Trading Places
Posted April 27, 2008, 5:09 PM ET

The 2008 NFL Draft is finally complete. Hallelujah!

We can all breathe a sigh of relief that Mel Kiper, Jr. and his hairdo can disappear from our television screen for at least another year. Somebody needs to mention to ESPN's Todd McShay that it's his turn to talk again.

We can now move on with our lives while every media blowhard in America tallies up how well they did in their respective mock draft. The only thing worse are the ubiquitous letter grades listed by the same draft-geeks to every NFL team's efforts, based on their draft selections.

As far as the Carolina Panthers are concerned, I have no idea how well first-round picks Jonathan Stewart or Jeffrey Otah will perform this season, but I loved the gutsy moves by John Fox and Marty Hurney.

If there was ever any doubt about the importance for Fox/Hurney to perform well and win in 2008, it was on display during the first round of the 2008 draft. Everybody knew that the Panthers had to address three basic needs: running back, offensive tackle and defensive end...in no particular order.

The selection of Stewart with the thirteenth pick made sense. The kid is a power back and on paper, looks like he can help the team immediately. But it was the trade to move back into the first round that will be a defining moment for both John Fox and Marty Hurney.

While nearly every Panther fan debated Stewart vs. Mendenhall, or a back versus an offensive tackle...the Panther brain trust made a ballsy move. They traded away numerous picks to Philly, including next year's first round pick, to get back into the offensive tackle sweepstakes.

With the nineteenth pick in the first round, the Panthers added Jeffrey Otah to the mix. There is no doubt that the Pitt lineman will be asked to immediately help....and with the quantity and quality of picks sent to Philadelphia, the kid better be a big-time player.

I loved that Fox/Hurney didn't play it safe. If the trade and picks work, this will be a defining moment for both guys and the franchise. If Stewart and Otah are up to the draft-hype, the Panthers should be in great shape to be a playoff-factor in 2008. If you're Fox/Hurney, you can't worry about next year....2008 is a make-or-break season.

If Otah is just another stiff, Fox/Hurney will be a distant memory. Even more so than Stewart, the Panthers rolled the dice big-time with the selection. If the Panthers fall short of the playoffs this season as well as being without a first round pick in 2009, it seems pretty obvious that there will be major changes with the organization.

As I state on the air all the time with draft picks, you never know how good this class will be until a few years down the road. But the Fox/Hurney approach in the opening round of the 2008 NFL Draft was fabulous. It pushed all the chips in the middle of a giant football-poker table. There's no question that for Fox/Hurney, they're "all in".

Regardless of how you feel about either first round pick...if you loved it or hated it, you've got to hand it to the Panthers' brain-trust this year; they have made it a great debate on the air and around the water cooler, this time around. Normally, John Fox is one of the most boring interviews and quotes that you can ever find, but I loved the aggressive attitude on draft day.

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While the Panthers were making some big noise in the NFL Draft, the Charlotte Bobcats were making some moves of their own.

Sam Vincent was fired less than 11 months after being hired by Michael Jordan. Oh, well; back to the drawing board. The last few weeks have not been the best of times for Bobcat Nation. Between Bob Johnson's stupidity and Michael Jordan's new search for a court leader, the team seems to be looking for a life-preserver.

Since Larry Brown left the Philadelphia 76ers organization earlier in the week, it seems likely that he would be coming to Charlotte. Why not? The guy is a great coach, and this might be the only NBA city that he hasn't been the head coach for during his illustrious career. Throw in the fact that he's a North Carolina alum, and it seems like a perfect fit. The team could use his help and direction.

I couldn't help but laugh when I heard the news of Vincent's firing. The Bobcats organization sent out an email to all media to alert us of the firing, and the fact that Michael Jordan would not be available to the media for comment. What else could the Director of Basketball Operations be doing that would prevent him from meeting with the media to discuss this major announcement with his franchise? In this case, I'm guessing it was too nice a day to cancel the 36 holes of golf, or another big night of partying and gambling.

I can't imagine another pro sports franchise that would fire their coach and the man directly responsible not be available to meet or discuss the decision with the media in their own backyard. Perhaps the email delivered by the Bobcats about Jordan's availability, or lack thereof, is a perfect example of the problem with the Bobcats in Charlotte.

If it turns out that the Bobcats can rent Larry Brown for a short time, it would be an improvement.