They just forget about last year??? (Mock Draft)

[Gin and Juice]

27 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

Not sure about Johnson, and I will tell you why---(I disagree with the article, by the way, suggesting it is unlikely).http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14670101/playoff-teams-lose-players-every-offseason-guys-next-nfl

Gettlemen will not lose a starter without trying to work it out.  Johnson's numbers and age may be prohibitive as a free agent---a one-sack 2015 at age 30 could make his salary very reasonable in free agency.  Let's say he is cut--he gets $4m from the Panthers, and probably signs a 3-year deal in the $20m range.  By not agreeing to an extension, he gets approximately $8m per season to play for a team that may not have a shot at the Super Bowl.

So Gettlemen will sell the Panther family to Charles, asking him to take a pay cut to stay with a winner.  Instead of losing the $4m and overpaying him $15m to keep him, I think Gettlemen will offer him a similar deal--over the next three years, Johnson gets $25m or so.  That costs the Panthers $8m per season, which is basically cutting his salary in half.

Why extend Johnson when his productivity has waned?  Well, he needs a force on the other side.  Hardy gave him that.  Secondly, Johnson has shown signs of being back--after a 1-sack season, he has 2 in the playoffs, one a forced fumble.

Johnson is 29 and in his prime.  The Panthers are not in bad cap shape at all--$24.8 million under right now.  Once they cut Jared Allen, which is a given, that number drops to $32m under the cap.  Throw in the Johnson savings, that number falls to $39m below the cap.

Now lets draft a DE and spend $14m to re-sign Norman, while giving Star and KK a pay raise (costing about $15m).  That leaves $10m for free agency (including signing the draft picks)--the way Gettlemen finds talent, that is going to be a DB or two. 

Personally, I hope CJ sees the light and signs an extension at a reasonable rate.  If so, it gives us more options to address other areas and gives us time to develop a draft pick DE.   

 

What you are forgetting is CJ has no benefit to staying on at a reduced rate. DE's get gobbled up and way overpaid in FA. Financially, it benefits him to hope for a cut and sign another deal with 20-30mil guaranteed. If he gets cut, he will have gotten 80-85% of his deal here. Any deal he finds that pays him over 10mil guaranteed is money in the bank.

CJ gonna worry about CJ and I can't blame him! Any deal Dave ask of him would involve giving money back to the Panthers. If Dave finds a way to sign him to a deal that keeps him and reduces cap hit significantly, then that really will be some GettleMagic

[Gin and Juice]

All that said about Cap, I really feel Gman gets Scooby Wright in this draft for the Sam spot. Instinctively it's like having another Luke on the field

[tondi]

Can't imagine CJ taking much less to say here if he can convince somebody with more money than sense to pay him big bucks.

[Gin and Juice]

12 minutes ago, Haplo E said:

We need veterans in the offensive side. Rookies take way to long to develop. We'll have plenty of vets to pick from in free agency. Would be nice if Mike Wallace would get cut so we can land him.

What? Wallace would be a horrible vet! Look at vets that can come in and teach! Cotchery is perfect example. I see us at most signing a vet O-line. Maybe a vet WR if Cotchery hangs it up, but right now, Kalil, Olsen, Stewart, Cotchery and Ginn are the vets

[MHS831]

3 hours ago, Gin and Juice said:

What you are forgetting is CJ has no benefit to staying on at a reduced rate. DE's get gobbled up and way overpaid in FA. Financially, it benefits him to hope for a cut and sign another deal with 20-30mil guaranteed. If he gets cut, he will have gotten 80-85% of his deal here. Any deal he finds that pays him over 10mil guaranteed is money in the bank.

CJ gonna worry about CJ and I can't blame him! Any deal Dave ask of him would involve giving money back to the Panthers. If Dave finds a way to sign him to a deal that keeps him and reduces cap hit significantly, then that really will be some GettleMagic

I did address that, but I am not sure I am right.  Who is going to pay $10m per to a DE with 1 sack in his previous season and a recent injury history?  He may get some play, but it will not be anything near his current salary, and $11m of his remaining $15m is not guaranteed. 

He has already made over $50m.  Stay and win a (nother?) ring.  Let's not forget that Ron and Dave went to CJ's mother's funeral. There is a family atmosphere here.  If I am him, and I get a 4-year deal with Buffalo for $30m with $12 guaranteed, and the Panthers extend my deal 3 years at $25m (total deal)  and guarantee $14m, for example, I go with the Panther offer.  RIngs, family, and more guaranteed. 

I am not an expert here, Gin, just trying to create a situation where his departure is not a given. 

[Matthias]

I see Carl Nassib being the pick at the end of round 1.  I don't think CB is as big a need as we might think.  We will either resign Norman or franchise him, and Bene will be back at full health.  Tillman still has a year on his contract and I can see him not retiring this year.

[The Lone Panther]

6 hours ago, Matthias said:

I see Carl Nassib being the pick at the end of round 1.  I don't think CB is as big a need as we might think.  We will either resign Norman or franchise him, and Bene will be back at full health.  Tillman still has a year on his contract and I can see him not retiring this year.

Call me crazy, but I could see us keeping McClain.  Cheap and serviceable.  Better than Teddy Williams. 

[Icebox]

Here are some good targets at positions of need that might be around when we pick at 31:

RB:
Ezekiel Elliot

WR:
Corey Coleman

OT:
Jack Conklin
Taylor Decker

DE:
Kevin Dodd
Shaq Lawson
Emmanuel Ogbah

CB:
McKenzie Alexander
Eli Apple

On a side note, it will be a lot of fun to watch what the Saints do this offseason. They are in salary cap hell. The only way to dig themselves out of it appears to be cutting Brees.

[ShutDwn]

5 hours ago, MHS831 said:

Not sure about Johnson, and I will tell you why---(I disagree with the article, by the way, suggesting it is unlikely).http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/14670101/playoff-teams-lose-players-every-offseason-guys-next-nfl

Gettlemen will not lose a starter without trying to work it out.  Johnson's numbers and age may be prohibitive as a free agent---a one-sack 2015 at age 30 could make his salary very reasonable in free agency.  Let's say he is cut--he gets $4m from the Panthers, and probably signs a 3-year deal in the $20m range.  By not agreeing to an extension, he gets approximately $8m per season to play for a team that may not have a shot at the Super Bowl.

So Gettlemen will sell the Panther family to Charles, asking him to take a pay cut to stay with a winner.  Instead of losing the $4m and overpaying him $15m to keep him, I think Gettlemen will offer him a similar deal--over the next three years, Johnson gets $25m or so.  That costs the Panthers $8m per season, which is basically cutting his salary in half.

Why extend Johnson when his productivity has waned?  Well, he needs a force on the other side.  Hardy gave him that.  Secondly, Johnson has shown signs of being back--after a 1-sack season, he has 2 in the playoffs, one a forced fumble.

Johnson is 29 and in his prime.  The Panthers are not in bad cap shape at all--$24.8 million under right now.  Once they cut Jared Allen, which is a given, that number drops to $32m under the cap.  Throw in the Johnson savings, that number falls to $39m below the cap.

Now lets draft a DE and spend $14m to re-sign Norman, while giving Star and KK a pay raise (costing about $15m).  That leaves $10m for free agency (including signing the draft picks)--the way Gettlemen finds talent, that is going to be a DB or two. 

Personally, I hope CJ sees the light and signs an extension at a reasonable rate.  If so, it gives us more options to address other areas and gives us time to develop a draft pick DE.   

 

100% agree. The last two years have felt like he's 33 and not 28-29.  Unless he goes off in the SB I don't think his market is great so he is best served extending re-structuring. 

I'd love to get a good edge rusher in the first few rounds.

 

I know Alexander is a fug up but at this point why not pay him the minimum and once his suspension is over we have great/cheap injury insurance.

[The Lone Panther]

20 minutes ago, Icebox said:

Here are some good targets at positions of need that might be around when we pick at 31:

RB:
Ezekiel Elliot

WR:
Corey Coleman

OT:
Jack Conklin
Taylor Decker

DE:
Kevin Dodd
Shaq Lawson
Emmanuel Ogbah

CB:
McKenzie Alexander
Eli Apple

On a side note, it will be a lot of fun to watch what the Saints do this offseason. They are in salary cap hell. The only way to dig themselves out of it appears to be cutting Brees.

Would rather hold out another year on a RB and draft Chubb next year.  

 

With Tolbert most likely being resigned, Stew being kept along with CAP and Wegher, and even Cam, we're solid at RB.  Probably pick up a guy as a UDFA to store on the practice squad.  My top choice is Brandon Wilds.

 

 

[Gin and Juice]

4 hours ago, MHS831 said:

I did address that, but I am not sure I am right.  Who is going to pay $10m per to a DE with 1 sack in his previous season and a recent injury history?  He may get some play, but it will not be anything near his current salary, and $11m of his remaining $15m is not guaranteed. 

He has already made over $50m.  Stay and win a (nother?) ring.  Let's not forget that Ron and Dave went to CJ's mother's funeral. There is a family atmosphere here.  If I am him, and I get a 4-year deal with Buffalo for $30m with $12 guaranteed, and the Panthers extend my deal 3 years at $25m (total deal)  and guarantee $14m, for example, I go with the Panther offer.  RIngs, family, and more guaranteed. 

I am not an expert here, Gin, just trying to create a situation where his departure is not a given. 

But at the end of the day, so as it appears, he isn't worth the extension. We went undefeated without him. Giving him more money just to keep him in a Panther uni is very Hurney-like move

[Matthias]

4 hours ago, The Lone Panther said:

Call me crazy, but I could see us keeping McClain as a #2 corner.  Cheap and serviceable.  Better than Teddy Williams. 

If Tillman didn't return, Bene should be the #2 corner.  As for who would play nickel, I honestly would like to see Shaq cover the slot going forward.  Keeping our base defense on the field.

[MHS831]

5 hours ago, Matthias said:

I see Carl Nassib being the pick at the end of round 1.  I don't think CB is as big a need as we might think.  We will either resign Norman or franchise him, and Bene will be back at full health.  Tillman still has a year on his contract and I can see him not retiring this year.

Nassib is who I want--realistically.

[The Lone Panther]

1 hour ago, Matthias said:

If Tillman didn't return, Bene should be the #2 corner.  As for who would play nickel, I honestly would like to see Shaq cover the slot going forward.  Keeping our base defense on the field.

Crap, I mean't #2 as in a backup, not a starter.  Sorry for the confusion.