Worried about morale this season....

[pantherclaw]

Be worried if you want. At some point, a team has got to decide to get younger.

I understand Hoover is a fan favorite ~ but the fact is, we did draft his replacement. So basically, fans are upset cause Fox is going with his younger guy, instead of over relying on an older vet.

Some people ya just can't please.

I know one thing, we won't be let down by an older vet we hung onto for to long.

[SorthNarolina]

agreed. the release of hoover was a big surprise, especially considering his past couple seasons were amongst his best.

yeah he switched up his workout plan a few years ago and has looked much better. He was great in the vikings and giants game.

[Lumps]

I am a bit worried about the tensions between the players and the front office this season. If players see these moves as simply preparations for a lockout (true or untrue), they may and will resent it. How hard will a player play for a boss who is sticking it to them? Not very.

Do you feel damage control needs to happen at some point this offseason? Publicly or in the film room?

I do. Anyone who decides to be a bitch and pulls a "Peppers" needs to be fined and sat down. These guys are paid to do a job. In fact they are the ones going to lock up the NFL, because they want to get paid more. Its poo like this that reasons why you can't compare NFL to military I am sure most of those guys don't agree with things, wouldn't throw a bitch fit and to think they are paid in pennies for offering their life.

So if the players are getting paid they should stfu and do their job. I don't know a lot of people who like their boss or what their boss does but they do their job because they are getting paid. Sorry to hurt any players feelings but once again this is a business not a slumber party where only friends are allowed win or lose.

Know which player has this mindset? Smitty. Man I love Smitty...

[panthers55]

\

I do not see how getting a CBA done before a lockout occured would not benefit JR. Either way, whether the CBA is done this year and goes into effect in '11 or doesn't happen until after a lockout in '12, the team is set up nicely for the future.

In fact it would greatly benefit JR's plan for this team to not go through a lockout. By rellying on young talent to step and learn this year it may cause some pains but the team would be vastly improved the following year. Having a young team sit out a whole year after playing is what would be detrimental.

Once again everyone is underestimating the talent level of this team. Outside of some ? on the DL and at WR, the OL, RB, TE, LB, and DB are all really good. The same guys that have been playing the last 2-3 years. Are they a SB winning team, no. Do they suck, definetely not.

It would appear based on richardson's moves that he is convinced a lockout will occur. The owners want huge concessions which they feel the players won't agree to. He knows that even if there is a lockout, the owners will win in the end. So he might very well figure that losing money and even fan sentiment for a year or two will result in being much more viability in the long term as the owners take back control of the league. So he is dumping salaries and getting lean preparing for what he believes are difficult times.

He is looking at the longterm picture. But ultimately the players and fans are not as important as the owners and the franchises. Getting a CBA agreement without the concessions won't be best for the owners. And that is his biggest concern at this point.

[pantherclaw]

Yeah, going younger means the owner and team are not concerned about the immediate future ~ this coming season. (rolls muh eyes)

[scpanther22]

I think its something that most fans will not understand.They just think you can plug anyone in there and he will be a leader. The team has lost a lot of leadership that IDK if it can all be replaced in one year.

[panthers55]

Be worried if you want. At some point, a team has got to decide to get younger.

I understand Hoover is a fan favorite ~ but the fact is, we did draft his replacement. So basically, fans are upset cause Fox is going with his younger guy, instead of over relying on an older vet.

Some people ya just can't please.

I know one thing, we won't be let down by an older vet we hung onto for to long.

Again your philosophy is essentially correct but if that were the only change it wouldn't be a problem. But at some point you make so many changes so fast that you tip the scales negatively.

Instead of being let down by vets I expect you would rather be let down by players not experienced to know what they are doing. Yeah I know they can learn, but who will be there to learn from? The coaches. Unfortunately they aren't out in the field. Problem for me is that no matter why they let the team down, the result is still the same. Personally since it isn't my money I don't care how much more money Richardson makes, i want to win and get the most for the money I pay for tickets.

Maybe we can rename the team the "Not ready for Prime Time" players. Too bad this is not Saturday Night Live.

[House]

It would appear based on richardson's moves that he is convinced a lockout will occur. The owners want huge concessions which they feel the players won't agree to. He knows that even if there is a lockout, the owners will win in the end. So he might very well figure that losing money and even fan sentiment for a year or two will result in being much more viability in the long term as the owners take back control of the league. So he is dumping salaries and getting lean preparing for what he believes are difficult times.

He is looking at the longterm picture. But ultimately the players and fans are not as important as the owners and the franchises. Getting a CBA agreement without the concessions won't be best for the owners. And that is his biggest concern at this point.

I think that you are completly right and utterly wrong.

Getting a CBA agreement without the concessions would not be good for the owners, probably not for the league itself in general.

However I do not think that it is what Richardson wants. I also do not think that he is convinced that it will happen. What he has done in so far as cutting over priced vets is not a slap in the face to the fans. If anything it is a telling sign that he is committed to doing what is good for the team in the long run instead of what would be good for tommorrow.

Can you honestly say that any single move that the FO has made this year has cost it a chance to win the SB? What vet that we cut was so important that he could not be replaced? Hoover? He was good but there is logic in letting him go and his absence is not going to cost us a ring.

Also what FA could we have picked up that would have guaranteed a SB? No one. Not one single FA that we have "missed" out on so far would help this team at all. The only person that would have helped would be Boldin and he was not a FA he was a trade. He has also made it known that he wants Fitzgerald money, which is more than he is worth. I would hate to see this team sink $10 mil a year into a WR.

You can say whatever you want about JR and how you believe that he is just trying to screw the fans to make a buck but the truth is not in it. He has done exactly the right thing. Using the uncapped year to shed off the contracts that were hampering this team. EVERY team should be doing this.

I would gladly trade next year being a mediocre year, which I don't think it will be, for future success. Nothing that has been done and no one that has been cut has cost us more than +/- 2 wins next year at absolute worst.

[carolinanimal]

I think that you are completly right and utterly wrong.

Getting a CBA agreement without the concessions would not be good for the owners, probably not for the league itself in general.

However I do not think that it is what Richardson wants. I also do not think that he is convinced that it will happen. What he has done in so far as cutting over priced vets is not a slap in the face to the fans. If anything it is a telling sign that he is committed to doing what is good for the team in the long run instead of what would be good for tommorrow.

Can you honestly say that any single move that the FO has made this year has cost it a chance to win the SB? What vet that we cut was so important that he could not be replaced? Hoover? He was good but there is logic in letting him go and his absence is not going to cost us a ring.

Also what FA could we have picked up that would have guaranteed a SB? No one. Not one single FA that we have "missed" out on so far would help this team at all. The only person that would have helped would be Boldin and he was not a FA he was a trade. He has also made it known that he wants Fitzgerald money, which is more than he is worth. I would hate to see this team sink $10 mil a year into a WR.

You can say whatever you want about JR and how you believe that he is just trying to screw the fans to make a buck but the truth is not in it. He has done exactly the right thing. Using the uncapped year to shed off the contracts that were hampering this team. EVERY team should be doing this.

I would gladly trade next year being a mediocre year, which I don't think it will be, for future success. Nothing that has been done and no one that has been cut has cost us more than +/- 2 wins next year at absolute worst.

but every team is not doing this. we are one of very few. even of the best franchises. my question is why all these cuts now? these guys have been on the team for years. we have had young rosters before. why cut now? the only explanation that makes sense is a salary dump not because these guys were ineffective. you dont have the 10th ranked d by having a bunch of ineffective average vets. whats is funny is that most of the guys we want to rely on hardly contributed to that effort.

[hoover fanz]

I think that you are completly right and utterly wrong.

Getting a CBA agreement without the concessions would not be good for the owners, probably not for the league itself in general.

However I do not think that it is what Richardson wants. I also do not think that he is convinced that it will happen. What he has done in so far as cutting over priced vets is not a slap in the face to the fans. If anything it is a telling sign that he is committed to doing what is good for the team in the long run instead of what would be good for tommorrow.

Can you honestly say that any single move that the FO has made this year has cost it a chance to win the SB? What vet that we cut was so important that he could not be replaced? Hoover? He was good but there is logic in letting him go and his absence is not going to cost us a ring.

Also what FA could we have picked up that would have guaranteed a SB? No one. Not one single FA that we have "missed" out on so far would help this team at all. The only person that would have helped would be Boldin and he was not a FA he was a trade. He has also made it known that he wants Fitzgerald money, which is more than he is worth. I would hate to see this team sink $10 mil a year into a WR.

You can say whatever you want about JR and how you believe that he is just trying to screw the fans to make a buck but the truth is not in it. He has done exactly the right thing. Using the uncapped year to shed off the contracts that were hampering this team. EVERY team should be doing this.

I would gladly trade next year being a mediocre year, which I don't think it will be, for future success. Nothing that has been done and no one that has been cut has cost us more than +/- 2 wins next year at absolute worst.

you do have valid points,but we think jr is preparing for a lockout.He has released leaders in the lockeroom.As bad as jake was,on the field. He was a leader in the huddle.Brad with his length of time here and work ethics was without a doubt a leader.If a few players dont step and take that role we will sub-par at best IMO

[ladypanther]

Wonder how morale was last year when Jake gave us the best "chance" to win?

[GRWatcher]

Wonder how morale was last year when Jake gave us the best "chance" to win?

It was pretty pooty until we signed Hollis Thomas, an old man.

[House]

but every team is not doing this. we are one of very few. even of the best franchises. my question is why all these cuts now? these guys have been on the team for years. we have had young rosters before. why cut now? the only explanation that makes sense is a salary dump not because these guys were ineffective. you dont have the 10th ranked d by having a bunch of ineffective average vets. whats is funny is that most of the guys we want to rely on hardly contributed to that effort.

We cut now because it is an uncapped year. No cap implications or ramifications.

Delhomme would have killed us to cut in a capped year. Kemo was due a $6 million dollar roster bonus, not worth it. Hollis was going to be 36, we have a logjam at DT right now. Diggs, 32, he has 2 talented young LB's waiting behind him. Those are the four starters that were cut, even though Kemo didn't play a down last year.

Yeah, its a salary dump. A salary dump that needed to be done. If we would have dumped SS, Gamble, and Gross, that would have been an alarming salary dump. They didn't, they have kept the young guys that are still good and have multiple years ahead of them.

[ladypanther]

With Foxy as the football brain...getting a starting job with the Panthers was like getting tenure.

So things have changed. It is a shock to the system of everyone [players] who had been comfortable, and sad for those of us who felt fan affection for players. Tough decisions are hard, in part, because they are not popular.

When players leave for a bigger contract....they say , "It is just business." Well, it works both ways.

I say the players need to man up....and watch out because some young upstart wants your job and now knows he can have it if he earns it.