Official NFL Free Agency Thread

[TheSpecialJuan]

Free agent OG Amini Silatolu is visiting the Cardinals.

Silatolu has torn both of his ACLs since entering the league, but he is a scheme fit in Arizona as a 6-foot-4, 311-pound power blocker. Silatolu turns 28 this September. He'd be worth a flier at around the NFL minimum salary.

[therealmjl]

47 minutes ago, Growl said:

Its a very concerning to see Gettleman going all in on the fact that because we made the Super Bowl (and lost) last season that we must no doubt one of the top two teams in the league this year. Teams with that method have horrid history. This team certainly doesn't use free agency to set up the draft, regardless if you'd like to believe otherwise.

Smh.

How many years have we seen this approach from Gettleman? Regardless of what you think, we most certainly do use FA to set up the draft to allow us to take BPA.

What glaring hole do we have that we need to spend big $ on a FA during the first week of free agency anyway??

Besides...

http://www.carolinahuddle.com/boards/topic/126433-dt-paul-soliai-visiting-panthers/?page=1

 

[The Lobo]

8 minutes ago, mjligon said:

Smh.

How many years have we seen this approach from Gettleman? Regardless of what you think, we most certainly do use FA to set up the draft to allow us to take BPA.

What glaring hole do we have that we need to spend big $ on a FA during the first week of free agency anyway??

Besides...

http://www.carolinahuddle.com/boards/topic/126433-dt-paul-soliai-visiting-panthers/?page=1

 

Exactly. We always sit and wait this is no big deal. Why over spend when we can get quality guys for cheap and draft well.

[Growl]

17 minutes ago, mjligon said:

Smh.

How many years have we seen this approach from Gettleman? Regardless of what you think, we most certainly do use FA to set up the draft to allow us to take BPA.

What glaring hole do we have that we need to spend big $ on a FA during the first week of free agency anyway??

Besides...

http://www.carolinahuddle.com/boards/topic/126433-dt-paul-soliai-visiting-panthers/?page=1

 

I think you're missing the point , especially by referencing our interview with Paul Soliai. Despite whatever Gettlemanism this board is obsessed with recycling, this team has most certainly not used free agency to address needs and liberate us to do what we like in the draft. Actually, we've spent a lot of high picks on needs-and when no value was their , our refusal to address the area earlier in the off season ends up costing during the season, as we settle for extra years with byron bells and Antoine cason's and jerricho Cotcherys (or Kevin norwood or Jason avants or etc etc etc)

 

I'd like to see this team use free agency to replace old underachievers and actually free us to draft that way and do it without consequence. Instead we've desperately wrestled to keep an aging roster together for one last hurrah in the hopes that because they were almost good enough last year (losing to a team who places a strong emphasis on the methodology mentioned above) that they will absolutely be good enough this year, meanwhile willing to throw some interest at a couple fossils.

 

Free agency was loaded with youthful talent in the defensive backfield. We should've made a move. Instead we'll be hoping this season for no injuries at all and for a late round pick to step up and be an impact player.

[TylerVagyler]

1 minute ago, Growl said:

I think you're missing the point , especially by referencing our interview with Paul Soliai. Despite whatever Gettlemanism this board is obsessed with recycling, this team has most certainly not used free agency to address needs and liberate us to do what we like in the draft. Actually, we've spent a lot of high picks on needs-and when no value was theur , our refusal to address the area earlier in the off season ends up costing during the season, as we settle for extra years with byron bells and Antoine cason's and jerricho Cotcherys (or Kevin norwood or Jason avants or etc etc etc)

 

I'd like to see this team use free agency to replace old underachievers and actually free us to draft that way and do it without consequence. Instead we've desperately wrestles to keep an aging roster together for one last hurrah in the hopes that because they were almost good enough last year (losing to a team who places a strong emphasis on the methodology mentioned above) that they will absolutely be good enough this year, meanwhile willing to throw some interest at a couple fossils.

 

Free agency was loaded with youthful talent in the defensive backfield. We should've made a move. Instead we'll be hoping this season for no injuries at all and for a late round pick to step up and be an impact player.

Gman has been here for 3 seasons. In those 3 seasons we have won 3 division titles, increased our level of talent and fixed our disastrous cap situation. Maybe you should just try trusting him?  

[Growl]

1 minute ago, TylerVagyler said:

Gman has been here for 3 seasons. In those 3 seasons we have won 3 division titles, increased our level of talent and fixed our disastrous cap situation. Maybe you should just try trusting him?  

Are you going to say 'ha gettlemagic brah!' next and evade the discussion completely because of I've got a great insult ready to go

[TylerVagyler]

Just now, Growl said:

Are you going to say 'ha gettlemagic brah!' next and evade the discussion completely because of I've got a great insult ready to go

No. But I'd love to hear your genius insult anyways.

Free agency isn't over. There's still talent out there. We will add some helpful players. I'm not one of the users on here that thinks he understands everything Gman does, or thinks he can predict every move he will or won't make. I just know he's made many more good decisions than bad in his short time here, and he's significantly improved our team for the future while winning in the present. I don't see any need to panic about not signing anyone so far. 

[ctrcat]

40 minutes ago, Growl said:

I think you're missing the point , especially by referencing our interview with Paul Soliai. Despite whatever Gettlemanism this board is obsessed with recycling, this team has most certainly not used free agency to address needs and liberate us to do what we like in the draft. Actually, we've spent a lot of high picks on needs-and when no value was their , our refusal to address the area earlier in the off season ends up costing during the season, as we settle for extra years with byron bells and Antoine cason's and jerricho Cotcherys (or Kevin norwood or Jason avants or etc etc etc)

 

I'd like to see this team use free agency to replace old underachievers and actually free us to draft that way and do it without consequence. Instead we've desperately wrestled to keep an aging roster together for one last hurrah in the hopes that because they were almost good enough last year (losing to a team who places a strong emphasis on the methodology mentioned above) that they will absolutely be good enough this year, meanwhile willing to throw some interest at a couple fossils.

 

Free agency was loaded with youthful talent in the defensive backfield. We should've made a move. Instead we'll be hoping this season for no injuries at all and for a late round pick to step up and be an impact player.

Star, KK, Kelvin, Kony, Trai, Shaq, Devin.  Not sure what lulu formula you used to say we've reached for need when no value was "their" with high picks, but I see a 1.000 batting % with nary a whiff or reach in the group.  Assuredly, EVERYONE listed above would be taken at or above their original picks in a hypothetical redraft.

Despite picking an average of 22.33 on the draft board, the collection of talent listed above is CLEARLY better than any team in football, rounds 1-3, 2013-2015 drafts.  The gap is so wide you'd likely find entire divisions with less talent than the one team and man that chose 22.33.

[Growl]

40 minutes ago, ctrcat said:

Star, KK, Kelvin, Kony, Trai, Shaq, Devin.  Not sure what lulu formula you used to say we've reached for need when no value was "their" with high picks, but I see a 1.000 batting % with nary a whiff or reach in the group.  Assuredly, EVERYONE listed above would be taken at or above their original picks in a hypothetical redraft.

Despite picking an average of 22.33 on the draft board, the collection of talent listed above is CLEARLY better than any team in football, rounds 1-3, 2013-2015 drafts.  The gap is so wide you'd likely find entire divisions with less talent than the one team and man that chose 22.33.

I never at any point said we "reached for need" thus rendering the rest of the post obsolete. We have however indisputably devoted many early draft picks to areas of need, and as mentioned originally but beyond your ability to process, was when we haven't been in a position to acquire players of need, we'd spend the following season simply going without.

[R0CKnR0LLA]

Chargers agreed to terms with CB Casey Hayward on a three-year, $15.3 million contract with $6.8 million guaranteed.

Easily the top cornerback left on the free agent market, Hayward should get an opportunity to be a full-time player in San Diego after focusing on slot corner in Green Bay. Turning 27 in September, Hayward earned PFF's No. 21 coverage grade among 118 qualified cornerbacks last season and logged a career-high 65 tackles with seven pass breakups. He'll likely play left corner opposite Jason Verrett in base packages, and man the slot in San Diego's "sub" defense.

Prices have dropped off heavily, with the top CB now only getting around $5 million per season. At the beginning of free agency is was close to triple that.

[jdpanther5]

Don't think you can say we don't address needs via free agency and then say we do during the draft. Last year we signed Oher, Ginn, Tillman, and Coleman, all which immediately addressed positions of need and played a ton of snaps. 

The draft? Shaq: Keeping strengths strong I guess, obviously LB wasn't a need; Funch: Not that we didn't need another young receiver, but he wasn't expected to contribute immediately was only forced to the forefront due to injury. 

The other rookies - Williams, CAP, Mayo, Marlowe, Wegher, and Delaire - were hardly utilized ranging from spot time/special teams to the inactive list. We definitely use FA to set up the draft. 

[ctrcat]

41 minutes ago, Growl said:

I never at any point said we "reached for need" thus rendering the rest of the post obsolete. We have however indisputably devoted many early draft picks to areas of need, and as mentioned originally but beyond your ability to process, was when we haven't been in a position to acquire players of need, we'd spend the following season simply going without.

In case you forgot, Marty Hurney was real and here is a reminder http://grantland.com/features/the-roster-moves-made-panthers-gm-incompetent-best/

Every team has "needs", wants, whatever you want to call them.  But we now have less than 31 other teams, less than 4 years removed from the aforementioned article.  Discipline, a rare word in today's society, which GMan mentioned ad nauseum, is a large reason why.  And we're still 5 months away from showtime 2016.

[CWORS]

Who of the FA cornerbacks that are left fit our scheme and we have a chance of signing?

Boykin- Steelers

Robinson- Chargers

Thurmond-Eagles-I know he played safety but he was a CB prior

[d-dave]

13 hours ago, Growl said:

Are you going to say 'ha gettlemagic brah!' next and evade the discussion completely because of I've got a great insult ready to go

I think on one hand, many of us have given up trying to predict how to build a team compared to how Dave Gettleman does.

There are no shortage of Arm Chair, Madden GMs around the NFL.  We have always been dismissed as a lesser team each season because we didn't sign the marque FAs.  Yet we have won 3 straight NFC South championships, and made playoff progress each year.  So there is that.

So it's easy for us to look at FA lists and stats, and who we think are "improvement" players.  But we aren't GMs.  We're fans.  While it's fun to play the game, ultimately it's up to professionals to improve our team.

I think that the reason we don't make big splashes in FA is because these guys are getting over paid, and don't fit into what we do. That's a bad value position.  One thing we've seen from Gettleman is his desire to get the best value out of his picks and players.  So far, so good.