4 Teams that will not make the Playoffs in 2014

[Servant of Cthululelei]

At least this guy says that the our offseason was due to the crippling salary cap situation.  Unlike dozens of writers at more reputable sites whose insights are more along the lines of "OMG WTF Y DID DA PANTERS MAKE DO BAD THINGS AND BE STOOPID?!? LOL TEY SUX".

 

I still disagree and think that we managed to improve overall despite the losses, but only time will tell.

[shelbypanther]

I want to see back-to-back winning seasons first, if the playoffs come into play, fine and dandy.

 

You figure either SEA or SF will grab one of the wild card spots, it will be tough since you know the league will want the Katrina pity party to continue and get NO the division title and at least one home playoff game in the Big Sleazy.

[LinvilleGorge]

I'm glad the writer acknowledged our cap situation, but he's going overboard a little with it saying Gettleman could do nothing to improve our team due to the cap space issue. He mentions that we tagged Hardy and that tag was a big reason why we had little flexibility this off-season.

[carolinarolls]

 but he's going overboard a little with it saying Gethsemane could do nothing to improve our team due to the cap space issue

 

.. especially since he did improve it by getting a legit red zone threat.  One true weapon Cam has lacked his entire pro career.

 

 

also..

 

"in tact."

 

 

[Snake]

Most people think losing Smith was a bad thing. I think they will change there mind when the season starts. Like it or not Smith lost a step last year and dropped more balls than any other time I have seen. Even Smith said he would have retired after this year so it was a good move by DG.

[SCP]

At least this guy says that the our offseason was due to the crippling salary cap situation. Unlike dozens of writers at more reputable sites whose insights are more along the lines of "OMG WTF Y DID DA PANTERS MAKE DO BAD THINGS AND BE STOOPID?!? LOL TEY SUX".

I still disagree and think that we managed to improve overall despite the losses, but only time will tell.

Agree, at least the author pointed out that Gettleman took over for an idiot and is working through a shitty situation.

[joemac]

I don't get the hate for our new WR corps. Cotchery will more than likely replace Smiths production (and maybe then some) Avant could easily replace Lafell...and we have a potential beast in Benjamin. I'm really not worried about the guys Cam has to throw to. That's not even mentioning Olsen and the possible production we could get from Dickson in a 2 TE set.

Add to that a hopefully healthy Stewart, Williams and the always beastly Tolbert...and I think we could have a very productive offense. Cam should count for ATLEAST 30 total TDs. I'm hoping more this year as his game really starts coming together in his 4th season as a starter.

Only huge question mark is the o-line, but I have faith G-man will keep tinkering and RR and the staff can get the guys we have ready to kick some ass.

Also, what I thought was the best defense in the league last year should only get better as our young studs all have another year under their belts. Our future is extremely bright....this year and for the foreseeable future.

fug the haters.

[PiratePanther189]

They lost me when they didn't know how to spell Philadelphia.

[caatfan]

There seems to be a consensus from the shallow end of the pool that Gman doomed the team to missing the playoffs this season by letting all the WR's leave. What we had was one legit starting WR, at the tail end of his career, along with some guys whose names will be forgotten in a few years. If you take the time to look at the current crop, and stack 'em up against last year's crew, I think we're better off now, top to bottom. We may even get decent performance from the OL, despite the absence of Gross.

 

There may not be 12 wins in the cards this year, but I don't see the team regressing that much.

[rayzor]

the only area that we have taken a step back in is OT in losing gross.

 

even though we haven't spent much, i think we'll be going into next season better. i think the front 6/7 will be better just because of experience together with the scheme and that mcD will open up the playbook a bit more. adding ealy might have been a luxury pick(depending on what we do with Cj or hardy), but for this year all it did was make our front 4 more unrelenting.

 

we replaced inconsistent pass catchers with a couple very disciplined receivers who catch everything thrown their way and added a big huge threat that seems to be building an incredible chemistry with cam. we seem to be going back to  2 TE sets essentially adding brandon williams from obscurity who will very likely be used in a variety of ways and we still have the ever reliable greg olsen...cam's most consistent and effective target from last year.

 

the interior of the OL seems to be set now and it looks like we have LT answered...not exactly to my liking, but at least it's not bell. chandler has a lot of potential. natural talent, super quick for a guy of his size and strong.

 

other teams around us may have gotten better, but i think we're still ahead. we may not have the (expensive/overpriced) star power that other teams may have added...at least not yet....but i don't think they've done enough to make them anymore than marginally better than us and even then, that's being gracious to them.

 

i don't know that we will win the nfcs again, and i'm not sure i want us to seeing as how poorly we do coming out of bye weeks. we don't have an early bye week this year so i think it will take less of a toll on them going into the playoffs without a bye than it would have last year.

 

i know that several teams every year who made it to the playoffs the previous year won't be back the following...but i don't see that being us. i think we make it back and actually win at least one game.

 

i've said it since the beginning of the cam/rivera era, once this team learns how to win they are going to be hard to stop. i think we've learned.

[caatfan]

They lost me when they didn't know how to spell Philadelphia.

That's been fixed, but there's no 'c' in defense-   "if they do make the playoffs, it’ll take nothing short of a coaching gem by Ron Rivera, Newton carrying the team on his back or the defence playing at the level the Seahawks did in the Super Bowl."

[BettyBangzer]

There are too many unknowns with the Panthers to make these kinds of assertions. 

[Chaos]

I don't trust a writer that spells it "offence".

[Ivan The Awesome]

Yea we're going to miss those 750 receiving yards, quite an insurmountable production level right there

 

 

Gross is going to be missed a lot more than the previous receiver corp.