2, Chris. The numbers 2. That’s the number of pole bowlers at the Carolina Panthers had this season, but also two young guys that might be getting contract extensions this offseason. Hm. We have to check out and see what the Panthers do, man. Dan Morgan has a lot of decisions on his hand. I, I’m gonna tease you with this question right now. I want you to think about it, Chris. Oh, tease me. Should the pause. Should the Panthers re-sign JC Horn long term? Let’s get the soccer started. Get dialed in Panthers fans. Here comes an in-depth look at your team. Exclusive interviews, locker room insight. Let’s huddle up for Panthers Playbook. Here are your hosts, Dennis Cox and Chris Lee. Welcome back to another episode of Panthers Playbook. That’s Chris Lee, Dennis Cox here with you. By the way, thanks to everyone who subscribes. Uh, we actually just hit 15,000 subscribers here on 999, the fans YouTube page, and a lot of you that watch this are a big part of that. So thank you so much. You, Chris, along with everyone else watching this, can leave thoughts in the YouTube comments down below about JC Horn and Ikeawanu. Let’s start with JC Horn. Question, Chris, I’m just gonna ask you straight up. Good Dan Morgan. OK, there it is. Yes, thank you all for watching. It’s been real. Thank you all for watching. See y’all next week. But it’s, it’s, it’s a legit question though, because going into this, this past season into 2024, the Carolina Panthers did pick up the fifth year option on JC Horn’s contract as being a, as being a first round draft pick. But no extension was done and it really was a proven year for JC Horn. One, can you stay healthy and 2, can you sustain that level of play, that high level of play we’ve known over the course of the season. And guess what? The dude made a Pro Bowl off a terrible defense, but he himself made a Pro Bowl that speaks volumes. He’s going into that final year. He’s going into that 5th year. The question is, what kind of contract does that look like? A historically terrible defense, uh, with that. Um, you know, he had a rough start to the year. I thought, you know, there, there are a few things here and there that I thought he could have done better. Um, you know, there was a couple of, uh, blowing coverages that we noticed in the first couple of games, and, you know, those first two games are blowouts, um, but it, it really felt like he really settled in after those first two blowout games, personally, right? Just just JC Horn himself, um, and you saw the level of play there, you you see that he’s a dude. You see that he can cover and, you know, he kind of Lightly put it out there himself that, you know, he could probably be unlocked a little bit more if the scheme allowed him to roam uh to different sides of the field to, you know, cover the best teams receiver, because we saw part of the holes in the Panthers defense is like, all right, I’m lining up on JC Horn’s side. Oh no, I’m getting locked up. Hey, offensive coordinator. Put me on the other side. OK, I’m going to the other side, just put me in the slot or put me on a slot, put me on the slide, give me the same, just put me in the slot. And we saw that things kind of fell apart, right, uh, from there because then those guys would start eating and it was because they weren’t on JC Horn, and that’s no, this is not on, you know, Mike Jackson, I’m not talking I want Mike Jackson back. Um, I think he, he’s, he does well for the team. Uh, I think Shaw Smith Wade is, uh, a good piece to uh develop for the future for sure, but clearly, when it comes down to just coverage, if your pass rush is on point. If, you know, your safeties are doing what they’re supposed to do and holding down their parts of the field that they’re supposed to hold down, JC Horn is going to lock people down 8 times out of 10, right? And it, it just, he’s just the guy. And so I think that right now. I think that after this year, it behooves you to try to lock him down. Yes, he made a Pro Bowl, so that probably puts up the price just a little bit, a little bit, but also, like, he hasn’t shown that he can be healthy for a full season. He missed two games this this past year, right? Not gonna count too much against him, but it wasn’t a full season. Then we also have seen what happened the 3 seasons prior to that. That probably comes with a little bit of a haircut on, you know, what he could possibly get paid. So it could be a team friendly deal that makes JC Horn happy, also makes the team happy, saves them money, gives them room to do other things that they need to do with it. Plus, he’s already said, If I’m gonna be here for the bad times, I’m gonna be here for the good times as well. So, um, you know, I love that attitude. I love what he’s done so far. I think he’s great for the team. He’s a great building piece for that defense that needs a lot of building. So, you know, hey, Dan Morgan, if you can make it happen, let’s make it happen. Bring him back. Plus, I want the Carolina Panthers to be in the mindset of keeping their good young players. Something that they haven’t done. Like that’s the, that’s the mindset for me. I want them to be in the mindset of keeping their good young players, um, because we’ve seen too many good young players leave, whether by trade or free agency, whatever it might be, we’ve seen too many good players go. And I think this is something that damn good first-round players. Yes, and this is something I think that Dan. Oregon, uh, really established during the regular season when they signed the contract extensions for Cuba Hubbard. It’s like, hey, this guy fits what we want to do in terms of work ethic, mentality, buying into the team culture and production on the field. You established that with, with Cuba Hubbard, and I think JC Horn fits into that same category too. And I think this is where, again, where do, where do the dollars, dollars and cents, right? Does it make sense? Look at JC Horn, he’s 25 years old. His birthday is not until November, so he’s. Gonna be turning 26 during the season. Look at Patrick Surtain the second drafted right after him by the Denver Broncos, outstanding defensive back, same age, signed a 4-year contract, $96 million total value on the deal. Guaranteed money was just under 7 sorry, yeah, just under $77.5 million guaranteed. So basically 3 years of that. Guaranteed. If you look at other guys in the same age range, Tyson Campbell, Jaguars, 25 years old. He signed a contract to average angle value of $19.1 million. And there’s also some other guys as well, like, uh, AHre who plays for the Falcons, who’s 27, about $20.2 million a year. I’m curious to see where the money comes in. He is a building block, but the last thing you want to do with this team. I let that guy walk after the season, not having gotten a deal done, or you put yourself in the same position as Brian Burns or you’re looking to franchise tag and do all the other kinds of stuff. You don’t want to be in the Brian Burns position again. You wanna make sure, hey, let’s keep this young guy, again, team-friendly deal where if he plays a certain amount, there’s incentives and all those kinds of things worked into there. But I really think this is someone that you got to lock up and you got to get this deal done soon. Alright, so you bringing up that point of like, hey, let’s get into the habit of like keeping our first rounders. Yeah, it just made me want to go back and let’s look at the first rounders that the Panthers have had. Um, let’s take out 2011 and 2012 because those guys were at least one of those people, one of those guys is gonna go into the Hall of Fame, and another guy. Maybe that’s another discussion for another day. We’ll see if Cam Newton goes in the Hall of Fame. I personally think he should be, but after that, 2013, Star Lotule was done after his rookie year, after a rookie contract with the Panthers, right, went up and had a career with uh with the Buffalo Bills. Uh, Kelvin Benjamin, 2014. Shaq Thompson, still there. So get on get on them. 2016. Vernon Butler, done early, going up to the Buffalo Bills. Christian McCaffrey signed him but then ended up training him. DJ Moore. Traded him. Brian Burns, 2019, traded him. Then it’s Derek Brown, locked him up and then it’s JC Horn. So like now, here’s exactly what you’re talking about. Now we can probably go down in a row. Like if we can have Derek Brown, JC Horn, Ikem Akanu, Bryce Young, Xavier Liget. 05 years in a row, end up getting extensions with the Carolina Panthers. That is a good sign for the future. Now that like leads into a bigger conversation for another day, but I wanted to just at least bring up those guys and just go up and down that line of of those names who are there. It would be cool to look up and yes, you know, the the shelf life sometimes is short in NFL and things like that, would be cool to look up in 78 years, right, and still see. Uh, maybe not in 78 years for for JC Horn, but let’s look it up now, 5 years from now, and JC Horn has had a really good career with the Carolina Panthers, and now we’re making a decision on whether or not we want to keep a veteran JC Horn who’s 10 years into his career and seeing if he still has something left then. I think that will make, that will be a great sign for the Carolina Panthers going forward. Well, you mentioned the 2022. Let’s actually get into the 2022 1st round pick. Ikequaondu, the left tackle. He’s eligible to not only have his fifth year. Option picked up by the front office, but he’s also eligible for an extension now too. You’re eligible for an extension after your 3rd year in the league. He’s eligible for that too. We have seen him as a run blocker at times, being an absolute road grader, and 2024 season was so much better than what we saw in 2023. I think it’s a byproduct of a couple of things. One, system, two new coaching staff for him, but also three, having other stable guys in the interior of that line with Damian Lewis playing right next to him helps a ton. He still has improvement to go, but this is also where you have to. Have the mindset of his and Dan Morgan is, right, how much better is he gonna get? And if he keeps getting better, the price only goes up. Can you lock him down now, but also at the same time, the agents think of the same thing like, well, I don’t want to sign too quickly. Because if he keeps playing better, the price tag goes up. This is where the balance comes in with the front office and the player as well. It’s the, there’s a risk on both sides because Ikiuanu might not sign, gets hurt, then he’s missing out on something. So it’s a big balance, Chris. Should they go ahead and get a long-term deal done with Iyuannu? or should they wait another year? This one’s tricky with Icky, um, you know, I think JC Horn is a different case because outside of the injuries, he’s always played well, like he’s, I mean, he’s just always just been a dude and he’s always shown up, you know that if he’s on the field, you know what you’re gonna get from him. Ike Equaanu has excuses. He has legit excuses, 3 different coaching staffs. In 3 years, 3 different, um, you know, offensive systems for the most part, you know what I’m saying, that he’s had to learn with, um, you know, different quarterback situations in all of those years, right? And so, um, there’s a lot that’s been thrown on him. He’s been in a lot of unfair situations and, you know, as you just mentioned, as he had a better interior offensive line this past season. He looked better as a left tackle. Definitely pick up the 5th year option for him. That’s, that’s a no-brainer, no brainer. That’s a no-brainer. The extension is It’s more like if this than that type of thing, right? I’m not saying yes, but I’m not saying no. um. If he’s willing to do an extension, maybe a shorter extension. Right? Maybe add in maybe just a couple of years after you’re not gonna 2 or 3 years uh on top of um the uh the 5th year option. You’re not gonna take a bunch of money. It’s not anywhere close to, you know, being paid. Top 5, top 10 left tackle in the league, right? But it’s something comfortable for him that he can do and that’s manageable for the, for the Carolina Panthers that keeps them in place for a little bit, so we don’t necessarily have to think about drafting a replacement for the next 3 years or so. OK. But if Icky is looking to get like top guy money, I don’t know, bro, like, you know, you haven’t. Do you have that potential? You have that potential to to get that, but you have not played in in that way whatsoever. He hasn’t reached it yet. You haven’t reached that, and that’s where like I’m, I’m comfortable with him being, being there, right, because he’s he’s shown enough to where it’s like, OK, with Damian Lewis next to him, we gotta see what the center situation is gonna be for the Carolina Panthers and you get Robert Hunt on the other side, clearly that, um. Interior has been fixed, still needs, you know, work with the center, but has been fixed for the most part. It’s really helped him out. Also, Damian Lewis has been a great communicator that’s been getting Icky into the right protections. Bryce has been better at getting guys into the right protections. So, therefore, he’s looked better, and this will be the first time that Icky himself will get a chance to return. With the same head coach in the NFL, he hasn’t had that since, you know, NC State with Dave Dorn, um, and so, you know, If you can try to lock him up on a cheaper deal now, before all that, you mentioned it, the, the, the, you know, agent might be looking to hold off a little bit, or he might say, hey, just in case, let’s try to, let’s try to lock this up and get something. Um, you know, I, I would like that, but it’s, I’m not saying yes, but I’m not saying no. It’s really like if this and that type of thing when it comes down to locking them down, for sure pick up that 5th year option though. So here’s the thing that you got to think about when it comes to paying guys. You’re paying them for what they’re going to do, not necessarily what they’ve been. That’s the big thing. What are you projecting him to possibly be? He’s still only 24 years old. His birthday is October 31st, so basically midway through the season, he turns 25. So there’s, he’s still young. He’s like he still has his prime years ahead of him. What do you think he is going to be? So if you actually look at left tackles across the NFL, you have Trent Williams, who’s 37 years old, but the dude is other world. About how good that guy is. And he’s making $27.5 million. Look at age comps for guys in the NFL that are also left tackles. 26 years old is Christian Derial, second highest paid in terms of per year, um, uh, with the Minnesota Vikings, he’s making $26 million a year. Andrew Thomas with the Giants, $23.5 million. Um, again, he’s also 26 years old, but most of the guys that are really highly paid in terms of left tackles are in their 30s. Or approaching 30. Again, Iyanu’s 24 gonna be 25 during the season. So that’s something you have to also keep in mind as well is that, again, there’s the progression. How long do you think that he can be at that, be at that spot? Do you think Ikekanu potentially could be a stable left tackle for you for the next 8 years? Then I’d say get it done. Like that’s something that Dan Morgan really has to make the decision like, hey, can this guy really be Our left tackle for the next 8 years. But even still, you can still sign a deal. Taylor Moton eventually is going to be gone from this team in the next couple of years. Hey, if Icky, you think you could play right, be a road grader in the run game? Don’t have to have to worry about protecting the blind side of your quarterback and we can find another left tackle. Maybe that’s an option too. You never know. That’s something you all have to keep in mind is what do you think this guy can be long term. Again, he’s young, still still developing. You see all the physical tools, Chris. It’s all there for him to potentially be. At least top half of the league tackle. JC Horn for sure is a 100% no no-brainer with Ickey, um, to bring up your point of like, what do you think this guy can be if we’re, you know, projecting in the future? Hey Bryce. Hey Dave, let’s have a meeting. Yeah. What are your thoughts, Dave, based off of your system and the grades that you’ve seen, uh, and the tape that you’ve watched on Icky, where do you see him potentially growing within your system? Does he fit what you’re trying to do? Or do you think that maybe in the next few years, there’s potentially somebody else that we can try to go after in the draft to try to develop them? Bryce, um, as you have, you know, grown and, and you’ve had your better games in those better games. What are you noticing from your blind side? What are you noticing as far as uh the communication between you and those guys on the line? Is Icky, um, you know, maybe the weak link? Is he a part of the strong links on the line? What do you feel like you need to get better because we feel like Next year, we’re gonna be coming to you with this extension, especially if you play the way that you played in the last 11 games of the season. So, let us know what you think about this guy, because this is also about our investment in you. Mhm. Honestly, that’s that’s gonna have to be a part of that discussion, and we’re not gonna have any indication or any inside knowledge about any of those things um ahead of time, but I will say, if none of this happens, if they don’t pick up the fifth year option, if there’s never an extension for Iki Aquau, we would have known that in the offseason in early 2025. Either Dave Canalas, Bryce Young, or both didn’t have any faith in Ikey Ekanu unless Ikey Equau or his agent or both are just being complete buttholes about the whole situation because that could also happen. It’s true that could also happen again, like the, the numbers just might be that far off and it’s like, all right, well, let’s just see how 2025 plays out. We’ll pick up the fifth year option because Never know. Like another team might say, you know what, we’ll take a chance on that, guys. 5th year option. There’s, there’s, there’s so many possibilities. It would not shock me if he does not have a contract extension going into 25. It would not surprise me one bit, and they work to get something done after the 25, 1 year from now. That would not, similar to what JC Horn, similar in that regard. But Chris, there are a lot of holes. I, again, I want them to keep their young talent. This team needs a talent on defense, and Chris, you floated a hypothetical at me earlier today. Yeah, um, you know, the, the news, uh, that came out that Miles Garrett is looking to get traded from the Browns, um, I have to look it up really quick. I I didn’t see how much, uh, his contract is worth, but he’s under contract for the next 2 years, uh, with the Browns. The Panthers definitely need somebody who’s a pass rusher. Mhm. Do you trade that first round draft pick? To the Browns, maybe a couple other things. #8 overall, but #8 overall for Miles Garrett. Who’s already A proven commodity in the NFL who has gotten at least 14 sacks over the last 3 years or 4 years, if I’m not mistaken. He’s up there. Um, and what do the Carolina Panthers need? Uh, people that can get to the quarterback, sack production, right? And, and. We were looking for that with Brian Burns. He kind of got there but never really got past what, 9.5, uh, in a season or 8.5 in a season, right? He had decent numbers, but it was never anything mind-blowing for the Carolina Panthers, but it always looked like he could, uh, excel and go further up. Would you Just to see, just to toy around with it. Maybe kick the tires on on Miles Garrett. Um, I like the idea of Miles Garrett. Uh, again, he has 2 years left on his contract. Uh, he’ll be turning 30, uh, towards the end of this upcoming season. Cap hit 19.7, cap hit next year 20.3%. He has a bunch of void years, uh, on his contract, which actually still has some, some cap hit that’s actually gonna be spread out into that as well. So that’s something you have to take into consideration, especially if you know that in the very near future, you’re gonna be potentially signing Aquaanu and JC Horn and possibly Bryce Young, all these other guys. Number 8, that’s too steep for me for Miles Garrett. I love the idea of Miles Garret on the team, but number 8, that’s, that’s too steep for me. If it’s 28, cool. Let’s make this deal happen. Uh, but I, to me, with a draft that is from our understanding, but everyone says loaded in defensive talent in terms of upfront, whether it’s edge rushers, defensive line, that’s loaded. That’s where I want to spend my money. That’s, that’s where I want to spend my draft capital is doing that. Um, you have 9 draft picks this year. You can do a lot to get guys that can contribute right now. May not be Miles Garrett right away, but to me, I, I, I, I would severely. Hesitate to make that move. Now, if they want to take your 2nd round pick that you got from the LA Rams, let’s go. Um, but I mean, I 100% would do that, but I, I, number 8 is just too steep for me, for a guy that’s only 2 years left and he’s about to turn 30 years old. 2 years left on his contract. That’s, that’s too steep of an idea for me. I 100% agree with you. I only, I wanted to float this question out for conversation’s sake and because I know that, you know, it’s something that is thought that Panthers fans could possibly think about. But then also, one of the things I I I was thinking about too with this team is that as you’re building and they’re gonna get younger through the draft and all of that. You’re also gonna want to bring in key free agents or key veteran guys through either trades or free agency uh in certain spots, um, because you’re gonna need that leadership, and you’re gonna need that experience, and, um, you know, somebody like a Miles Garrett for leadership and experience, possibly maybe fits that bill for that, but I’m with you. I think that maybe it’s, it’s a little too steep, uh, for him. And then also like in two years, if he’s gonna want astronomically more, then, um, you, you might have to be back in the, in the running and looking for somebody in the draft or whatever. And, um, you, you do want to have somebody locked in if you have somebody in the first round. They end up panning out, you’re gonna have them for 5 years, especially if you uh get their 5th year option. So, I’m 100% with you. I just wanted to throw it out there. Don’t, don’t, don’t go to the comments and Chris Lee said we should, no, no, no, no, no, you know, that’s not what I’m saying. I just want to float it out there for conversation’s sake, but I did think it was interesting that he asked for a trade. I also thought it was interesting that the Panthers are looking for pass rushing, and uh I do think that adding some key veterans in the right spots. Along with some of the new blood that they’re just trying to bring in would help out the team, but, you know, it may not have to be Miles Garrett’ste on that. I also don’t want to see Ero Evero dropping Miles Garrett into coverage because that’s very true. That’s I I don’t want to see that for that. It’s just gonna be 3rd and 17 and Miles Garrett’s gonna be trailing the tight end. We’re gonna wrap it up right there. We’re gonna. That’s EJ for you. Again, make sure you subscribe. Leave your thoughts in the comments section down below. We’ll have an episode, another episode for you guys next week. Uh, Chris, this is always fun as always. Um, and also again, thank you, everyone that subscribes and comments. It’s, it’s super awesome for us. And, um, by the way, if you can’t catch us on YouTube, wherever you get your podcast, we’re there as well. Apple, Spotify, you name it, so you can take us on the road with you as well. Uh, but most importantly, enjoy.

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