Carolina Panthers
Hintz and Lea: Panthers season ends but there is hope for the future in Carolina
Kacy Hintz and Chris Lea talk about what the Panthers need to do in the offseason to be better for next year.
Welcome back into sports extra as the panthers season has come to an end. I don't think it couldn't have come soon enough for many, especially the franchises, they now look ahead to this next season. So, to help me look at the future of the panthers, let's bring in wrl s Chrisley chris, we've talked lot about interim coach, steve Wilks and the job that he's done, he finishes the season six and six. Of course, we believe he's made the case here for himself, but this morning, some other names popped up, we know they intend to conduct a full search. Do you still think Wilkes is the best candidate? I think he is definitely the best candidate, but I also think you, you can't go wrong with some of the names that popped up, especially frank Reich frank, Reich is a former panthers quarterback and so he understands Carolina, just like um, steve Wilks understands Carolina, but with steve Wilks, he already has the locker room, so you don't have to worry about that, it's more so giving him an off season, uh, and a chance to hire his own staff and a chance to really implement what he wants to implement, you know, before games are played. He had six days, uh, you know, really implement things before games started to be played when matt rule was fired earlier this season. So that's a really good reason to give him the head coaching job. Plus he went +66 and six with his time with the panthers. Matt rule has never won more than five games in the season and this guy had 12 games and he's already beaten that rule on that. So, uh, you definitely can't go wrong with that. But then if you look at frank Reich uh frank Reich, I think did an amazing job in Indianapolis. Uh he just played for a crazy owner who didn't really allowed him the space and the time to do the things you want to do. Plus the team was so good that he always had a bad first round draft pick. So they probably couldn't get him the quarterback he wanted when he was hired, they had Andrew luck, Andrew luck, then retires, then he had Philip rivers, then he had um, Carson Wentz and then this year he had Matt Ryan and he's shown that he can do pretty good with washed up quarterbacks. Um, this was really the worst year that frank Reich had at Indianapolis. So you know that the panthers offense can definitely turn around under somebody like frank Reich, So while I think steve Wilks is the guy for the job job, there's not a bad move going with frank Reich Jim caldwell, I don't think he should be the head coach, he's one of the names that popped up, but he's a guy that understands the state of north Carolina, lives in Winston, Salem right now, former Wake Forest head coach back in the day and I think he would be a good offensive coordinator. Uh, if steve Wilkes was the guy to get the job. Well, taking a look at free agency, at least 20 players are set to hit the free agency market Chris, in your opinion, what is their top priority or who I should say is their top priority? I think you have several. Uh and here are some of the ones that I feel like you definitely need to bring back. Deonte former has done a really good job for you as a running back. He got, you know, ejected in the first half of this game against the saints. But if he would have had 87 more yards, he would have had 1000 yard rushing season. Amazing for a guy that didn't rush for the entire season, basically took over Chris McCaffery after he was traded. You also need to get Bradley Bozeman back when he was the center for the Carolina Panthers. The line, you know, had amazing continuity and played probably the best at a Carolina Panthers offensive line's probably played in almost 10 years. And then um, you need to make sure even though Frankie lulu is coming back, Frankie lulu needs an extra extension because he's going to get uh pretty expensive here because he's he's probably been the M. V. P. On defense for the Carolina panthers, extend him a little bit more passes one year that's there. Of course, you gotta extend brian Burns, give him a big time contract and I would bring back uh raheem Blackshear as running back and also josh norman. We only really saw him in one game and you know three plays in another game. But the panthers when they get back jaycee horn and they get back Donte Jackson, they're gonna need somebody solid to back them up. Josh norman is that guy. But here's the shocker I would say bring back Sam Donald. You need to go after a quarterback in the draft and we'll talk about the draft in just a second. But Sam Donald has shown that he has grown up just a small sample size 56 games but he's grown up in that time only lost one game that was against the Tampa Bay buccaneers and he did a really good job with the panthers. Took care of the ball for the most part wasn't a really good showing today but he'd be a great bridge quarterback to get the new quarterback. Whoever that will be uh some time to get acclimated. I think he brings Sam Donald back at least for two years. Okay well obviously we head right into the next question here the draft, we know that they're going to be picking in the top 10. So give me a couple of names whether it's a quarterback or not. You see the Panthers in the direction that they should go. Well I'll tell you what man. C. J stroud is somebody who really impressed me during the C. F. P. As Ohio state went against Georgia. You know all the, that was the first time I had a chance to really, really watch C. J. Stroud and all the things that were people were said about him. He's not really mobile. We can't really move well. He was making moves on his feet. He was keeping the ball running and going. And I would say if it weren't for the fact that Marvin Harrison, Jr, his top wide receiver got hurt And I think it was in the fourth quarter of that game you're we're probably talking about Ohio State playing in the national championship game tomorrow night. So I think that you definitely got to look at him. And if you look at the draft order right now the panthers are picking number eight. The Bears have the number one overall pick. They don't need a quarterback. But the Texans at two in the Seahawks at three, they might look at quarterback. Cardinals don't really need a quarterback colt might look at a quarterback. Lions don't really need a quarterback but they might look at someone for the future Raiders are going to need a quarterback. But you know, if they get tom brady, they're not gonna need a quarterback. So you have all these teams that need quarterbacks. So now do you have that extra draft capital from that christian mccaffrey trade. It might behoove you to go ahead and start making phone calls? Hey Bears. Hey Cardinals. You know how can we move up and take your spot because we need to get somebody and you don't want the panthers to have a chance to get somebody like a Justin fields to miss out on this draft of quarterbacks this year. So hopefully they'll get a chance to move up in the draft and get somebody C. J. Stroud is is my pick right now with Sam Donald coming back to be the bridge quarterback to move him along. And then of course you got P. J. Walker and then we'll see if you know the panthers will do anything else at quarterback after that. But I think that's what I need to go after. And then also in the draft that they can get the defense tightened up a little bit more. Another linebacker would be good for them, Another defensive tackle, maybe another defensive end. Um, some folks to kind of look out for with that, you know, some positions to look out for and hopefully you'll see Carolina Panthers team that could make the post season next year. All right, well that is a lot to be on the lookout for. And we will be looking to you to keep us updated on all those. I think first it will probably be that coaching search and we look forward to hearing from you then chris lee. Thank you so much