Panthers Mock Offseason 2024

[45catfan]

4 minutes ago, top dawg said:

This list leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion. Unless Tremble develops, we'll be talking about drafting someone in 2025 if we patch things up with one of these guys.

How so?  I mean if you are looking for and elite TE, then sure.  Several of those guys are very capable and we don't have to break the bank.  I mean you won't ever see a Kelce or Kittle on that list, that's for sure.

[45catfan]

8 minutes ago, Leeroy Jenkins Ph.D. said:

#Panthers are expected to trade or release veteran corner Donte Jackson, per sources. Jackson has a $4M roster bonus due March 16, which should spur action. A release would save $5.9M on the cap.

If released, designating him a June 1 cut would save even more to the tune of $10.5M.

[top dawg]

14 minutes ago, 45catfan said:

How so?  I mean if you are looking for and elite TE, then sure.  Several of those guys are very capable and we don't have to break the bank.  I mean you won't ever see a Kelce or Kittle on that list, that's for sure.

Greg Olsen may not get into the HOF. Whether he was "elite" is a matter of opinion. In any event, he was very good. Acquiring someone that plays at least to his level is what we should be striving for in my opinion. I mean, sure an average guy (Mike Gesicki) to a bit above average guy (Dalton Schultz) is fine to keep the lights on---get you through a pinch---but should hardly be the goal. And in today's NFL, I'd say that having a guy that who will at least make a ring of honor somewhere gives your offense a dimension that's almost necessary to get you where you want to go. 

[45catfan]

33 minutes ago, top dawg said:

Greg Olsen may not get into the HOF. Whether he was "elite" is a matter of opinion. In any event, he was very good. Acquiring someone that plays at least to his level is what we should be striving for in my opinion. I mean, sure an average guy (Mike Gesicki) to a bit above average guy (Dalton Schultz) is fine to keep the lights on---get you through a pinch---but should hardly be the goal. And in today's NFL, I'd say that having a guy that who will at least make a ring of honor somewhere gives your offense a dimension that's almost necessary to get you where you want to go. 

Olsen was elite before injuries derailed his career.  Injuries were the only reason we let him go.  He couldn't replicate his pre-injury numbers.  We ain't getting Bowers and there's not even another guy in the the same zip code as him.  We have three options: roll with what we got, get a project TE in the mid-late rounds or upgrade in FA.  None of those options other than the last one gives an immediate upgrade, even if there's no Greg Olsen-ish guy on that list.  Also, Olsen was a former first rounder if you recall.  Gesicki and Fant gets us much better instantly at the TE spot.

[top dawg]

2 hours ago, 45catfan said:

Olsen was elite before injuries derailed his career.  Injuries were the only reason we let him go.  He couldn't replicate his pre-injury numbers.  We ain't getting Bowers and there's not even another guy in the the same zip code as him.  We have three options: roll with what we got, get a project TE in the mid-late rounds or upgrade in FA.  None of those options other than the last one gives an immediate upgrade, even if there's no Greg Olsen-ish guy on that list.  Also, Olsen was a former first rounder if you recall.  Gesicki and Fant gets us much better instantly at the TE spot.

What have Gesicki and Fant really done since they've been in the NFL that makes you believe that they are a legitimate long term option?

The bar for making us better at the TE spot is kinda low, but I will admit that they would be an upgrade. That being said, I expect Tremble to be much-improved this season.

[45catfan]

6 minutes ago, top dawg said:

What have Gesicki and Fant really done since they've been in the NFL that makes you believe that they are a legitimate long term option?

The bar for making us better at the TE spot is kinda low, but I will admit that they would be an upgrade. That being said, I expect Tremble to be much-improved this season.

They have been consistent.   Gesicki was buried on a 3-headed monster TE room last year with the Patriots and his stats suffered.  Both guys have put up three 500+ yard seasons.   Which of our TEs can boast that? None.  Hurst has done it once and nobody else has even come close.  Tremble is an H-back and not a true TE.  He's not a threat in the passing game.

[JawnyBlaze]

I’m down for this offseason.  Nothing really disagree with, haven’t researched draft prospects yet so I dunno who I prefer. 

[heel31ok]

5 hours ago, Jay Roosevelt said:

My take on what the Panthers can do to improve this offseason.

I've run these moves through Spotrac's NFL cap manager/roster simulator in order to ensure we'd be under the cap.

 

FRANCHISE TAG:
EDGE Brian Burns

CONTRACT RESTRUCTURES:
S  Von Bell ($3.9M cap savings)
OG Austin Corbett ($3.4M cap savings)

RELEASES:
TE Ian Thomas ($2.6M cap savings)

 

TRADES:
EDGE Brian Burns + 5th round pick (#141) to Lions for 1st round pick (#29) + 3rd round pick (#92)
At this point we need to either pay Burns or trade him. I'm honestly split on which one is our best option. Do I think he's worth $30M/year? Not really. But is he also our only pass rush threat off the edge? Absolutely. It's a tough spot and, perhaps, Scott Fitterer's biggest blunder as GM on a LONG list of them. However, while I still think an extension can happen there doesn't seem to be much momentum in that direction right now and Burns being tagged and traded appears to be the more likely scenario.

That said, we're not getting a Rams type deal now; the leverage just isn't there. But we should still be able to get a 1st rounder and another pick (or possibly a player of similar value) for Burns. In this scenario we trade him to the Detroit Lions for their 1st rounder (#29 overall) and 3rd rounder (#92) while throwing in our 5th rounder. This deal makes sense for both sides; the Panthers get picks we desperately need and the Lions get an impact pass rusher as they try to get over the hump and into the Super Bowl.

 

CONTRACT EXTENSIONS:
DT Derrick Brown : 4 YEARS, $75M (potential cap savings depend on contract structure)
We should be able to get Brown extended without significantly raising his cap hit this year, assuming the contract is structured correctly. He's one of the few consistent core players we have; gotta get him locked up long-term before this turns into another Brian Burns fiasco. Depending on the structure of the contract it's entirely possible this move could actually save us cap space this year.

RT Taylor Moton : 3 YEARS, $55M ($13M cap savings, est.)
This is as much as about lowering Moton's cap hit this year as it is about extending him beyond it. We can cut his cap hit in half for 2024 while adding 2 years to his deal and locking him up through 2026. Like Derrick Brown, Moton is one of the few consistently reliable players we have and on the OL no less. He's not as young as Brown, but if we can extend him while actually lowering his cap hit for 2024 that is an easy call, IMO.

LB Frankie Luvu : 4 YEARS, $50M
One of our better players who absolutely deserves an extension. I imagine this gets done as I think Luvu is a perfect fit for the kind of player Dan Morgan talked about wanting on this team moving forward.

DE Yetur Gross-Matos : 2 YEARS, $8M
YGM finally started to show flashes last year of the player we wanted when we drafted him in the 2nd round. I wouldn't break the bank for him, but a mid-level deal like this makes sense for both sides, IMO. Alternatively, a 1-year "prove it" deal could also work.

 

FREE AGENCY:
OG Robert Hunt (MIA) : 4 YEARS, $73M
Our biggest need by far, IMO, is the interior OL. Robert Hunt is one of the better pass blocking guards over the last few seasons and would be an immediate and HUGE upgrade over anyone we fielded at LG last season. This move will allow Brady Christensen to become the "6th man" of the OL; a solid backup who can play guard or tackle on either side of the OL. By signing Hunt we're not just filling a need for a high quality starter on the interior OL but also giving ourselves some quality versatile depth with Christensen.

EDGE Jonathan Greenard (HOU) : 4 YEARS, $70M
If we do end up trading Brian Burns we'll obviously need to address edge rusher somehow. We have a need there now WITH him so if he gets traded it'll become even bigger. If he makes it to free agency, Jonathan Greenard would be a great replacement for Burns. He's a better run defender and had more sacks than Burns this past season and, based on Spotrac's market value projection, would be a fair bit cheaper, though certainly not cheap.

WR Tyler Lockett (SEA) : 2 YEARS, $20M
There are a few options available at WR in free agency, but with Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman getting tagged there aren't any real true long-term #1 options out there outside of Mike Evans and giving a 30+ year old WR the kind of money he'll command isn't ideal for a rebuilding team and Calvin Ridley isn't much younger, which surprised me. What we need is a solid starting veteran option to help stabalize our WR corp (alongside Adam Thielen) while our young receivers (both Mingo + any players we draft this year) develop and play without the pressure of being THE #1 guy right away. Tyler Lockett is very likely to be a cap casualty in Seattle and would be a perfect pickup for us. He's also over 30, but should come significantly cheaper than Mike Evans and has more history with Dave Canales. He also provides much more of a deep threat than anyone currently on the roster.

EDGE Josh Uche (NE) : 1 YEAR, $6M
We need depth on the edge as much as we need to figure out who our top pass rusher is going to be. Signing a guy like Josh Uche makes a lot of sense.

 

2024 NFL DRAFT:
#29 : Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon
If our first pick (wherever it ends up being) isn't an OL or WR I'll be extremely surprised. If JPJ is on the board in this scenario the Panthers shouldn't overthink it; he's a likely future All-Pro center for the next decade. Should things fall this way we could opt to release Bradley Bozeman after the draft or just keep him for competition/depth as we'd only be saving $2M in cap space by cutting him.

#33 : Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas
We obviously need help at WR, even after signing Tyler Lockett in this scenario. Adonai Mitchell figures to be one of the best options available at #33. He could step right in and contribute as a great route runner with playmaking ability.

#65 : Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon
Chuba Hubbard has played well, but we need both depth at RB and someone who can provide a little more in the passing game. Bucky Irving could be a major factor in our offense if the way Dave Canales used the RBs as receivers in Tampa is any indication.

#92 : Payton Wilson, LB, N.C. State
It seems like we've lacked any real depth at linebacker for a while now. Frankie Luvu has been one of the few pleasant surprises in the Tepper era and in this scenario we have extended him. But Shaq Thompson is coming into a contract year and off a major injury so adding a solid linebacker with some upside like Payton Wilson isn't a bad idea. I think he fits the profile of the kind of player Dan Morgan has said he wants to add and probably should go higher than this but will probably end up going around this range due to some durability concerns. However, the risk is worth it here.

#102 : Roger Rosengarten, OT, Washington
We need depth on the OL as much as we need starters. Roger Rosengarten is a player with starting potential who would be great value if still on the board at this stage of the draft.

#165 : Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn
In this scenario we opt not to re-sign C.J. Henderson. Considering Jaycee Horn's issues staying healthy (and Donte Jackson dealing with injuries himself) it goes without saying we need depth at corner.

#180 : Justin Eboigbe, DL, Alabama
Adding some depth along the DL never hurts.

at first glance,though I dont like him , payton wilson will be long gone.

[top dawg]

44 minutes ago, 45catfan said:

They have been consistent.   Gesicki was buried on a 3-headed monster TE room last year with the Patriots and his stats suffered.  Both guys have put up three 500+ yard seasons.   Which of our TEs can boast that? None.  Hurst has done it once and nobody else has even come close.  Tremble is an H-back and not a true TE.  He's not a threat in the passing game.

 

You lost me talking about Tremble. Not a threat in the passing game, but 3TDs on 23 catches.  Tremble doesn't even run, so I don't know how you consider him an H+back.

[45catfan]

40 minutes ago, top dawg said:

 

You lost me talking about Tremble. Not a threat in the passing game, but 3TDs on 23 catches.  Tremble doesn't even run, so I don't know how you consider him an H+back.

Purely scheme related.  We didn't utilize him as such last season, but he is what he is.  A threat in the passing game he is NOT.  A blocking back and a short yard rusher are his best traits.  A gimmick pass in the red zone...sure why not, nobody is expecting it and there you get your 3 TDs a season.

I mean if 10 yards a game on average is a your idea of an effective TE in the passing game, then I guess he's a stud. A TD every 7 games on average is rock star material too.

Edited March 4 by 45catfan

[top dawg]

5 minutes ago, 45catfan said:

Purely scheme related.  We didn't utilize him as such last season, but he is what he is.  A threat in the passing game he is NOT.  A blocking back and a short yard rusher are his best traits.  A gimmick pass in the red zone...sure why not, nobody is expecting it and there you get your 3 TDs a season.

I mean if 10 yards a game on average is a your idea of an effective TE in the passing game, then I guess he's a stud. A TD every 7 games on average is rock star material too.

Like you said: scheme related. It's not like we actually had people who knew what they were doing. You know who did have good coaches? Fant and Gesicki. Yet they still have hardly lit the world on fire even though they've had every opportunity to do so. You're being sarcastic with me, but you're lauding a couple of Band-Aids.

We need to raise our expectations. If the cards aren't in our favor during the 2024 draft, then we need to look to 2025 or 2026.

[45catfan]

5 minutes ago, top dawg said:

Like you said: scheme related. It's not like we actually had people who knew what they were doing. You know who did have good coaches? Fant and Gesicki. Yet they still have hardly lit the world on fire even though they've had every opportunity to do so. You're being sarcastic with me, but you're lauding a couple of Band-Aids.

We need to raise our expectations. If the cards aren't in our favor during the 2024 draft, then we need to look to 2025 or 2026.

Cool and we roll with arguably the worst TE room in the League...again.  Why not, it hasn't been a priority since Olsen left.  Why change things now?

[CRA]

34 minutes ago, 45catfan said:

Cool and we roll with arguably the worst TE room in the League...again.  Why not, it hasn't been a priority since Olsen left.  Why change things now?

It will match some of our other position groups too then.  As of right now we got a bottom everything group on O.  Basically just pick a position group 

[Basbear]

3 hours ago, top dawg said:

 

You lost me talking about Tremble. Not a threat in the passing game, but 3TDs on 23 catches.  Tremble doesn't even run, so I don't know how you consider him an H+back.

Hes gotten better each week and hes still super young at 23. I mean if he keeps getting better, hes your 2024 starter easy. Main deal is panthers can not fill every hole, they need some players on the roster to step the fug up and tremble needs to be one of them.