March 27, 2025 • 27 mins
Get a front-row seat to Carolina Panthers football with Sideline Pass! This week Kristen and Sharon recap the Panthers busy off season, discuss the recently signed defensive players, talk about their respective approaches to covering the NFL free agency period, and so much more!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wow years. Kristen Balboni and Sharon Thor's loved it with
your Sideline Pass.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It is a special free agency edition of Sideline Pass.
Kristin Balboni here with Sharon Thors and Sharon it is
good to talk to you.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
It's been a.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Few months, and what an exciting time to talk about
with all of these changes and all of these new
guys here for free agency.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Absolutely, it's so much fun.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
It just seems like, you know, on day one, they
just hit the ground running, making so many moves, and
I have been doing that throughout the course of free agency,
so it's fun to see them getting all these guys
that I think are really going to bolster both sides
the Bob, but most and most importantly the defense.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yes, yes, and that is what certainly needed to happen,
because the Panthers set a record that no one wants
to set, largely because of injuries, right, but you know,
the Panthers defense set the record for most points allowed
in a single season, which was an NFL record, not
just a Panther's record. So very clear what the priority
(01:06):
was for Dan Morgan and Bran Tillis, and they went
out as you said, and attacked it, and I'm really
excited about some of these guys.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
It's going to be a lot of fun. So I
thought we would talk about this free agency class, and
then I thought, you know, we.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Are sideline reporters, and our job, in addition to knowing
everything that is going on on the field, is to
get to know these guys and provide some backstories. So
our research starts really as soon as free agency starts,
as soon as they are bringing in these new guys.
It takes a while to get to know them and
to learn about them. And of course you always want
to know something that no one else knows about these
(01:42):
guys and that can connect them and that you can
bond with them about and that shows who they are
behind the helmet, behind the uniform.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
So we're going to talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
We each have assembled some backstories. I'll see if they
match up or if they're totally different. And then I'm
so excited about that, and then we are going to
talk about what it's like from a behind the scenes
perspective for preparing and participating in free agency.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Sounds fun to me.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
It's going to be fun.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
So let's talk about about this defense and I thought
we'd start sharing with upfront.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
We have.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
They have brought him a lot of D lineman edge guys,
you know, people that can really win. Combined with Derek Brown,
who will be back after the season long injury last season.
They have brought in just a really tough, big, focused
D line and it's pretty clear about what they want
them to do and certainly stuffed the run and also
(02:36):
be that upfront presence that the Panthers didn't have last season.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Absolutely a year ago this time we were talking O line
and the importance of going out and building that offensive
line to protect Bryce s Young. They did exactly that,
and then Dan Morgan made no bones about it that
they want to do the exact same thing with the
defense this year in free agency, and they went out
right away and did that.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
He spoke this week to the media.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Actually, Dan Morgan did as well as brand Till, RVP
of football Operations. They both addressed the media this week,
and we're so high on these guys that they brought
in Dan Morgan, particularly with Bobby Brown, they really love
him because first of all, he's done even twenty five yet,
and they really talked about how versatile he is of
what he can do upfront, and he's such a great
run stopper as well, and he can just play so
(03:19):
many different techniques up there. So they're really really really
high on him and what he brings to that defensive line.
And then Tershaun Wharton came to us from the Chiefs
and Bran tillis very familiar with him from his time there.
He said he stood out so much during the COVID
years when he first came in for the workouts, they
felt like they really had a diamond in the rough
and got a steal on him out there the Chiefs.
(03:40):
So they bring him over now and he's a big
time run stuffer in the middle, which is clearly what
this team lacked last season. They needed somebody to try
and shut down that run. So they feel like combining
him up there as well, Like you said, getting Derek
Brown back, that's just going to really be imposing across
the front.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yees, Sharon, I'm excited to see what this line can
do and how they can work together. And you know
we mentioned this, I think just a little bit off
the top. So they really really wanted the Eagles d
lineman Milton Williams, who was kind of the big name
upfront that was coming out of it. And there have
been these stories a little bit about from Milton Williams
(04:18):
and then also from the Panther's side, which we've heard,
as you said, Brent Tillis and Dan Morgan talk about
this week about how it felt like it was going
to get done, but then at the last minute, the
Patriots came in with this big offer. You know, as
they say in The Godfather and AFA, you can't refuse,
except this is a good offer, you can't refuse. And
that is how that deal got done. But you know,
(04:39):
as much as they wanted Milton Williams, you know, with
all due respect to him, they only wanted him for
a certain price. And I have been exactly yes, and
I have been really impressed with the way that they
have stuck to their guns and said, look, he would
be great, but we have other options, including the guys
that you just mentioned.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
Yeah, and Bran has talked about that this week. He said, look,
we really did not have a deal done. A lot
of people were saying, no, the deal's done, he's on
his way here. So we had nothing, you know, set
in stone, and you know, it just didn't work.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
For us.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
It wasn't going to work out for us with the
money and everything like that. So and they were able
to take all of that money and then turn that
into other players who they think are.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Gonna be able to come and help this team immediately.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
So they feel like it's it's still ended up to
be a really good situation for this team.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
And then so as we go back further, I you know,
they signed some guys that will be in the middle,
but I also want to talk about this secondary. I
think two of the biggest moves, certainly one everybody knows about.
Two of the biggest moves are not bringing in players,
but resigning players everyone knows. I would think if you're
a Panthers fan, you know about this JC Horn big deal,
(05:46):
well deserved boy, a whole lot of money, you know,
that's just it's so exciting to say, like, oh, what
did you buy?
Speaker 3 (05:51):
What are you doing with that money?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
But that was one that certainly Panthers fans are very
excited about. And then Mike Jackson, who really cemented himself
as that other corner was not brought into to be
that was behind some guys like you're Dane Jackson's and
really came in and Sharon, I just enjoyed watching him play,
and he was so good on the other side of J. C. Warren.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
And he's such a fun guy.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
We've had him on this podcast, just a fun guy
to kind of chop it up with that.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
I thought, you know, what a great deal for him.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
And he's somebody that, as we talked about last season,
that Dave Knalis had familiarity with in Seattle. So I
just think, you know, a well deserved deal for him,
and I'm excited to watch he and J. C.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Warren out there.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Oh yeah, I love it that they brought him back.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Love it, love it, love it that they were able
to keep that duo together, because, like you said, he's
such a great guy. He's so much fun. I remember
when he came here. It was in the third preseason
game against Buffalo, and he was just sitting on the
bench because he wasn't obviously dressed out. He had just
gotten here like the day before, and we were chit
chatting quite a bit, and he was really excited to
be coming to Charlotte and being able to move his
family here, and he was all worried abouck ating them.
(06:57):
Enrolled in school so late in the game and stuff
like that. But he loves it here. He loves this team.
He loved the familiarity he already had, as you mentioned
with Dave Canalis and those guys. But he and JC
just formed such a great tandem and they got better
as the season went on. And I talked to him
about that late in the season. He said, you know,
we really know each other's tendencies.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Now.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
We have that nonverbal communication down, which is so key
when you're on the field. He's like, I know where
he's going to be, he knows what I'm going to do,
and they just sort of have that unspoken communication now
that they that is just so key and really making
a great tandem like that. So to have both of
those guys back and just pick up right where they
left off last season is awesome.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
And that's funny what you said about how excited he
was to come here. I remember when we did this
podcast with him. He said, when they brought him in,
when the GM brought him in the Seattle GM brought
him in and said that he was going to be
going to Carolina. He said, Man, he said, I only
could do so much of that weather out there. You know,
his family is from the southeast, that's where he grew up.
And he said, I just with all due respect to them,
(07:56):
he said, I couldn't stop smiling once they told me
that I was Carolina to be closer to home and
to you know, get out in the sun a little bit.
So I thought, well, you know, we're happy to have him,
and it's great, as you said that he is happy
to be here. And so I want to you know,
we've talked about the defense, and there are certainly more
guys that we could go through, but I want to
mention a guy that you know, you kind of look
(08:19):
at these national pundits or you talk to people.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Right around here, and a guy that.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
That people are thinking could be kind of this steal
of free agency could really make a difference, and that
is Rico Dowdell Yes running back.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And you know you've got Cuba Hubbard. You have locked
him up.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
But what a great guy to have beside him or
you know, spelling him for things is because that's what
the Panthers really thought they were going to have in
the rookie from last year, Jonathan Brooks. And as we
know that he is out for this season, So it's
going to be really fun to see Cuba do what
Cuba does while having Rico Dawdell as well.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
Absolutely, I think that was a great pickup and one
that sort of flew under the radar because people have
been so focused, i think on the defense and the
guy that we've resigned. It's or that sort of just
I think escaped a lot of people's notice. But I
mean he's a great dual threat and running back, like
you were saying, in that role of what they wanted
Jonathan Brooks to be able to do. So to be
able to team him with Chuba, who had an outstanding
season as we all know last year, to be able
(09:15):
to have him in there, to give them sort of
that that one two punch that they're looking to try
to have with Miles Sanders. Of course, now I'm off
in Dallas, there was not a lot of running backs
on the roster right now anyway, So to bring him
in and show what he can do with the passing
game and with the run game, I think is going
to be a great combo with Cuba.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Yes, okay, so speaking of Rico, that actually what you
just said leads me into to my.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
First fun fact or backstory, I should say. But as
I said, we're sideline reporters.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Our job is to go out and really connect with
these guys and find out stuff about them. So and
I imagine that we both know the same things. Like, Sharon,
I'm sure you're gonna be like, oh yeah, I knew
that in the minute he walked in.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
But I thought this was fun.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
So Rigo Daddle from Gaffney, South Carolina, moved to ash
in middle school and played his high school ball in
middle school. Ac Reynolds for anyone who is from here,
certainly a powerhouse in that region.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
But Sharon, he was a quarterback in high school.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Now, granted, he was a quarterback that ran the ball
a lot of the time and that's where they had success.
But what I'm wondering is you just mentioned his effectiveness
in the run game and the fact that he can
catch passes.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Will we see any trick plays with him?
Speaker 2 (10:25):
You know, Johnny Hecker was kind of that guy that
was you know, he was a quarterback in high school
as well.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
He has since moved on.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
So I want to know if we get out there,
we know that Dave Canalis and Brad Idzich liked to
run some trick plays.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
If we're going to see him throwing the ball at all.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
Oh, absolutely, and I think you absolutely could see that.
We saw that very rarely, but back in the day,
Christian McCaffrey actually did just that yere, So we've seen
every now and then they pull out a trick play
like that, and this is a guy who certainly has
the capability of doing that because he was that quarterback
back in high school.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
So that is one of mine. I'm wondering what you've
dug up on some of these guys here.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Okay, Well, some of these things are like really off
the beaten path that have nothing to do I love
it ball per se. So I'm starting with David Moore,
who is one of our receivers of course, who just
came here last year for the first season, had a
history with Dave Canalis and they brought him back again
here for as a second season. But he actually has
a working cattle ranch in Texas, and that's where he
(11:22):
was when the Panthers called him a year ago to
see if he'd be interested in joining up with Dave Canals.
Here he was sitting on his front porch trying to
figure out how to keep the coyotes away from his cattle.
So he has a working cattle ranch in Texas. Super
country kind of guy in that respect. So that's why
I think it gets along so well with xaviorly Get,
who of course is all about country and the horses.
But you know, David Moore with a working cattle ranch
(11:43):
in Texas.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
I did not know that. That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
They got to catch up with Josie Jewel who grew
up on I think they had turkeys that grew up
on this big farm where they would have to go
and check defences and ride horses and all sorts of stuff.
I have a fun fact to add to the David
Moore and now that you're talking about him, so he
came He came here a couple of years ago in
the Matt Ruhle era and he was just here for
(12:06):
a little bit primarily a special teamer and then has
come back and had success, as you said under Dave Canalis.
But I remember doing his intro interview with him several
years ago and he told me, Sharon, the younger people
don't know this TV show, but I'm wondering if you
heard of it, do.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
You know the TV show One Tree Hill, Yes, you
remember it.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yes, David Moore is a big One Tree Hill fan,
like huge, had watched all of it and they filmed
in Wilmington, North Carolina. And he said that he went
to Wilmington and did the One Tree Hill Tour.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
So he loved it that much.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
He loved it that much that that was something that
he did, which I thought was just amazing.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
That's okay.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
I have a couple from Toshaun Wharton. Okay, So the
first one is that he went to a D two school,
Missouri S and T. So the only other play the
only other NFL player from this school, Missouri S and T,
was a guy named Dick Thornton, and he made one
start as a quarterback from the Eagles in nineteen thirty three.
(13:11):
So certainly a big accomplishment that Joshaun Wharton has has
made it to the NFL.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
And he said it was the East West Shrine game.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Yes, that really put him over the edge there and
got him this national attention. But I thought, you know,
especially for I believe they're the miners, don't quote me
on that, but especially for guys who were playing there
and really all D two guys. Look at the career
that he has had and what he was able to do.
So I love those stories of you know, the small
schools and then to look at the players that he
(13:40):
has turned into.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
And I have one more on him. So his breakfast order.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
When he was on the Chiefs, they asked them like,
who eats the most right across the board? Everyone said him.
And here is what I have gathered is his breakfast order,
a twelve egg omelet. And then we're not done yet.
Other things that he might add to that triple deck
or French toast, or four waffles and a protein shake,
(14:06):
and that is not changing on the day share and
that is all together.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Holy cow, that's that's quite an appetite right there. It's
like my oldest son is trying to always trying to
gain weight because he's super skinny, and it's like he
thinks he's eating a lot when he has like five eggs.
I'm about to tell him this story and say, you're
you got a long way to go, buddy, if you
want to really eat like the big boys.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
So that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
That's funny. Speaking of that.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
So we have a son he's three years old, and
I remember my brother in law. The first thing he
said when we told him that we were having a boy,
he was like, your grocery bill is going to be
so high when they.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Get the high school.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Yeah, it definitely ramps up a noge. So it definitely
ramps up in Dodge. It's sort of crazy.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
So imagine what imagine what the Whartons bill.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Was my school, and even imagine that that's crazy. Well,
I know, I don't know about the eating part of it,
but I know that some of these guys that we
have on our Panthers team are are very obviously very
skilled athletes, and some of them are more than one sport.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
A lot of guys play multiple sports.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
And one of them, Dan Chisina, who is one of
our receivers as well, he was actually a track star,
much better at track apparently than at football coming out
of high school. So he actually went on a track
scholarship and first he had to walk on to Penn
State and then he ended up with a track scholarship
at Penn State, ended up going back to football. He
(15:27):
missed it a lot, and he had an injury in
track and had to sit out for a little while.
And then he's like, you know, what, I'm gonna try
football again. So then he had to walk onto the
football team and was able to earn a spot. Did
not play at all until his senior year, where he
grabbed a couple of passes and then of course made
his way to the NFL. So he's got a pretty
wild story in that respect, where that's perseverance at its finest.
(15:50):
But to be able to walk on first to the
track team and earn a scholarship and then walk onto
the football team at Penn State's he's quite an athlete
that people probably don't realize.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
He did a lot of walking for man Man and
I remember, I think I remember the first time that
he came in the game, and I think it I
think his first I think that the first play he
was in he caught a pass. Everyone was like, oh,
we did not expect that from him. So, you know,
obviously a hard worker, a big athlete, and the fact
(16:18):
that they brought him back, I'm excited to see more
of what he can do it. I'm excited for that
report Sharon on on one of the radio on one of.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
The radio broadcasts, and that's so good.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
All right.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
My last one is Patrick Jones, the second he was okay,
and so also I had to say this.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
I did all this research.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I was like, oh my gosh, he was born in Japan,
and I got so excited about it. I was on
you know, different I was on Wikipedia looking at the city.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
I was on these different places trying to read somebody's backstory.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
And then of course I found our. You know, I'd
written all my little facts, and then of course I'd
found our. One of our incredible writers, Cassidy Hill, did
a whole ride up on the fact that he is
from Japan.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Oh wow, all there.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
No, it was great, but it was all there in
one place, and I thought I could have saved myself
ten to fifteen minutes on this, but she pointed out
some great stuff. So he was born in Japan and
then moved back to His father was in the military.
He was born on a military base, and then moved
back to I believe Chesapeake, Virginia for a while, and
then moved back to Japan. And his love of football
(17:20):
actually came while he was in Japan. He watched some
of the local teams there, which I thought that was
so neat, because you would think it would.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Be the other way around.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Of course, during his time back in in the US
before he moved again in the eighth grade. So I
thought that was really neat. And also when we talk
about these outdoor guys, you talk about David Moore, your
Josie Jewels, of course, Xavier Legate, and he.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Himself, Patrick Jones. He likes to study film on his boat.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
While he's fishing, so he takes his Microsoft Surface out
there and while he's fishing, waiting on the fish to bite,
he gets in his film study.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Well that's a great way to, I guess, coordinate work
and fun, right, Yes, since we all know there's a
whole lot of patients and waiting involved with fishing, so
that makes a whole lot of sense. So that's that's
pretty cool. Well, last one I can throw at is
Derek Brown, who feels like he's a new player almost
and so he were without him almost all of last
(18:15):
days and he getting him back this year. He's another
guy who loves the country, even though you wouldn't notice
it so much. He doesn't talk like super Southern or anything,
and doesn't walk around, you know, talking about things like
Xavierly getting Trevin Wallace and those guys, but he is
like super duper loves the country, loves to live out
in the woods, loves to live out in the middle
of nowhere, which he does. So he has a big,
huge pine tree farm, is a giant pine tree farm
(18:38):
that he goes to with his family. And he said,
he grew up in Georgia and out in the rural
community and his grandparents always had a farm and he
always loved going there because it just makes him feel
at peace. He said, you know, football is just such
chaos and violence and everything you know, out there on
the field, and when he goes to the country, that's
his way of just sort of like you know, zoning
(18:59):
out and getting this moment and his kids can just
run free and do whatever they want out in the
fields and in the woods and things like that. So
the woods and the farm and the rural country is
Derek Brown's happy place.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I love that. Another thing that I did not know,
you know, despite him being here for several years. So
you know, Sharon, also, I am going to save this
episode and I'll might ask our producer Matt to cut
this part so that when it comes to the preseason
and the regular season I can go back and we
can remember all these but you.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
Know these facts, I'm making myself a file.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
But that's why it's so fun to you know, I've
learned every fact that you had was something that every
backstory was something that I didn't know.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
And it's so fun to go ahead and get.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
A jump on this research and to have things that
we're excited to talk to these guys about. And so
I'm glad that we did this because what I've always
said about this podcast is that we hope it brings
something to everyone listening, but then it's also we get
to exchange information, which is what we did every podcast
during the regular season. So I love this angle on
it and I appreciate, you know, you bringing those into
(20:03):
to me and I had fun doing them.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Absolutely, I love it too, because I think it's really
cool for our listeners to be able to and fans
to be able to connect with guys in a different
way than just their stats and their performance on the field,
because these are they're real people, you know, who do
the same things that we all do in real life.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
They might have a little more money to.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
Do it with, but for the most part, they you know,
they're just regular guys and they have some really unusual
and cool backstories, just like everybody else out there does.
And you know, they're real people, not just stats and
people out there and a number on the field. So
I think it's cool to be able to bring people
this information.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Completely agree.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
And you know, what I'm wondering is in terms of
people that have some sort of an outdoor affinity or
you know, something else that they're really passionate about. I
wonder if the Panthers have more, you know, people that
own farms or that grew up on farms, or ride horses,
or like you said, have cattle ranches than other teams,
(20:57):
or if this is something that as you said with
Derek Brown, you know, with the violence and the you know,
in terms of the NFL, your job is, you know,
hitting people and then your your schedule is so structured
during the regular season.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
If this is something that across the.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
NFL this is the way that guys unwind, or if
the Panthers just happened to have a lot of guys
that could bond about the outdoors. So we'll have to
We'll see if we can get like a league wide
research on that.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
That would be sort of fun.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Actually, So the other thing that Sharon and I wanted
to talk about today is you know, a little bit
more of the behind the scenes of what it's like
preparing for free agency as a reporter. So Sharon, can
you walk me through your process when when we get
to March.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
Well, you know, first of all, it's like you'd want
to be up to speed on who's out there. Again,
you know what the Panthers needs are to some extent,
and you sort of have an idea just like I said,
Dan Morgan, you know, we addressed the media at the
end of the season and stuff, and here's what we
sort of are looking to do in free agencies. So
we knew pretty much going in that they were going
to be looking to bolster the defense, and then who
knew if they were going to try to do a
(22:00):
receiver or running back, whatever it may be. So yeah,
you get the idea of what the Panthers are looking for.
Then you start looking, all right, who's out there, who's
out there that's a free agent that would be a
good fit for the Panthers, and start doing a little
bit of research that way, so you can start targeting guys.
And then half the time you don't know, of course
who they're actually going to look at and who they're
going to try and make a deal with, because it
comes to us just at the same time it comes
(22:21):
to everybody else. It's not like we have some inside
information to know a day before that a deal has
been done.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
I wish we did, but we don't.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
So you don't even know sometimes that a deal is happening,
like exactly Williams.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Yeah, yeah, it comes.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
It comes really fast and the world of free agency,
deals happen like right away. But so I try to
familiarize myself with who's out there and that would you know,
be a potential candidate to end up with the Panthers.
And then once they sign them, like you said, you
go back and do some homework on them then and say, okay,
we got this guy. Now what's he about, Where do
you come from? You know, how can he help this team?
That kind of thing, And then you know the press
(22:55):
conference has happened, like happened this week with Dan Morgan
and brand Tilla, so that you get a little more backstore. Okay,
this is why we like this guy, This is why
we sign this guy that kind of thing. This is
how we envision him helping our team. And when Dave
Canal speaks to us again. Next time, we'll get way
more detail on that kind of stuff. So and then
you know, you run into you start with the mini
camps and the OTAs and stuff like that, when guys
finally start to get here to the stadium, and then
(23:17):
you can finally meet them and you know, see who
these guys are, and you know, find out some backstories
about them, and you know, learn their names and their
faces and all that kind of stuff. There's a lot
of info at there, especially when you bring in so
many new guys and then throw the draft into the
mix as well.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Absolutely, and so I from a reporting standpoint, I don't
have much to add because our processes are the same.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Completely agree with everything you said.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
But one thing that is interesting is that I get
a front row seat a lot of times to what
the media team is doing. You know, the people that
are posting on social media, the people that are videoing,
the photogs, and you know, they bring these guys in
pretty immediately after they agree to terms, and a lot
of times they will sign right there in the stadium
and they'll do their pictures and they'll do you some
(24:03):
sort of fun video content.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
But I just think it is amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
As you said, Sharon, we don't know until it happens.
And then as if you've seen you know, the breaking news,
if you've gone to the Panther's x slash Twitter page,
as soon as it happens, they have got this really
cool graphic that has gone up, or they've pulled video
from you know, their past, like you could say like
Treshaun Morton, he could have highlights from the Chiefs and
(24:27):
that's coming out instantaneously. And it is so neat to
watch our coworkers work on such a fast pace to
be able to have these really really neat visual elements
or audio elements or pictures of these guys, so as
you said, so that fans can get to know them,
get to know who they are, what they can do
(24:49):
on the field and sometimes off the field. And as
you said, it's really being prepared for pretty much anything.
So they will have a backlog of images they will have,
they will be scouring those articles of like here are
the top free agents, as you said, the top one
hundred free agents, and they will have stuff for I
mean thirty thirty five guys ready to go. And I
(25:11):
just think, as you said, I always enjoy the process
as reporters, and I always marvel at what these in
house teams and out of house media too. Everyone has
to be ready to go at a moment's notice, and
as you said, most of the time, pretty much all
of the time, there is no inside there's no inside
scoop until it actually happens. So it's just really neat
to see everyone working in concert and that's something that
(25:32):
maybe people don't know, you know what, all good, Well,
of course we're focused on who is coming, but there's
a lot that goes on behind the scenes.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Oh absolutely, and like shout out, like you said, to
the guys here and gyles here in the stadium who
really put together just tremendous, tremendous information. And I just
had a moment's notice to be able to get that.
I get the notifications pop up on my phone, so
I get the notifications when anything happens with the Panthers,
and they have just great stuff and the stories that
they write, like immediately Darren Ghm and like said Cassidy Hill,
(26:01):
they just they churn out the stories so quickly and
just great stuff. It's not just like oh, we signed
so and so here's what it did last year when
they have like the in depth kind of information and
this stuff, so you can really get to know them
as a player but also as a person. For the
most part, you know, not everybody, but a lot of
the guys. They try to go in depth with them
and get some really good information on those guys. So
the social media team and the everybody doing the website
(26:24):
and everything, they put out the information so quickly and
such great information that it's a great place to get
all of your panthers info, like you know, right right
as it happens, that they're just right on top of it.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
It's awesome.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Well, Sharon, this was a blast, as it always is.
I'm so glad that we did a free agency catchup
and hopefully we provided everyone listening with some interesting you know,
with some different angles on things. As we get ready
to meet these new players, will certainly be seeing a
lot of them, and this was just great and I'm
sure that we'll be talking soon the draft. We've got
all sorts off season coming up. Because it is a
(26:57):
new year, it always sneaks up on you.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
We've got a lot of exciting stuff coming up.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Absolutely well, this is a lot of fun and we'll
catch it again here soon
Wow years. Kristen Balboni and Sharon Thor's loved it with
your Sideline Pass.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
It is a special free agency edition of Sideline Pass.
Kristin Balboni here with Sharon Thors and Sharon it is
good to talk to you.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
It's been a.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Few months, and what an exciting time to talk about
with all of these changes and all of these new
guys here for free agency.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Absolutely, it's so much fun.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
It just seems like, you know, on day one, they
just hit the ground running, making so many moves, and
I have been doing that throughout the course of free agency,
so it's fun to see them getting all these guys
that I think are really going to bolster both sides
the Bob, but most and most importantly the defense.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yes, yes, and that is what certainly needed to happen,
because the Panthers set a record that no one wants
to set, largely because of injuries, right, but you know,
the Panthers defense set the record for most points allowed
in a single season, which was an NFL record, not
just a Panther's record. So very clear what the priority
(01:06):
was for Dan Morgan and Bran Tillis, and they went
out as you said, and attacked it, and I'm really
excited about some of these guys.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
It's going to be a lot of fun. So I
thought we would talk about this free agency class, and
then I thought, you know, we.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Are sideline reporters, and our job, in addition to knowing
everything that is going on on the field, is to
get to know these guys and provide some backstories. So
our research starts really as soon as free agency starts,
as soon as they are bringing in these new guys.
It takes a while to get to know them and
to learn about them. And of course you always want
to know something that no one else knows about these
(01:42):
guys and that can connect them and that you can
bond with them about and that shows who they are
behind the helmet, behind the uniform.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
So we're going to talk a little bit about that.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
We each have assembled some backstories. I'll see if they
match up or if they're totally different. And then I'm
so excited about that, and then we are going to
talk about what it's like from a behind the scenes
perspective for preparing and participating in free agency.
Speaker 1 (02:03):
Sounds fun to me.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
It's going to be fun.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
So let's talk about about this defense and I thought
we'd start sharing with upfront.
Speaker 3 (02:12):
We have.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
They have brought him a lot of D lineman edge guys,
you know, people that can really win. Combined with Derek Brown,
who will be back after the season long injury last season.
They have brought in just a really tough, big, focused
D line and it's pretty clear about what they want
them to do and certainly stuffed the run and also
(02:36):
be that upfront presence that the Panthers didn't have last season.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
Absolutely a year ago this time we were talking O line
and the importance of going out and building that offensive
line to protect Bryce s Young. They did exactly that,
and then Dan Morgan made no bones about it that
they want to do the exact same thing with the
defense this year in free agency, and they went out
right away and did that.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
He spoke this week to the media.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
Actually, Dan Morgan did as well as brand Till, RVP
of football Operations. They both addressed the media this week,
and we're so high on these guys that they brought
in Dan Morgan, particularly with Bobby Brown, they really love
him because first of all, he's done even twenty five yet,
and they really talked about how versatile he is of
what he can do upfront, and he's such a great
run stopper as well, and he can just play so
(03:19):
many different techniques up there. So they're really really really
high on him and what he brings to that defensive line.
And then Tershaun Wharton came to us from the Chiefs
and Bran tillis very familiar with him from his time there.
He said he stood out so much during the COVID
years when he first came in for the workouts, they
felt like they really had a diamond in the rough
and got a steal on him out there the Chiefs.
(03:40):
So they bring him over now and he's a big
time run stuffer in the middle, which is clearly what
this team lacked last season. They needed somebody to try
and shut down that run. So they feel like combining
him up there as well, Like you said, getting Derek
Brown back, that's just going to really be imposing across
the front.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
Yees, Sharon, I'm excited to see what this line can
do and how they can work together. And you know
we mentioned this, I think just a little bit off
the top. So they really really wanted the Eagles d
lineman Milton Williams, who was kind of the big name
upfront that was coming out of it. And there have
been these stories a little bit about from Milton Williams
(04:18):
and then also from the Panther's side, which we've heard,
as you said, Brent Tillis and Dan Morgan talk about
this week about how it felt like it was going
to get done, but then at the last minute, the
Patriots came in with this big offer. You know, as
they say in The Godfather and AFA, you can't refuse,
except this is a good offer, you can't refuse. And
that is how that deal got done. But you know,
(04:39):
as much as they wanted Milton Williams, you know, with
all due respect to him, they only wanted him for
a certain price. And I have been exactly yes, and
I have been really impressed with the way that they
have stuck to their guns and said, look, he would
be great, but we have other options, including the guys
that you just mentioned.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
Yeah, and Bran has talked about that this week. He said, look,
we really did not have a deal done. A lot
of people were saying, no, the deal's done, he's on
his way here. So we had nothing, you know, set
in stone, and you know, it just didn't work.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
For us.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
It wasn't going to work out for us with the
money and everything like that. So and they were able
to take all of that money and then turn that
into other players who they think are.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Gonna be able to come and help this team immediately.
Speaker 4 (05:19):
So they feel like it's it's still ended up to
be a really good situation for this team.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
And then so as we go back further, I you know,
they signed some guys that will be in the middle,
but I also want to talk about this secondary. I
think two of the biggest moves, certainly one everybody knows about.
Two of the biggest moves are not bringing in players,
but resigning players everyone knows. I would think if you're
a Panthers fan, you know about this JC Horn big deal,
(05:46):
well deserved boy, a whole lot of money, you know,
that's just it's so exciting to say, like, oh, what
did you buy?
Speaker 3 (05:51):
What are you doing with that money?
Speaker 2 (05:54):
But that was one that certainly Panthers fans are very
excited about. And then Mike Jackson, who really cemented himself
as that other corner was not brought into to be
that was behind some guys like you're Dane Jackson's and
really came in and Sharon, I just enjoyed watching him play,
and he was so good on the other side of J. C. Warren.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
And he's such a fun guy.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
We've had him on this podcast, just a fun guy
to kind of chop it up with that.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
I thought, you know, what a great deal for him.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
And he's somebody that, as we talked about last season,
that Dave Knalis had familiarity with in Seattle. So I
just think, you know, a well deserved deal for him,
and I'm excited to watch he and J. C.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Warren out there.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Oh yeah, I love it that they brought him back.
Speaker 4 (06:36):
Love it, love it, love it that they were able
to keep that duo together, because, like you said, he's
such a great guy. He's so much fun. I remember
when he came here. It was in the third preseason
game against Buffalo, and he was just sitting on the
bench because he wasn't obviously dressed out. He had just
gotten here like the day before, and we were chit
chatting quite a bit, and he was really excited to
be coming to Charlotte and being able to move his
family here, and he was all worried abouck ating them.
(06:57):
Enrolled in school so late in the game and stuff
like that. But he loves it here. He loves this team.
He loved the familiarity he already had, as you mentioned
with Dave Canalis and those guys. But he and JC
just formed such a great tandem and they got better
as the season went on. And I talked to him
about that late in the season. He said, you know,
we really know each other's tendencies.
Speaker 3 (07:17):
Now.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
We have that nonverbal communication down, which is so key
when you're on the field. He's like, I know where
he's going to be, he knows what I'm going to do,
and they just sort of have that unspoken communication now
that they that is just so key and really making
a great tandem like that. So to have both of
those guys back and just pick up right where they
left off last season is awesome.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
And that's funny what you said about how excited he
was to come here. I remember when we did this
podcast with him. He said, when they brought him in,
when the GM brought him in the Seattle GM brought
him in and said that he was going to be
going to Carolina. He said, Man, he said, I only
could do so much of that weather out there. You know,
his family is from the southeast, that's where he grew up.
And he said, I just with all due respect to them,
(07:56):
he said, I couldn't stop smiling once they told me
that I was Carolina to be closer to home and
to you know, get out in the sun a little bit.
So I thought, well, you know, we're happy to have him,
and it's great, as you said that he is happy
to be here. And so I want to you know,
we've talked about the defense, and there are certainly more
guys that we could go through, but I want to
mention a guy that you know, you kind of look
(08:19):
at these national pundits or you talk to people.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Right around here, and a guy that.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
That people are thinking could be kind of this steal
of free agency could really make a difference, and that
is Rico Dowdell Yes running back.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And you know you've got Cuba Hubbard. You have locked
him up.
Speaker 2 (08:35):
But what a great guy to have beside him or
you know, spelling him for things is because that's what
the Panthers really thought they were going to have in
the rookie from last year, Jonathan Brooks. And as we
know that he is out for this season, So it's
going to be really fun to see Cuba do what
Cuba does while having Rico Dawdell as well.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
Absolutely, I think that was a great pickup and one
that sort of flew under the radar because people have
been so focused, i think on the defense and the
guy that we've resigned. It's or that sort of just
I think escaped a lot of people's notice. But I
mean he's a great dual threat and running back, like
you were saying, in that role of what they wanted
Jonathan Brooks to be able to do. So to be
able to team him with Chuba, who had an outstanding
season as we all know last year, to be able
(09:15):
to have him in there, to give them sort of
that that one two punch that they're looking to try
to have with Miles Sanders. Of course, now I'm off
in Dallas, there was not a lot of running backs
on the roster right now anyway, So to bring him
in and show what he can do with the passing
game and with the run game, I think is going
to be a great combo with Cuba.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
Yes, okay, so speaking of Rico, that actually what you
just said leads me into to my.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
First fun fact or backstory, I should say. But as
I said, we're sideline reporters.
Speaker 2 (09:44):
Our job is to go out and really connect with
these guys and find out stuff about them. So and
I imagine that we both know the same things. Like, Sharon,
I'm sure you're gonna be like, oh yeah, I knew
that in the minute he walked in.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
But I thought this was fun.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
So Rigo Daddle from Gaffney, South Carolina, moved to ash
in middle school and played his high school ball in
middle school. Ac Reynolds for anyone who is from here,
certainly a powerhouse in that region.
Speaker 3 (10:08):
But Sharon, he was a quarterback in high school.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
Now, granted, he was a quarterback that ran the ball
a lot of the time and that's where they had success.
But what I'm wondering is you just mentioned his effectiveness
in the run game and the fact that he can
catch passes.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
Will we see any trick plays with him?
Speaker 2 (10:25):
You know, Johnny Hecker was kind of that guy that
was you know, he was a quarterback in high school
as well.
Speaker 3 (10:30):
He has since moved on.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
So I want to know if we get out there,
we know that Dave Canalis and Brad Idzich liked to
run some trick plays.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
If we're going to see him throwing the ball at all.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
Oh, absolutely, and I think you absolutely could see that.
We saw that very rarely, but back in the day,
Christian McCaffrey actually did just that yere, So we've seen
every now and then they pull out a trick play
like that, and this is a guy who certainly has
the capability of doing that because he was that quarterback
back in high school.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
So that is one of mine. I'm wondering what you've
dug up on some of these guys here.
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Okay, Well, some of these things are like really off
the beaten path that have nothing to do I love
it ball per se. So I'm starting with David Moore,
who is one of our receivers of course, who just
came here last year for the first season, had a
history with Dave Canalis and they brought him back again
here for as a second season. But he actually has
a working cattle ranch in Texas, and that's where he
(11:22):
was when the Panthers called him a year ago to
see if he'd be interested in joining up with Dave Canals.
Here he was sitting on his front porch trying to
figure out how to keep the coyotes away from his cattle.
So he has a working cattle ranch in Texas. Super
country kind of guy in that respect. So that's why
I think it gets along so well with xaviorly Get,
who of course is all about country and the horses.
But you know, David Moore with a working cattle ranch
(11:43):
in Texas.
Speaker 1 (11:43):
Pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
I did not know that. That's amazing.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
They got to catch up with Josie Jewel who grew
up on I think they had turkeys that grew up
on this big farm where they would have to go
and check defences and ride horses and all sorts of stuff.
I have a fun fact to add to the David
Moore and now that you're talking about him, so he
came He came here a couple of years ago in
the Matt Ruhle era and he was just here for
(12:06):
a little bit primarily a special teamer and then has
come back and had success, as you said under Dave Canalis.
But I remember doing his intro interview with him several
years ago and he told me, Sharon, the younger people
don't know this TV show, but I'm wondering if you
heard of it, do.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
You know the TV show One Tree Hill, Yes, you
remember it.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
Yes, David Moore is a big One Tree Hill fan,
like huge, had watched all of it and they filmed
in Wilmington, North Carolina. And he said that he went
to Wilmington and did the One Tree Hill Tour.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (12:37):
So he loved it that much.
Speaker 2 (12:40):
He loved it that much that that was something that
he did, which I thought was just amazing.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
That's okay.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
I have a couple from Toshaun Wharton. Okay, So the
first one is that he went to a D two school,
Missouri S and T. So the only other play the
only other NFL player from this school, Missouri S and T,
was a guy named Dick Thornton, and he made one
start as a quarterback from the Eagles in nineteen thirty three.
(13:11):
So certainly a big accomplishment that Joshaun Wharton has has
made it to the NFL.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
And he said it was the East West Shrine game.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
Yes, that really put him over the edge there and
got him this national attention. But I thought, you know,
especially for I believe they're the miners, don't quote me
on that, but especially for guys who were playing there
and really all D two guys. Look at the career
that he has had and what he was able to do.
So I love those stories of you know, the small
schools and then to look at the players that he
(13:40):
has turned into.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
And I have one more on him. So his breakfast order.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
When he was on the Chiefs, they asked them like,
who eats the most right across the board? Everyone said him.
And here is what I have gathered is his breakfast order,
a twelve egg omelet. And then we're not done yet.
Other things that he might add to that triple deck
or French toast, or four waffles and a protein shake,
(14:06):
and that is not changing on the day share and
that is all together.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Holy cow, that's that's quite an appetite right there. It's
like my oldest son is trying to always trying to
gain weight because he's super skinny, and it's like he
thinks he's eating a lot when he has like five eggs.
I'm about to tell him this story and say, you're
you got a long way to go, buddy, if you
want to really eat like the big boys.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
So that's crazy.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
That's funny. Speaking of that.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
So we have a son he's three years old, and
I remember my brother in law. The first thing he
said when we told him that we were having a boy,
he was like, your grocery bill is going to be
so high when they.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Get the high school.
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Yeah, it definitely ramps up a noge. So it definitely
ramps up in Dodge. It's sort of crazy.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
So imagine what imagine what the Whartons bill.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Was my school, and even imagine that that's crazy. Well,
I know, I don't know about the eating part of it,
but I know that some of these guys that we
have on our Panthers team are are very obviously very
skilled athletes, and some of them are more than one sport.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
A lot of guys play multiple sports.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
And one of them, Dan Chisina, who is one of
our receivers as well, he was actually a track star,
much better at track apparently than at football coming out
of high school. So he actually went on a track
scholarship and first he had to walk on to Penn
State and then he ended up with a track scholarship
at Penn State, ended up going back to football. He
(15:27):
missed it a lot, and he had an injury in
track and had to sit out for a little while.
And then he's like, you know, what, I'm gonna try
football again. So then he had to walk onto the
football team and was able to earn a spot. Did
not play at all until his senior year, where he
grabbed a couple of passes and then of course made
his way to the NFL. So he's got a pretty
wild story in that respect, where that's perseverance at its finest.
(15:50):
But to be able to walk on first to the
track team and earn a scholarship and then walk onto
the football team at Penn State's he's quite an athlete
that people probably don't realize.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
He did a lot of walking for man Man and
I remember, I think I remember the first time that
he came in the game, and I think it I
think his first I think that the first play he
was in he caught a pass. Everyone was like, oh,
we did not expect that from him. So, you know,
obviously a hard worker, a big athlete, and the fact
(16:18):
that they brought him back, I'm excited to see more
of what he can do it. I'm excited for that
report Sharon on on one of the radio on one of.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
The radio broadcasts, and that's so good.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
All right.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
My last one is Patrick Jones, the second he was okay,
and so also I had to say this.
Speaker 3 (16:36):
I did all this research.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I was like, oh my gosh, he was born in Japan,
and I got so excited about it. I was on
you know, different I was on Wikipedia looking at the city.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
I was on these different places trying to read somebody's backstory.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
And then of course I found our. You know, I'd
written all my little facts, and then of course I'd
found our. One of our incredible writers, Cassidy Hill, did
a whole ride up on the fact that he is
from Japan.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
Oh wow, all there.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
No, it was great, but it was all there in
one place, and I thought I could have saved myself
ten to fifteen minutes on this, but she pointed out
some great stuff. So he was born in Japan and
then moved back to His father was in the military.
He was born on a military base, and then moved
back to I believe Chesapeake, Virginia for a while, and
then moved back to Japan. And his love of football
(17:20):
actually came while he was in Japan. He watched some
of the local teams there, which I thought that was
so neat, because you would think it would.
Speaker 3 (17:26):
Be the other way around.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Of course, during his time back in in the US
before he moved again in the eighth grade. So I
thought that was really neat. And also when we talk
about these outdoor guys, you talk about David Moore, your
Josie Jewels, of course, Xavier Legate, and he.
Speaker 3 (17:42):
Himself, Patrick Jones. He likes to study film on his boat.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
While he's fishing, so he takes his Microsoft Surface out
there and while he's fishing, waiting on the fish to bite,
he gets in his film study.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
Well that's a great way to, I guess, coordinate work
and fun, right, Yes, since we all know there's a
whole lot of patients and waiting involved with fishing, so
that makes a whole lot of sense. So that's that's
pretty cool. Well, last one I can throw at is
Derek Brown, who feels like he's a new player almost
and so he were without him almost all of last
(18:15):
days and he getting him back this year. He's another
guy who loves the country, even though you wouldn't notice
it so much. He doesn't talk like super Southern or anything,
and doesn't walk around, you know, talking about things like
Xavierly getting Trevin Wallace and those guys, but he is
like super duper loves the country, loves to live out
in the woods, loves to live out in the middle
of nowhere, which he does. So he has a big,
huge pine tree farm, is a giant pine tree farm
(18:38):
that he goes to with his family. And he said,
he grew up in Georgia and out in the rural
community and his grandparents always had a farm and he
always loved going there because it just makes him feel
at peace. He said, you know, football is just such
chaos and violence and everything you know, out there on
the field, and when he goes to the country, that's
his way of just sort of like you know, zoning
(18:59):
out and getting this moment and his kids can just
run free and do whatever they want out in the
fields and in the woods and things like that. So
the woods and the farm and the rural country is
Derek Brown's happy place.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I love that. Another thing that I did not know,
you know, despite him being here for several years. So
you know, Sharon, also, I am going to save this
episode and I'll might ask our producer Matt to cut
this part so that when it comes to the preseason
and the regular season I can go back and we
can remember all these but you.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
Know these facts, I'm making myself a file.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
But that's why it's so fun to you know, I've
learned every fact that you had was something that every
backstory was something that I didn't know.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
And it's so fun to go ahead and get.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
A jump on this research and to have things that
we're excited to talk to these guys about. And so
I'm glad that we did this because what I've always
said about this podcast is that we hope it brings
something to everyone listening, but then it's also we get
to exchange information, which is what we did every podcast
during the regular season. So I love this angle on
it and I appreciate, you know, you bringing those into
(20:03):
to me and I had fun doing them.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:05):
Absolutely, I love it too, because I think it's really
cool for our listeners to be able to and fans
to be able to connect with guys in a different
way than just their stats and their performance on the field,
because these are they're real people, you know, who do
the same things that we all do in real life.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
They might have a little more money to.
Speaker 4 (20:20):
Do it with, but for the most part, they you know,
they're just regular guys and they have some really unusual
and cool backstories, just like everybody else out there does.
And you know, they're real people, not just stats and
people out there and a number on the field. So
I think it's cool to be able to bring people
this information.
Speaker 3 (20:35):
Completely agree.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
And you know, what I'm wondering is in terms of
people that have some sort of an outdoor affinity or
you know, something else that they're really passionate about. I
wonder if the Panthers have more, you know, people that
own farms or that grew up on farms, or ride horses,
or like you said, have cattle ranches than other teams,
(20:57):
or if this is something that as you said with
Derek Brown, you know, with the violence and the you know,
in terms of the NFL, your job is, you know,
hitting people and then your your schedule is so structured
during the regular season.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
If this is something that across the.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
NFL this is the way that guys unwind, or if
the Panthers just happened to have a lot of guys
that could bond about the outdoors. So we'll have to
We'll see if we can get like a league wide
research on that.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
That would be sort of fun.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Actually, So the other thing that Sharon and I wanted
to talk about today is you know, a little bit
more of the behind the scenes of what it's like
preparing for free agency as a reporter. So Sharon, can
you walk me through your process when when we get
to March.
Speaker 4 (21:39):
Well, you know, first of all, it's like you'd want
to be up to speed on who's out there. Again,
you know what the Panthers needs are to some extent,
and you sort of have an idea just like I said,
Dan Morgan, you know, we addressed the media at the
end of the season and stuff, and here's what we
sort of are looking to do in free agencies. So
we knew pretty much going in that they were going
to be looking to bolster the defense, and then who
knew if they were going to try to do a
(22:00):
receiver or running back, whatever it may be. So yeah,
you get the idea of what the Panthers are looking for.
Then you start looking, all right, who's out there, who's
out there that's a free agent that would be a
good fit for the Panthers, and start doing a little
bit of research that way, so you can start targeting guys.
And then half the time you don't know, of course
who they're actually going to look at and who they're
going to try and make a deal with, because it
comes to us just at the same time it comes
(22:21):
to everybody else. It's not like we have some inside
information to know a day before that a deal has
been done.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
I wish we did, but we don't.
Speaker 2 (22:27):
So you don't even know sometimes that a deal is happening,
like exactly Williams.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Yeah, yeah, it comes.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
It comes really fast and the world of free agency,
deals happen like right away. But so I try to
familiarize myself with who's out there and that would you know,
be a potential candidate to end up with the Panthers.
And then once they sign them, like you said, you
go back and do some homework on them then and say, okay,
we got this guy. Now what's he about, Where do
you come from? You know, how can he help this team?
That kind of thing, And then you know the press
(22:55):
conference has happened, like happened this week with Dan Morgan
and brand Tilla, so that you get a little more backstore. Okay,
this is why we like this guy, This is why
we sign this guy that kind of thing. This is
how we envision him helping our team. And when Dave
Canal speaks to us again. Next time, we'll get way
more detail on that kind of stuff. So and then
you know, you run into you start with the mini
camps and the OTAs and stuff like that, when guys
finally start to get here to the stadium, and then
(23:17):
you can finally meet them and you know, see who
these guys are, and you know, find out some backstories
about them, and you know, learn their names and their
faces and all that kind of stuff. There's a lot
of info at there, especially when you bring in so
many new guys and then throw the draft into the
mix as well.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
Absolutely, and so I from a reporting standpoint, I don't
have much to add because our processes are the same.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Completely agree with everything you said.
Speaker 2 (23:40):
But one thing that is interesting is that I get
a front row seat a lot of times to what
the media team is doing. You know, the people that
are posting on social media, the people that are videoing,
the photogs, and you know, they bring these guys in
pretty immediately after they agree to terms, and a lot
of times they will sign right there in the stadium
and they'll do their pictures and they'll do you some
(24:03):
sort of fun video content.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
But I just think it is amazing.
Speaker 2 (24:06):
As you said, Sharon, we don't know until it happens.
And then as if you've seen you know, the breaking news,
if you've gone to the Panther's x slash Twitter page,
as soon as it happens, they have got this really
cool graphic that has gone up, or they've pulled video
from you know, their past, like you could say like
Treshaun Morton, he could have highlights from the Chiefs and
(24:27):
that's coming out instantaneously. And it is so neat to
watch our coworkers work on such a fast pace to
be able to have these really really neat visual elements
or audio elements or pictures of these guys, so as
you said, so that fans can get to know them,
get to know who they are, what they can do
(24:49):
on the field and sometimes off the field. And as
you said, it's really being prepared for pretty much anything.
So they will have a backlog of images they will have,
they will be scouring those articles of like here are
the top free agents, as you said, the top one
hundred free agents, and they will have stuff for I
mean thirty thirty five guys ready to go. And I
(25:11):
just think, as you said, I always enjoy the process
as reporters, and I always marvel at what these in
house teams and out of house media too. Everyone has
to be ready to go at a moment's notice, and
as you said, most of the time, pretty much all
of the time, there is no inside there's no inside
scoop until it actually happens. So it's just really neat
to see everyone working in concert and that's something that
(25:32):
maybe people don't know, you know what, all good, Well,
of course we're focused on who is coming, but there's
a lot that goes on behind the scenes.
Speaker 4 (25:38):
Oh absolutely, and like shout out, like you said, to
the guys here and gyles here in the stadium who
really put together just tremendous, tremendous information. And I just
had a moment's notice to be able to get that.
I get the notifications pop up on my phone, so
I get the notifications when anything happens with the Panthers,
and they have just great stuff and the stories that
they write, like immediately Darren Ghm and like said Cassidy Hill,
(26:01):
they just they churn out the stories so quickly and
just great stuff. It's not just like oh, we signed
so and so here's what it did last year when
they have like the in depth kind of information and
this stuff, so you can really get to know them
as a player but also as a person. For the
most part, you know, not everybody, but a lot of
the guys. They try to go in depth with them
and get some really good information on those guys. So
the social media team and the everybody doing the website
(26:24):
and everything, they put out the information so quickly and
such great information that it's a great place to get
all of your panthers info, like you know, right right
as it happens, that they're just right on top of it.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
It's awesome.
Speaker 2 (26:35):
Well, Sharon, this was a blast, as it always is.
I'm so glad that we did a free agency catchup
and hopefully we provided everyone listening with some interesting you know,
with some different angles on things. As we get ready
to meet these new players, will certainly be seeing a
lot of them, and this was just great and I'm
sure that we'll be talking soon the draft. We've got
all sorts off season coming up. Because it is a
(26:57):
new year, it always sneaks up on you.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
We've got a lot of exciting stuff coming up.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
Absolutely well, this is a lot of fun and we'll
catch it again here soon
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!