Free Agency Notes and Speculation

[Riv]

1 minute ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Baseball is the best case study for why the NFL should ALWAYS stay steadfast with a hard salary cap. Hell, the NBA's "luxury tax" system may even be worse than having a hard cap but at least they have some protection built in with the max contract stipulation. I get it that hard cap is frustrating for fans when you have to let a guy like Norwell walk, but it's the only way for a relatively small market team to be able to compete year in and year out. Other than that, you're stuck with hoping to get lucky with developing young, cheap talent and having a surprisingly good season every now and then. One of the great things about the NFL is the constant parity and that's in large part due to that hard salary cap. Take that away and people like Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder would be trying to buy Super Bowl appearances every year. 

Baseball's system is so F broken.  They need max contracts and a hard cap so badly, like before next season when Bryce Harper gets a $500 milly contract, further ruining the competitive balance.

[therealmjl]

Just now, NcPsa10 said:

 

 

Don’t do it Stew why would you even consider it. #Shula

[LinvilleGorge]

5 minutes ago, Proudiddy said:

Because Gettleman didn't do it...  otherwise, it would be GENIUS!

I think there's a lot of truth to this when it comes to a lot of the naysayers. 

I really don't understand either the pro-Gettleman or pro-Hurney camps. It is what it is. Gettleman is gone and Hurney is back. No, I'm not necessarily happy about that either, but you can't use it to cloud your views on every move that we make.

[Riv]

2 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Fast 40 time doesn't equal deep threat. Samuel is really raw as a WR and is much better at this point working underneath and using his speed/quickness for YAC and Byrd is a borderline NFL caliber WR.

Smith has shown in the past that he's a legit NFL deep threat and the past two seasons he's been in offensive systems that didn't really utilize his greatest strength. We have to hope that getting back into a system more suited to his strengths will help him regain his form. Worried about his cap hit? Release Shepard. There's nearly half of his cap hit recovered right there.

Cutting Shep /= recooping the cap hit of another player.  

Should've cut Shep, never acquired Smith and signed a legit #1 receiver, so we can move Funchess back to the #2 where he belongs and then have Byrd/Samuels for the #3 to take the top off.  Smith won't win against most corners as the #2 receiver.  He just won't.

[luke nukem]

1 hour ago, Mr. Scot said:

You forgot Pat White.

ah, pat white. I remember thinking he died watching this live

 

dont lead with your head

[LinvilleGorge]

Just now, stbugs said:

I’m sort of happy with the deal. Based on the news that Watkins may not be getting a big deal, I may end up disappointed that we didn’t make a run. That is if we end up blowing our comp picks anyway due to the many holes. Mainly hinges on Peppers but I do really like that we traded for Smith. I want the extra picks next year and I’d be fine with carrying over some cap to make a splash next year. 

If Watkins isn't going to be landing a big deal, we should absolutely be making a run at him anyway. We've spent the majority of Cam's career fielding a rag tag WR corps. Honestly, the only recently proven WR we have is Funchess. Smith is basically a shot in the dark reclamation project that we were essentially able to get for a player who was likely on the chopping block anyway. Samuel is still nothing but potential and was mighty injury prone as a rookie. Byrd? He's a JAG. I don't want to run him off, but he's a 4th or 5th WR. Clay is return man and emergency only WR. We have room on this roster for both Smith and Watkins if Watkins isn't landing a big money deal elsewhere. I like Samuel's potential, but the man that drafted him is gone. He probably shouldn't expect to have his snap counts protected. He better be ready to fight for every opportunity.

[Riv]

7 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I think there's a lot of truth to this when it comes to a lot of the naysayers. 

I really don't understand either the pro-Gettleman or pro-Hurney camps. It is what it is. Gettleman is gone and Hurney is back. No, I'm not necessarily happy about that either, but you can't use it to cloud your views on every move that we make.

I would be mad if Gettleman did this move.  100% pissed.

[LinvilleGorge]

4 minutes ago, Riv said:

Cutting Shep /= recooping the cap hit of another player.  

Should've cut Shep, never acquired Smith and signed a legit #1 receiver, so we can move Funchess back to the #2 where he belongs and then have Byrd/Samuels for the #3 to take the top off.  Smith won't win against most corners as the #2 receiver.  He just won't.

Who is this #1 WR that you're going to sign? Wait and see what Robinson is going to fetch in FA. He's the only guy out there who has proven he has the ability to produce as this mythical #1 WR that Panthers fans seem obsessed with.

[LinvilleGorge]

1 minute ago, Riv said:

I would be mad if Gettleman did this move.  100% pissed.

For that past two years, the majority of the Huddle has screamed that Worley sucks. All last year, the Huddle screamed that we badly missed Ginn and we needed a deep threat.

Fast forward a couple of months and we trade Worley for a deep threat WR and now a good chunk of the Huddle is in an uproar about it.

Sometimes I just have to chuckle.

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

57 minutes ago, ecu88 said:

Should of tagged and traded but nope.

every interested team would have let the panthers eat that cap number and told norwell that they'd see him next year

[Riv]

Just now, LinvilleGorge said:

Who is this #1 WR that you're going to sign? Wait and see what Robinson is going to fetch in FA. He's the only guy out there who has proven he has the ability to produce as this mythical #1 WR that Panthers fans seem obsessed with.

What do you think Robinson goes for coming off an ACL tear?  Antonio Brown makes 17 mil per, so maybe somewhere in the 12-13 range?  What's wrong with that if you can lock a guy like that up for 3-4 years?

#1 receiver isn't as much about production as it is that they can do the job, run the routes, etc.... Funchess isn't good enough to be a #1, but he would be a solid #2.  The problem is that Torrey can't do the things that you need from a #1 or a #2.  He can literally only run one route.  He also has literally no upside at all and is old.  

[luke nukem]

29 minutes ago, Riv said:

I'm a Braves fan and we've been 1/3 of those teams for like 5 years now.  One of the worst run franchises in pro sports.

meh I liked how they played last year. The turn around is coming. I think they make the playoffs NEXT year. Its still been damn near impossible to watch since 2013.

[Shocker]

NFL Network discussing Vikings and that they have contacted Brees representatives. 

Saints fans:

[LinvilleGorge]

Just now, Riv said:

What do you think Robinson goes for coming off an ACL tear?  Antonio Brown makes 17 mil per, so maybe somewhere in the 12-13 range?  What's wrong with that if you can lock a guy like that up for 3-4 years?

#1 receiver isn't as much about production as it is that they can do the job, run the routes, etc.... Funchess isn't good enough to be a #1, but he would be a solid #2.  The problem is that Torrey can't do the things that you need from a #1 or a #2.  He can literally only run one route.  He also has literally no upside at all and is old.  

Smith is 29. I don't care about this #1/#2 distinction. There's probably less than 10 WRs in the entire NFL that truly fit the bill of this mythical #1 NFL WR that Panthers fans clamor for. 

I'd be willing to give Robinson $10-12M per year given the right structure. I just think someone is going to give him more guaranteed money than I'd be willing to do with him coming off of an ACL tear and a down year the season prior to that. He's two full NFL seasons removed from putting up truly big time WR numbers.