What was the straw that broke the Fox's back?

[Jangler]

Personally, I think we are a better team right now, so I don't buy that theory.

[panthers55]

Personally, I think we are a better team right now, so I don't buy that theory.

Time will tell and talking heads are notorious about being wrong about several teams which are predicted to be down and have a breakout season. But with that being said, few if anyone are giving us much of a chance to be as good as last year let alone better.

For me the offense will be better but the defense will be pretty bad particularly in the first half of the year. They may recover like they did last year because Meeks is much better than people give him credit. Last year I said we needed the offense to carry us until the defense can gel and get their acts together. Unfortunately it didn't happen until Moore took over. This year it will be true even more so.

[Darth Bobo]

Fox is not any more in danger of losing his job than any NFL coach, espcially this year because 2010 a FLUKE year full of unknowns created by the absence of a salary cap.

1) Several teams are attempting to buy their way into the playoffs. Although these teams overpaid, and will face long term financial distress when the salary cap returns, they were instantly enriched with player talent for this year. Fox wasn't given the uncapped money to compete with the opponents who are this year's New York Yankees of football.

2) Some teams, like the Panthers, spent extra this year to eliminate veteran players with topheavy long term contracts. Jerry Richardson understands this creates a short term deficiency of talent, but it gives the Panthers lots of economic opportunity for strategic growth when the collective bargaining agreement and the salary cap returns. Richardson's biggest expectation of Fox this year is that he correctly identify and develop the best players from our previous years' drafts.

3) Neither the Falcons nor the Saints could cut talent this year, because both teams are handcuffed to winning now while their current rosters are at their playmaking height. The NFL uses rules on the draft and the salary cap to create parity, particularly over time. The winningest teams lose talented veterans to the salary cap in free agency, and they select too late to get the best draft picks, unless they have exceptionally gifted "war room" personnel. Neither the Falcons nor the Saints organizations match us in this category. While I am admittedly a homer, I feel strongly that neither the Falcon's nor the Saint's organizations match the Panther's ability to scout and sign great draft picks.

Long story made short, it is better for the Panthers to rebuild this year while the Falcons and Saints duke it out at their zenith. That way, the optimum mix of Panther's player talent and salary cap management will occur during a year when the Falcons and Saints are in a talent decline induced by the salary cap. For that reason, a year in the near future, and not this year, will be the judgement day for Fox.

You'll see.

[Hairless Cat]

i can give you 6 million guaranteed reasons. With all the cost cutting he did, do you really think he would fire fox and pay him 6 million dollars. Then he had to find a new coach and pay him potentially as much as well as pay him in 2011 if there is a lockout. Especially on the heels of paying jake 10 million and getting rid of him?

This way he spends the 6 million doesn't have to hire another guy and can spend nothing next year if there is a lockout. By gutting the team anyway he knows the chance to go to the playoffs isn't good no matter what the schedule.

he fired delhomme- cost more than $6 million didnt it?

[panthers55]

Fox is not any more in danger of losing his job than any NFL coach, espcially this year because 2010 a FLUKE year full of unknowns created by the absence of a salary cap.

1) Several teams are attempting to buy their way into the playoffs. Although these teams overpaid, and will face long term financial distress when the salary cap returns, they were instantly enriched with player talent for this year. Fox wasn't given the uncapped money to compete with the opponents who are this year's New York Yankees of football.

2) Some teams, like the Panthers, spent extra this year to eliminate veteran players with topheavy long term contracts. Jerry Richardson understands this creates a short term deficiency of talent, but it gives the Panthers lots of economic opportunity for strategic growth when the collective bargaining agreement and the salary cap returns. Richardson's biggest expectation of Fox this year is that he correctly identify and develop the best players from our previous years' drafts.

3) Neither the Falcons nor the Saints could cut talent this year, because both teams are handcuffed to winning now while their current rosters are at their playmaking height. The NFL uses rules on the draft and the salary cap to create parity, particularly over time. The winningest teams lose talented veterans to the salary cap in free agency, and they select too late to get the best draft picks, unless they have exceptionally gifted "war room" personnel. Neither the Falcons nor the Saints organizations match us in this category. While I am admittedly a homer, I feel strongly that neither the Falcon's nor the Saint's organizations match the Panther's ability to scout and sign great draft picks.

Long story made short, it is better for the Panthers to rebuild this year while the Falcons and Saints duke it out at their zenith. That way, the optimum mix of Panther's player talent and salary cap management will occur during a year when the Falcons and Saints are in a talent decline induced by the salary cap. For that reason, a year in the near future, and not this year, will be the judgement day for Fox.

You'll see.

Do you have any insider info in to what richardson is thinking, or is just speculation like the rest of us.

A good case can be made that Richardson is just keeping Fox on to save money and letting him work with the new players until he can announce the new coach. If he had a belief that Fox could do the job he would have extended him and told him that he is gutting the team and will give him a few years to develop it into a contender. Frankly no owner rebulds the team without giving the coach some time with them unless he is ready to move on.

[panthers55]

he fired delhomme- cost more than $6 million didnt it?

But that was money was already gone. What he didn't want to do is waste more money on a coach and compound the problem. Do you throw good money after bad very often??