Get to Know the Carolina Panthers: Bill Voth Interview

Bill Voth does Panthers coverage for an abc news affaliate in Panther-land. He lent his expertise to NFLmocks to answer a few questions about Cam Newton and the 2011 NFL Draft. (I’ve finished writing up a Panthers Full Team Mock draft too so look for that in the morning.

1). Last year the Panthers took a vacation from off-season spending, leaving Fox hanging out to dry. If there’s FA do you think the Panthers will be more aggressive this year?

Obviously, the big question there is “if there’s free agency.” Now that the league is in lock-out mode, there’s no telling when the Panthers will be able to get involved. But if the CBA situation is settled in time for a free agency period, I think you will see them dip their toes in the water more than they did last year. The ’10 offseason was an exception, not the rule for the Panthers. Cutting veterans was part of a long-term plan. There’s no need to go into all parts of the plan right now, but in the front office’s mind, those cuts were necessary to set up the future. I think you can see the Panthers willingness to go out and bring guys in again with the signing of Jeremy Shockey. Sure, it’s not a huge risk contract-wise, but it’s already more than they did last offseason. The Panthers have never been an organization to try to win with big name signings in the summer, but if there’s a new CBA, they will see who’s out there to fill some of their holes.

2). What are the Panthers’ biggest needs?

If Derek Landri   walked into Bank of America wearing a shirt that said “I’m Derek Landri”, I’m not sure the new coaching staff would have any idea who he is. There’s a chance last year’s coaching staff didn’t know who he was. But Landri ended up starting all 16 games last season at defensive tackle. The other DT position was a rotation of guys like Ed Johnson and Nick Hayden. So the interior of the Panthers defensive line is a mess. Of course, the position that matters the most is quarterback and that’s the biggest glaring area of need.I’ll talk more about Jimmy Clausen in a bit, but let’s just assume he’s not the Panthers quarterback of the future. If he’s not, then obviously this franchise needs a franchise QB. We’re talking about a division that already has Matt Ryan, Drew Brees and Josh Freeman. The Panthers are going to have a hard time competing with an inept QB for at least those six NFC South games every season.

3).  Are the Panthers looking to trade Steve Smith this year?

If Steve Smith is traded, that will be by Steve Smith’s choice. The Panthers will not voluntarily shop him. But if Smith decides that the re-building process isn’t to his liking, he may ask out, and the Panthers will be willing to grant him that wish.

4). How are the draft classes of the last two years coming along so far?

The Panthers have made 17 picks in the last two drafts. Pros: Sherrod Martin (2nd rd ’09), Mike Goodson (4th rd ’09), Tony Fiammetta (4th rd ’09) Captain Munnerlyn (7th rd ’09), Greg Hardy (6th rd ’10), David Gettis (6th rd ’10). Cons: Everette Brown (traded ’10 1st rd pick for him in 2nd rd of ’09), Corvey Irvin (3rd rd ’09), Jimmy Clausen (2nd rd ’10), Armanti Edwards (traded ’11 2nd rd pick for him in 3rd rd of ’10).As you can see, the pros outweigh the cons the past couple years. And of those cons, you could argue that Brown, Clausen and Edwards still have “incomplete” grades. Edwards was not ready for the NFL last year and John Fox’s stubbornness to allow him to learn on the job didn’t help matters. But in my opinion, Edwards will never be a player worth giving up a 2nd round pick. And that decision is extremely glaring coming into this draft considering that pick would have been the 33rd overall (the 1st in the 2nd round).

5).  Could Jimmy Clausen be the franchise Quarterback with more help and development time?

That’s the toughest, and probably, most important question for the organization right now. If they end up taking a Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert with the top pick in April, the writing’s on the wall for Clausen. Ron Rivera has not come out to say that Clausen’s the guy. And why would he? There’s not a whole lot on tape from last year that could make Rivera comfortable.

But how much of that had to do with a situation where Clausen was set-up to fail? He was thrown into a rebuilding team with a lame-duck head coach. Was Clausen good last year? No. Did he show flickers of potential? Sure. Ultimately those flickers didn’t add up to making many think he has an “it” factor. But in a better situation, maybe would have been and will be better?

6). What are the best and worst picks in the Panthers short history?

Best: Steve Smith (3rd rd ’01), Jordan Gross (1st rd ’03), Thomas Davis (1st rd ’05), Jon Beason (1st rd ’07), Ryan Kalil (2nd rd ’07), Charles Johnson (3rd rd ’07), Jeff Otah (1st rd ’08)

Worst: Tim Biakabutuka (1st rd ’96), Eric Shelton (2nd rd ’05), Atiyyah Ellison (3rd rd ’05), Rashad Butler (3rd rd ’06), Dwayne Jarrett (2nd rd ’07), Armanti Edwards? (3rd rd ’10)

7). You’re the G.M. Make the case for these players (For or against):

Cam Newton — Against. He has incredible potential and the athletic ability to change the QB position. But I don’t think it will happen. The transition from a spread offense to the NFL is almost impossible to do well. Plus, Newton’s off-the-field baggage is significant and I don’t think it’ll end with his college days. Six weeks out, gun to my head, I think the Panthers will take Newton. But I don’t think he’ll turn into the franchise QB they need.

Blaine Gabbert- Against. His downfield accuracy isn’t there. The Panthers want to convert into a vertical passing game and Gabbert’s not a guy that would fit into those plans.

Marcell Dareus – For. The interior of the Panthers defensive line is their weakest spot. Even though a DT isn’t a “sexy” #1 pick, a beast like Dareus could set the tone for a much-improved D-line.

Patrick Peterson- For. But that “for” depends a lot on whether the Panthers are willing to put Peterson on punt returns. It’s well-noted that a CB has never been picked at the top spot. I’m not sold that the Panthers should change history for just a CB. But a CB with Peterson’s skills PLUS a dynamic punt returner is a different animal. The question is: are you willing to risk your top pick back there returning punts?

A.J. Green- Against. By the time there’s a new CBA, I don’t think the Panthers will be able to put together a trade involving Steve Smith (if he asks for one). That would give them Smith and a couple WRs they took in last year’s draft — Brandon LaFell and David Gettis. While that may not be the “The Greatest Show on Turf, Part 2”, it’s still something to build off of. Therefore, I don’t see Green as a huge need for the Panthers right now.

Nick Fairley- For. See reasons for Dareus, add in an attitude that the Panthers could certainly use.

8). Who’s the player the FANS want the most?

It’s probably the player that divides the fans the most. No question that Cam Newton is the most divisive figure in this draft. He’s the ’11 version of ’10 Tim Tebow. But Newton has more tools that could make him an NFL star. He’s the guy that could change the franchise, both for better or for worse.

9).  Now that John Fox is gone how does the front office work?

Well, that’s yet to be seen. When Fox was here, he essentially shared a common brain with GM Marty Hurney for a while. And when they disagreed on a player during the draft, the common practice was to take that player off the board and move on. Of course, there a bigger divergence became crystal clear last year. Fox was not on board with the youth movement and later in the year cracked “you need to ask the personnel department.”Will Rivera have as much say as Fox did for the majority of his years? That’s a question we don’t really know yet.

10). How will the new head coach impact the offense and defensive philosophies of the Carolina Panthers?

Rivera may not have a huge impact on the offense. For the most part, he may just hand over the reigns to offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski. Rivera’s a defensive coach and he flat-out said at his introductory press conference that the Panthers defense will be his defense. New defensive coordinator Sean McDermott won’t have as much say as many coordinators around the league. Make no mistake, Rivera will be as hands-on as possible with the defense.But back to offense, with Rivera’s blessing, expect the Panthers to concentrate more on the vertical passing game. That’s something fans never saw here in the John Fox era.

11). Tell us a little bit about where you work and how our readers can check you out.

I am a sports anchor/reporter at the ABC affiliate in Charlotte, NC. If you’re in the Charlotte market, you can watch me a few times a week. But you can also follow me on Twitter at @billvoth. I’m pretty much available 18 hours a day on there.

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