2017 Offseason Outlook (cap space, draft picks,etc)

[panther4life]

All salary cap, free agent info, etc can be found here: http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/carolina-panthers/cap/2017/

CURRENT ESTIMATED CAP SPACE: 62.7 Millon minus 7.7 Million rookie pool = 55 Million after draft class is signed.

Pending Unrestricted Free Agents, age:

1. Kawann Short (27)
2. Charles Johnsn(30)
3. Tedd Ginn Jr.(31)
4. Mario Addison(29)
5. A.J Klein(25)
6. Colin Jones(29)
7. Lenoard Johnson(26)
8. Mike Remmers(27)
9. Michael Griffin(31)
10. Chris Scott(29)
11. Kyle Love(30)
12. Teddy Willams(28)
13. Ben Jacobs(28)
14. Ryan Wendell(30)

Restricted Free Agents

1. Norwell
2. Philly Brown
3. Horton
4. Whittaker
5. Bersin
6. Young

We have 16 players counting 2 million or more against the cap. In order

1. Cam-       $20.1
2. Luke-       $12.7
3. Olsen       $10.3
4. Kalil          $8.3
5. Stewart    $8.25
6. Davis       $8.25
7. Lotulelei  $6.75
8. Oher       $5.5
9. Gano      $3.8
10. Coleman $3.65
11. Solalai    $3.5
12. Lee        $3.5
13. Dickson $2.7
14. Benjamin $2.4
15. Thompson $2.4
16. Anderson  $2.2

Depending how much cap space we deem we need, some of these players could be asked to restructure or be cut outright to save more room/roster spaces.  Heres how much we could save by cutting each. Any dead cap hit could be spread over 2 years. 

Player,cap savings,dead cap

1. Stewart, 4.75 million, leaving 3.5 in dead cap,
2. Gano, 3.1 Million, leaving 750k in dead cap.
3. Soliai, 2.5 Million,leaving 1 million in dead cap.
4. Lee, 3.4 Million, leaving 0 in dead cap
5. Dickson, 2 Million, leaving 600k in dead cap.

Numbers worth knowing 

2016 DT Franchise Tag, 13.6 Million. Don't have 2017's number yet but this should be close.

Charles Johnson's 2016 Cap hit, 2.6 Million. This should serve as a good reference point if he decides to come back.

Ted Ginn's last deal. 2 years 4.2 Million. Another good reference point if he is brought back.

36.7 Million. This would be our cap space if we resigned Johnson and Ginn to their previous deals, signed the rookie class and Franchised Short.  (This is before any cap savings moves are made via extensions, restructures or players being cut. 

2017 Draft Picks

We will have 8 total picks this year. We will retain our 1st-6th picks(barring trades), plus pick up a compensatory for Norman. We will get one of the Brown's 7th round choices and previously traded our own 7th this year to the Seahawks for Norwood.

2018 is the year we owe the Browns our 4th for Andy Lee.

 

 

 

[chknwing]

with being so close to the 1st round with the 8th pick in the 2nd, I can see gettlemen moving up to say 31st or so to have 2 players with a 5th year option.

[Nails]

16 minutes ago, chknwing said:

with being so close to the 1st round with the 8th pick in the 2nd, I can see gettlemen moving up to say 31st or so to have 2 players with a 5th year option.

Sounds good and no doubt the Patriots would be game from 29-32, but I fear the price would be too steep due to the QB needy teams in front of us unless ALL of them (at least four) reach at the top of the first.

[top dawg]

I know some are probably going to disagree, but that 4th for Lee sticks out like a sore thumb in light of the way Palardy filled in.  It furthers my belief that overpaying (for) kickers is totally unnecessary. Yeah, it's crying over spilled milk, and kickers are very important to the team, but homework and due diligence leads to untapped value.

[Kakarot]

So, if we cut Lee we save 3.4 million? Hmm... Palardy has done well in Lee's absence. Sucks we gave up a 4th for Lee.

Soliai, Lee, and Dickson should be let go of as well. We're going to have some money to spend this year. Need to bring in some productive veterans to help with the incoming rookies, and younger players on the roster. Not doing that bit us in the bottom this past season, and was a major Gettleman fug up

[Ken]

Palardy was fine as a fill in but Lee was still much, much better. Hope he is back. Probably going to be cut and signed to a cheaper deal.

[panther4life]

With all the cap space we will have and roster upgrades needed, it looks like we should re-sign 

Johnson, Ginn, Addison, Norwell, Brown and Klein, if they all have reasonable demands.

I wouldn't be upset to go ahead and part way's with Gano as well.

Everybody else would be welcomed back, then can earn their roster spot by competing with the best we can bring in via the draft and free agency.

I have not looked at who is available, but I would like us to target veteran upgrades at Offensive tackle SS,DE, CB,and WR.

This time around, hopefully we can find veterans who aren't at the end of their career since we have more money to work with than in previous years.

Since we have such a low pick this year, I have already honed in on my favorite target and thats Leonard Fournette. I think he could come in immediately and being an instant impact player, while sharing carries with Stewart. 

I personally think Fournette could prove to be the best combination of talent available and player most ready to be a force immediately for us, above any other player or position that we may see sitting at pick # 8.  For our needs it would be nice to find the next Julius Peppers or Jordan Gross sitting there but that seems unlikely at this point from what Ive read. 

[Snake]

2 hours ago, top dawg said:

I know some are probably going to disagree, but that 4th for Lee sticks out like a sore thumb in light of the way Palardy filled in.  It furthers my belief that overpaying (for) kickers is totally unnecessary. Yeah, it's crying over spilled milk, and kickers are very important to the team, but homework and due diligence leads to untapped value.

It's a 4th for a pro bowl punter. Not only that but the Browns have to wait a whole year to get it. 

[BIGH2001]

Gano has to be let go or restructure and come back with stiff competition at training camp. That number is absurd for the lack of production from him.  He directly cost us at least 3 games this season with his untimely misses.  He also missed a huge FG in the super bowl.

[Nails]

2 hours ago, Kakarot said:

So, if we cut Lee we save 3.4 million? Hmm... Palardy has done well in Lee's absence. Sucks we gave up a 4th for Lee.

Soliai, Lee, and Dickson should be let go of as well. We're going to have some money to spend this year. Need to bring in some productive veterans to help with the incoming rookies, and younger players on the roster. Not doing that bit us in the bottom this past season, and was a major Gettleman fug up

Palardy earned a roster spot, somewhere.  Lee is still much better.

[top dawg]

9 minutes ago, Snake said:

It's a 4th for a pro bowl punter. Not only that but the Browns have to wait a whole year to get it. 

OK, I may just be overreacting to a poo storm of a season, but seeing Lee gingerly walking around like he was just so lost---like he couldn't believe it, but knowing exactly what the fug was going on grated on my nerves. 

[panther4life]

Personally I'd keep Lee. We're not hurting for cap space by any means and he could prove to be part of the solution next year.

We don't need to create more holes to be filled unless we are making upgrades. I don't see an upgrade to Lee being available.

[*FreeFua*]

There is no reason why Philly should be brought back. Even if for peanuts, please let him walk. 

Damiere Byrd needs to be given wayyyyy more looks and this coaching staff is too blind to see it with guys like Philly and Bersin booting around. 

[Dunn]

Those saying let go of Lee are crazy, can't stress enough how a punter can give our defense great field positioning by an accurate punter.  Remember the times he put the ball inside the 10 multiple times?  If our defense can get back to shape of what they were in 2015, with him punting that will give us some very favorable field positions through-out the game.