Making his was from Cincinnati, Head Coach Jordan Charles found himself inheriting a star studded roster in the Philadelphia Eagles. Excited to hit the ground running, Charles was thrown into the fire despite the gameplan being installed by the previous head coach.
"These dudes were worked to the bone over the first two weeks and you can see it," said Charles following their eventual loss to the 0-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "Everyone came into the game gassed, and it took a toll on the players."
As a result of being overworked, the Eagles were not at the top of their game, mentally or physically. This lead to losing their star wideout, A.J. Brown, for the next two weeks as well as their starting guard, Cam Jurgens.
On top of better preperation, Charles said he will give his team time to recoup and gather themselves, as opposed to working as they have been these past few weeks.
"It's almost as if our starters haven't had a day off since camp started. So this week they'll be taking it easier than most." Charles said during the team's off-day.
During this time, the long tenured SFL coach made it apparent that some changes would be made. Most notably, moving defensive tackle, Fletcher Cox, to a more reserved role to give more opportunites to their young stars in the Georgia duo of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.
They've also given the starting Free Safety job to Cornerback Isaiah Rodgers Sr. in effort to boost their seconday while developing talent such as Sydney Brown at the position.
The Kansas City Chiefs fnished their 2022 campaign with a record of 8-9, putting them fourth in a very talented AFC West divison. There are many things that this team has to correct, and that process began during the free agent period of this off-season. Coach Jordan Charles made a trade to acquire WR Calvin Austin III from the Pittsburgh Steelers, giving more life to their now weakened wide receiver room.
After moving off of their 14th overall pick in the process, the Chiefs began their night at pick 36, here's how their 2023 draft shook out:
Round 2 - CB - Bobby Milner - 5'9" - 204lbs - 22 Years Old - Mississippi State
Bobby Milner showcased solid coverage skills in college, and the Chiefs are hopeful that this skill translates over to the NFL rather quickly. With the 36th overall pick, Kansas City decided to address that was created after Rashad Fenton was not resigned by the team. Milner will have to challegne the likes of veteran Darious Williams when it comes to snaps this upcoming season with L'Jarius Sneed and Trent McDuffie in secured roles.
Round 3 - LOLB - Jarius Garland - 6'6" - 257lbs - 21 Years Old - South Dakota State
The linebacker position was fairly bare for the Chiefs coming into this off-season, leaving them with a total of three on their roster. Jarius Garland comes into a situation where he may find himself in a starting role sooner than later, with only the likes of Leo Chenal pushing him for snaps at the moment.
Round 4 - HB - Julian Bradshaw - 5'10" - 199lbs - 22 Years Old - LSU
After declining their 5th-year option for halfback Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the Chiefs opted to look at some talent early in the 4th round. Bradshaw posesses solid speed and played college ball in a pro style system at LSU. Though they have a solid talent in Isaiah Pacheco who will look to steal snaps from CEG, Bradshaw will be in the mix come camp time.
Round 4 - MLB - Carlos Ferrell - 6'1" - 241lbs - 22 Years Old - Charleston Southern
A standout in a smaller program, Carlos Ferrell finds himself in a solid situation to play early and often. The Chiefs had veteran Jamie Collins act as their second inside linebacker, but have since let him walk, opening the door for another youngster within the core.
Round 4 - WR - Ben Bates - 6'2" - 225lbs - 22 Years Old - Clemson
Replacing the production of Tyreek Hill has proven difficult so far for the Kansas City Chiefs, but they took a stab at finding some more production amongst their wideouts with the seleciton of Ben Bates. The Clemson product will come into camp looking to carve out a sizeable role from the jump, as there has been no clear cut WR1 established just yet.
Round 5 - TE - Dominique Goldson - 6'3" - 239lbs - 23 Years Old - Auburn
While Travis Kelce dominates the snaps at Tight End, Dominique Goldson can certainly slide into the TE2 spot on this roster. With only two on the roster in Kelce and Noah Gray, Goldson will need to have a horrible time in camp to find himself off this roster.
Round 6 - WR - Lamar Tarrant - 5'9" - 175lbs - 23 Years Old - LSU
Speed was something the Chiefs sought after this draft and Lamar Tarrant certainly brings that to the table. He will be paired with the likes of his teammate Julian Bradshaw and the two will hope to usher in a new era of football here in Kansas City.
Round 6 - HB - Percy Thomas - 5'8" - 203lbs - 23 Years Old - Mississippi State
Acquiring another piece of this Mississip State team, Percy Thomas will have a shot to carve out a role here in Kansas City. It's clear that Clyde Edwards-Helaire's job is not safe, so the starting gig here appears to be up in the air.
Round 6 - LOLB - K.J. Miner - 6'0" - xxxlbs - 23 Years Old - South Dakota State
Yet another small school linebacker finds their way to the Chiefs organization, but will also have a chance to capture a starting gig by putting in some work following rookie camp.
Round 7 - DT - Kaleb Bowie - 6'1" - 303lbs - 22 Years Old - San Jose State
After dealing with the loss of Chris Jones twice last season, the Chiefs opted to bring back Derrick Nnadi and now they've drafted Kaleb Bowie. There's no guarantee that the San Jose State product enters any games his rookie season, but he certainly will be rostered as the make up stands.
The Kansas City Chiefs entered the 2022 SFL season with expectations as high as any other. Despite losing a key piece in Wide Receiver, Tyreek Hill, the Kingdom still held their team to a very high standard. Fighting through injuries as most teams do, this Chiefs team was just unable to find a rhythm this season, finishing with a record of 8-9, and at the bottom of a tough AFC West division.
The numbers speak for themselves as the Chiefs finished in the middle of the pack in all aspects, both offensively and defensively.
"We didn't have our things in order and that falls on me," said Coach Charles during his end of season press conference. "There are a lot of things we can takeaway from this season and work on, but it starts with me putting these men in the best possible position to win."
Acting as both the head coach and general manager is no easy feat, but is something Jordan Charles was brought in to do. While he did not get the results he expected, the Chiefs can now at least pinpoint some issues they need to work out, as well as some bright spots to continue to build upon.
The Good
Kansas City came into the season with one of the worst defensive units on paper, relying on the likes of Eli Apple to bolster their secondary and a very mediocre linebacker core. Some veteran help was solidified in Jamie Collins Sr, who recorded 89 tackles on the season, 11 for a loss, to go with 1.5 quarterback tackles and a team leading 7 interceptions.
Safety, Justin Reid, made sure the world knew that he would earn every last dollar of his newly signed 4-year deal. The former Houston Texan recorded 91 tackles and 5 interceptions, finishing second and third on the team for those respective categories.
Before the season began, the Chiefs made a move to bolster their defensive line, acquiring Carolina Panther, Brian Burns. One of the fastest edge rushers in the league did give this lackluster defense a breath of fresh air, recording a team high 14.0 quarterback tackles.
While this unit did leave something to be desired, they certainly exceeded expectations, and will look to improve heading into the 2023 SFL season.
The Bad
Offensively this team was once at the top of totem pole, but in their first year post Hill, the Chiefs looked like a whole different beast, one more timid than the last. While they did get some solid contributions from the likes of Travis Kelce, who totaled 82 catches, recording 1,172 yards and 9 touchdowns, it was clear this team was not the same from their Super Bowl runs.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire received a career high 248 rushing attempts, 67 more carries than his previous high of 181 during his rookie season. Though he was efficient with these looks, averaging 6.0 yards per carry and recording 1,480 yards on the ground, this took the ball out of the hands of Patrick Mahomes more often than it should have in Charles' mind.
"Clyde is a talent and we surely want him involved, but with only 38 catches on the season, we could have been more creative in how we got him the ball." said Charles.
Retooling this offensive attack won't be easy, but it's something the Chiefs must do in order to return to their postseason form.
The Ugly
Their struggles on offense were enough to magnify the fact that quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, was not taking care of the ball as he should.
The Texas Tech product had a surprisingly good season on the ground, recording 9 rushing touchdowns, but it could not hide the fact that Mahomes just was not himself this season. Despite his completion percentage looking on par with his career numbers, it was apparent that the former MVP was struggling:
Year
|
QB Rating
|
Completion %
|
Pass Attempts
|
Passing Yards
|
Touchdowns
|
Interceptions
|
2022
|
97.0
|
67%
|
376
|
4,053
|
32
|
31
|
2021
|
98.4
|
66%
|
658
|
4,839
|
37
|
13
|
2020
|
108.2
|
66%
|
588
|
4,740
|
38
|
6 |
There can be much that attributed to the lack of production by the Chiefs signal caller, some may refer as the pre-season trade that sent Mecole Hardman to Carolina as the turning point, regardless much more will be put on the shoulders of Mahomes moving forward.
"We just saw two of our divisional opponents compete for a chance at the Super Bowl," said Charles this past Monday. "We can't take that lightly, our work begins now."
As they entered their bye week, the Kansas City Chiefs sat two games below the .500 mark with a record of 3-5. Stumbling into losses late against the likes of San Francisco and Buffalo, Chiefs Kingdom's patience was running thin.
On the other side of the bye week, the Chiefs have found themselves pushing for the success they strive to maintain. They stumbled out with a massive 51-10 loss to the AFC leading Tennessee Titans, but bounced back with a late win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Travelling to SoFi Stadium to take on their division rivals, the Los Angeles Chargers, was a bigger week than most had thought with the division still in reach. Quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, played a clean game, completing 14 of his 18 pass attempts for 166 yards and a touchdown. More impressively, Mahomes did his best Michael Vick impression, runing for 53 yards and a touchdown this week.
Kansas City held a 42-10 lead going into the fourth quarter of this one, but was gashed by the likes of Austin Ekeler late, allowing the Chargers to score 21 unanswered points to close things out.
Mahomes and company will look to take this momentum into next week as go toe-to-toe with the struggling Los Angeles Rams.
The Kansas City Chiefs entered their bye week with a record of 3-4, leaving fans with many questions and no answers. Head Coach, Jordan Charles, said that he and the team bunkered down this bye week and looked inwards to figure things out.
"We know there are issues on both sides of the ball," said Charles. "No one wants to go into a bye after a loss, but this team is comitted and all of us are on the same page. We took advantage of that and doubled down our prep."
It's no surprise that this team lives and dies on the shoulders of Quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, who has recorded 1,907 yards on the season with a 68% completion rate. Looking at that alone, one would think Mahomes is having a solid year, but with 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, the numbers tell a different story.
"I'm just not taking care of the ball on the level I need to be," said Mahomes on Monday."We all know this and it's time to lock in."
This Chief's offense has not been itself and the defensive unit is far from complete, so the road to the post season may be a long one. The schedule does not ease up for this team and each and every week is more imporant than the last.
Kansas City will have a change to right the ship out of their bye when they take on newly named starter, Malik Willis and the Tennessee Titans.
Following a short hiatus within the SFL, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs took on the 3-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers under the lights. Head Coach Jordan Charles, coming off a slight victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the previous week, said the team looked "rusty" at times.
"We just weren't ourselves during the first half of this one," said Charles following the loss. "Coming out of the break we got back to it, but it just wasn't enough."
This Kansas City offense has a reputation of benig able to put up points. Without the likes of Tyreek Hill, others have been asked to step up. While the rushing attack left much to be desired, the passing attack continued to improve, minus the rare miscues.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes found himself in trouble early, throwing two interceptions in the first half. The Texas Tech product finished the night 21/30 with 298 yards, 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions.
"It wasn't pretty, but we will use this as fuel to get us ready for next week." said Mahomes.
The Chiefs will have a chance to get right as they host their division rival, the Las Vegas Raiders, in week 5.
The Kansas City Chiefs hit the ground running when it came opening their 2022 pre-season. After a few weeks of camp, the Chiefs got into action, hosting the Chicago Bears in week one of the pre-season.
Rookie wideout Skyy Moore posted a line of 6 receptions for 71 yards and a score in this contest, showcasing exactly why Kanas City selected the Western Michigan product. This performance gave way for the Chiefs to make a splash in the trade market, acquiring defensive end, Brian Burns, in exchange for Mecole Hardman and a 2023 second-round pick.
As the pre-season went on, the Chiefs captured two wins, finishing with a record of 2-1. The newly acquired Burns recorded two quarterback tackles, one forced fumbled and two fumble recoveries during this period.
The offense did not seem to miss a beat without the speedster Hardman at the helm as Patrick Mahomes looks to be on the same page as most of his receiving core. This comes as good news to the club with the Chiefs losing out on Tyreek Hill this past off-season and bringing in a whole new crew of pass catcher for the franchise quarterback.
Kansas City has finalized its 53-man roster and are preparing to travel to Arizona to take on Coach LB and the high-flying Cardinals when the season opens at 9pm EST.
Here is how the Cheif's depth chart will look heading into the 2022-2023 season:
Kanas City Chiefs Depth Chart - 2022 | ||||
Regular Offense | ||||
STARTER | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | |
WR | JuJu Smith-Schuster | Skyy Moore (R) | Justyn Ross (R) | |
TE | Travis Kelce | Noah Gray | Jody Fortson | |
LT | Orlando Brown | Lucas Niang | ||
LG | Joe Thuney | Nick Allegretti | ||
C | Creed Humphrey | Trey Smith | Joe Thuney | |
RG | Trey Smith | Nick Allegretti | ||
RT | Darian Kinnard (R) | Geron Christian Sr. | ||
WR | Marquez Valdes-Scantling | Denzel Mims | Justin Watson | |
QB | Patrick Mahomes | Chad Henne | ||
FB | Michael Burton | Carlos Hyde | Noah Gray | |
HB | Clyde Edwards-Helaire | Ronald Jones II | Carlos Hyde | Isaiah Pacheco |
Base 4-3 Defense | ||||
STARTER | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | |
LDE | Brian Burns | Carlos Dunlap II | Malik Herring | |
LDT | Chris Jones | Khalen Saunders | Carlos Dunlap II | |
RDT | Derrick Nnadi | Tershawn Wharton | ||
RDE | Frank Clark | George Karlaftis (R) | Mike Danna | |
WLB | Jermaine Carter Jr. | Darius Harris | ||
MLB | Nick Bolton | Jamie Collins Sr. | Leo Chenal (R) | |
SLB | Willie Gay | Nathan Gerry | ||
CB | L'Jarius Sneed | Trent McDuffie (R) | Joshua Williams | |
SS | Juan Thornhill | Deon Bush | ||
FS | Justin Reid | Bryan Cook (R) | ||
CB | Rashad Felton | Eli Apple | ||
Special Teams | ||||
STARTER | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | |
K | Harrison Butker | |||
P | Tommy Townsend | |||
PR | Isaiah Pacheco | Justin Watson | Trent McDuffie | Carlos Hyde |
KR | Isaiah Pacheco | Justin Watson | Trent McDuffie | Carlos Hyde |
LS | Joe Thuney | Creed Humphrey | Trey Smith |
Over the course of the Madden 22 cycle, we saw a lot of ups and downs, a handful of owners will see the consequence of their actions, but with us starting up on time (hopefully), let's hope for a better cycle.
We want to make the SFL a fun and sim environment and would hope that each and every one of you would agree. Last cycle saw many of us get burntout quickly and I feel as is if it was a mixture of the game and those who aimed to play it a certain way.
Ushering in a new era of SFL football we have ruled that each and every team will be tossed into the ring, no retentions reagardless of success, however those who showed improvement/results we're rewarded via the draft order process formula.
Make sure to familiarize yourself with the RULES and keep an eye on any changes that will be made heading into this year's cycle
Here is the draft order as we head into more SFL action:
Pick | Owner | Madden 23 Selection | Division |
1 | Q | Los Angeles Chargers | AFC West |
2 |
Ed |
Baltimore Ravens | AFC North |
3 | LB | Arizona Cardinals | NFC West |
4 | Crim | Kansas City Chiefs | AFC West |
5 | Malek | Carolina Panthers | NFC South |
6 | Codie | Cincinnati Bengals | AFC North |
7 | Guy | Buffalo Bills | AFC East |
8 | Matt | Miami Dolphins | AFC East |
9 | Byrd | Las Vegas Raiders | AFC West |
10 | Julian | Cleveland Browns | AFC North |
11 | Gomes | Dallas Cowboys | NFC East |
12 | AC | Jacksonville Jaguars | AFC South |
13 | Gharl | Philadelphia Eagles | NFC East |
14 | Chan | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | NFC South |
15 | Castro | Denver Broncos | AFC West |
16 | Brad | Los Angeles Rams | NFC West |
17 | Steps | Minnesota Vikings | NFC North |
18 |
Zach |
San Francisco 49ers | NFC West |
19 | Gabe | New Orleans Saints | NFC South |
20 | Mike | Indianapolis Colts | AFC South |
21 | Bryce | Tennessee Titans | AFC South |
22 | Turk | Green Bay Packers | NFC North |
23 | OG | New York Jets | AFC East |
24 | Mark | Atlanta Falcons | NFC South |
25 | GoonSquad | Washington Commanders | NFC East |
26 | Jason | Detroit Lions | NFC North |
27 | Hoodie (Dan) | New England Patriots |
AFC East |
28 | Stackz | Houston Texans | AFC South |
29 | Schwartz | Chicago Bears | NFC North |
30 | PatLad | Seattle Seahawks | NFC West |
31 | Palpatine | New York Giants | NFC East |
32 | Dillion SHABBA | Pittsburgh Steelers | AFC North |
As these selections fill out, as will the divisions heading into Madden 23. Here's a live look at who will go toe-to-toe annually:
AFC North
Codie | Cincinnati Bengals |
Ed | Baltimore Ravens |
Dillion | Pittsburgh Steelers |
Julian | Cleveland Browns |
AFC South
Stackz | Houston Texans |
Mike | Indianapolis Colts |
AC | Jacksonville Jaguars |
Bryce | Tennessee Titans |
AFC East
OG Walker | New York Jets |
Hoodie (Dan) | New England Patriots |
Matt | Miami Dolphins |
Guy | Buffalo Bills |
AFC West
Q | Los Angeles Chargers |
Crim | Kansas City Chiefs |
Castro | Denver Broncos |
Byrd | Las Vegas Raiders |
NFC North
Schwartz | Chicago Bears |
Turk | Green Bay Packers |
Steps | Minnesota Vikings |
Jason | Detroit Lions |
NFC South
Mark | Atlanta Falcons |
Gabe | New Orleans Saints |
Malek | Carolina Panthers |
Chan | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
NFC East
Gharl | Philadelphia Eagles |
Gomes | Dallas Cowboys |
Goon | Washington Football Team |
Palpatine | New York Giants |
NFC West
Brad | Los Angeles Rams |
PatLad | Seattle Seahawks |
Zach | San Francisco 49ers |
LB | Arizona Cardinals |
The Carolina Panthers suffered their second loss of the season at the hands of the Indianapolis Colts, falling to 8-2 on the year. While looking to get ahead of any sort of slump, the Panthers played host to Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.
Quarterback Joe "Hollywood" Kirkland has been solid for the Panthers since gaining the starting job, but this week against the Bills some of the issues from his rookie season came back into the light. Kirkland's accuracy wasn't in question as he completed 25 of his 39 pass attempts, but relying on the passing game alone down the stretch proved costly.
"I know what went wrong and I will certainly learn from it," said Kirkland following the game. "Some misreads for sure, sometimes I just didn't get a lot behind my passes too."
Carolina's franchise guy threw for 399 yards while throwing three interceptions and not a single touchdown. A rare rushing touchdown was recorded by the signal caller, but he's thankful that he had a veteran like Travis Kelce to keep him in check.
"87 certainly had my back this week, he made big time plays all game long and truly is the reason we pulled it out." says Kirkland.
The former Kansas City Chief recorded 160 yards on 9 receptions. The Panther's defense gave up some big plays, but eventually made up for it in the overtime period as they forced a crucial fumble that lead to the game winning drive.
Whilst they were ready to settle for a field-goal, running-back Nate Branson broke a 20 yard run and called game.
Head Coach, Jordan Charles, wasn't all smiles following the game however.
"I'm glad we won, but I certainly am disappointed in some aspects of our game today." said Charles.
Kirkland and crew will have a chance to get back on track as they host the Jacksonville Jaguars this week.
Being locked atop the NFC South, the Carolina Panthers unfortunately still chase the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they head into their bye week with a 4-1 record.
Following their tragic loss to Tampa Bay in week 3, the Panthers have since tallied two more wins to their total, Joe "Hollywood" Kirkland called cut in Los Angeles, defeating the Rams in week 4, before the defensive unit stepped up in week 5 to silence the Detroit Lions.
As they head into the Bye Week, head coach Jordan Charles expressed his content with the team's play, but stated that the work didn't stop during the empty week.
"Normally the guys want a week to themselves, and they've earned it, but having a bye this early has changed some things," said Charles on Monday. "The guys, Joe [Kirkland], DJ [Moore], Monte [Brackens] and Nate [Branson] were all here bright and early, Brian [Burns] has convinced some of the guys to stick around as well."
While it appears a lot of the Panthers' roster will treat this week like no other, Charles was clear that this wasn't something he was enforcing. Players could still access the facilities and he would be in office, but those chose to spend their open week away from the team were welcome to do so.
"We certainly weren't forcing anyone in here, 17 games is a grind and you have to make due with what your schedule pans out to be," said Charles. "Vets like Travis [Kelce] and Steven [Nelson] may decide against it and they've earned that. Those two have been massive for us to start the season."
Two of their most recent acquisitions have surely help carve out this 4-1 start for the Panthers, and while they aren't expected to remain at the facilites, sources say the team is doing all they can to prepare for a deep post-season run.
Head coach Jordan Charles and the Carolina Panthers have started off their season on the right foot, finding wins in both of their first two games. Despite their 2-0 record however, the team reamained active when it came their ever revolving Quarterback position.
Following their trade with the Philadelphia Eagles that made Jalen Hurts their starter, the Panthers finished the season in the same place they had with Sam Darnold, the NFC Wild Card round.
Entering stage left is the newest man under cenre, Joe "Hollywood" Kirkland out of Iowa State. The 23-year old previously played for the Los Angeles Rams, where he recorded 36 touchdowns and 25 interceptions during his rookie year. The Rams decided that the former 1st-round pick just wasn't what they needed, signing Ryan Tannehill and giving him the starting job.
"We're happy to have Joe here and we're excited to see what he can bring to this offense," said Charles. "He's a very talented young man with a strong arm that can certainly push the ball down the field with the best of them."
Los Angeles made it apparant that they would not be engaging in trade talks unless Jalen Hurts was being sent in exchange for their former 1st-round pick. While Charles was reluctant to do so, he felt it was best for Jalen and the Panthers organization.
"Jalen's time here was great, he's a great kid and a great leader. Bringing in someone like Joe and having Jalen looking over his shoulder week in and week out was just not something we wanted," said Charles during his post-practice presser. "We with Jalen and the Rams all the success in the world."
Kirkland is slated to make his Panther debut as the team hosts the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a battle for sole posession of the NFC South.
After falling short yet again in the post-season, the Carolina Panthers found themselves in off-season mode early. The Free Agent period along with some trades netted the club their starting unit, allowing them to have free range when it comes to their draft picks.
Moving off of the 12th pick of the draft left the Panthers with only one 1st-round pick this year. Selecting 27th overall, Carolina had their fair share of options with the 1st-round shaking out much different than anticipated. Here's how their 2023 draft shook out:
Round 1 - WR - Monte Brackens - 22 - 5'11" - 205lbs - Vanderbilt
The Carolina Panthers began the off-season stocking up on playmakers by adding the likes of Travis Kelce to their roster. Last season they replaced Christian McCaffrey with Nate Branson and they now added his former college teammate, Monte Brackens into the fold. Brackens will quickly insert himself into the WR3 conversation as he battles Terrace Marshall for snaps.
Round 2 - DB - Cliff Rushing - 21 - 6'3" - 200lbs - Boise State
Rushing played cornerback in college, but will likely make the transition to safety for the Carolina Panthers heading into camp. The safety position was solidified by Carolina by trading for former Baltimore Raven, Deshon Eliott, earlier this off-season, but depth at this position was needed. The Boise State product will likely find himself earning his fair share of snaps early on once the season begins.
Round 3 - ROLB - T.J. Carson - 23 - 6'0" - 231lbs - Oklahoma
Carson finds himself on a team where the linebacker position has solid depth, but he can find himself in a rotational role if he shows out in camp. His speed is his strongsuit, but he lacks in coverage, so he will likely be used as a pass rusher for the most part.
Round 3 - LE - Brian Griffin - 21 - 6'4" - 319lbs - Memphis
Brian Griffin showed explosive power moves during the course of the NCAA season, however when it came to the combine he did not impress the scouts much on the weights. The Memphis product weighed in at 319 pounds, but will need to put on some muscle if he wants to find his way onto the field for Carolina.
Round 3 - DT - Jason Anderson - 22 - 6'3" - 300lbs - Texas A&M
Carolina was certianly in need of finding themselves a DT to run alongside Derrick Brown and their options now include Jason Anderson out of Texas A&M. While this may be a rotational role, Anderson certainly has a chance to earn himself some valuable playing time if he can showcase his skills this pre-season.
Round 5 - HB - Sidney McGee - 23 - 5'10" - 222lbs - Purdue
Latavius Murray found his way out following the 2022 season and without a resident power back the Carolina Panthers turned to Purdue product Sidney McGee. Staying all four seasons was something that allowed McGee to perfect his craft and he should be able to carve a role out for himself on short yardage and goal line work.
Round 6 - QB - Lynn Montague - 22 - 6'3" - 222lbs - N.C. State
Carolina closed out their draft by taking some depth at their signal caller position. Lynn Montague found himself staying in the state of Carolina and could battle back up Jacob Eason for the job behind Jalen Hurts.
The Carolina Panthers closed out the 2022 season with one of the worst passing attacks in the league, head coach & general manager Jordan Charles was sure to change that heading into 2023.
It's not often that you have the ability to obtain an elite playmaker, but once the opportunity presented itself, the Panthers pounced. Kansas City Tight-End, Travis Kelce, was made available to Carolina and while they lacked and additional piece to their passing game, Charles thought this was the piece that they needed.
"Bringing in Travis [Kelce] really cements our identity in my eyes," said Charles. "Our core was good, but a move like this opens up the field for the likes of DJ, Robby and Nate, while having someone to mentor Tommy, who really was already producing."
While it may have cost them their 2024 1st round picks, this move does set the Panthers up to win now as opposed to building for the future. This deal was not the end all be all however, Carolina also picked up Offensive guard Tyree Williams and Defensive back DeShon Eliott from the Baltimore Ravens.
The Panthers spent the free agency period looking to fill gaps on their defensive unit, after letting go of Shaq Thompson, they were in dire need of a run stopping linebacker. Carolina found their answer in the form of MLBs Joe Schoebert and Blake Martinez, who may primarily play outside linebacker for the team.
Centre Ben Jones will act as Carolina's final piece in the trenches on offense heading into camp as he was inked to a 1-year deal alongside these signings.
It has been reported that the Panthers are still looking at a few more pieces to complete the puzzle on defense, with their top priority being former Philadelphia Eagle, Steven Nelson.
As the 2022 SFL season comes to a close, teams around the league look to rebuild and retool in order to reach the pinnacle that Ed and the Cleveland Browns had this season. Congrats to Ed and bringing home another title to Cleveland, but now the focus changes for all 32 teams within the league.
Trading is an important part of the SFL landscape, we see teams crumble or prevail right infront of our eyes with some off-seasont trades. While most of us have done our part within the SFL, these owners went above and beyond to add another aspect to the league. Below are those who made it onto our opening active list, along with those who do not hold onto their annual trade given to them at the beginning of the cycle. If deemed fully active, users will get two off-season and two in-season trades. Those who fall under the Semi active title will receive a single off-season and in-season trade. The SFL also selects someone who has went above and beyond to receive an additional off-season and in-season trade.
Fully Active
LB - Baltimore Ravens
Ed - Cleveland Browns (3 Trades)
AC - Denver Broncos (Pick Em Winner)
Jesse - Arizona Cardinals
Crim - Carolina Panthers
Steps - Atlanta Falcons
Codie - Buffalo Bills
Gharl - New York Jets
Zach - Pittsburgh Steelers
Castro - Los Angeles Rams (3 Trades)
Q - Kansas City Chiefs
Byrd - Miami Dolphins
Semi Active
Mike - Los Angeles Chargers
Matt - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Julian - Indianapolis Colts
Turk - Chicago Bears
Guy F. - Green Bay Packers
Malek - New York Giants
Without any trades
Brad - Philadelphia Eagles
Chan - Tennesse Titans
Goon - New England Patriots
Kasodilla - Seattle Seahawks
The 2021 campaign did not end the the way Carolina Panthers fans expected as Head Coach & General Manager, Jordan Charles, fell short to the New York Giants in the wild card round.
After being under much scrutiny, the second year Panther coach was able to find a way for the Panthers to sneak into the post-season once again. Carolina had to travel to a place they were too familiar with, Tampa Bay.
The Panthers looked like they had the upper hand in this one, leading 29-13 at one point. Fast forward to the end of the fourth quarter, the Panthers were now tied at 40 a piece.
"I should and could have called a much better game to close that one out, no doubt." said Coach Charles following the game.
Letting the Buccaneers back in it was far fetched, but nothing could describe the poor clock management showcased by Charles to close things out.
"These guys gave it their all, put us into a position to win and I had two more plays to make," said Charles. "I held two timeouts as if I could take them home, made the kick harder on Daniel [Carlson] and really wish I could have gone back and smartened up."
It's nothing new to those who have followed Charles' SFL career as closing games out, especially those of a high magnitue, has not been something he excels at. The current Panthers' coach knows this and it seems as if he's ready to right the ship.
"I want to be among those who have a title in this league," Charles said as he pointed to the crest on his chest. "This team deserves to be put in the record books and I want to be the name the fans of this league remember when they look upon it. It's time to right the ship and KEEP. POUNDING!"