Remember that community draft we did last year? Well, with the current season almost at end and, I'm sure, the majority of CSR members preparing their mock drafts and warguments (Ok, I made that word up and it's corny, sue me) for this years draft, I figured it a decent time to take a quick look at how we did versus the Panthers organization. So what do you say, do we dare compare? Lets start with a quick run down of each draft... We'll set things off with the Panthers real draft.

NOTE: If you'll notice, the Panthers ended up with more draft picks than we. To compensate for this, I'll be comparing the top players of each round to our selections, assuming if the Panthers didn't have the pick (like us), they would have stuck with their original choice and simply not drafted the other players.

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DISCLAIMER: I compiled these stats to appease my own curiosity. I have chosen to share them in the hope that someone else may also find them useful. We've all had the "so and so is better than so and so and should be drafted as such" battle multiple times over, so please let us try to avoid that this time around and focus on the subject at hand. I'm not doing this to make any definitive statements that Luck will or will not succeed in the NFL, just taking a look at how thin of a line it truly is when judging college quarterbacks entering the NFL. It is no secret that many scouts have compared Luck to the first overall pick of the 1998 draft and one of the very best to ever play the game, Peyton Manning. What has not been mentioned very often is the "other guy" that went directly behind Manning, Mr. Ryan Leaf. What made Indianapolis choose Manning over Leaf? Why has Manning been so successful while Leaf amounted to a large, lump sum of failure? More importantly, if it is the 18th of April, 1998, how does Andrew Luck compare to each of them? We all know how they turned out in hindsight but this would most certainly be an interesting decision at the time. I will do my very best to avoid any biased remarks and "K.I.S.S" (Keep.It.Simple.Stupid).

Remember, I'm posting this only for those interested in seeing a statistical comparison between Luck, the guy all of the paid scouts are comparing him to, and the alternative to everything that is great that just so happened to come off of the board directly behind "the guy".
 

• Age / Games Played
  Peyton Manning
  1994: 18 / 10
  1995: 19 / 11
  1996: 20 / 11
  1997: 21 / 11
  
  Ryan Leaf
  1995: 19 / 9
  1996: 20 / 11
  1997: 21 / 12
  
  Andrew Luck
  2009: 19 / 12
  2010: 20 / 12
  
  Manning & Leaf both have an edge over Luck in terms of experience, however, if he chooses to enter the league this year he will be doing so with a one year advantage over both of them.
  
  
• Completions / Attempts
  Peyton Manning
  1994: 89 / 144
  1995: 244 / 380
  1996: 243 / 380
  1997: 287 / 477
  
  Ryan Leaf
  1995: 52 / 97
  1996: 194 / 373
  1997: 227 / 410
  
  Andrew Luck
  2009: 162 / 288
  2010: 245 / 349
  
  Luck was never asked to throw as much as either Manning or Leaf, though Manning only completed more passes than Luck once.
  
  
• Completion Percentage
  Peyton Manning
  1994: 61.8%
  1995: 64.2%
  1996: 63.9%
  1997: 60.2%
  
  Ryan Leaf
  1995: 53.6%
  1996: 52.0%
  1997: 55.4%
  
  Andrew Luck
  2009: 56.3%
  2010: 70.2%
  
  Manning and Leaf were both highly consistent with their completion percentages, fluctuating only 4 and 3.4% respectively throughout their college careers, from best-to-worst. Luck's worst surpassed Leaf and his best surpassed even Manning, though two years is hardly enough to make a good judgement out of when you have a 13.9% leap in accuracy.
  
  
• Yards
  Peyton Manning
  1994: 1,141
  1995: 2,954
  1996: 3,287
  1997: 3,819
  
  Ryan Leaf
  1995: 654
  1996: 2,811
  1997: 3,968
  
  Andrew Luck
  2009: 2,575
  2010: 3,051
  
  Leaf just barely managed to out Manning in terms of single season yardage but, overall, this isn't even a close race. Manning leads the pack while Leaf trails and Luck brings up the rear. While Luck has gotten off to a better start in his first two years, if he chooses to enter the draft, they will also be his final two years, which don't fare so well in comparison.
  
  
• Touchdowns
  Peyton Manning
  1994: 11
  1995: 22
  1996: 20
  1997: 36
  
  Ryan Leaf
  1995: 4
  1996: 21
  1997: 34
  
  Andrew Luck
  2009: 13
  2010: 28
  
  The same argument used above could also apply here. While Luck has accumulated more touchdowns in his first two years, he's far behind in total touchdowns (even if only considering the final two years of each) if he chooses to declare now.
  
  
• Interceptions
  Peyton Manning
  1994: 6
  1995: 4
  1996: 12
  1997: 11
  
  Ryan Leaf
  1995: 1
  1996: 12
  1997: 11
  
  Andrew Luck
  2009: 4
  2010: 7
  
  A very close comparison can be made with Manning and Luck here. Leaf is a little further out there. Regardless, numbers such as these are subject to multiple other factors. I find the percentages below much more intriguing.
  
  
• Touchdown %
  Peyton Manning
  1994: 7.6%
  1995: 5.8%
  1996: 5.3%
  1997: 7.5%
  
  Ryan Leaf
  1995: 4.1%
  1996: 5.6%
  1997: 8.3%
  
  Andrew Luck
  2009: 4.5%
  2010: 8.0%
  
  Manning's first and last years were his best in terms of touchdown %, though the two in-between weren't exactly bad. Leaf progressively got better, posting the highest percentage of all three in his final year. Luck, much like with his completion percentage, made an outstanding jump from 2009 to 2010. It's tough to judge such a small sample size, determining which is the rule and which is the exception, while likely impossible at this time, is the key. 
  
  
• Interception %
  Peyton Manning
  1994: 4.2%
  1995: 1.1%
  1996: 3.2%
  1997: 2.3%
  
  Ryan Leaf
  1995: 1.0%
  1996: 3.2%
  1997: 2.7%
  
  Andrew Luck
  2009: 1.4%
  2010: 2.0%
  
  Combining these with the touchdown percentages, it's easy to see that all of their best years were their final. The largest margin was posted by Luck, with a 6% difference between his TD% and INT%. I find it interesting that none of them ever posted the same whole percentage twice. Manning posted 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% in his four years, Leaf 1%, 2%, and 3% in his three years, and Luck 1% and 2% in his two years. Meaningless but something I find amusing nonetheless.
  
  
• Yards / Game
  Peyton Manning
  1994: 114.1
  1995: 268.5
  1996: 298.8
  1997: 347.2
  
  Ryan Leaf
  1995: 72.7
  1996: 255.5
  1997: 330.7
  
  Andrew Luck
  2009: 214.6
  2010: 254.3
  
  Outside of Manning and Leaf's first year each, Luck hasn't been able to surpass them at any point. Manning has a clear lead strictly in terms of yards per game.
  
  
• Yards / Attempt
  Peyton Manning
  1994: 7.9
  1995: 7.8
  1996: 8.7
  1997: 8.0
  
  Ryan Leaf 
  1995: 6.7
  1996: 7.5
  1997: 9.7
  
  Andrew Luck
  2009: 8.9
  2010: 8.7
  
  I find it outstanding (and ironic) that Leaf averaged 9.7 yards per attempt in '97. What Leaf lacked, though, was consistency. Over the course of his college career, he averaged only 8 yards per attempt even with the exception in '97. Manning and Luck averaged 8.1 and 8.8 yards per attempt, respectively, in a much more consistent manner.
  
  
• QB Rating
  Peyton Manning
  1994: 145.2
  1995: 146.5
  1996: 147.7
  1997: 147.7
  
  Ryan Leaf: 
  1995: 121.8
  1996: 127.5
  1997: 158.7
  
  Andrew Luck
  2009: 143.5
  2010: 166.1
  
  Manning could be considered a role model for consistency here, posting the exact same quarterback rating twice, consecutively. He never posted the big year like Leaf (158.7) or Luck (166.1) but never had a down year, either.
  
  
• NCAA Total
  Peyton Manning
  43 G/P - 863 Comp - 1381 Att - 62.5% - 11,201 Yds - 89 TD - 33 INT - 6.4 TD% - 2.4 INT% - 260.5 Y/G - 8.1 Y/A - 147.1 Rating
  
  Ryan Leaf
  32 G/P - 473 Comp - 880 Att - 53.8% - 7,433 Yds - 59 TD - 24 INT - 6.7 TD% - 2.7 INT% - 232.3 Y/G - 8.4 Y/A - 141.4 Rating
  
  Andrew Luck
  24 G/P - 407 Comp - 637 Att - 63.9% - 5,626 Yds - 41 TD - 11 INT - 6.4 TD% - 1.7 INT% - 234.4 Y/G - 8.8 Y/A - 155.9 Rating
  
  So, as the title implies, if this were 1998 and Andrew Luck were declaring for the draft, where would he fall? It's easy to say he gets taken second in hindsight, knowing how both other quarterbacks perform, but what if there were no names attached to these numbers? The way I see it..
  
  
• Quarterback #1 - Battle tested, consistent.
• Quarterback #2 - High risk, high reward.
• Quarterback #3 - Accurate, safe.
  
  With names aside, I think the accuracy of QB#3 edges out QB#2 for the second pick but the large, and consistent, body of work of QB#1 keeps him safely in the #1 spot. 

So, what do you guys think? Do the stats back-up what the scouts are saying? In a direct comparison, does Luck look more like Manning or Leaf? Notice any similarities that excite or frighten you?

Remember, guys, don't take this too seriously. Everyone knows it's impossible to predict a players success before they actually take a snap in the NFL. It's just a discussion piece.

All stats are from Total Football Stats.

I've seen enough debate these last few days, so lets try something different with this attempt to co-operate.

via www.sfgate.com

We're facing a 1-5 team that I believe is much like our own 0-5 Panthers; a team that "coulda" and "shoulda" but haven't. If some one told me, at the start of the season, the 49'ers would be 1-5 with Frank Gore, Brian Westbrook, Michael Crabtree, Tedd Ginn, Vernon Davis, and adequate quarterback play from Alex Smith when we met in week 7, I'd have definitely taken them up on a bet that they would, in fact, be better than that (much better than that). 3-2, in my mind, would absolutely not have been out of the question.

So, lets take a moment to look at a few quick stat comparisons to think about, then we can talk strategy in the comment section (since, you know, the internet might be the only place Panther strategy is discussed these days) below.

There's no I in TEAM!
Overall, Carolina leads San Francisco 9-7. Our current streak is "W2" dating back to 11/14/2004. We have scored 415 points on the 49'ers since November 5th of '95. Meanwhile, they've scored 377 on us in the same timespan. We have went into overtime twice against them and lost both by field goals.

In 2010... the 49'ers have 1,906 total offensive yards (1,359P/547R), we have 1,180 (682P/498R). They have out-performed us both through the air and on the ground. They amassed those yards on 371 plays, averaging 5.1 yards per play. We gained ours on 296 plays at 4 yards per play, average. The 49'ers have only missed one field goal, as have we, with both teams completing 5 of 6. The 49'ers have scored 11 touchdowns compared to our 5. They ran for 2, passed for 8, and their defense grabbed 1. We have ran for 2 and passed for 3. The 49'ers have allowed their QB to be sacked 12 times, we've allowed ours to be sacked 17 times. They've nearly split their T.O.P evenly with opponents at 29:55, meanwhile we're at 25:53.

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Can we blame them? I've been frightened to see how our recent play would affect our roster and, finally, here it is. To be honest, it's less severe than I had expected and pretty well reflective of our team, which is bad. Updates concerning the Panthers below...

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Alright guys, this started out as a simple reply to Jaxon's Draft Grade post found here. However, upon finishing it, I realized I didn't want to be a jackass that leaves a 4 page comment that everyone has to stroll through just to get to the comments below (assuming you're not using the holy Z method) every time they go back to the post. So, I figured I'd just copy and paste it right over to a FanPost. Here we go...

What kind of expectations do you guys have with these B and C draft ratings? Considering the picks we had (lack of first rounder), and the kind of turn-out we were expecting, we made out like absolute effing bandits.

Jimmy Clausen - I've grown to this pick over the course of the day. I literally thought about it all day at work. We are stacked at QB now. Imagine this..

Scenario A) Say Moore ends up our starter this year and does a great job. Clausen and Pike sit behind him and learn for a year which is, in my opinion, the best thing a rookie QB can do. Once the season ends, Moore demands a very large contract due to his newly found value (especially with that Super Bowl win under his belt). So what do we do? We either sign'em and trade'em or we let him walk because we've got two cheap franchise-worthy QB's sitting in the shadows that aren't rookies.. We win for many years to come.

Scenario B) We determine a starter that finds himself on IR in week 3, we've still got two very capable QB's ready to step up and take the reigns. We, once again, win.

Scenario C) We trade one for a high round pick next year and still maintain two capable QB's. For a third time, we win.

I think those three should be enough to see why we took both Clausen and Pike. Not to mention, we should see an increase in recognition from the talking heads. Rather we as fans deem that to be good or bad, it can only be good from a business perspective. More attention means more spotlight (generally) means more revenue and a possibility to flex into prime time so all of us can actually see a Panther game. In fact, according to NFLDraftScout.com player ratings (updated 4/22), we claimed ourselves TWO of the top FIVE rated QB's in the draft WITHOUT spending first round money. Are you crazy? If not, I must be.

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Really? Too soon? Regardless, I'll continue to cross my fingers and hope. He'd fit in that #90 jersey so well, we wouldn't even remember that other guy, Hoolio Salty. 

Now, in an effort to make this post not completely useless, I'll list out my final mock for you guys below.

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Alright, guys, I've had a few weeks to adjust my personal Panther mock and I'm finally back with the final version! Quite a few changes here as I realized I had been going about it in completely the wrong manner (at least, in my opinion)! Every team focuses on filling needs through free agency and the draft. Well, you know what? Just like they did with free agency, I believe the Panthers say 'F-THAT'! You can't win in the NFL by following the same old formula year in, year out. The Panthers realize this and that is why I believe the draft is going to be as follows..

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I out-lined my initial interest in draft picks back at the beginning of January, here. I then made my first revision shortly thereafter. As it turns out, over a month later, no one was safe - well, actually, there was one; you'll see who that is soon enough. Rather than attempt to write up a paragraph for each player convincing you guys why I believe we should choose said player, I'll instead attempt to find highlight videos to let you see for yourself, and then see if we agree.

As with my first post, I only drafted players in their projected round per NFLDraftScout.com. Based off of the information provided, I took no "stretches" and like-wise assume none rise.

Shall we proceed?

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Wave if you wanna..
Wa-wave if you wanna..
Wave if you wanna..
Wa-Wave if you wanna..

Ok, so that's not exactly how the song goes but, regardless, I've got a few Google Wave invites to share and there's no better place than with my fellow CSR-igans. If you're interested you can send me an email @ Dranged169[AT]gmail[DOT]com to avoid posting your e-mail here (Argh! Ye evil bots to death with ye).

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I'm sure a few of you remember my original 'evaluation' here. After some CSR discussion and thought, I've decided upon my first revision. Instead of listing out the whole spill again, I'll simply provide a look at the former chosen player as well as the player whom I will be replacing him with.

Let us start with the player being replaced, projected 4th rounder Akwasi...

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D-ranged being interchangeable with uneducated, in this case. However, with some research and a couple links provided by MP, I've came to a conclusion on an early (shall we call it pre-alpha?) list. It's quite surprising, for me, as initially listing needed positions (without names) differed pretty noticeably from the positions I ended up with.

I went by pretty basic stats to begin with, though I'll be researching these players further as I list them out. I chose to do this purposefully. Why? Because I see it as a learning opportunity for myself and am interested in seeing how much changes from now until the final version.

Speaking of final version, there's another reason I am doing this so early (the draft being, what, roughly 3 1/2 months away?). That being: plenty of time for revision as you guys whip me into shape and inform me of just how terrible my picks are ;).

So, without further ado, please do enter my mind of madness...

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It occurred to me that DeAngelo Williams is approaching a milestone that, I believe, few running backs in the NFL have achieved. In two weeks, DeAngelo Williams is going to register his third straight season with an average of 5 yards per carry or higher, while surpassing 100 carries each season.

Some of you probably already know that I put a lot of worth into a players yards/carry average. I feel a players season average is the ultimate form of performance consistency in terms of moving chains. I know some disagree and find it a dismissal stat but, by the time a running back hits, roughly, 100+ carries for the season, I see no way that an average can be a 'fluke'. I could take a paragraph or five to explain why I think a players season average is so important but that's not the point of this post. You've all already got opinions and thus those opinions will determine exactly what this means to you.

Might I mention, this is a learning experience for me as well. I'm doing research as I type this to get a list of comparison players whom have averaged over 5 yards per carry for three or more straight seasons with more than 100 carries per season. Feel free to add any players I miss in the comments, this list is and will be far from conclusive. I'm creating it simply for comparison.

Being this feat seems to go unnoticed, though is accomplished rarely, I've given it my own term: 5 Star Rusher. I'll start with the criteria while further explanation will be at the bottom of the post for those wondering how I came about choosing those numbers.

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With my fantasy season on its way to a dreadful end (7th of 12, I do believe, never rebounded from an 0-4 start, finished .500 flat. Thanks, Anthony Gonzalez, for taking one of my picks and never finishing a game), I figured I'd try out this play-off challenge I see advertised every week - it seems interesting. I've started a league on NFL.com titled "PanthersCuNxtYr" (Panthers See You Next Year - 2010 is the year we win the SB :]).

If anyone would like to participate, just send me an email @ Dranged169 [at] gmail [dot] com and I'll either a) send an invite to the email of the message I receive or b) send an invite to an email specified in the message I receive (if different). Password will be included.

I suppose you could also post your email here, assuming CSR has nothing against sharing emails publicly. (If it does, please let me know, Jaxon, I'll remove mine from the post). Beware of Spam Bots, they're fleas on a Panther ;)

NFL Playoff Challenge [Official Website]

While waiting for ProFootballFocus.com to post the week 13 stats of the Panthers/Buccaneers game, I decided to take a brief look at the top 5 players in each of their graded categories, as well as an overall top 10 for offense and defense. The ratings have not yet been updated to reflect Week 13 - it'll be interesting to see what changes.

Keep in mind, PFF looks at quality over quantity - so more snaps doesn't necessarily mean a better grade. All statistics are provided by ProFootballFocus.com and thus subject to their method of grading. I don't guarantee their accuracy - I am simply presenting their statistics for discussion. In the event of a multiple players having the same rating, I will resort to the number of snaps taken, with the most ranking higher.

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If I remember correctly, it was in the third quarter of an unspectacular day against the Jets that DeAngelo Williams went down with an unspecified injury. He later returned to see no more success in the fourth than he did in the first three quarters. It hurt but it hurt no more than Jake Delhomme's four interceptions and thus quietly slipped by with only a few moans from an unsatisfied fan base.

Being Williams returned, it seemed that all was well. A slight slip for Williams, possibly shaken up, but nothing to worry about - just an off day for the offensive line and, consequently, Williams and Stewart.

However, could that little slip creep up and smack us in the face? Quite possibly. 

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Stats provided by: ProFootballFocus

I stumbled across this after reading another post briefly mentioning the failures of our corner, Richard Marshall. Admittedly, I haven't been high on Marshall much at all this season, these numbers proved to be an eye opener, in my opinion. I had no idea, nor would I have ever predicted, the numbers would look this way.

For those of you that don't care to click the link and read a bunch of abbreviations and numbers, I've provided a breakdown below.

I also feel that, as a whole, our defense (specifically against the pass) has performed better on field than on paper. The worst of a player tends to come out on paper more so than the best and stats really just don't tell you how a player has performed when it matters the most.

And to go ahead and bat down an argument that I'm sure would pop up at least once, I'm sure Gamble consistently draws the tougher receivers but aren't we paying him to do just that?

PS. I'm not trying to bash any of our corners, by the way, I think they've all done a great job, along with our entire defense, in keeping the Panthers competitive - even at the times in which we seem to have an inept offense (which we all know the cause of that). The numbers will speak for themselves, however, as each of you take them for whatever they mean to you.

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I've been hearing a lot of Gross breaking his ankle, as was originally announced, but I'm not sure if it has yet been cleared up. According to NFL.com...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers left tackle Jordan Gross broke his right leg, not his ankle, as the team first announced, but he still plans on being ready for the start of next season.

Wearing a large cast and leaning on crutches, Gross visited his teammates at Bank of America Stadium on Monday for the first time since suffering the gruesome, season-ending injury during a Nov. 15 game against the Atlanta Falcons.

"For next season, I have no concerns at all," said Gross, who made his first Pro Bowl last season.

Gross was blocking defensive end John Abraham in the second quarter when Falcons defensive tackle Vance Walker rolled into the lineman's right leg, breaking the tibia and fibula.

"Everyone hears it pop and everyone panics, so I was like, 'Don't panic,'" Gross said. "Then I rolled out, and from below my calf down was pointing out to the right. I mean, I'm not a doctor, but I figured it wasn't good."

"I heard it looked nasty," Gross said. "They said I didn't scream too bad, so I improved my street cred a little."

Panthers coach John Fox said after the game that Gross fractured his ankle, but the lineman said he broke both major bones in his lower leg. He had rods, plates and screws inserted during surgery immediately after the game.

Gross spent two nights in the hospital, then was in considerable discomfort until last weekend. He'll be on crutches for six more weeks, and the healing process will take about three months.

"It was like the perfect break," Gross said. "Nothing down in my ankle, no fractures, no ligament or cartilage damage. Once it heals up, they say it'll be stronger than before, because I'll have titanium down in there."

Gross' loss was a tough blow for the Panthers, who shifted left guard Travelle Wharton to left tackle. Second-year pro Mackenzy Bernadeau took over for Wharton.

The new line struggled to protect quarterback Jake Delhomme during the Panthers' 24-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Thursday.

"Friday morning, I got a call from him early," Delhomme said of Gross. "I think he said it best, 'If you guys had won by 30, I would have felt so much better.' It's crushing because you feel like you let guys down. If you care about it, I think that's how you feel."

Gross, who plans on being around the team as much as he can, said he still hasn't seen a replay of the injury.

I found this Foxhole to be a bit more interesting than most. We typically get the same questions with very similar questions, however this one caught my eye as being a bit more precise as to what we've actually been discussing around here.

Oh, and by "answering" I do mean a coach doing what a coach does, addressing questions without giving way too much information.

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[Note: My struggles with the visual editor continue as I can't remove the italics from the lower portion of this post. My apologies if it is difficult to read.]

So here we are, another week has passed by since our bitter loss in New Orleans. Some palettes have been swiped clean, meanwhile others still have the taste of defeat salivating in their mouths and are looking for a side of vengeance this week.

We have all set our sights on shooting the Falcons down and it seems entirely possible that we may do so. They are coming into our home and the Panthers are deep in the under-dog position, where we love to be. We all know what Carolina needs to do but I'm sure most of you are worried of what we will do, just as I am. Do we play Foxball or take flight courtesy Jeffair?

Prediction: Foxball. I think even Jeff understands what we need do now... then again, I've thought that for a while and he keeps amazing me.

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Most of you witnessed this game with your own eyes, meanwhile others followed stats online. There is not much to say that the majority of fans do not already know, however I offer my opinion on both the first half Panthers as well as the second half.

A thousand words each, in two seconds.

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