Forget Gman's talk of having more cap space, I dont expect notable FA signings.

[PandaPancake]

Yes, because when negotiating the thing to do is tell them, "I'll give you top dollar!"

[TheSpecial1]

Listen, if you are expecting us to sign players like Cobb, Byron Maxwell, Torrey Smith or Julius Thomas, forget it.

 

Take the top 50 players on any free agent list you can find online and cross them off our list of possibilities.

 

This week has been full of news about players who were recently cut visiting other teams. We are not one of those teams.

This is the way it wild be for the first 4 or 5 days of free agency.  Gettleman will sit back and watch the Raiders give ridiculous deals to both Cobb and Suh.

 

Since we can't afford any of the top 50 free agents, there is no rush.

[top dawg]

I predict that Gettleman will not sit by and watch high priced free agents be signed. He won't be watching them at all.  Where I differ with many people it seems is that I think that he is going to get in there and bring in who he wants in fitting within his budget, and sign them.  He has a little change unlike last season where he had to wait for the bottom of the barrel. Of course he will still have to take what he can get, but he won't wait to do it.  If he wants Cecil Shorts, for example, he is not going to sit idly by and give cart blanche to the likes of teams in the Cecil Shorts market.  That would be crazy.  

[London Loves Luke]

The Raiders have $68m in cap space. The Jags have $60m and both HAVE to spend it. That means some Target FAs are gonna get overpriced and the rest of the clubs are going to have to fight over what's left. Gman may have to sit tight as a result and let the overpayment period finish before they begin reasonable FA in week 2. There's nothing wrong with this as it ensures you get value for the little cap space we have.

[TheSpecial1]

Gettleman wasn't lying when he said we'd move up in class. We will bring in multiple players. Just not big name guys.

 

Think mid-range, young, reasonably priced guys.

 

Some examples:

 

FS Jimmy Wilson    - Dolphins

FS Marcus Gilchrist - Chargers

CB Kyle Wilson       - Jets

CB Jarrett Bush       - Packers

T/G Jah Reid           -  Ravens

T/G James Brewer.  - Giants

OT Byron Stingily.    - Titans

TE Virgil Green        -  Broncos

 

 

[top dawg]

FS Jimmy Wilson    - Dolphins

FS Marcus Gilchrist - Chargers

CB Kyle Wilson       - Jets

CB Jarrett Bush       - Packers

T/G Jah Reid           -  Ravens

T/G James Brewer.  - Giants

OT Byron Stingily.    - Titans

TE Virgil Green        -  Broncos

 

Meh.

 

If that's the best he can do, then he shouldn't even bother.

[jtm]

It looks like Dallas will let Dwayne Harris go. I'd love to see us sign him bc he won't be expensive and is an excellent returner. He's young and never really got an opportunity to be a WR in Dallas. He has great potential and would be a solid signing.

[MHS831]

What are you basing your assumptions about Gettlemen on?  The past 2 years?  When he was strapped and had no options, you probably should not be predicting behavior.

 

Gettlemen is doing what he should be doing right now--locking down the core and creating a bit more cap room in the process.  I expect to hear about a new TD contract and maybe one for Norman in the near future. 

 

I will give you this: Gettlemen has not gone after players in free agency to play positions, he has gone after players to compete for positions.  There is a difference.  I am not sure that changes.

[panthers55]

Anyone who was a fan of the Panthers in the 90s and again in the mid 2000s saw us try to build through free agency and in both cases it didn't give us the results we needed. Free agency is best used to support the draft not supplant it. And even then the best pickups are often guys who are up and coming not high priced guys at their peak or guys who had 1 breakout year. Look at some of the guys who are available as WRs this year like Ginn and Nicks. They are available because their team who picked them up last year in free agency overpaid and are dumping them. If they are picked up again it will be at a lot lower than last year. Why? Because like most times they were not worth what they got in free agency. And that trend has historically been the case. For every guys who is a big pickup and worth the big bucks, there are 3 or 4 guys who disappoint. It is not a philosophy that is sustainable over time financially.

The other big issue at WR is exactly how much should be spend to improve our wide receivers group. With Olsen and Benjamin both getting 75 catches or more for a 1000 yards and guys like Philly up and coming, how many attempts are going to be out there for any free agents? We don't need more than 1 good receiver that can be a number 2. So if we plan on drafting another guy in the top 3 rounds we really need 1 free agent who can start and produce yards. There are a lot of guys out there who will fill that bill and not cost us an arm or leg. We don't need a big name WR pickup, we need a solid guy who can help in the return game. So the OP may be right but not because we aren't trying to get better or aren't willing to spend money. rather we are not going to waste a ton of money signing a guy who won't be worth what we are paying for them given the offense we run. If we can pick up a guy like Justin Hardy in the draft and pick up a guy like Ginn or Nicks or even Torrey Smith in free agency we will be fine. I have faith in Proehl maximizing whoever we get in free agency and the draft. But I have no problem not spending a ton in free agency given that historically high priced free agents have usually not worked out for us.

[2jakefansinva]

Not neccesairly, then we will have Star/Short/KB to sign, vicious cycle my friend

 

I disagree.

 

We were not in cap hell because we paid our star players...............

 

We were in cap hell because of sh*tty contracts.

[Growl]

If we sign Michael Oher and Jacoby Jones, I'm gonna be pretty stoked about it.

If we come out of free agency with our biggest signings being a backup RT and a punt returner then we're going to have some real issues

[mbarbour21]

It's kind of hard to tell what class Getts is talking about. He mentions it being a class above last year. How many classes are there to Getts? Who knows? What I do know, is he will be active in FA. I don't believe that is a smokescreen. He won't nose dive in it at the whistle throwing out all he's got, but he isn't gonna just be a spectator either. IMO, he will offer some reasonable contracts to guys who will inevitably get over payed. Then after that wave is gone, players realize they are not gonna get a ridiculous contract, a few will sign with us. That's pretty much how I see it going. No bottom of the barrel, but no over paying middle of the barrel.

[Moorgan]

Anyone who was a fan of the Panthers in the 90s and again in the mid 2000s saw us try to build through free agency and in both cases it didn't give us the results we needed. Free agency is best used to support the draft not supplant it. And even then the best pickups are often guys who are up and coming not high priced guys at their peak or guys who had 1 breakout year. Look at some of the guys who are available as WRs this year like Ginn and Nicks. They are available because their team who picked them up last year in free agency overpaid and are dumping them. If they are picked up again it will be at a lot lower than last year. Why? Because like most times they were not worth what they got in free agency. And that trend has historically been the case. For every guys who is a big pickup and worth the big bucks, there are 3 or 4 guys who disappoint. It is not a philosophy that is sustainable over time financially.

The other big issue at WR is exactly how much should be spend to improve our wide receivers group. With Olsen and Benjamin both getting 75 catches or more for a 1000 yards and guys like Philly up and coming, how many attempts are going to be out there for any free agents? We don't need more than 1 good receiver that can be a number 2. So if we plan on drafting another guy in the top 3 rounds we really need 1 free agent who can start and produce yards. There are a lot of guys out there who will fill that bill and not cost us an arm or leg. We don't need a big name WR pickup, we need a solid guy who can help in the return game. So the OP may be right but not because we aren't trying to get better or aren't willing to spend money. rather we are not going to waste a ton of money signing a guy who won't be worth what we are paying for them given the offense we run. If we can pick up a guy like Justin Hardy in the draft and pick up a guy like Ginn or Nicks or even Torrey Smith in free agency we will be fine. I have faith in Proehl maximizing whoever we get in free agency and the draft. But I have no problem not spending a ton in free agency given that historically high priced free agents have usually not worked out for us.

Good stuff from a few Huddlers. I think resigning is more important than signing at this point. I recognize we are around the corner from some monster resignings (Cam and Luke) and have a few extensions and/or restructures this year and next. Along with the draft, these are the most important things to do.

We will improve the competition through FA and may get a starter here or there, at least at the beginning of the season. But I don't think we will or even could bring in an instant starter through FA. I believe we will get FAs who will battle rookies for starting positions. Some may win and some may not but I don't see is bringing in any FAs that scream starter regardless of who we have draft.

And thinking of it in that way allows me to be excited for FA but not desperately hoping we hit a home run. Hearing of the resigning of Olsen is the kind of news that reassures me better than signing someone I recognize.

[pantherclaw]

Gettleman has no problems finding affordable free agents.