How would an uncapped (2010 Season) affect the Panthers?

[Kevin Greene]

Assuming the CBA will expire, how would an uncapped 2010 NFL season affect the Panthers?

Pre salary cap you had teams like the 49ers buying wins with an owner like Ediie Debartelo doing whatever it takes to secure coveted free agents.

Are the Panthers a "small market" team that would struggle to find the dollars to compete?

Some points to consider:

Question: What are the differences between the “Final League Year” and any other “League Year?”

Answer: The principal differences are that in the “Final League Year,” there is no salary cap and there are substantial additional restrictions on player free agency.

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Question: What are the categories of free agents?

Answer: Players are either “restricted” or “unrestricted” free agents. Within these categories there are also “transition” and “franchise” players.

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Question: What determines an unrestricted free agent in the uncapped year?

Answer: In capped seasons (2008 and 2009), a player whose contract has expired becomes an unrestricted free agent if he has four or more accrued seasons. In the uncapped year (2010), a player whose contract has expired becomes an unrestricted free agent only if he has six or more accrued seasons. An unrestricted free agent is free to sign with any club with no compensation owed to his old club.

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Question: What determines whether a player is a restricted free agent in the “Final League Year?”

Answer: In capped seasons (2008 and 2009), a player whose contract expires becomes a restricted free agent if he has three accrued seasons. In the uncapped year (2010), a player whose contract expires becomes a restricted free agent if he has three, four or five accrued seasons. The rights of restricted free agents remain unchanged in the uncapped year.

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Question: In addition to the right to designate a Franchise (or Transition) Player each capped year, can clubs designate additional players in the uncapped year?

Answer: Yes, one additional player can be tagged. In capped years (2008 and 2009), a club may designate a Franchise Player or a Transition Player. In the uncapped year (2010), a club may designate one additional Transition Player. A Transition Player must be offered a minimum of the average of the top 10 salaries of the prior season at the player’s position or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, whichever is greater. A Transition Player designation gives the club a first-refusal right to match within seven days an offer sheet given to the player by another club after his contract expires. If the club matches, it retains the player. If it does not match, it receives no compensation.

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Question: What is the Final Eight Plan?

Answer: During the uncapped year, the eight clubs that make the divisional playoffs in the previous season have additional restrictions that limit their ability to sign Unrestricted Free Agents from other clubs. In general, the four clubs participating in the Championship Games are limited in the number of free agents that they may sign; the limit is determined by the number of their own free agents signing with other clubs. For the four clubs that lose in the Divisional playoffs, in addition to having the ability to sign free agents based on the number of their own free agents signing with other clubs, they may also sign players based on specific financial parameters.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/10847836

[magnus]

oh - easy. We'd keep Peppers, King, Davis, Marshall, we'd be able to cut Kemoeatu and Delhomme without cap penalties and we'd have a hard time buying a QB on the open market.

[Brooklyn Bully]

It'll be an interesting...one year, that's for sure. But as long as a cap returns the following year, you aren't going to see the richest teams stack up. They have to consider the contracts they'll be offering. Sure, they could offer one-year deals and buy a championship for the uncapped year, or put all the contract money into the first year (player won't like that), but I just don't see the Skins and Cowboys buying people left and right next season.

[TheMaulClaw]

I'm not a hundred percent on any of this. I was just reading your post and had a couple of other thoughts. So I'm going to offer my perception on what defines a team as a player in free agency during an uncapped year, specifically, on whether or not they're a big or a small market.

I think the dynamics as far as how the market is considered all together is different then lets say baseball. The Green Bay Packers are a perfect example of a small market team that has a great national following. In baseball you have to fill a stadium up 80 times a year, where as in the NFL you got 8 games. Green Bay no doubt fills up their stadium every game, combine that with fan apparel and etc that they market well nationally they probably look at a "big market" profit margin. So a team like Green Bay, at least in my mind still competes fiscally well in an uncapped year. Ultimately an NFL team defines their market based on if they're winning.

The Panthers in my opinion will be competitive in an uncapped year. First you got to look at ownership. As conservative yet unconventional as Jerry Richardson is he does have a great business mind, a love for the game, and his history points toward willing to spend.

However a definite blunder the FO has made will have a lot more personal financial ramifications. Not having a first round pick will hurt the Panthers next year. Because when there's no cap building through the draft becomes key, especially when trying to save money. Despite this, JR, has deep pockets and I think he's willing to spend big to get a ring before he goes.