Panthers officially hold No. 1 pick in 2011 NFL Draft

by Dan Kadar on Dec 26, 2010 7:23 PM EST in 2011 NFL Draft

See that fat guy on the right? Is that Dusty Rhodes? (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

By virtue of Cincinnati and Denver "improving" to 4-11 today, the Carolina Panthers officially hold the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Now Panthers fans must wait until Jan. 15 to find out if Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck enters the draft.

The Panthers traded the first pick in the second round of the 2011 draft to the Patriots in order to select defensive end Everette Brown athlete (?) Armanti Edwards this year. Carolina also traded its seventh round pick in order to take long snapper J.J. Jansen.

Unless it is traded, this is the highest pick in franchise history for the Panthers. In 2002, the team had the second overall pick in the draft and selected defensive end Julius Peppers.

The Panthers held the first overall pick in the 1995 draft, but traded it to Cincinnati. The Bengals selected running back Ki-Jana Carter. Carolina received the fifth and 36th overall picks, choosing quarterback Kerry Collins and defensive tackle Shawn King.

The last draft-day trade involving the No. 1 pick came in 2004. San Diego selected quarterback Eli Manning and traded him turned out to be quarterback Phillip Rivers, linebacker Shawne Merriman and kicker Nate Kaeding.

Carolina drafted quarterback Jimmy Clausen in the second round of this year's draft. Some think he should be given a chance next season. On the season, Clausen is completing 51.9 percent of his passes for 1,376 yards, 2 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.

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Correction.

The Panthers traded the first pick in the second round of the 2011 draft to the Patriots in order to select defensive end Everette Brown this year. Carolina also traded its seventh round pick in order to take long snapper J.J. Jansen.

It was Armanti Edwards not Brown.

by RjTheMetalhead on Dec 26, 2010 7:48 PM EST reply actions

Ah, right. I was getting my bad Panthers trades mixed up. Thanks.

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by Dan Kadar on Dec 26, 2010 7:49 PM EST up reply actions

He is second in sacks for DE's taken last year.

But whatever.

by RjTheMetalhead on Dec 26, 2010 8:08 PM EST up reply actions

Yes, his 3.5 sacks are really tearing things up.

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by Dan Kadar on Dec 26, 2010 8:14 PM EST up reply actions

lmao

He’s a good young DE prospect.

by Ol' Uncle Munnerlyn on Dec 26, 2010 10:33 PM EST up reply actions

Considering they came in the last few games he played

I’d say he was just hitting his stride. Who knows, he might have five or six by now if he weren’t on IR.

by Flowing Willow on Dec 26, 2010 10:44 PM EST up reply actions

I like Brown

But he’s started all of 3 games over his first two years in the league. That’s a pretty poor return for a first-round pick.

by Sander on Dec 27, 2010 12:58 PM EST up reply actions

We have a 50/50 DE rotation

He ain’t missing playing time.

by RjTheMetalhead on Dec 27, 2010 2:11 PM EST up reply actions

Brown was picked in the 2009 draft

and that’s how we (the 49ers) got two number ones last year.

by ChesapeakeBay9er on Dec 27, 2010 8:25 PM EST up reply actions

I've read articles in the past few hours that suggest Andrew Luck may stay another year.

Because of academics. Who knows though…

by TerpsAllTheWay on Dec 26, 2010 10:29 PM EST reply actions

I've read that too

I wouldn’t be surprised if he stays another year, but if I were in his corner I wouldn’t advise it. His stock can’t get any higher than it already is, and all he should do is look at Jake Locker and his decision to return to school, if he had come out last year he probably would have been the #1 pick, now he may not crack the first round.

If academics are his reasoning, he should realize that you can always finish school later, but now is the time to take your career to the next level. We’ll see what happens, I think the uncertainty of NFL games being played next year will also be taken into consideration for him.

by KJDH2154 on Dec 26, 2010 11:29 PM EST up reply actions

Sucks, but Sam Bradford did it.

He still went #1 Overall.

by TerpsAllTheWay on Dec 27, 2010 1:10 AM EST up reply actions

If the money doesn't matter to him (and I think it doesn't) staying in school makes perfect sense

Yes, you could always return later. But it makes more sense to complete your education early rather than later. Especially if you want to serve as an example to your kids in the future.

Staying in school another year can hurt his draft stock, but it can’t really hurt his development as a quarterback. The fact that even if a new CBA is reached in time for football to start, there still likely won’t be much of an NFL offseason will count as well.

by Sander on Dec 27, 2010 1:01 PM EST up reply actions

Locker wasn’t near the prospect that Luck is now.

Mike Marra is the worst Division 1 Starter in college basketball

by TheRealSlimShady on Dec 27, 2010 7:03 PM EST up reply actions

And the Patriots keep getting richer...

…Nice.

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by Richard Hill on Dec 26, 2010 11:08 PM EST reply actions

i knew it was a bad trade when it happened then

and it’s still a bad trade now, regardless of if Panthers were picking #1 or #32

Our team seriously needs new people evaluating WR because we’ve only drafted Steve Smith and he is by far the exception and not the rule as far as our WR drafting goes

by vitzeng on Dec 27, 2010 12:36 AM EST up reply actions

My thoughts exactly. I don’t know how the Patriots continue to get away with these "robbery’ picks. Too many teams make stupid trades with them.

by keebler elf on Dec 27, 2010 2:45 AM EST up reply actions

I'd guess too many teams let emotion and crushes on players rule, rather than strategic decision

They’ll say “I really like this player, I must have him” and give up too much value in next year’s draft for it. Part of that is caused by the ‘win now’ instead of ‘build for the future’ mentality a lot of teams have.

If owners do this it’s the worst, and if head coaches do it you need a strong GM to stand up to that.

by Sander on Dec 27, 2010 1:03 PM EST up reply actions

.. or it's just crazy trading

For example, look at what the Patriots got for trading away the Clay Matthews pick.

To sum up, the Packers got Clay Matthews for that pick. The Patriots, after other wheeling and dealing, got Julian Edelman, Brandon Tate, Derek Cox, Darius Butler and Rob Gronkowski for that pick.

by satsunada on Dec 27, 2010 6:48 PM EST up reply actions

That one isn’t a good example.
I view that as bad for neither team, but the Packers were the clear winners. The Packers got a star on D, while the Pats got 4 so-so players and a good TE.

Mike Marra is the worst Division 1 Starter in college basketball

by TheRealSlimShady on Dec 27, 2010 7:06 PM EST up reply actions

My thoughts exactly... and the Raiders lost today.. even better :P

by satsunada on Dec 27, 2010 5:17 AM EST up reply actions

Haha, I figured you’d say that. The real question is does Belichick turn that into a 2012 before or during the draft?

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by Dan Kadar on Dec 27, 2010 6:53 AM EST up reply actions

I think he trades down the Oakland pick to the mid-20s...

…and he’ll keep the 32nd and 33rd picks. Hopefully trading down Oakland’s pick will pick up a mid 3rd, which can be packaged up with the Minnesota 3rd for a mid 2nd.

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by Richard Hill on Dec 27, 2010 1:30 PM EST up reply actions

If Luck is there

I expect they’ll take him. He’s too good a prospect to be passed over, and Claussen may still fetch a decent trade return.

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by Conjunction on Dec 27, 2010 1:29 AM EST reply actions

I can't see Claussen bringing much

Moore might bring more(pun intended)

Cassel out, Andrew Luck in!

by BAMFSpecialOps on Dec 27, 2010 7:20 AM EST up reply actions

lol

ahhh i see what you did there

by vitzeng on Dec 27, 2010 2:25 PM EST up reply actions

I think they can get a middle 3 from someone

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by Conjunction on Dec 27, 2010 9:06 AM EST reply actions

I'd give a 4th for him:-)

by ChesapeakeBay9er on Dec 27, 2010 8:30 PM EST up reply actions

This line of reasoning is probably incorrect

but it is my understanding that the 1st pick (& only the 1st pick) in the draft can be signed prior to the draft, which means that possibly the first pick in this years draft would be unaffected by the new CBA. If this is true then that might be another reason for Luck to come out this year

by ENsDad27 on Dec 27, 2010 9:12 PM EST reply actions

if the Panthers were smart...

…they would be trading the top overall pick to a team with multiple high round picks (in the First, Second, and Third). Just not to the Pats. That would be sick.

Panthers have gaping needs everywhere, as a terrible team is wont to have. But just not at QB (Clausen isn’t that bad, he needs better O-line and WR help), which is what most teams will draft for at top overall pick. It wouldn’t matter if Luck goes for the draft or not: the next QB on the list will simply move up as the most coveted.

So I gotta ask, who’s got multiple picks in the top three rounds that the Panthers could trade with… and would be a team in need of QB?

The 2010 Bucs: Considering their two-minute offense works wonders... Why can't EVERY offensive drive be run like that during the other 58 minutes of the damn game?!

by witty on Dec 28, 2010 9:43 AM EST reply actions

Oh god.

Every other Panthers fan is gonna explode on you for that train of thought.

by RjTheMetalhead on Dec 28, 2010 10:22 AM EST up reply actions

hey carolina do you really think that Luck wants to play for you!!!! bwa ha ha ha ha

ok people let’s get a reality check here. does any one really think that Luck will come out and enter the draft if he thinks he will be drafted by the Carolina Panthers!!!!! I don’t think so. I expect the Forty niners to swap picks with Carolina and give them their first and second and third round picks to draft Luck. Second to Mike Shannahan don’t even think about drafting Jake Locker. Jake Locker does not want to play for the Washington Redskins, Jake Locker does not want to play for the Minnesota Vikings. Jake Locker wants to play for the Seattle Seahawks. Jake Locker will be the next Quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks and Jake Locker will take the Seattle Seahawks to their second superbowl appearence.

by urbanahawk on Dec 29, 2010 8:42 AM EST reply actions