The Free Agent Money is about 1/3 of what it has been

[MHS831]

The market is worse than you think. Last week, I used a chart in this column comparing the average cap space available this year entering free agency per team ($13.06 million) to last year’s cap space per team ($43.33 million). But I should have used an asterisk. That doesn’t include the rookie pool that teams have to budget for, which averages between $7 million and $10 million per team. So you see Kansas City firing both starting tackles and think, “They’re $12 million under the cap—they can buy one this week in a depressed market.” Budgeting for the rookie pool, though, would leave KC somewhere near $5 million under the cap in reality. But overall, teams last year entered the league year with about $1.3 billion to spend on free agents and rookies; this year the number is about $420 million. So it’s no exaggeration to think you’ll see one-third of the early action as you did last year.

Wow.

Here is a tip for the Panthers, maybe: There’s never been so many tempting rushers in a free-agency class. Aldon Smith could have multiple double-digit-sack seasons left after rising in Dallas last year; Bud Dupree was on his way to a career year last year in Pittsburgh before getting hurt; Carl Lawson is terminally underrated; Melvin Ingram should be due for a rebound; and Haason Reddick, Matthew Judon and Trey Hendrickson all are intriguing. A month from now, two or three of those players will be unsigned and have massive chips on their shoulder, almost certain to be smart one-year buys while they re-establish a market for 2022.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2021/03/15/drew-brees-retires-nfl-free-agency-fmia-peter-king/

Gonna be fun watching this thing play out, but if we don't start signing a few players until next week to get some bargains, I will get the strategy. 

 

[AU-panther]

Just another reason we should have been frugal last year.

[BurnNChinn]

Lawson got traded he is not available 

[MHS831]

10 minutes ago, BurnNChinn said:

Lawson got traded he is not available 

Zeitler (G, Giants) signed with the Ravens for about $7m+ per year.  He was cut last week, fwiw, so he has signed.

 

Last year, Miller played for $4m.  I bet he sits and we could get him for half that this season.  Same for some other free agents.  I would spend on a CB and lock him into a long term deal.  I want Cameron Sutton, but that is just me.

Edited March 15, 2021 by MHS831

[Moo Daeng]

If money isn’t going to be big it might behoove free agents to resign where they are fir a short contract. No need to uproot and incur moving expenses and hassles if the money isn't substantial.

Edited March 15, 2021 by Moo Daeng

[stirs]

Lots of 1 year deals

[kungfoodude]

18 minutes ago, AU-panther said:

Just another reason we should have been frugal last year.

INB4 @stbugs all caps reply.

[kungfoodude]

9 minutes ago, stbugs said:

Lol, I had already pied his post. It does suck since it was all so obvious. That’s what happens when you clearly have the wrong guy in place. The writing on the wall of Brees and Brady being 1-2 years from retiring and Ryan on the downward slope to 40, a great QB class, solid young pieces needing extensions in the next few years (before Chinn and Brown), likely getting a 3rd round comp and 3 more comp picks (could have drafted BPA OL with all 4), a strong OL draft class and the ability to build up cap for a 2022+ run at top FAs. It really couldn’t have been more obvious a play. Nope, we went for broke to try and finish 3rd in our division ahead of Atlanta who now has a great slot for their next QB if they want. Hopefully, we get lucky and get the right QB which will solve a lot of issues, but we could have put a lot more pieces in place around them.

Just wanted to give you the opportunity to get another "I fuging told you so" in. 

[Mr. Scot]

40 minutes ago, BurnNChinn said:

Lawson got traded he is not available 

Shaq Lawson got traded to the Texans. Carl Lawson is a free agent, though he's stated he'd prefer to return to the Bengals.

[kungfoodude]

Just now, stbugs said:

As a fan, even if us tankers last year were considered not real fans, I want to win it all. I enjoyed watching the young guys play well but I actually would have been happier to lose every game. Finishing 2-9 doesn’t set us for success. Definitely still frustrated that we had it all lined up and Marty got one last chance to prove his worth.

Last year was the most stress free year of Panthers football I have ever watched. I literally just approached it as entertainment and didn't get upset very often. Seeing the wins was nice because it showed we had some real moxy and potential, and the losses didn't bother me much(except for the Redskins one, that one had me pissed) because I knew that the better our draft pick was, the better the shots we had at higher talent level.

[MHS831]

14 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

Just wanted to give you the opportunity to get another "I fuging told you so" in. 

Like you need to do that.

[BurnNChinn]

15 minutes ago, Mr. Scot said:

Shaq Lawson got traded to the Texans. Carl Lawson is a free agent, though he's stated he'd prefer to return to the Bengals.

Damn my bad I seen that now, lol my screw up. Thanks 

[BurnNChinn]

What do y’all think about Rashard Higgins if we can’t get Samuel back?

[Mr. Scot]

7 minutes ago, BurnNChinn said:

Damn my bad I seen that now, lol my screw up. Thanks 

It's an easy mistake to make.