Pats could be resting players. That is amazing coaching for a team many predicted to go 0-16 and a hopeful sign for the next few years when the team reloads through the draft and free agency.

[BeastieRunner]

I think it's kind of silly to not consider Darth Hoodie with what that defense is doing this year. They are staring at #1 all-time, top 5 at worst.

I do, however, agree with Kyle. He has really turned that team around on both ends of the ball.

In my mind, barring a collapse, he should win.