Was Todd McShay out of line or right about the Carolina Panthers?

(Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports) Todd McShay
(Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports) Todd McShay

Was ESPN’s draft analyst Todd McShay out of line or absolutely on the money regarding comments made about the Carolina Panthers?

One doesn’t have to examine the Carolina Panthers all that hard to see how they are being perceived across league circles. There is a growing sense amongst the media that Matt Rhule simply isn’t up to the task as head coach, with many claiming this “lame duck” situation is putting off top performers from considering the organization as a viable destination.

This is something that’s been evident during the offseason. Russell Wilson spurned their advances in favor of a switch to the Denver Broncos and Deshaun Watson also turned them down after a year-long pursuit, although that was also down to Carolina refusing to meet his extortionate contract demands.

Things are teetering on the edge for Rhule entering Year 3 with the team. The calls to remove him from the equation were deafening within the team’s fanbase after the Panthers lost 12 of their final 14 games to conclude the 2021 campaign, but owner David Tepper refused to bow to these demands despite being “unhappy and embarrassed” by the contract given to the former Baylor man, according to Joe Person of The Athletic.

Carolina has gone about its business in a quietly positive fashion in recent months. Coaches with vast NFL experience were acquired to provide Rhule with a security blanket, some useful additions were made in free agency, and the head coach has been out of the spotlight as general manager Scott Fitterer assumed command of most media availability.

However, there is much work to be done.

The Panthers need a franchise left tackle and there is also the cloud at quarterback enveloping the franchise after yet another failed personnel move in the form of Sam Darnold.

Someone like Kenny Pickett has been strongly linked to the Panthers over the offseason. The Pittsburgh product was recruited by Rhule during his time at Temple and even though reaching for a signal-caller at No. 6 comes with big-time risk, Carolina might not have much of a choice unless they trade for someone like Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo.

Todd McShay questioned Carolina Panthers and head coach Matt Rhule

When discussing the Panthers and a quarterback on the Ryen Russillo podcast, ESPN’s draft analyst Todd McShay did not hold back, claiming this is not a place he’d want his son to go and also called into question Rhule’s desire for good measure.

"“The tough part is that the team most likely to take a quarterback in the top-10 is the one I would not want my son draft by, and that’s Carolina. Just where they are as an organization. How long does Matt Rhule have as a head coach? How long does he want to be there? From all accounts, I’m told he’s not going to be crying when the two sides part ways in this situation. So it just seems like a bad situation moving forward, at least for the next couple of years.”"

These comments sparked some serious debate on social media regarding whether McShay was out of line or absolutely right about the current state of affairs in Carolina.

In truth, it’s somewhere in the middle.

If you take Rhule out of the equation, this is a roster stacked with talent outside of two key positions the coaching staff also looks pretty competent based on previous accomplishments, with Fitterer, Samir Suleiman, and Dan Morgan providing extreme competency in the front office.

Tepper is the wildcard, obviously. But this is not the first time that Rhule’s commitment long-term has been called into question despite signing a seven-year, $62 million deal to prise him from the college ranks and away from the New York Giants.

There is no doubt Rhule is deeply respected within the college game. One only has to look at how many coaching clinics he’s been doing to see that.

These methods haven’t translated well to the professional ranks as yet. So it’s not hard to see why veterans with any choice are looking the other way and incoming college recruits might be waiting with some trepidation about being taken by Carolina.

Say Pickett or another signal-caller is drafted by the Panthers and Rhule is fired after the season. A new regime will obviously have a completely different outlook on that said player and wouldn’t hesitate to go in a different direction with a deep quarterback class entering the league in 2023.

A wasted pick. This is exactly why the team should strongly consider taking one of the blue-chip offensive tackles that might fall into their laps.

Rhule might not be shedding tears when he does finally get the boot. But most Panthers fans won’t be, either.

In fact, there might be a party or two on Mint Street when the time comes.

McShay probably just said what everyone else is thinking. A damning indictment on how things have transpired during the first two years under Rhule’s leadership and the fact he also gets the final say on all personnel decisions makes this even worse.

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