Panthers Waive Justin Medlock

[CarolinaFan87]

No one is saying Medlocke is a great kicker, but you can't just drop a kicker who started the season 7-for-7, then had one blocked and missed two 40+ yarders. It's just stupid. I didn't expect Medlocke to be a permanent thing, but I figured he'd finish the season. The one reason I'd have kept Medlocke is he's shown that he can be clutch if need be (the 40 yarder against Chicago that took the lead in the 4th), which isn't an easy thing, especially for a young kicker.

I still say if we had Kasay over the past two years we'd have a good 4+ more wins.

Yes you can just drop a kicker who struggles with range. Actually it is common practice in the NFL. Kickers are on a VERY short leash and it only takes a couple misses before you get the axe. Just ask Medlock about his stint with the Chiefs. Medlock went 5-5 from 39 yards and under and went 2-5 from 40 yards and over. You can throw out the kicks from 39 and under because if you are a NFL Kicker you are gonna make it from that range 9 times out of 10 and perhaps 10 times out of 10. So when you look at the important stat which is the long field goals he is under 50% plus there were multiple kicks we passed up because Rivera felt he couldn't make it. I honestly liked Medlock but he just wasn't cutting it. Maybe they could have dumped him at the end of the year but there was no point in delaying the inevitable.

[homestarunner93]

When Rivera gave him a shot in a game he missed from the 40's. Medlock is not a great kicker so I am not sure what the problem is. It only took KC one game I believe to get rid of him.

So what? He missed one from the 40s? OMGOMGOMGOMG NFL kickers never do that.

Rivera is just a dumbass, plain and simple.

[N.E.PanthersFan]

Maybe he should have shown a little faith in him. He never even gave him a chance to kick long FGs before he outright cut him.

I wouldn't put it past Rivera. He fires a new person every week. Why? He's trying to keep his job. It won't work, though.

If a guy is missing long FGs in practice, I wouldn't put him in during a game either. Rivera fires a new person every week? Really? Pretty sure Rivera didn't fire Hurney. Only person he fired before Medlock was the ST coach and after two years of crap, I can't say I'm surprised.

Do you really think Rivera thinks he's going to keep his job after this season? He's not trying to save his job, he's trying to send a message to his team. I get it, you don't like Rivera, that's okay, but please go back to using logic again.

[homestarunner93]

If a guy is missing long FGs in practice, I wouldn't put him in during a game either. Rivera fires a new person every week? Really? Pretty sure Rivera didn't fire Hurney. Only person he fired before Medlock was the ST coach and after two years of crap, I can't say I'm surprised.

Do you really think Rivera thinks he's going to keep his job after this season? He's not trying to save his job, he's trying to send a message to his team. I get it, you don't like Rivera, that's okay, but please go back to using logic again.

How do you know what a guy can do in a game if you never give him a chance to prove himself? That is an idiotic mentality. It's the same thing they're doing with Gettis. If your team sucks, you might as well give guys a chance to prove themselves in games instead of just cutting them without giving them a shot. It is idiotic.

Was there a good reason to fire the ST coach? Not really. Nothing changed, other than Rivera got his buddy a promotion and probably a pay increase for the rest of the year until the entire staff gets gutted. Same with Medlock. He's misses three FGs, you fire him even though you don't let him even attempt long FGs because you "don't want to hurt his confidence." Joe Adams fumbles twice, you fire him from PR duties even though he's the best PR on the team. Rivers is just an idiot, through and through. I'm sure he's a nice guy and a good DC, but he's a horrible HC who was no clue how to manage personnel or a coaching staff.

[N.E.PanthersFan]

How do you know what a guy can do in a game if you never give him a chance to prove himself? That is an idiotic mentality. It's the same thing they're doing with Gettis. If your team sucks, you might as well give guys a chance to prove themselves in games instead of just cutting them without giving them a shot. It is idiotic.

Was there a good reason to fire the ST coach? Not really. Nothing changed, other than Rivera got his buddy a promotion and probably a pay increase for the rest of the year until the entire staff gets gutted. Same with Medlock. He's misses three FGs, you fire him even though you don't let him even attempt long FGs because you "don't want to hurt his confidence." Joe Adams fumbles twice, you fire him from PR duties even though he's the best PR on the team. Rivers is just an idiot, through and through. I'm sure he's a nice guy and a good DC, but he's a horrible HC who was no clue how to manage personnel or a coaching staff.

Sure, if you believe your team sucks, that makes sense. If you believe that your team is good and you have a chance to win every week, you put your best team out there and continue to try to find ways to win. If Gettis isn't at game-speed yet, why would you put him on the field? I want to see him too, but I don't think we should parade him out there to placate fans if he's not game-ready yet.

Was there a good reason to fire the ST coach? You mean besides numerous PR TDs over the last couple of years costing us games? Besides not being able to block for any of our returners?

What did Joe Adams do as a returner other than drop punts? For that matter, if your returner drops everything that's kicked to him, what's he going to be able to contribute? That was absolutely the right decision -- make Adams learn how to catch before you put him in a position to fail.

I agree that Rivera needs to be more fiery and really get guys going, but I think he's made mostly right personnel decisions this year. I think he's trying things that he thinks give the team the best chance to win.

I like what he's done with Nakamura and Martin on defense, trying to put them each in positions to succeed. I like him moving Munnerlyn inside in nickel packages. I like the strategic use of Davis earlier in the year, when he wasn't in every down. I like the way they're handling the defensive front, moving Hardy inside to get another DE on the field. I like that they're trying to find the right formula for Williams and Stewart, even if I don't think they've got it right quite yet. I like that they've gotten guy like Pilares, Edwards, and Barnidge involved offensively (and I think we'll start seeing Gettis used that way soon too), even if I wish they'd do more of it.

There's plenty not to like, but I don't think personnel decisions are among them.

[homestarunner93]

Sure, if you believe your team sucks, that makes sense. If you believe that your team is good and you have a chance to win every week, you put your best team out there and continue to try to find ways to win. If Gettis isn't at game-speed yet, why would you put him on the field? I want to see him too, but I don't think we should parade him out there to placate fans if he's not game-ready yet.

Was there a good reason to fire the ST coach? You mean besides numerous PR TDs over the last couple of years costing us games? Besides not being able to block for any of our returners?

What did Joe Adams do as a returner other than drop punts? For that matter, if your returner drops everything that's kicked to him, what's he going to be able to contribute? That was absolutely the right decision -- make Adams learn how to catch before you put him in a position to fail.

I agree that Rivera needs to be more fiery and really get guys going, but I think he's made mostly right personnel decisions this year. I think he's trying things that he thinks give the team the best chance to win.

I like what he's done with Nakamura and Martin on defense, trying to put them each in positions to succeed. I like him moving Munnerlyn inside in nickel packages. I like the strategic use of Davis earlier in the year, when he wasn't in every down. I like the way they're handling the defensive front, moving Hardy inside to get another DE on the field. I like that they're trying to find the right formula for Williams and Stewart, even if I don't think they've got it right quite yet. I like that they've gotten guy like Pilares, Edwards, and Barnidge involved offensively (and I think we'll start seeing Gettis used that way soon too), even if I wish they'd do more of it.

There's plenty not to like, but I don't think personnel decisions are among them.

Well, if you don't believe this team sucks now, you're delusional. You may as well give guys a shot to prove themselves in game situations. Just look at Stevie Brown. He barely got a shot in Carolina, but has given the Giants a lot of stability at S. Darius Butler, who hardly got a chance here either, has had a decent year for Indianapolis. When you're a young, unsuccessful team, you should give as many guys as you can a shot.

What was firing the ST coach going to do? It was nothing more than a symbolic gesture. Firing a guy and hiring the guy that is his assistant is going to do zero for you on the field.

Joe Adams at least has shown a little burst as a PR. Munnerlyn is garbage at it. No one else can even field one. You may as well put Adams out there, let him take his lumps, and allow him to improve.

I don't hate what he's done with Martin and Nakamura, at least lately. Then again, if they had started giving Martin more chances earlier in the year, maybe we don't lose to the Falcons. Nakamura's play forced them to play Martin some, and he's actually shown pretty well because of it. The way they've managed Stewart and Williams is atrocious. Really terrible. You pay two backs so much money (not to mention Tolbert), then you hardly utilize them, and when you do, it is a half-assed effort.

Rivera is just bad. He can't manage a game, he shows no passion, he can't motivate anyone, and his personnel decisions are bad. He may be a good defensive mind, but he hasn't shown a bit of head coaching potential in Charlotte.