On the clock: Carolina Panthers

For the next few weeks leading up to the draft, I am going to assume to roll of each NFL general manager and make 32 draft picks for the 2011 draft based upon need, scheme, and in some cases wants.  I will not make any trades throughout this process, but will chime in when I think one is needed.  Each day leading up to the draft I will make a pick and summarize my thought process of why certain teams will go a particular way.  So put this blog in your favorites section and check back daily to see who I will select for each team.  With the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panther select…

"Big D"

Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama (6’3” 319 lbs)

When you think about how bad a team must be to be the worst team in the NFL, it would be safe to assume that they probably got there with poor quarterback play.  The Carolina Panthers certainly fall into this category.  However, I do not think they are as bad as their 2-14 record would indicate. There were several keys injuries along the offensive line that hurt the pass protection and diminished the run blocking.  I am by no means a Jimmy Clausen fan. I didn’t like him in college and I thought the hype that surrounded him carried him to being drafted in the 2^nd round on the 2010 draft. With that said, you cannot give up on a quarterback that had no protection, a poor running game and a lame duck head coach.  Drafting a QB #1 overall that is not a guarantee to have a winning record within the next 2 years would set this franchise back by at least 3 years.  Clausen came in as a 2^nd round pick and needs more of a chance to prove he can be that guy. If you don’t give him that chance then you basically wasted a 2^nd round pick.   Also, if the Panthers take Blaine Gabbert or Cam Newton and they flop, then you wasted a the 48^th pick in the 2010 draft and the 1^st overall pick in the 2011 draft.

As GM of the Panthers, I need to start getting players that are safe.  Patrick Peterson and Marcell Dareus are as safe as it gets.  I go with the defensive tackle, "Big D", in this case though because cornerbacks are usually not taken in the top 5 and I want to strengthen the middle of my defense.  Adding a high motor guy to get after the QB and stop the run will help improve the defense that lacks inside presence. Everette  Brown is developing and will improve if he doesn’t have to fight off double teams on the outside.   Jon Beason, Dan Connor and Thomas Davis will shine with better play up front from the DTs.  The pass rush could also give a chance to make Chris Gamble a better CB.

Now by no means will a defensive tackle win an extra 4 or 5 games for the Panthers. But it starts to develop an area of need and provide a base for this team to lean on. If the Panthers can get back to running the ball with Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams then they will have a chance to win close games late based off of a stronger defensive front and healthier offensive line by controlling the clock with the run game.   And as a GM that adds a DT with the first pick, if I put together a team that finishes dead last again, I can go and draft Andrew Luck next year, while at the same time developing a back-up quarterback and strengthening the defense which isn’t all that bad to begin with.  As a GM that picks a QB with the first pick, there will be a lot of pressure to fire me if we don’t win at least 4 games with that rookie QB. It is very difficult for a rookie QB to win without a good defense.  Another thing to consider is that with no OTAs in site and having very limited time to help my QB understand our system and develop, I’d be risking a lot to put this guy in day one.  I need someone to contribute from the get go and Marcell Dareus is that guy who can do that.

Some other things I am considering is to trade back in the draft. I have no second round pick and lots of holes.  This is a deep draft defensively and that’s what I need to improve at this point. If I can move back to say the 7^th pick (San Francisco) and gather a few picks this year and next I am pulling the trigger. I can get either a pass rusher or CB at that spot. I am also considering the trade possibilities of Steve Smith. I’d like a 3^rd round pick, but might have to settle for a 4^th. I’ll do take that. Anything lower would not be advantageous for our team.

Denver is on the clock…