CANTON, Ohio — Coming to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend for Luke Kuechly's orientation weekend has been a little oasis, as coming to the Happiest Place on Earth always is.
And resetting is good, because it's on as soon as we get home.
Players report for the start of the offseason program Monday, meaning the Panthers' preparation for the season begins in earnest. And then Thursday comes a little thing called the draft.
General manager Dan Morgan's ready for that, he's been ready for weeks, if we're being honest, thinking about all the different ways the 18 picks ahead of them could go.
So it's last call for mock drafts, for sleepers, and for hypothetical trades.
Just like Luke walking into Canton and realizing it's becoming real, the 2026 season hits a new gear this week.
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Why the heck is there still an offensive lineman in the mock draft, Kenyon Sadiq or KC Concepcion, or Ahkeem Mesidor, all the way!!!! — Niko, Phoenix, AZ
Those are all valid thoughts, but so are all the tackles you keep seeing pop up in the mock drafts, and there's a reason for that.
Partially because that's a perennial need for good teams, no matter how good your starters are. And partially because there's a good amount of really good offensive linemen in this year's class.
For the Panthers in particular, there's actually a reasonable case for getting younger up front, and the temptation of a first-round tackle is real. Taylor Moton's still playing the kind of football that merited an extension last year, but he's 32. On the other side, you have Rasheed Walker and Ikem Ekwonu on one-year deals, and Ekwonu's also coming back from a torn patellar tendon. Even inside, Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis are in their prime years, but Hunt's turning 30 this year, and Lewis is 29.
So much of what the Panthers are going to do next week isn't dictated by their preference, but by what happens above them. That's another benefit of not getting locked into need. For instance, if you're thinking you want a receiver, seeing five or six of them go off the board and reacting by taking the sixth or seventh off your list instead of the first (or second or third) something else isn't necessarily wise.
But I dig your enthusiasm (so many exclamation marks), so I'll make you the Friend Of The Mailbag this week, and get the appropriate honorarium on the way.
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I like Bryce Young and think he is the future, but I wonder if the Panthers still have questions about him due to the fact that they haven't had any contract talks with Bryce or his reps. Could you see the Panthers drafting a young QB this year, for fun let's just say Drew Allar or Taylen Green from Arkansas, and turning to them after next year if Bryce fails to perform as expected? — David, Fredericksburg, VA
They said in January that they were picking up his fifth-year option, which is not nothing. And there's still plenty of time to do things for the future; he's under contract through 2027. So if they draft a quarterback next week — and there's a real chance of that – it's not a reflection of how they feel about Young.
They brought Kenny Pickett in because they wanted a younger backup, and he's on a one-year deal. Dave Canales referenced Baker Mayfield's time with the Rams as an example of what this year could be for Pickett, a chance to reset, a stop between places perhaps. And if they draft one, it's a chance to develop a guy for the future to be the next Kenny Pickett in the way that Pickett is the next Andy Dalton.
Teams, or at least smart teams, don't think of their rosters as 22-man depth charts. You're always looking for someone who can be your backup tackle on game day, or a third safety to play in special packages, or even an emergency kicker. It's smart to have contingency plans.
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My submission for the slightly off-topic but moderately interesting question this week, inspired by a lively debate with my 12-year-old cousin:
It's fourth and 2 at the 10, and you're down by four in the fourth with one timeout left. Who do you pick to make that conversion?
A) Cam Newton (my answer)
B) Mike Tolbert (my uncle's answer)
C) Jalen Hurts (the 12-year-old's answer)
D) None of the Above (Please explain who and why) — Nate, Charlotte, NC
First off, Mike Tolbert is everybody's uncle's favorite player. Before "unc" was a thing, he had "unc" energy. And I say this as someone who thinks that unc status is a high compliment, not a term of disparagement.
I'd say your cousin was onto something if this question had been submitted a year or two ago. But maybe his full answer should have been Jalen Hurts (with Jason Kelce in front of him). Since the longtime Eagles center retired to become a media personality (which he's really good at, and I loved his visit to Appalachian State, he fit right in), the Eagles became less good at their signature short-yardage play. As it turns out, it's more about the line than the quarterback and how much he can squat.
If the Panthers were running that play in 2015 with Ryan Kalil at center and guards Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner and Newton taking the ball with Tolbert behind him, I'm not sure they would have ever run a different play. As it was, Newton was still one of the best short-yardage options out there, because he gives you options (and your down-and-distance leaves space with which to work).
We've seen him go over the top (the Houston game), we've seen him go around the edge, and we've seen him find Greg Olsen. Cam Newton was a lot of things, and for my money, he was one of the most dangerous short-yardage players ever.
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Do you think the Panthers just had a fluke last year, or are they actually begging to become a dominant franchise? Also, who do you think in the NFC South is our biggest competitor? — William, Charlotte metro area
First off, William, come clean on where you're from. There's nothing wrong with living where you live, and young people aren't given a choice in the matter. And lots of moms and dads move out there for a reason, trying to create conditions for their kids to succeed. And I listened to enough Rush in high school to get where they were coming from with "the suburbs have no charms to soothe the restless dreams of youth." (Pause for air drum solo, RIP Neil Peart, but also look forward to seeing Anika Nilles in the fall because music lives on.) Wait, where was I?
Now, back to your question. If the Panthers had skipped the 2024 step and gone straight from two wins to the playoffs, I could see where you'd think that. But they've built this thing with the future on mind, spending intentionally to stabilize things, and then strategically adding at key positions in free agency this year. After improving from two wins to five to eight, I'm not saying they're automatically getting to 11 this year, but they don't look like a team that can't continue to be in the NFL's great middle class with dreams of a better life.
The rest of the division is kind of hard to call right now. You've got a new administration in Atlanta to go with their two left-handed quarterbacks (NFC Southpaw) and Tampa's in a transitional state (a lot of people won't know how to act, not seeing Mike Evans there). New Orleans made big strides last year, and if their second-year quarterback, Tyler Shough (who is two years older than Bryce Young), continues to progress, they could be dangerous.
But it's the NFC South — it's messy when three teams tie for the division lead at 8-9, and it's messy when two or three of them are winning 11 and 12 games a year like in the mid-2010s. The mess is part of the charm.
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Hello Darin! I've been quiet the past year. I remembered something my Dad told me a long time ago .... "As long as your mouth is open and your lips are moving, you will never learn anything!" So, I've been quiet, listening and watching. I'm going ahead and cast my vote for the Panthers' 2026/27 MVP .... but it is a tie! I vote jointly for DAN MORGAN and DAVE CANALES! This has got to be the most dynamic and "heads together" GM/HC duo in professional football! I can't wait for the upcoming seasons ... yep, I said SEASONS. Can a Panthers Super Bowl victory be just beyond the horizon! — Jim, Timberlake, NC
Wait, so you're telling me that saying nothing is an option? Who knew?
Also, Jim threw an exclamation mark on that last line and not a question mark, so you know he believes it.
More than being on the same timeline, being on the same page is the key to success in the NFL.
If the personnel and the coaching and the money don't line up (and there's a reason Dave and Dan constantly mention executive VP of football operations Brandt Tilis), it's hard to make sustained progress.
Super Bowls are really hard to win. The Panthers have gotten there twice, which is a significant achievement. But simply making the playoffs in back-to-back years would be a sign of significant progress, too.
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When's the last time the Panthers and Hornets were in the postseason the same year? It has to have been a minute. — Will, Rock Hill, SC
You have to go back to 2014 for that answer, but it is cool to be in the middle of a local sports hot streak. Throw Charlotte FC, the Hurricanes, and even JJ Jansen's Charlotte Checkers into the mix. What a time to be alive in Charlotte.
When it comes to the local professional basketball team, I take off my journalist hat and try to simply enjoy. And this has been an enjoyable year, as the Hornets are a fun team to watch. Being in the building and feeling that crowd when Coby White hit a sideways three to send it to overtime was special. As I told one of my neighbors and new friends in the stands, people who were there will compare it to Alonzo Mourning's 20-footer to beat the Celtics (look it up, kids). And walking out of Spectrum Center, hearing that organic "Coby, Coby, Coby" chant rise up through the stairwell from the floor to the ceiling was special too.
When I was recounting this the other day in the office, my co-worker Kassidy Hill replied: "Awww, look at Darin experiencing sports." And yes, having lived most of my life in press boxes, I do become insulated to the passion fans feel.
Also, as a Charlottean, I've lived a life with this basketball team, and love what it does for my city when it's good. In the '80s and early '90s, we made the drive down from Suburban Hickory to sit in the upper deck of the old coliseum on Tyvola (look it up, kids). In the mid-to-late 90s and early 2000s, I covered enough games there to have seen the good at the bad. (And I got all nostalgic on social media the other night, for those who want to walk down memory lane.)
And Friday's beatdown in Orlando to end the season shouldn't diminish the enthusiasm any more than the Panthers losing to the Rams in the wild card did. The progress has been shown. The point has been proven Now, both teams continue to build, but from a much better place than previously thought, and the vibes around them are so much better.
One of my core beliefs is that sports can bring communities together, and that communities together are the only way we're getting through this life. Walking into that building the other night, I ran into old friends and neighbors, people I volunteer with on Election Day, and Howard the Brick Man (look it up, kids, and he still has the brick). And walking out and feeling that passion and letting it filter out in the rest of the city was a cool experience.
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Hi Darin, and Happy Easter to you all! He is risen!
Sorry for the few weeks with no "call", I am doing exactly what you are: looking at what is happening; Still "listening", of course (Shoutout Derek from Weddington). Second, I just want to alert Noah from Youngstown that, indeed, passing is not enough. I'm a sophomore who just submitted his junior course selection, and there are FOUR AP courses. Take That, Noah. Third, wanted to share a mock draft (obviously, better than his):
19: Makai Lemon, WR, USC; 51. Lee Hunter, DL, Texas Tech; 83: Connor Lew, C, Auburn; 119: Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas; 158: Anthony Lucas, EDGE, USC; 175: Michael Taaffe, S, Texas; 200: Nate Boerkircher, TE, Texas A&M; 225: Cade Klubnik, Clemson (Yes, streak broken).
Thoughts? (PS, I [very rarely] can get Caleb Downs. What are the chances he falls to us?)
Oh, and GET BACK TO CLASS, ZACH! — Micah, Gastonia, NC
What are we going to mock when the draft's over? (I have some thoughts, and they know who they are.)
The reason you don't often see Caleb Downs at 19 is that he's expected to be a top-10 pick. Same reason you don't see Sonny Styles or David Bailey pop up often. But if something weird happens, you have to be ready to adjust.
I can't speak to the mock draft as a whole because I'm not going to pretend to speak intelligently about a cornerback from Texas or a tight end from A&M that I've never seen with my own two eyes. But sure, you checked off a lot of boxes there, and that's certainly one way it can go.
But mostly, I love the high achievers of the world out here pushing each other, using Young Zach as their role model.
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And on that note, let's go lightning round, brought to you by the patron saint of the lightning round Jeff from Fuquay-Varina, to close it out this week.
What should I do? Tickets to see St. Paul and the Broken Bones Friday night, or stay home and watch the Hornets? — Cliff, Cornelius, NC
I borrowed the crystal ball from Ben McAdoo's other pants. You should definitely go see the show. Paul Janeway brings it every night.
Thank you, Darin, for all you do for the fans. This is what happened to Jeff from where I am from as well: "Jeff from Fuquay-Varina is a 'patron saint' who inspired the feature's lightning round format by yelling at Darin Gantt long ago for letting it go on too long. He is considered a permanent, honored fixture of mailbag history who helped shape the segment's efficiency." — Cheryl, Fuquay Varina, NC
That stinks of AI, and you're better than that, Cheryl. This is an actual intelligence mailbag.
I heard him mention it in interviews at the NFL awards, and my mouth has been watering since. Any chance of getting TMac's personal spam fried rice recipe? — William, Mokelumne Hill, CA
This is the important stuff because there's nothing bad-sounding about any of that. This is the journalism I was put on this Earth to commit. I will track this down when players are back in the building next week.
