Granted the Hornets of the nineties claim to fame was upsetting the Celtics in the first round of the ’93 playoffs, and the Panthers have made to the Super Bowl and three Conference Championships in their short existence, but never the less, I believe the Hornets ’92 to ’96 rosters have been the best, depth wise, in the history of Charlotte sports, so keep that in mind.

My argument, and the basis of the article, is that the tides are turning for Charlotte sports, both in basketball and in football. There is a difference between the two however; the Bobcats need time to progress to their next playoff appearance, while the playoff appearance to mark the beginning of the new Panthers dynasty is quickly approaching.

Dec 16, 2012; San Diego, CA, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy (76) talks on the bench during the third quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Panthers are facing very few pressing issues coming into the 2013 season, the Offensive Line, the Secondary, and the biggest issue being our salary cap. Besides that the Panthers have all the pieces for a successful playoff run. Cam Newton is figuring out the offensive scheme that Ron Rivera wants to run. Even with a new Offensive Coordinator, hopefully Norv Turner, Newton has adjusted to Rivera’s scheme, and ultimately Rivera gives the heads up on the Offensive Coordinator’s play style. We have a deep group of young receivers, most, if not all, are coming into their fourth year into the league, which will probably be the make or break year for most of the receivers, giving them incentive to produce. We also have two young defensive players to build our defense around, Luke Kuechly and Greg Hardy.

We are also taking steps to rebuild our front office, with the signing of new GM Dave Gettleman. Gettleman to me was a great pick, after being a part of some very successful New York Giants seasons, but we won’t know if he can produce until after a few draft classes, and NFL seasons. Keeping Ron Rivera is also an interesting choice for the Carolina Panthers as well. While I would have liked to seen another coach in his place, I have hope for the future of the Carolina Panthers. The Cleveland Browns hiring Rob Chudzinski as their head coach might have been a blessing in disguise for the Panthers coaching staff. The offense was very inconsistent throughout the entire season, and you can only blame the coaching staff for the mistakes of the offensive unit that has a ton of talent. It will be very interesting to see how the Panthers produce with a new Offensive Coordinator and the same Head Coach. Again I truly hope we pick up Norv Turner, he hasn’t officially signed to the Browns and he would be wise to sign with the Panthers if he wants to make the playoff, which everyone does.

Dec 26, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) drives to the basket while defended by center Joel Anthony (50) and forward Shae Battier (31) during the game at Time Warner Cable Arena. Heat win 105-92. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

I cannot continue writing an article about my favorite city coming into its own without mentioning my favorite NBA team very briefly. I’m predicting the Bobcats will have a very similar season to the ’92 Hornets. Two consecutive lottery picks, lots of cap room, and quite possibly a deep playoff run for the Charlotte Bobcats, something the Hornets have never done. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson, Bismack Biyombo, and Jeff Taylor are all staying in Charlotte, and hopefully Ben Gordon. All six of those players are fantastic talents, and great building blocks since all but two of those players are younger than twenty four. The rest of the players are expendable. Dunlap is a very underrated coach as well. He seems to get the best out of his players, and all of them have come out saying that they love him as a coach. So with quality young players, with ton of potential, the Charlotte Bobcats are definitely a team to look out for as future NBA title contenders.

So with the Panthers hopefully the becoming the premier team to beat in the NFC, and the Bobcats hopefully becoming a premier team in the own right, the professional teams of the great city of Charlotte are rewriting what people come to think about Charlotte, North Carolina. Its quite possible that Charlotte is reaching a pinnacle of sports in the South, and I must say, its a great time to live in Charlotte.

Dec 25, 2011; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers running back James Starks (44) is tackled by Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher (54) during the game at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Bears 35-21. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

The 2011 version of the Chicago Bears was an ugly team. QB and Head League Crybaby Jay Cutler actually had a lot to cry about. It’s hard to do well when you have a sieve-like offensive line and a well below-average group of wideouts to throw to, and the management knew it. Cutler has suffered injuries the past two seasons as a result.

What did they do about it? LOTS!

First, they traded with the Miami Dolphins a pair of third-round picks for troubled but highly dangerous WR Brandon Marshall, reuniting the pair from their days in Denver before idiot Head Coach Josh McDaniels dismantled the talent from his team en route to an 11-17 record before he was fired for his incompetence.

Miami’s loss is Cutler’s gain. Before I get too much further into things, let’s look at their 2012 draft:

1 19 Shea McClellin DE Boise State
2 45 Alshon Jeffery WR South Carolina
3 79 Brandon Hardin FS Oregon State
4 111 Evan Rodriguez TE Temple
6 184 Isaiah Frey CB Nevada-Reno
7 220 Greg McCoy CB Texas Christian

Second round pick Alshon Jeffery is a very big target to put opposite Marshall. They’re similar players with similar styles and builds, but concerns over what Jeffery’s actual playing weight is still abound. The Gamecocks had nobody at quarterback last year worth playing and that negatively impacted Jeffery’s stats from his junior season so the pick was a bit of a risk for DAAAA Bearsssss.

The potential is there for quite an improvement in the passing game with Jeffery and Temple’s Evan Rodriguez. The hope is that Rodriguez can take up the production that left with Greg Olson before the 2011 season.

RB Matt Forte has just been producing for everyone including fantasy owners. With his contract status having been in flux for ages, he recently said he’ll have no choice but to play in 2012. Finances aside, he is the steadying influence of this offense. He runs inside, outside, he catches the ball, and allows his coaches to deploy him depending on coverages and matchups to their advantage. He has rather quietly become one of the top backs in the game, having rushed for over 900 yards and caught over 50 passes each of his first four seasons. Put him down for 1500 yards from scrimmage and will continue to help move the chains. Did I mention he’s a threat for a breakaway run as well?

The biggest question overall is the offensive line. Tackle Gabe Carimi, their top pick in 2011, was injured for all but 2 games so it looks like they’ll at least have him to help, but they didn’t draft a single lineman on either side (unless you count Rodriguez as a ‘lineman’). One undrafted free agent they signed is Old Dominion’s James Brown. Brown was a late-round projection who didn’t make the cut when all the offensive linemen slid down in the 2012 draft so he was one of the “odd men out.” With the Bears’ OL situation, he could make the team as a reserve with some upside.

With that in mind, they signed Jason Campbell to back up Cutler, giving the Bears one of the best backup QBs in the NFL. Campbell’s career has been overshadowed by his up-and-down play, frustrating coaches with just enough “flashes of brilliance” as to be tantalizing, but he’s never really put together a great season. Part of the reason is that he’s one of those guys who had to deal with new coordinators year after year when he entered the league and that’s hard on anyone. If memory serves, going back to his college days at Auburn, after his 4th pro season, he’d had 7 different OCs in 8 years. Ouch. Still, he probably played better than he should have under the circumstances, has a big-time arm, and is an experienced starter. With Forte in the backfield and two giant WRs, the Bears offense could be dangerous with improved OL play.

Defensively, Brian Urlacher anchors the middle of the linebacking corps. Lance Briggs is to one side and is a good player in his own right. Veteran Geno Hayes from Tampa Bay rounds out a solid group there.

Top pick Shea Mclellin darted up the draft board with his high motor and versatility. DE Julius Peppers makes a formidable presence as one of the games top pass rushers and all-around disruptive defenders.

As for cover on the back end, they spent 3 draft picks on defensive backs. Granted, two were 6 and 7th rounders but they got some bodies to help there. This is the team’s weak spot so they better generate a pass rush other than Julius Peppers – which is why McClellin was drafted. He’ll be the key to improving this defense.

Come to think of it, the Bears’ defense is very similar to that of the Panthers….their LB corps is their strength, they have one star DE pass rusher and are looking to develop a rookie on the other side (McClellin for the Bears, Alexander for the Panthers) and the both need some people to step up in the secondary.

As always, Devin Hester must always be considered one of the most dangerous return men in the NFL.

For the franchise in general, so long as Forte doesn’t hold out in 2012, I’ll say they took….

One step forward. A vastly improved group at WR should breathe life into the offense, and added depth at QB was some necessary insurance for them. The OL and DB positions weren’t significantly upgraded so it’ll be at least another year before they can push the Green Bay Packers, maybe two.

There are many questions left unanswered by this lockout, and training camps are needed to answer the questions. Questions such as: Who will be the Panthers starting Quarterback? Where will Steve Smith be playing next year? Will the defensive line step up with Charles Johnson at the helm? All these question can be answered with time. (more…)