CHARLOTTE — This was a week to unpack, to rest, and reconsider.
A lot of us spent a month in San Francisco last week, bringing you the latest from the site of the Super Bowl, and all the news was good. (Other than the jet lag, which I'm informed can take up to four days to recover from. And I felt all four.)
Luke Kuechly's in the Hall of Fame, where he belongs. Tetairoa McMillan was the rookie of the year, which he deserves.
Cam Newton's over there hanging with Bryce Young on set, Jaycee Horn was in the Pro Bowl, and all was right with the world.
The Panthers are in a good place at the moment, an ascending team, with lots to celebrate.
There's still a lot of work to do, as they're hunkered down in draft meetings in advance of the combine and prepping for free agency. It'll get busy soon enough.
But it's OK to be OK, so it's fair that a lot of people are feeling pretty good about the way things are going. I'm sure there will be some cranks sending mail, there always are, but I imagine people are in a good and charitable mood.
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I am under the impression that Dan Morgan and his staff are going to select the best available player with the 19th pick, which I love for its long-term mentality.
My question is, how much does their macro view of the projected positional strength and depth of future draft classes come into play? Especially if players of different positions seem close to equal as the best available choice at 19. Follow up how likely is it that we will re-sign Isaiah Simmons?
Your tying together of the lightning round's final questions last week was masterful, as was the noble response to "Blair of Carson City, CA". While there is a city of Carson, CA (shout out Coach and Ab-Soul), as well as a Carson City, NV, just up Hwy. 88, and across the border from me, there is no Carson City, CA that I know of. This makes me think it was a bot built by a disgruntled and drunk MIT student mass harassing all HOF voters. If it wasn't, Blair, come to the Hotel Leger in Mokelumne Hill, Calif., and talk that smack about Darin to my face. I'm there every Friday night. Ask for Alex with the fluffy dog.
Enjoy the Bay Area to you and all other Panthers personnel coming this way! If y'all are bored or need a break from the city, swing up into the foothills! First drink for you is still on me at the Leger! — William, Mokelumne Hill, CA
William jamming like three or four questions in at once there. Greedy. Simmons is a we'll see. He has value as a special teams player and a gadget guy on defense (think a souped-up Sam Franklin), but he's also a free agent, so he gets a say in this, too.
Teams definitely factor in the things they need immediately when it's time to draft. And if the best two players on your board are a guard and an off-ball linebacker or pass-rusher, and you're the general manager of the Carolina Panthers, guess which way you're probably going to lean?
But you can't let need dictate picks, or you start making mistakes and then chasing them. Without naming names, that's happened before, and it didn't work out well.
That's also why free agency comes first to fill as many needs as possible, but Morgan goes into those meetings with a sense of where the draft is deeper or shallower, which informs his purchases.
When the draft rolls around, it's all about talent.
Dan Morgan was still here when the Panthers drafted Jon Beason, and Jon Beason was still here when they drafted Luke Kuechly. There's a lesson there if you want to see it.
As far as people trying to bully me into revealing votes before I'm allowed to, I don't worry much about them. Most of the people yelling at voters on Twitter aren't even people. Twitter was never the same as real life, and anymore, it's uninhabitable. That's why I barely spend any time there (BlueSky is the way, join me there.) So if someone made up an identity to hassle me here, I'm glad their life is going so well that this is what they have time for.
And since you're polite about it, and since the voting is actually complete now, for the record, yes, I voted for Bill Belichick when it was time to reduce an odd lot of coaches, contributors, and seniors from five to three. I also voted for Roger Craig and Ken Anderson. All three are deserving, and I hope for some adjustments to the process that separate coaches and players and contributors — and of the three categories, there are way more seniors than coaches worthy of consideration, and barely any contributors worth talking about.
Mostly, I was excited to see Craig celebrate among so many Bay Area legends, of which he was one.
And that's a group you obviously belong to as well. Next time I'm in Calaveras County, me and my frog are coming to find you and cash in on that drink.
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Luke was an amazing defensive player and has a great knack for knowing the other teams' plays, so why not hire Luke as defensive coordinator or as a LB coach, seeing that he's one of, if not the best, linebackers in NFL History.
Also, I may have missed it this season, but why did Hunter Renfrow not play much this season? — Thomas, Washington, DC
This comes up a lot, but it's worth restating — mostly because he doesn't necessarily want to.
Coaching takes an awful lot of time. Like an insane amount of hours. It's basically the thing you do.
And sometimes Luke Kuechly likes to do other things, like hunting, or fishing, or dabbling in triathlons, or doing media work, or hanging out with his buds. Maybe he'll start a podcast. You never know. Being Luke Kuechly, basically. And being Luke Kuechly is, we can all agree, a pretty awesome thing to do if you have the opportunity.
As for Renfrow, it's a shame his story ended the way it did. His comeback was courageous, and he put everything he had into doing it the right way. And in a world in which the Panthers don't draft Jimmy Horn Jr., he probably plays a lot more last year.
The Panthers, as you may have heard, are a developmental team, so once Horn showed he was capable of contributing, giving him the reps became the priority.
But make no mistake, the Panthers don't make the playoffs without Hunter Renfrow. He might not have made many plays, but on that fourth down against Dallas, he made it happen.
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Hi Darin! Team needs are already being discussed, and probably every position besides kicker and long snapper (Sam Martin is a free agent - JJ Jansen also is, but we all know he's coming back!) is mentioned about needing "starting caliber" or "depth" players. I guess it's a fair assumption that they can't sign every free agent nor draft every player they need or want to, nor will they'll hit on everyone they do. The question is, how much do you know or think they consider the development of the players - especially the younger ones - in filling those needs/spots? Ex: Could Cam Jackson provide more quality rotation at the DL? Could Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen fill those pass-rush needs? Could Bam Martin-Scott start at LB? Lathan Ransom at safety? I'd guess those responses would be as important as the new players arriving in upgrading the team next season.
Also, I know you probably do it in standard mode, but congratulations on your answer to last week's Mailbag about your vote on the Hall of Fame. In a world that has fewer and fewer people following rules and good ways, it's always refreshing to see that. — Fernando, São Paulo, Brazil
Putting together an entire roster is a delicate balancing act. Anyone who tries to tell you there's only one way to do it is lying to you, or trying to sell you something.
Free agency is an important component, as the Seahawks and Patriots showed us this year. But for every $100 million player on your roster, you need some at minimum wage to balance the books. That's why drafting well is so important. If Ransom turns into a trusted starter at safety, or Jackson into a regular rotation player on the defensive line, that allows you flexibility on the other end of the roster.
I could easily see them sign a starting-caliber linebacker in free agency (and maybe draft one, too). And then I could see Martin-Scott and Trevin Wallace competing with the newcomers for playing time.
Scourton's absolutely part of the pass-rusher mix, and Umanmielen could be if he continues to develop. (Sometime in the middle of last year, Scourton started reminding me a lot of a young Mike Rucker. When he was drafted as a 23-year-old in 1999, he was able to apprentice under guys including Kevin Greene, Reggie White, and others. And he became a Pro Bowler in his own right. Scourton didn't have that kind of role model, but he got reps, and he walked in the door at 21. That's important to remember.)
Developing players demands intention. It's easy to want to skip steps when the rewards are eventual. But doing hard things on purpose is the only way.
This is the same plan the Hornets are using right now. They gave minutes last year to guys like Moussa Diabate, and it led to a lot of no-point, nine-rebound nights. Now he's a contributor to a team making a playoff push. It takes being willing to let kids grow on the job, and the Panthers are doing that.
(Also, I nearly walked to the Spectrum Center Monday night to fight the hated Detroits on Moussa's behalf. He's my favorite Charlotte basketball player since Gerald Henderson or Captain Jack, I think. And the spontaneous antler celebrations by fans are awesome because they're organic and heartfelt. Also, I just bought some sweet Moussa Diabate merch.)
I appreciate you, Fernando. I grew up in the Scouts, and call me old-fashioned, but I think if you try to go about your life being 12 things — trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent — then you will rarely regret the decisions you make.
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For the second year in a row, a dominant defensive performance by one team made the Super Bowl all but unwatchable by halftime. I'm a fan of truly great defense (Seattle has one), and not every game needs to be a shootout, but in the biggest show of the year, I was hoping to see something more competitive. I'm praying another salary cap increase can allow more teams to become well-rounded and limit these types of games going forward.
The commercials were solid, though, if nostalgia-centric, and I enjoyed the halftime show despite not being fluent in Spanish. Turns out good dancing transcends language barriers, and exposure to alternative experiences can be fun.
Back to the Seahawks, I read today that we picked up Darrell Bevell from their staff. I was hoping you could enlighten me as to the function of an "associate head coach" and how exactly Mr. Bevell fits into or alters the current Panthers' coaching structure. Hope you and yours are well. Keep Pounding! — Jake, Candler, NC
Well, an associate head coach in this situation would be a more hands-on version of Jim Caldwell, a trusted advisor to Dave Canales. I would imagine this person would be a resource to both Canales and Brad Idzik, with a broad base of experiences (and picking up new tricks in a different offensive style while working for Mike McDaniel in Miami). Look forward to talking to him and learning more.
As for the Super Bowl, what's not to like?
Points can be overrated sometimes, and running the ball with authority, as the Seahawks did, is beautiful in its own way. Maybe it's because I grew up in the business covering the Dom Capers and John Fox Panthers (less so the George Seifert years), but defense/ground game is a way to prosper. So there's no need to apologize for that.
And like Bad Bunny, just because you aren't conditioned to understand something doesn't mean you can't enjoy it.
What I saw on that field was a celebration. And I saw family values — I mean, there was an engagement and a wedding (and perhaps some little bunnies on the way around Week 11 of next season, and what's more wholesome than that?). Mostly, I saw joy and community. Those two things transcend any language barriers, represent the things we all hope for, and are the common threads that bind all of us together, and we're all in this together, whether we like it or not.
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Darin, not exactly a question because I'm not sure if you can speak for Dave Tepper. We have been PSL owners for 25 years, and I am seriously thinking about selling out. What does Mr. Tepper think about this absolutely ridiculous halftime show planned for today? I will be watching Kid Rock and his buddies, as will most of my friends. I don't know if we will ever find out exactly how many people actually changed the channel, but my guess is that it will be the vast majority. When will Goodell and the NFL get the message? — Beth, Bakersville, NC
I definitely don't speak for anyone other than myself; and that's plenty.
But the vast majority of people definitely did not change the channel. According to the New York Times, the score was about 128.2 million for Benito, to Robert Ritchie's 6.1 million. The Super Bowl was closer. Consider that message sent and received by the league. It's a big world, there's room for us all.
Also, what language is "Bawitdaba, da-bang, da-bang, diggy-diggy-diggy, said the boogie, said up drop the boogie?"
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First, I saw you get lit up in the 'Bag by someone for not sharing your vote on the ballot - good for you, that is no one's business, and integrity counts. The second people think they can bully you into something with online shenanigans, you will never live it down.
Here is my question - appropriate for the offseason, I think. These guys spend a lot of time together during the season and make some strong bonds among themselves. Who are the tightest buddies on the team, in your opinion? Bonus question, who are the most unlikely friends on the team (think Steve Smith and John Kasay) in your opinion (again, I know it is subjective) - can be based on personalities, positions played, etc. — Ben, Alpharetta, GA
It's wild how many people appreciated not caving into bullies. It's almost like most people are good and normal. Hmmm. Who knew?
The locker room is always full of buddy-cop movies, usually based on some kind of common trait.
Chuba Hubbard and Tommy Tremble, for instance, came in together in the 2021 draft and remain like brothers. When Tommy signed his new contract last year, with his parents in attendance, Chuba stood there looking as proud as Tommy's actual mom and dad.
Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen have a lot in common, too, as their kids are growing up as best buddies. That came in handy when they were away on vacation together recently, and an ice storm in Charlotte forced them to hole up on an island for an extra couple of days, and the kids entertained themselves for a bit. Tough life.
But here's the cool thing about an NFL locker room — it truly represents every demographic in the country. Black and white, dudes who grew up poor and dues who grew up privileged, from the East and West, it's like a little United Nations.
When players would split up for card games during down times, it was always interesting to see who was at the table. Some of the young players and practice squaders had their own table on the side, but the A game usually included Jaycee Horn, Derrick Brown, Rico Dowdle, Tetairoa McMillan, and punter Sam Martin. I defy you to draw a Venn diagram that those five cats fit into, and that allows for people so different to coexist so peacefully.
Hey, wait a minute, this week's Mailbag is turning into an after-school special. How did that happen?
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Why do you think Derrick Brown got snubbed from the Pro Bowl?
PS: Shoutout to Chris from Inman, that was a B+ mock in my book. I would approach this draft slightly differently, but depending on how we attack FA, I could see that. His picks were:
Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah; Deontae Lawson, LB, Alabama; Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana; Jake Slaughter, C, Florida; Zxavian Harris, DT, Ole Miss; Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt; Dallen Bentley, TE, Utah.
Correct me if I'm wrong on any of these, Chris.
Anyways, here's my personal mock:
Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M; Isaiah World, OT, Oregon; Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt; Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina; Harold Perkins, LB, LSU; Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas; Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma; DJ Campbell, IOL, Texas; Nick Barrett, DL, South Carolina.
Sorry for the long submission. Here's hoping we make it out of the snowstorm safely, and KEEP POUNDING! — Micah, Gastonia, NC
I'm not really sure on Derrick, to be honest with you. He was third in the fan voting league-wide, but after players and coaches submitted their thirds of the vote total, he was on the outside looking in.
The three NFC defensive tackles chosen were Philadelphia's Jalen Carter, Seattle's Leonard Williams, and Dallas trade acquisition Quinnen Williams.
Leonard Williams was a beast this year; that spot is one no one can argue. (And since it's a flag football game, the NFL doesn't name replacements for interior linemen. But Quinnen was traded to the NFC halfway through the year, and Carter missed five games because of injuries and a nasty habit of spitting on people.
But those three dudes either played for really good teams or played in major markets with name recognition. That's hard to overcome, but if the Panthers continue to improve and Derrick continues to throw fools out of the club, the recognition should arrive.
(Also, it's a drag that Derrick didn't get the honor, but his bosses may not mind having him with a chip on his shoulder. That's like having a Hulk. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.)
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If we get the right offer to trade Jaycee Horn, will we take it? Or mess it up like the Rams offer for Brian Burns? PS. Brian Burns had 16 sacks this year. — George, Liberty, SC
I thought the point was to accumulate good players, not trade them away.
When the team was struggling during the early 2020s, it seemed like a segment of the fanbase existed to play fantasy GM and try to get rid of all the good players. Now the team's getting better. Focus on that instead, maybe.
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I enjoy your responses to fans' questions. I have been a Panthers fan since the franchise came to Charlotte. Given the number of free agents this season, will the team get any compensatory picks for the 2026 draft? — Thomas, Florence, AL
Compensatory picks run a year behind, so this year's are doled out for teams' free agent losses during the 2025 offseason. And the Panthers signed more than they lost last year by a lot, so they're not getting any comp picks this year.
The Panthers have a long list of free agents, but other than Dowdle and Cade Mays, not a ton of guys who will command the kind of money on the open market to qualify for the formula.
The key to getting comp picks is drafting well. And as that improves, the Panthers might add some draft inventory that way someday.
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Before my question, I want to say that I was saddened by the disrespectful contribution Blair felt compelled to put upon you in the last Mailbag. As one who is sometimes pulled to hyperbolic diatribes, I understand the urge to forcefully put forth an opinion, but that submission was one to be flushed down the tubes.
As for my question, I suspect the Panthers have a budget plan regarding filling gaps in the roster prior to the draft. Do they have a specific range in mind in how many players they desire to bring in, or is there a prioritized list of free agents they covet and will work their way down until their financial limit is reached? — Randall, Branchville, SC
Man, as it turns out, most normal people are turned off by people who yell and stomp their feet and demand things they're not entitled to. It's gratifying, really.
The salary cap is a finite limit, so they go in with a shopping list and a budget (which is much smarter than the way I go to Harris Teeter and come home with clam juice and a seven-layer dip whether I need either item or not).
There will be some additions, and likely some subtractions, but it may not reach the Robert Hunt/Damien Lewis splurge of 2024. But they'll do some stuff. There are enough vacancies on defense that have to be filled, and they need a center.
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As a former original PSL Owner, I'm just wondering why the Super Bowl has never been considered in Charlotte? If Jacksonville can have a Super Bowl, why not Charlotte? We certainly have a better stadium, enough hotel rooms, mild weather, and venues. I feel David Tepper should use any clout he has to lobby for a Super Bowl in Charlotte. I'm sure you'll agree, and everybody there. All the activities could be in the uptown instead of being so spread out in other cities, like in Arizona or LA, where sometimes you have to drive 20 or 30 miles or more to go to different events. Let's start campaigning today! — Jay, Salisbury, NC
Make you a deal, Jay. When the Super Bowl comes to Charlotte, I'll stay in a hotel downtown and give you first dibs on renting my house when I put it on Airbnb. I promise you'll find my rates reasonable.
Charlotte's approaching the number of hotel rooms necessary, and that used to be the main stumbling block. But the bigger thing might be the weather. As long as there's an open-air stadium, the chance of one of our freak Charlotte blizzards exists. And honestly, the conditions are so often perfect or at least sublime, so why would you want a dome?
A Super Bowl is a cool thing, but it does complicate the quality of life of the locals for a month before the game. And if more people found out how cool it was here, we might start getting more people from Buffalo and Cleveland moving here. And do we really need that?
Charlotte is already the center of the universe. Tell no one.
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We have a second to relax (not you, we have questions), so I have a non-pertinent query. Why does The Greater Kalil (Ryan) get so lost in the shuffle about great Panther players? I say this with great respect for Mr. Gross, Kalil was a superior player to Gross, and Jordan is already in the Hall of Honor. Ryan was simply the best O-lineman the Panthers ever employed. Was it the retirement then unretirement to play for the Jets? That hurt me a lil' bit, but nobody ever mentions that, they simply don't talk about him. I'm curious about your take on The Greater Kalil. Our second-most-disrespected player is Chris Gamble. Another one the base just forgets about. He's not on Kalil's level; he's still greatly undervalued in the annals of Panthers history.
I appreciate you, Darin. Thank you for dealing with this sometimes ruly mob, you never see a truly ruly mob. — Deric, Gastonia, NC
All questions have value, Deric. And I do it for the people. Most of whom are quite gruntled.
I agree with your thesis. Other than the guys in the Hall of Fame like Julius Peppers and Luke Kuechly, and two guys who deserve to be in, Steve Smith and Cam Newton, Ryan's maybe the most accomplished player in franchise history.
He was always one of the two or three best centers in the game his entire career. He'd have likely been an All-Decade pick if his career didn't straddle two decades. Since he started in 2007, he was a little late to be considered for the All-Decade team of the 2000s, which included Hall of Famer Kevin Mawae and Olin Kreutz. And since he only played 16 games once after 2015 because of injuries, he lost the traction he deserved for the 2010s All-Decade team, whose centers were Maurkice Pouncey and Alex Mack, both of whom played the entire decade.
But he went to five Pro Bowls and was a three-time All-Pro, and was recognized during the time he played as elite. I went deep on this last summer, let's get nerdy.
Kalil was also a six-time team captain, and only Luke and Cam (two guys who go by one name) held that position more often. The other six-time captains were Jake Delhommme, Mike Minter, Gross, and Greg Olsen.
Also, he was hilarious, and self-aware, and was a man of integrity, and those are three of my favorite qualities in humans.
I suspect you'll see his name in the Hall of Honor someday, as he's on the short-list of the most deserving guys with Cam, Luke, Olsen, Thomas Davis, and a few others.
Gamble never went to a Pro Bowl, which seems kind of weird. But he was a graceful mover, and more physical than he got credit for being. Chris Gamble was really good at football.
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What does a "Quality Control" coach do? Do they control the quality of footballs or something? — Zach, Charlotte
"Everything, tell them I said everything," offensive assistant Keyshawn Colmon laughed last week, as he carried lunch to another coach whose mobility was temporarily limited.
But the young assistants and quality control coaches play a variety of roles, all important to the greater whole.
When new players arrive in midseason, quality control coaches like Dean Petzing and Ilir Emini are in charge of catching them up and teaching them the team's language, so the onboarding process goes more smoothly. Defensive assistant Kevin Peterson and Colman (who works with the receivers) are often there to help young players get the kind of instruction time they don't always get, since during the season, position coaches generally focus on the starters, since that week's game plan is critical.
And that's something Canales takes seriously. When he talks about developing, he means coaches as well as players.
We wrote a whole story about it late in the season. You can use your weekend to catch up on it, since you've got a couple of days before you have to GET BACK TO CLASS, ZACH.
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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.
Mock draft season begins....how many players have TWITCH or are TWITCHY? — Westray, Kershaw, SC
Hopefully, more than have the itch or are itchy.
How do you fold a fitted sheet? To be clear, I don't want to know the "correct" way to fold a fitted sheet. I want to know how Darin Gantt folds a fitted sheet. — David, Midlothian, VA
I have perfected my technique over the years, and this is complicated, so take notes. What I do is, own just two sets of sheets, so one's on the bed, and one's in the laundry. And when the backup sheet is clean, I wad it up in a ball somewhere obvious, until my wife gets tired of looking at it and puts it god-knows-where. Also, I have had as many wives as fitted sheets. Your results may vary. Choose wisely.
As a result, I'll make you this week's Friend Of The Mailbag and send you a T-shirt, because if you don't perfect my method, you may be sleeping on the couch and need an emergency pillow case.
The Mailbag abides.
Hope you are doing well and staying warm. I understand that officials are selected for the playoffs and the Super Bowl based on their performance during the regular season. What criteria do they use to rank them? Do officials who have a history of making bad calls or no calls get pink-slipped? How do officials get trained or become qualified? Does it require some kind of masochistic personality to choose a profession that has very little praise and a lot of criticism? A fire hydrant at a dog show comes to mind, or a sports journalist. — Norman, Greenville, SC
They definitely grade their own, a process explained here in great detail by the NFL operations department.
And yes, it takes a certain willingness to receive abuse. "Fire hydrant at a dog show" is a job AI can never replace, and also a funny line, which I will steal.
This was my first time reading your column. I enjoyed it immensely. Thank you. Keep representing the principled children of the 1970's! — Stephen, Charlotte
Don't be a stranger, Stephen. Also, principles were more popular then. Maybe they'll come back like my sunglasses, which have been cool at least four different times since I got them in 1989.
Always read, have never posted. No question, only a comment. Thank you beyond what words can express for your response to Blair from CA. Also, the 70's were a beautiful decade. OK, that was two comments. — Tom, Wendell, NC
Blown away by how many people sent in mail just to rebuke the bad guy of the last Mailbag. May we never speak of him again, and go forth into the world and be principled and decent to each other.
