Opinions: Can they fix this team in one off season?

[LinvilleGorge]

I'm more interested in whether they can fix this season

 

I just don't see how.  We don't have NFL level talent on the OL.  We have exactly one guy who could start on most other teams (Kalil).  We don't have a single OT who could make many other NFL rosters.  That's just the truth. When you combine that with one of the slowest collective groups of WRs in the NFL, you've got a recipe for disaster.  Other than the OL, that is the biggest key element this roster lacks - SPEED!  When you look at our WRs and secondary, they have to be the slowest collective units in the NFL.

[Captain Morgan]

Easily. We can make the o-line twice as good by signing merely decent FAs at both RT and LT and either get Hardy back or use that money on safety help, and we'll draft well early like we always do and young guys like Norwell, Turner, Ealy, Bene, Norman, KB, Philly will all continue to improve and help us. Our defense is solid for the most part, we just need to fix the o-line and I think we'll be good enough to be a playoff team.

 

Can't happen at LT.  Possible to improve at RT, but we'll have to overpay. 

 

http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/left-tackle/

[t96]

Can't happen at LT.  Possible to improve at RT, but we'll have to overpay. 

 

http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/left-tackle/

 

Roos at LT, Dunlap at RT and boom instantly more than twice as good as our current line. We could afford those two with half of what we paid Hardy not to play this year.

[Nick_81]

Roos at LT, Dunlap at RT and boom instantly more than twice as good as our current line. We could afford those two with half of what we paid Hardy not to play this year.

 

Though I almost never read the "Cat Scratch Reader," because most of it is blathering BS, this article caught my attention.  

 

Are the Panthers a better team with Hardy? Yes, absolutely. Adding an elite defensive end makes any team better -- but what's being lost in clamoring for him to return is the realization that pass rush hasn't been the problem. On Thursday Night Football the defense ostensibly held the Saints to 21 points and forced turnover on back-to-back drives. That should be enough, for any team. An inability to capitalize on offense is what has pushed Carolina to the wrong side of the win column, and unless Hardy has been studying how to be an offensive tackle during his absence then adding him back really wouldn't help.

 

Don't believe me? Let's try a little exercise. Tell me the five teams that lead the NFL in sacks right now. Don't cheat.

1. Minnesota Vikings (4-5)
2. Buffalo Bills (5-3)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-8)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (5-3)
5. New York Jets (1-8)

The three top pass rushes in the NFL are a combined 16-27 on the season. Carolina is currently 14th in the league with 20 sacks, three away from the Top 10. Is this some overarching sign that defense isn't important? No, absolutely not -- but contrast this with the best teams in the league at allowing sacks.

1. Denver Broncos (6-2)
2. Oakland Raiders (0-8)
3. Cincinnati Bengals (5-2-1)
4. Baltimore Ravens (5-4)
5. Philadelphia Eagles (6-2)

Remember it's 16-27 for pass rushing teams, now we see it's 22-18-1 for teams who can protect, with Oakland being a weird outlier because of course they are.

The issue was never lacking Greg Hardy, the problem was having Hardy in the first place. Dave Gettleman pushed his chips to the center of the table, steadfast in his belief that overwhelming pass rush was more important than anything else. This plan backfired and now we're all dealing with the powder burns.

Forget the off-field issues, the trial, any of that other mess. Let's break down the economics here: The Panthers had no reliable offensive linemen outside of Ryan Kalil, they were cash strapped -- and yet decided to spend $13.1M on a franchise tag for Hardy.

Point the finger at Marty Hurney all you want for the overarching cap woes, the Panthers have no offensive line this season because of the decision to spend so much money on one defensive end. It's a plan that would have worked if the offensive line was nearly as competent as we heard it would be during training camp, but it wasn't.

Here's what $13.1M could have bought in free agency this year:

 

• Starting left tackle Jared Veldheer, who hasn't allowed a sack this season for Arizona. ($2.5M)
• Starting right guard Jon Asamoah. Signed with the Falcons who rank in the top half of the league in sacks allowed and yards-per-carry. ($2.8M)
• Starting right tackle Breno Giacomini. Signed with the Jets and hasn't allowed a sack this season. ($2.65M)

There you have it. We just fixed the entire Panthers offensive line this season for $7.95M, and have $5 million left. This money could have retained Brandon LaFell over signingJerricho Cotchery, could have added quality players in the secondary or added a veteran pass rusher to fill the void left by losing Hardy.

None of these things happened. It's about talent evaluation from a front office lauded for its ability to evaluate talent.

The call now for Greg Hardy to return to the Panthers is a diversion tactic, it's that simple. He wont get reinstated by the league after that can got opened, so it's an opportunity to scapegoat the shield for the team's current woes. Many will believe it too, feeling that this is the playoff team if only the Kraken was available. Right now it's not, and there's no way out.

Time and effort was invested in ensuring the defensive line was strong while paying no mind to the loss of Jordan Gross. If I thought No.69 was vindictive I'd say he was laughing about it, but that's not his style. Instead Carolina will keep trying, likely keep failing -- all because they can't keep Cam Newton upright.

That wont be the focus though. We'll keep hearing about how Hardy needs to play and a whole new debate will rage. Ultimately the real problem wont get fixed for another year when there's too much cap space to blunder (hopefully). Every decision the front office made needed to be perfect for the Panthers to return to the playoffs, it wasn't -- and that's why this team is 3-5-1 right now.

Some I agree with, some I don't.  There's some valid points in there though.

[t96]

Though I almost never read the "Cat Scratch Reader," because most of it is blathering BS, this article caught my attention.  

 

Some I agree with, some I don't.  There's some valid points in there though.

 

Another case of hindsight is 20/20 but it also does backup my point that we can improve the offensive line immensely in FA and we could conceivably even do so while keeping Hardy (though we aren't likely to keep him). Everybody crying about getting OT in the draft doesn't understand it. We won't draft an OT unless it's the best value at that pick. 

[Nick_81]

Another case of hindsight is 20/20 but it also does backup my point that we can improve the offensive line immensely in FA and we could conceivably even do so while keeping Hardy (though we aren't likely to keep him). Everybody crying about getting OT in the draft doesn't understand it. We won't draft an OT unless it's the best value at that pick. 

Even if we did draft one, likelihood of them being worth a damn, for at least a couple of years, is loooow.

[t96]

Even if we did draft one, likelihood of them being worth a damn, for at least a couple of years, is loooow.

 

Exactly