Nicks not ready to call it a life. A good plan B in case Jennings never comes?

[jake.tjalma]

Pass.  I'll take my chances in the draft.  He couldn't supplant an old, slumping Wayne.  

[t96]

Pass.  I'll take my chances in the draft.  He couldn't supplant an old, slumping Wayne.  

 

"Couldn't supplant"  or "no matter how well he played, Wayne was going to be the guy based on his past in the organization"?

[panthers90]

Something, something, Stephen Hill.

[Delhommey]

Cound someone chart the declining number of UNC fanboy posts over the last few seasons swearing that Nicks is ready for a breakout year?

[top dawg]

Cound someone chart the declining number of UNC fanboy posts over the last few seasons swearing that Nicks is ready for a breakout year?

First of all, who is a UNC fanboy? Second of all, this thread is not really about Nicks having a breakout year, as much as it is about him desiring to get back on track as a consistent threat. Third, it's a discussion as to whether Nicks will ultimately be a better WR for us than Jennings would in the long term (and had you really been paying attention, whether both are even good options at this stage of free agency, or even their careers, notwithstanding young talent in the draft).

Just an FYI: I am unapologetically a Carolina Panthers "fanboy" (if you will). That being the case, I will offer up options and/or discussions about what I feel might help to make the team better. Simple as that.

As for Nicks, I could easily make an argument that he already had a breakout year, but fell off a cliff since then due to nagging injuries. Moreover, being that Nicks has ties to Charlotte and with Dave Gettleman---even to the point of there being some mutual interest last off season---as well as the Panthers' painfully obvious need to upgrade the wide receiver position, a motivated, healthy Nicks who displayed flashes of his potential, reminiscent of his first couple of years in the league, is still an intriguing topic (at least to some).

The thread literally has nothing to do with UNC to people who view the Panthers wide receiving corps awake and with their eyes wide open. I could care less where Nicks attended college.

Now if I started a thread about how Chris Conley was going to be the next best receiver since Emmanuel Sanders, or that Ray Drew is really the good guy version of Grey Hardy just waiting to be nurtured before he breaks out of his shell, or that Damian Swann was the next best thing to Joe Haden, then maybe this "fanboy" thing would have more weight.

[Khyber53]

Big names that haven't signed yet are generally because the talent evaluators on teams don't think they're worth the money being asked. If Jennings or Nicks was such a surefire bet, some team would have ponied up the asking price already or at least enough money to grab their attention.

 

These are guys at the ends of their careers fellows. They aren't going to save a team's season. There are enough desperate teams out there that if either were worth more than giving an UDFA a shot in camp, they would have swept them up by now. 

 

We're not fully loaded at WR, but we're not even close to desperate. Let 'em go unless they are willing to sign a vet minimum of bonuses deal.

[Fox007]

I'll admit I'm a little surprised that Jennings, Nicks, and Crabtree aren't getting many looks...the NFL is definitely changing and I think those guys would have been easily signed 4-5 years ago.

 

 

[Paintballr]

"Couldn't supplant" or "no matter how well he played, Wayne was going to be the guy based on his past in the organization"?

The fact that Wayne is now a FA says otherwise. Nicks put money on himself and lost. He knows this is probably his last contract and if he doesnt perform or do well he won't be signed again.

If he knew he wasn't going to be 100% with his explosion off the line etc as the article stated why bet on yourself and sign a 1 year prove it deal with the colts? It sounds like a bunch of crap that " oh look at the tape the last few games" compared to it all. Its like me saying " well boss sorry my P&L numbers sucked the first 3 quarters but I broke even on the last quarter!" He wouldn't be happy

[t96]

The fact that Wayne is now a FA says otherwise. 

 

How? They didn't cut him, his contract expired. Benching a player like him is a hell of a lot different than not re-signing him towards the end of his career. 

[t96]

First of all, who is a UNC fanboy? Second of all, this thread is not really about Nicks having a breakout year, as much as it is about him desiring to get back on track as a consistent threat. Third, it's a discussion as to whether Nicks will ultimately be a better WR for us than Jennings would in the long term (and had you really been paying attention, whether both are even good options at this stage of free agency, or even their careers, notwithstanding young talent in the draft).

Just an FYI: I am unapologetically a Carolina Panthers "fanboy" (if you will). That being the case, I will offer up options and/or discussions about what I feel might help to make the team better. Simple as that.

As for Nicks, I could easily make an argument that he already had a breakout year, but fell off a cliff since then due to nagging injuries. Moreover, being that Nicks has ties to Charlotte and with Dave Gettleman---even to the point of there being some mutual interest last off season---as well as the Panthers' painfully obvious need to upgrade the wide receiver position, a motivated, healthy Nicks who displayed flashes of his potential, reminiscent of his first couple of years in the league, is still an intriguing topic (at least to some).

The thread literally has nothing to do with UNC to people who view the Panthers wide receiving corps awake and with their eyes wide open. I could care less where Nicks attended college.

Now if I started a thread about how Chris Conley was going to be the next best receiver since Emmanuel Sanders, or that Ray Drew is really the good guy version of Grey Hardy just waiting to be nurtured before he breaks out of his shell, or that Damian Swann was the next best thing to Joe Haden, then maybe this "fanboy" thing would have more weight.

 

It's funny... The people instantly turning down the notion of considering Nicks are just as bad as the "UNC fanboys" they're talking about. This is a legitimate discussion, regardless of where Nicks went to college. Especially when you consider the meeting last year and that DG was with Nicks in NY. I have a weird feeling he'll sign here on a 2 year deal that's nearly identical to Fozzy's... Allowing him an opportunity to possibly rebuild his value, play back at home, and if he sucks, lets us cut him. Not any time soon obviously, but considering his lack of interest I don't see how that wouldn't benefit both sides. Nicks was one of the best YAC guys in the league and an amazing hands catcher before his lingering injuries. It's not unreasonable to think he could be productive again as a WR2. I don't expect it, but no reason to rule it out.

[Carolina Cajun]

Nope, nicks had a contract last year and flushed it down the toilet to play 5th fiddle in Indy. He had to know he had no chance of improving his stock there, but that was his choice, now it'll be his choice when he's out of the NFL by 2016.

[Paintballr]

How? They didn't cut him, his contract expired. Benching a player like him is a hell of a lot different than not re-signing him towards the end of his career.

It means they are willing and able to move on. He could have been a 3 WR and been okay. We cut Steve Smith yet he was "un teachable" to many. Wayne still wants to play and the colts haven't said " come on back" it would have been even easier for the colts to move on if Nicks was a huge improvement and wayne contact expired

[top dawg]

The fact that Wayne is now a FA says otherwise. Nicks put money on himself and lost. He knows this is probably his last contract and if he doesnt perform or do well he won't be signed again.

If he knew he wasn't going to be 100% with his explosion off the line etc as the article stated why bet on yourself and sign a 1 year prove it deal with the colts? It sounds like a bunch of crap that " oh look at the tape the last few games" compared to it all. Its like me saying " well boss sorry my P&L numbers sucked the first 3 quarters but I broke even on the last quarter!" He wouldn't be happy

Perhaps, but no one really knows the inner workings of the Colts' coaches' thinking, except for the Colts. There quite possibly could have been some loyalty issues overshadowing Nicks' ability to get on the field considering Wayne's history with the team.

Bottom line, Nicks was arguably better than Wayne by season's end, and this article was not the first to point out Nicks' overall improvement.

People may not want to hear it, but considering that Nicks was arguably their fourth receiving option (maybe even fifth), his relative productivity was greater than any of our guys'---at least those not named Olsen and Benjamin. That should say something to people.

Nicks may even be with the Colts now had he been willing to take a marked pay cut and lesser role, but I am pretty sure that's not where his head was when the season ended, nor when free agency began.

Now I am not saying Nicks is a good answer for us in real terms because I don't know about his fit within the organization from a chemistry/mental standpoint---his, or Gettleman's, but on paper from an on field perspective, he looks like an option worth considering (particularly if Greg Jennings is still on the table).

[mav1234]

If the price is right... which I doubt it would be...