I WAS WONDERING ABOUT INJURIES......SO............

i was just sitting around brooding over ANOTHER lost season---- whereupon poetry came over me and I started quoting, rhyming----Ahhh, but that's a story for another time.

I looked around a little and here is our current list of IR players (Thursday, Dec 2..)

SAM DARNOLD

CAMERON ERVING
THOMAS FLETCHER 
JAYCEE HORN
DONTE JACKSON
**DARRYL JOHNSON** (Designated to return..)
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY
DAVIYON NIXON
MATT PARADIS
TROY PRIDE JR
STANTON THOMAS-OLIVER III

Note here that all the players in RED are/were first line starters.  Note also that this list does NOT include all of those players who have been on IR and returned, traded, waived, or released.

I don't know what to think. Comments and insight are welcome.!!

I have no clue. I’d say unlucky. Except cmc. His seem near chronic, but what can u do with him? Last 2 years the only time he’s been injured. Missed a lot of games. Is that a benifit for longevity?

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On injury news, I’d love to know what our cb depth chart/roster looks like next sept.

I have no clue.  I’d say unlucky.  Except cmc.  His seem near chronic, but what can u do with him?  Last 2 years the only time he’s been injured.  Missed a lot of games.  Is that a benifit for longevity?

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On injury news, I’d love to know what our cb depth chart/roster looks like next sept.

I don't think anything about CMC is chronic.  Every little nick or injury has been different. First one thing then another. He is SO dynamic. There is no way to criticize his activity level or his training regimen. Maybe he just has had a run of bad luck.------- BEFORE ANYONE GETS ALL CRAZY-- Lets not write him off. Think back a few years. Remember Thomas Davis.??  TD suffered through three (3) ACL  injuries and surgeries. We didn't lose faith in him and he kept coming back. After the third recovery, TD played some of the best football of his career.!!  McCaffrey can do it too.
I would hate to see the team lose faith in him. He is a generational talent.

Our CB room is crazy good. We have done well grabbing up players and bolstering that part of our defense.  As long as Donte Jackson is OK and IF we can maintain the group under contract........ We are golden.!!

I, on the other hand, DO worry that CMC's injuries are becoming chronic, or our health and conditioning coaches need to be fired.

I, on the other hand, DO worry that CMC's injuries are becoming chronic, or our health and conditioning coaches need to be fired.

From the standpoint of AN injury... ANY injury, I will agree with you.

However "chronic" injuries or sickness usually refer to multiple recurring iterations of the SAME type. All of McCaffrey's injuries have been different. Hence, my statement about not being chronic....

I, on the other hand, DO worry that CMC's injuries are becoming chronic, or our health and conditioning coaches need to be fired.

From the standpoint of AN injury... ANY injury, I will agree with you.

However "chronic" injuries or sickness usually refer to multiple recurring iterations of the SAME type. All of McCaffrey's injuries have been different. Hence, my statement about not being chronic....

Oh yeah, I get that.  I just wonder if he is ever going to be able to hold up for an entire season anymore for whatever reason(s).

I, on the other hand, DO worry that CMC's injuries are becoming chronic, or our health and conditioning coaches need to be fired.

From the standpoint of AN injury... ANY injury, I will agree with you.

However "chronic" injuries or sickness usually refer to multiple recurring iterations of the SAME type. All of McCaffrey's injuries have been different. Hence, my statement about not being chronic....

Oh yeah, I get that.  I just wonder if he is ever going to be able to hold up for an entire season anymore for whatever reason(s).

WELL.... That is a good question, and one worthy of some thought and 'analysis'..???

Without going crazy with hyperbole or wall-papering this thread with 'support' (OR 'anti' or "trade 'em" blather...), let me say this about that.. 
I would contend that McCaffrey right now is at the pinnacle of his game. He is strong, quick, relatively fast, and tremendously agile. There is no one, no other RB in the NFL, that can do what he does on a game by game basis. I'll repeat that---- There is NO ONE ELSE in the league with his capability. McCaffrey stands alone with his 'Drive', 'Pursuit of perfection', and his 'Training regimen'. McCaffrey takes the game seriously....all day, every day.

Go back, for just a moment, to the 'Combine' before he was drafted. McCaffrey ran through the RB drills in high fashion. Slashing, bouncing, cutting, constantly moving. Drawing nothing but praise the comments were 'Wow's' and 'Look at that kid move'... But then... then, he took over and 'raised his game'  another level. He joined the wide receivers, and ran ALL of the WR drills. I remember the commentators perfectly. Two guys just looked at each other, shook their heads....one of them said, "That's ridiculous.!!" "He's just showing off now.!!!" THAT is how McCaffrey came into this league. No 'brag', just 'fact'. And he has proven to be an outstanding runner. And an outstanding receiver. What more could you ask for.??

Welllll......"longevity" perhaps.???  So, OKAY.... That is the current question. None of us can argue about what is going to happen. TRUTH. Since my latest crystal ball has become clouded over and has mysteriously developed a crack, I can't reliably predict what is next for McCaffrey.  But just in case there is any doubt, let me remind you of another dynamic RB. Now in his fifteenth (15th..) year....he is not as active as he once was. In 2014, he played in only one (1) game. In 2016, he played in three (3) games. But other than those two seasons he has been remarkably resilient and solid. Big, tough guy..???  NOPE. At 6'1" and around 215-220, he reminds you of McCaffrey's size. Very, very productive RB early in his career, he has had several 'breakout' seasons. As recent as 2018 he had a thousand yard season. In 2019, he had about 900 yards. In 2020, playing for the Lions, he played in all 16 games, had 150+ carries for 600+/- yards, 7 TD's, 34 1st downs, and a 1st down conversion percentage of 21.79%. ------ I would call that a good performance for a 35 y.o. RB in a pass-happy league with a pass-happy QB...Matthew Stafford.   SO-- WHO IS THIS STOUT RB.??   Why, Adrian Peterson of course.  Now I have no idea if McCaffrey will be playing when he is 37-38, or even 34-35.....who knows.??  But McCaffrey is ONLY 25 for gosh sake.!!  Don't you think we ought to let him grow up before we condemn him to the scrap pile.?? 

I have an idea......  Let's say we start using McCaffrey "dynamically". In sort of an 'ever-changing' offense.  Run him some close in as a tailback--power game, set him up as an old fashioned halfback or wingback some of the time, set him up in the slot and run him on sweeps, reverses, and above all, USE HIM as a slot receiver or wide-out. Let him run the routes, we know he can do it. In other words, let our other RBs carry some of the load. With Hubbard, Abdullah, and Bonnafon, we have plenty of options. Let them earn their money.!!!!  McCaffrey will always demand at least one defender, maybe two. No matter where he plays, it will take pressure off of the rest of the offense. Even when he is just a "decoy", he demands attention. No one can play this role better than McCaffrey. 

In any event, McCaffrey has a LOT of years left. He is really young.   If we let him go, we will regret it, and regret it, and regret it.

Well, it's a performance-based league, and boy can her perform..... WHEN healthy.

I'm nowhere near the "trade him" goobers and to be honest, he has been injured for the past three seasons including this season, so I doubt the trade value is really there for what it would cost us to send him away.

I just want to see him healthy for a full season (and I'm sure he does, too) and have a breakout year.

On a selfish note, I'd also love to see him get a Super Bowl Ring wearing a Panthers Uniform ;)

Well, it's a performance-based league, and boy can her perform..... WHEN healthy. 

I'm nowhere near the "trade him" goobers and to be honest, he has been injured for the past three seasons including this season, so I doubt the trade value is really there for what it would cost us to send him away.

I just want to see him healthy for a full season (and I'm sure he does, too) and have a breakout year.

On a selfish note, I'd also love to see him get a Super Bowl Ring wearing a Panthers Uniform ;)

Well spoken, brother.
I just think the constant 'prattle' about "he's finished", "get rid of him", "trade him", "what an albatross" ----- It's SO ridiculous.!!  The kid is only 25.!!  Everyone wants to "DRAFT" an unknown college player to take the place of any vet who has an off year or two-- or gets injured.!!  Please tell me---- What is there about a third year college player that drives fans NUTS.?? Why do we think they are the panacea for all of a teams problems.   Are we so "devoted" to our home-town or home-state favorite university that we think their sh*t doesn't stink..??

Everyone needs to get off of the bandwagon of the third or fourth year college player. They are ROOKS.!! Some will be good.  MOST will be average. Some will be complete flops. SURE, we need them to provide backup and replacements as our vets retire or get long-in-the-tooth.  BUT, let's get real. They will never replace a good vet straight out of college..... A player in his mid to high 20s or early 30s who is a high quality player is the backbone of any team.

OKAY, that's the view from here.!!   

I'm now down off of my soapbox..!!