So the season's over. Plan your off season.

[J0nnD0ugh]

For everyone whose team's season has ended. What moves does your team need to make?

Carolina Panthers

Positives: Steve Smith....QB Matt Moore's surprising effectiveness....Jon Beason is the real deal....John Kasay is still an accurate PK....DeAngelo Williams has shown he's a playmaker....Secondary played well considering they got zero help from the pass rush.

Negatives: QB's could not stay healthy....Worse pass rush in the NFL....Return game may also be the worst....No viable recieving threat outside of Smith....Front office.....John Fox

What needs to be done: Change starts @ the top. The front office picked Dwayne Jarrett in the 2nd round & cut Keyshawn Johnson. Jarrett never got on the field. Drew Carter & Keary Colbert have proven beyond all doubt they have the hands of an old Garo Yepremian. The only significant FA move they made was signing David Carr. He ended up 3rd string behind Moore & Testaverde. Panthers need better judges of talent & someone w/better sense of where to spend their money. GM Marty Hurney needs to be let go....

John Fox's decision making has been short-sighted. W/Carr providing defensive linemen target practice & 44 yr old Testaverde having the youth of a 60 yr old, Matt Moore should have been inserted as the starter earlier. Why do you have the guy on the payroll if you aren't going to play him in an emergency? Logic stated the guy need to play, but Fox didn't put him in until he had no choice. & Moore showed he's got some potential.

Fox also is unreasonably enamored w/starting Deshaun Foster. When DeAngelo Williams is clearly the better, more effective runner. The guy can break the long one. In each of the Panthers' last 4 wins, it was Williams who led the team in rushing. Williams averaged 4.8 per carry w/0 fumbles. Foster had 4 lost fumbles on 3.5 per carry. Yet Fox refused to make a change.

Which goes to his overly conservative nature. Case in point, the game hosting Atlanta. Late in the game, tied, Fox calls a draw instead of attempting to make a long 3rd down. He was playing for OT instead of playing to win. he preaches playing smart. But he doesn't realize smart & aggressive aren't polar opposites. He coaches, thinks & plays to passively. & that has begun to transfer to the players & fans, who have shown less & less passion as the season has gone on. Which translated to a losing streak @ home that lasted a year. It's time for Owner Jerry Richardson to stop hiding in the background & make a move.....

As far as the team, there are alot of needs. Number one has got to be getting someone to compliment Steve Smith in the passing game. It's a doggone shame the Panthers are wasting his zeal & grit by employing no one to help him in the passing routes. This has gone on now for 2 of the last 3 seasons. No 2nd WR. No TE. Nothing. Not since Mushin Muhammed left for Chicago. Not since Wesley Walls retired.....

Sans Peppers, the D-line has been overrated the last few seasons. Now that Pep has disappeared for a season & a half, the secret is out. They need an overhaul. Too much investment has been sunk into defensive players providing little return (Pepp, Jenkins, Morgan).....

Despite the offense's anemia, the Panthers seem to think it needs zero help from special teams. The Panthers haven't had a dangerous return game since their inception. Some shorter fields would help this offense out. Carolina should look for help in this area in personel & in coaching.....

Finally safety. Despite Mike Minter's questionable health, Carolina didn't address this are in the draft. Then Minter has to call it quits in camp. That left a huge hole. The secondary fought admirably despite the lack of talent & any QB pressure. But the Panthers need to look for help in this area pronto....

[TwelveozPlaya21]

Am gonna add a few notes on Carolina since no reason to repeat.

-- Not sure if Matt Moore is the future quarterback of the team, but it wouldn't hurt to have him start next year and see if he is or not then go abouts drafting a future qb in 09..

-- DeAngelo Williams needs to start next season, he has sat for 2 seasons, and Foster just is terrible, give the damn kid the ball 20 times a game he is the real deal.

-- We need to get rid of John Fox and hire a coach that will get these guys to play up to there talent, I am thinking more of a defensive minded coach cause this defense has tons of talent.

-- HELP STEVE SMITH get this guy a legit #2.

-- Re-Sign Jordan Gross, and Travelle Wharton

[oakfan162]

Keep the Defense.
Decide on a QB!
Get at least a new OC if not a new HC.
Spend some money on the offense.

[The C]

Browns

-Re-sign Anderson
-Re-sign Jamal Lewis

-Heal LeCharles Bentley and Gary Baxter (Make sure they don't get staph infections)

-Draft D-line
-Sign D-line
Draft D-line again

Kill Jim Sorgi.

[J0nnD0ugh]

Quote: Originally Posted by TwelveozPlaya21

Am gonna add a few notes on Carolina since no reason to repeat. -- Not sure if Matt Moore is the future quarterback of the team, but it wouldn't hurt to have him start next year and see if he is or not then go abouts drafting a future qb in 09.. -- DeAngelo Williams needs to start next season, he has sat for 2 seasons, and Foster just is terrible, give the damn kid the ball 20 times a game he is the real deal. -- We need to get rid of John Fox and hire a coach that will get these guys to play up to there talent, I am thinking more of a defensive minded coach cause this defense has tons of talent. -- HELP STEVE SMITH get this guy a legit #2. -- Re-Sign Jordan Gross, and Travelle Wharton

I don't know if Matt Moore is the future or not. But a few more games would have given us a better answer. Starting Testaverde didn't, & was never going to, accomplish anything. If he is the future, more games would have given him more experience. If not, the Panthers would know it needs fixing over the spring.

That's the missed opportunity.

[GenoG]

Quote: Originally Posted by The C

Browns -Re-sign Anderson -Re-sign Jamal Lewis -Heal LeCharles Bentley and Gary Baxter (Make sure they don't get staph infections) -Draft D-line -Sign D-line Draft D-line again Kill Jim Sorgi.

Funny, but morbid.

Great year for the browns. I want to see a lot of Free Agent spending, and smart defensive draft decisions. Offense is only going to get better as long as they stay healthy.

[NYJets]

Jets

QB- Not sure what they do here. Clemens showed me nothing this year. I don't think he made any improvement. He's got a good arm and he's pretty mobile but his accuracy is bad, his touch is bad, his decision making isn't great, pocket presence isn't great. He's got the tools and he's still young but he has so much he has to get better at, he's still a complete wildcard. He can't just be named the QB next year with no good backup plan.

RB- I like our running backs but we might be in the position to add a real big time playmaker here. I think we have much bigger needs but it's a possibility.

WR- Don't know if Coles will be back. He's still a very good player but he has been banged up the last couple of years. If we can get good value for him he might be moved, but I don't think they'll just dump him. Cotchery's good, hopefully McCareins will be cut. Even if we keep Coles, we could use another receiver, preferably a deep threat.

OL- Needs a ton of work. Only bright spot on the line is Mangold. Ferguson has been decent, but a disappointment. Both guard positions and RT need to be upgraded. The line is awful.

DL- Need to get bigger and stronger. Need a true nose tackle. Robertson has been solid and I think would be very good at end in the 3-4, but he's just too small to play NT in this 3-4 defense. He has his moments, but gets overpowered at times too easily.

LB- Harris is a stud. Barton is a capable starter too. We need a legit pass rusher at OLB. Bryan Thomas had his contract year last year, and now he's back to being a complete bust. Hobson could be replaced too. And I guess Vilma is going to have to be traded. I don't like to give up on a player as good as him, but this system is here to stay, and he doesn't fit it. ****ty thing is his knee injury could keep us from getting anything good for him. Hopefully he gets healthy, and can go be a star in a 4-3 somewhere.

Secondary- Revis was really good this year and Rhodes is a star. We need another corner opposite Revis and the other safety spot could be upgraded too.


So basically I have no idea what the Jets will do, they need help basically everywhere. And it seems like every other offseason I am saying that.

Edit:
And now Special Teams coach Mike Westhoff won't be coaching next year, so one of the only good things about this team, the return game, is now ****ed.

[Sandman42]

Jets pretty much hit the nail on the head. I'd like to see the Jets go after one of Indy's 2 guards since both are UFA's this season. Also I would like to see them try and sign Suggs or Jared Allen to improve the pass rush, although Allen is probably unlikely because of his character issues.

For the draft the Jets could be in a good position to take Chris Long with the 5th pick.