DAVE CANALES CLOSES OUT MINI-CAMP

Canales is an interesting study. There is no doubt that he knows something about offensive football. But with only one year as a Coordinator, and no HC experience, I'm not sure that he is truly prepared for the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" (as Willie S was known to say..). that the NFL is sure to present.

Unlike most "businesses", the NFL is terribly unforgiving as players and agents and NFLPA all "pile on".... and Ownership and FANS show precious little willingness to allow a team to settle in and develop. Canales had better be ready. The "fickle finger of fate" is preparing an introduction that will require a deft hand.

There is no shortage of opinion surrounding Canales. Right now he is riding high, but as has been proven many times, what goes up must come down. There is a vocal minority out there who are equally adamant that Canales is riding for a fall; that this Panthers experiment is doomed and will come crashing down as soon as it faces a strong OPFOR (Opposing Force..).

The truth is somewhere in the middle (most likely..). With thirty-two teams all playing under the same rules, constrained by the same realities of roster number, CAP dollars, and player availability, the natural tendency is for teams to float around a median, providing a sense of parity across the league. With a few teams residing near the top, and a few teams near the bottom, the majority of teams live in the middle, where they join "The Great Unwashed" struggling to cross the boundary into the next higher zone.  Canales' job is to move the Panthers UP into a more 'rarefied' atmosphere. Unfortunately, the higher you climb the harder it gets. The living conditions are colder, the breathing is tougher. There is a lot less room near the top than there is near the middle or the bottom. The higher you climb, the more teams are below you trying to pull you back down to the median. The first few rungs on that ladder will be relatively easy. The climb from 32 up to 30, then 29, 27, 25...?? can be accomplished in one season. As you climb higher on that ladder, differentiation becomes more subtle. It's not going to happen in one or even two years (probably). A temporary incursion, jumping up fifteen spots, COULD happen to a team, but they would be unlikely to remain there or to continue their climb without a proper foundation. And foundations, like the base of any pyramid, is where all of the heavy lifting occurs.

I believe in Canales. But I also believe that it will not come easy. He has a lot of work to do and a  L O N G learning curve in front of him. If all of the planets align, and the FANS don't crucify him, he has a good chance to prove his mettle and move the Panthers up toward the "pie in the sky".

We need to keep our fingers crossed for luck against serious injuries, and for player development. AND, we need to temper our expectations.

With his eagerness and enthusiasm, I'm willing to let him give it a try.  Players are already talking about how much they like him and what a "fresh attitude" he brings into the building and on the field.

I'd rather have a brand new car that I'd have to learn all over again, than an old worn out car that stays broke down all the time. 

He has surrounded himself but a good cast of characters, and a lot of times just the environment in the building and on the field means everything.

It's touch to work for a coach that you have zero faith in, or one who is to stubborn or stuck in his ways to think outside the box.

Give the new guy a try, I say :)