Are We Headed for a Fire Sale?

[TheNewStandard]

Coming into the season, it was plain to see who the core of this team was and where our allegiances lie. But five games in we are looking at new additions and subtractions from that core list of players we thought were the core.

Here is the list of the perceived core of players coming into the season from what I have gathered from most accounts.

Cam

Kalil

Olsen

Tolbert

Luke

CJ

Star

Hardy

TD

Now that the season is 1/3 over, Hardy is in the doghouse and possibly on the way out. CJ is injury riddled with a sharp decline in production with a monster salary. Star has bit the sophomore wall and his counterpart Short is surging ahead. Tolbert, even when healthy was looking pedestrian and easily replaceable. Even Kalil is playing like any other center on any other team...albeit he is the leader of our rag-tag, fugitive fleet of molsters so he kinda gets a pass.

Besides Luke, Cam, Olsen and maybe Short, who are the other safe bets to truly build around to keep this team from getting blown up and turned into a dumpster sale?

I'd be more than willing to keep the Kraken, knowing full-well he's learned some mighty tough lessons and a serious bit to his stock as another DV citation will see him out of the league and off the payroll for good. He's simply too valuable to just let walk away.

I truly feel big Frank can replace big money (CJ,) at the other end because Rivera and Gettleman are choosing to stick with him. CJ has a ton to prove he's worth keeping and with injuries mounting and a young Kony Ealy being mentored and developed, CJ could be odd man out with or without the return and possible signing of Hardy.

What's keeping this team from getting gutted aside from the rookie contracts already on the books? Cam and Luke can walk away if they want in a couple years and we only have one franchise tag to issue so there's really no guarantee we can keep them both but I will wager that DG and JR are willing to cut and cheap sale trade any and all other non-rookie contract players to keep these guys paid and on the roster.

In 2016 we could reasonably only have Cam, Luke, Benjamin, Turner, Star, Short, Kalil and Benewikere as hold-over starters from this year's team. Granted, that's a strong core but how much closer to a Super Bowl will that get us and how many more home runs are we gonna need in the draft and via FA is it gonna take?

Are we in danger of losing Cam or Luke and falling off the cliff for the forseeable future?

[LinvilleGorge]

Big Frank is as good as gone.  Hardy too.

 

CJ could be a salary cap casualty, but someone (I'm looking at you, Ealy) is going to need to step up big time.  Kalil could be too, but I just don't know if we can quite afford to let him go right now.  He's the only OL we have who would start for most other teams.  At least the DL has other quality pieces.  The OL doesn't.

[davos]

[4Corners]

need to raise post count to start a thread. #justsayin

[rodeo]

The part that bugs me is that we're going to have to spend some high draft picks to keep our defense strong, and our offense will keep ailing because of it. We will need DEs for sure, and we'll also need an LB and S and maybe a CB or two.

[TheNewStandard]

Big Frank is as good as gone. Hardy too.

CJ could be a salary cap casualty, but someone (I'm looking at you, Ealy) is going to need to step up big time. Kalil could be too, but I just don't know if we can quite afford to let him go right now. He's the only OL we have who would start for most other teams. At least the DL has other quality pieces. The OL doesn't.

I'm just not buying the Hardy or Frank being gone. Hardy is just as valuable as Luke or Cam. He's irreplaceable. Our d has gone from #2 to #20 and the schedule isn't close to being equal in representation. Hardy is that valuable

[PandaPancake]

They're willing to keep Hardy if he wears an ankle monitor and becomes the night watchman at the stadium

[teeray]

Frank is much more likely to be back next season than Hardy IMO

[LinvilleGorge]

I'm just not buying the Hardy or Frank being gone. Hardy is just as valuable as Luke or Cam. He's irreplaceable. Our d has gone from #2 to #20 and the schedule isn't close to being equal in representation. Hardy is that valuable

 

Why bother to keep Frank?  He's a decent player, but the guy is smoking himself out of the league.

 

All I needed to see was JR fighting tears when talking about Hardy and domestic violence to know that we'd seen the end of him in a Panthers jersey.

[PandaPancake]

Is Alexander appealing that ruling at all?

[TheNewStandard]

The part that bugs me is that we're going to have to spend some high draft picks to keep our defense strong, and our offense will keep ailing because of it. We will need DEs for sure, and we'll also need an LB and S and maybe a CB or two.

I think we can continue to plug n play cheap and savvy vets in our secondary as long as we can keep our front 7 mostly intact. CJ is getting replaced, no doubt...regardless of the cap hit. Rotating Dwan, Star, Short and Cole on the interior and returning FAlex, hopefully the Kraken and the progression of Ealy should shore up the DL for years if they can stay on the field.

adding a young fast OLB to replace TD is a lot easier to do than replacing an all-pro top 5 DE that's balanced in both pass and rush...all while being "our guy born and bred."

[AU-panther]

I think we can continue to plug n play cheap and savvy vets in our secondary as long as we can keep our front 7 mostly intact. CJ is getting replaced, no doubt...regardless of the cap hit. Rotating Dwan, Star, Short and Cole on the interior and returning FAlex, hopefully the Kraken and the progression of Ealy should shore up the DL for years if they can stay on the field.

adding a young fast OLB to replace TD is a lot easier to do than replacing an all-pro top 5 DE that's balanced in both pass and rush...all while being "our guy born and bred."

I think both Dwan and Cole are free agents next year.

[TheNewStandard]

Why bother to keep Frank? He's a decent player, but the guy is smoking himself out of the league.

All I needed to see was JR fighting tears when talking about Hardy and domestic violence to know that we'd seen the end of him in a Panthers jersey.

Frank is ideal as a rotational end and is versed in the system. I have a lot of faith that he can be the stop gap til Ealy gets up to speed. Man if we could get that end from Clemson I'd forget all about Our DE problem.

Yeah I saw JR but he's got to know that chick was way out of line and a any and every voted-in judge is gonna take the hard-line in a chick's favor every time. Gotta let the trial play out to get a fair shake

[Pejorative Miscreant]

I'm just not buying the Hardy or Frank being gone. Hardy is just as valuable as Luke or Cam. He's irreplaceable. Our d has gone from #2 to #20 and the schedule isn't close to being equal in representation. Hardy is that valuable

The defense has struggled in a couple of games but Hardy is only part of the reason for this. Davis being gimpy and out coupled with the our interior DL not getting good pushes off the snap had a lot to do with that.