Carolina Panthers fan here about Kurtis Gregory

by silver82blade on Jun 26, 2010 4:58 AM CDT

Alright, hook us up with the deal on this guy. Carolina got him as an undrafted free agent, and he got past the first wave of UDFA cuts when they started signing their draft picks. What are his strengths and weaknesses? What do you think his chances are of making the team (if any of you happen to know anything about our guards)? Thanks folks.

Oops, this didn't make the 75 word minimum. I have to make it longer. That should do it.

FanPosts may be posted by any RMN member and may not reflect the views of the management staff of Rock M Nation or SB Nation.

Tweet Comment 12 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

If intangibles alone could earn a roster spot...

… he’d be a shoo-in. Incredibly bright guy, great leader, etc. He’s not built of the hulking variety of most NFL linemen. His strength was never too much of a problem in college, but I can imagine it being a bit of a concern at that level. He was really very solid in his time at Missouri, although every now and then he’d have a tendency to lean and get caught off-balance.

Honestly, I’d be a bit concerned about him at guard in the NFL, but I really do think that he could make the transition to center and contribute. He’s the agile, cerebral type of player that teams could use to anchor the middle of their lines and call out protections.

What’s the word on him coming out of Carolina? How have they been using him?

http://www.RockMNation.com
Follow RMN on Twitter!

by RPT on Jun 26, 2010 8:31 AM CDT reply actions

I dunno. I haven’t heard one peep about him, and I wasn’t at minicamp. He’s listed as a guard on the Panthers’ website though. Mackenzy Bernadeau, who may start at guard this year, is widely considered the backup center though. Of course, the Pro Bowl center they have is the starter, Ryan Kalil. They also have Steve Justice listed at center, who is a 3rd year guy they picked up this offseason. I don’t know whether Justice makes the team or not.

If Gregory wants to compete at guard though, there’s only 3 guys on the team I’d consider locks to make it. One is an entrenched starter for many years, Travelle Wharton. Duke Robinson and Bernadeau are battling it out for the other starting gig, and it’s wholly likely the other will still make the team. The other backup job is currently between 4 guys, one being Gregory.

Thanks for the info. It should be interesting to see what happens.

stuff 'bout stuff.

by silver82blade on Jun 26, 2010 9:16 AM CDT up reply actions

Of course, that’s all assuming they only keep 4 guards, which isn’t set in stone. They had offensive line injury problems last year, so they may stock up more than normal.

stuff 'bout stuff.

by silver82blade on Jun 26, 2010 9:24 AM CDT up reply actions

Personally..

I think because of his work ethic and intangibles he would be a wonderful player to have as a backup. He would be fine coming off the bench for a few snaps a game and giving the starters a breather or if one gets a stinger. However, I would be a little concerned if he was my every day starting guard in the nfl.

Annoying You Since 1986

by MUTIGERS86 on Jun 26, 2010 9:31 AM CDT up reply actions

I hope so.

If he does make the team, he’ll need to be “fine” at the very least, ‘cause the Panthers offense is wholly based on establishing a dominant run game. It’s a run first, vertical passing offense. Without the run first part, it’s a whole lot of sacks and long incomplete passes.

stuff 'bout stuff.

by silver82blade on Jun 26, 2010 9:37 AM CDT up reply actions

That is the only part that may hold him back in my eyes.

With our offense, I always took our linemen to be more zone blockers. But, if you say dominant running game to me, I would think more about man on man. If anyone is smart enough to make that sort of transition, it would be Gregory, and clearly we are all hoping for the best for him.

Advocating for the "Spreadbone" since 2010
Rock M Nation

by The Beef on Jun 26, 2010 10:58 AM CDT up reply actions

I was a bit surprised CAR signed Gregory...

instead of a zone blocking team. The John Fox Panthers like their interior linemen big. I was trying to think of Carolina player comparisons… maybe Mike Wahle, but Wahle is bigger I think. Curtis Gregory is more like former Seahawks guard Chris Gray, if that means anything to you. Undersized, and dependent on technique. Gray is most likely Gregory’s upside — solid starter.

Like others have mentioned, it’s easy to see Gregory transitioning to center. It sounds like you all are stacked at backup center.

"Those who fear disorder more than injustice inevitably produce more of both." -- Rev. William Coffin

by dcrockett17 on Jun 26, 2010 10:35 PM CDT reply actions

I don't know what blocking scheme they use, honestly.

I know they switched to a zone in 2007 when the new offensive coordinator, Jeff Davidson, arrived. It was a fairly big story. Our linemen were having trouble getting the push they needed with man-blocking. We had one guy who backed up every line position, and he was 301 pounds. However, since then they have made a conscious effort to recruit bigger and stronger guys, and now we have a pretty beefed up line. I never heard whether they switched back or not, and I really can’t tell just from watching games. I’ll ask some Carolina fans who might know more and get back to you. If I had to guess without asking, I’d say they still used a zone scheme just ‘cause it worked and coaches don’t like to change their philosophies unless they have to.

I don’t think Gregory is really undersized though. He’s the exact same height and weight of one of the guys competing for the starting RG spot, Bernadeau. He’s 6’4", 308 pounds. Now, the other guy competing for the vacant starting spot is 330 pounds, but I still wouldn’t consider Gregory undersized. Maybe he put on weight since leaving college, or maybe he just doesn’t play physically/strong enough to show his full potential.

stuff 'bout stuff.

by silver82blade on Jun 27, 2010 2:27 AM CDT up reply actions

He's a good guy

Gregory’s uncle is my pastor, so he always talks about Kurtis at church and has even attended several church services. I’ll talk to my pastor and see whats going on with him.

by Reno62793 on Jun 27, 2010 11:24 AM CDT reply actions

Gregory has an excellent mix . . .

. . . of brains and attitude to go with his average size. He may not be immediate all-pro material, but I gotta believe he will stick with somebody if given a chance to show what he can do – either at guard or center.

by countrycal on Jun 27, 2010 8:04 PM CDT reply actions

versatility is the first thing that comes to my mind

this guy has the smarts and the technique to step in anywhere on the line. if you have injury problems on the line, it’s nice to have a guy or two who can back up anywhere. i think he could be a reliable backup on the inside, doubtful he would ever be a primary backup on the edge, but i’d trust him for a few plays if worse comes to worse. guys like him can make a good career in this role. not that he would ever settle for that, he will constantly work on improving. he’d also be great to have in the locker room and in the community, so long as he isn’t coming home to work on the farm too much.

by jws_ on Jun 28, 2010 6:29 PM CDT reply actions