Who do you want in FA?

[unicar15]

I'm a big believer in the draft and building through the draft etc...BUT there are exceptions and some FA are worth going out and paying.

Right now the only thing that would require is a new deal for Gross. Our OL with him looks to be the best in the NFL and giving that up is not an option.

There are two ways I would go after signing Gross.

1) Sign Pep and keep building the Dline with him as the centerpiece

2) Do everything you can to get Asomugha away from the Raiders. Might not be realistic all things considered but the Raiders need a TON of help and paying this guy to play on a terrible team might not be something they are completely convinced they want to do. IMO they'd be stupid NOT to pay him but anything can happen. The Eagles showed this year that with an elite secondary you can win with blitzing LBers as opposed to pressure from just the front 4. We would probably have the best duo of corners with him and Gamble and he would be worth paying.

I think that dominating one aspect of the defense is something you have to do. The Eagles are a prime example of being mediocre up front but great in the secondary and having a great defense because of their ability to blitz. If we had another elite DE playing across from Pep (like Tuck and Osi) then it would be worth keeping him because then you dominate the line of scrimmage but we will not dominate the line next year with or without Pep so then whats the point of keeping him?? If we sign a big time corner then we could dominate the secondary and it would be worth it IMO.

Saying we don't have the cap room is probably not an excuse either because we will restructure Delhomme, cut Lucas, and trade Peppers. Those are arguably our 3 biggest contracts right now. We would have enough cap room to do it..

[Urrymonster]

I am pretty certain there is no way we can afford to sign, Gross, Peppers and Aso. There will be scant left if we can get Peppers and Gross to sign as it is. To fit in the rooks etc I fully expect some of the role veterans to be released just to squeeze them in.

EDIT - Missed the last bit. Unfortunately we all are saying to cut Lucas, but that might not be what our coaches think. Aso will command a much much much bgger cotract than Lucas' current one. So we would be making a net loss there and if we are struggling to get Gross and Peppers done as well...

In addition whilst it may be possible to squeeze three massive contracts under the cap this year. Next year will be an entirely different story. that is when we will lose Davis and Williams because we simply can't extend them. We can't hold onto any future QB star because we can only offer them minimums. How many teams have the top paid DE, top 5 Ot and top paid CB on the team?

Delhomme may restructure. But in terms of pure cap I imagine all of this would have been done already if it were going to free enough money to get Gross and Peppers signed. Somehow I just do nt think that it is as simple as changing two contracts...

[SorthNarolina]

you can forget about any big names if we resign gross and pep because those are two big names right there

I don't think we really need any more talent in the secondary, the D-line is very weak compared to our previous seasons

improve the pass rush of our front 4 and the secondary will look much better

[CanadianCat]

i like the conversation - but i agree with urry - 3 big players and with more guys coming up for contracts next year i think someone has to go. I believe that you have to have dominate o-line to win games and by keeping gross you got that.

Im sad to say it but I think we have to trade pep - I would be happy if we kept him - but i think he will be gone. I think alot of people need to keep in mind what Urry said tho about Davis and DWills contrats coming due next year as well. We need to build a franchise, not just 2-3 good years.

[Urrymonster]

i like the conversation - but i agree with urry - 3 big players and with more guys coming up for contracts next year i think someone has to go. I believe that you have to have dominate o-line to win games and by keeping gross you got that.

Im sad to say it but I think we have to trade pep - I would be happy if we kept him - but i think he will be gone. I think alot of people need to keep in mind what Urry said tho about Davis and DWills contrats coming due next year as well. We need to build a franchise, not just 2-3 good years.

Yeah you hit some good points and it relates back to what the NE poster was talking about. If you lose a big contract then you can effectively bring in a big contract. To build a franchise though you keep the best players who can stay fit and play all season every season.

I was a touch misleading as DWills does not run out next year, I believe he has two seasons left. The point though, with every big contract is that you increase the pressure you will face a few years down the line as ALL contracts are back loaded. Every year you carry three massive contracts ALL signed in the same year will quickly put you in cap hell.

As you said building a franchise is key. To achieve that we need the core players who contribute and stay fit to remain at the Panthers. Beason and Davis IMO simply HAVE to stay together. DWill and Stew need to stay together as long as possible. Our current Oline needs to stay together as long as possible. When we have so many of the ingredients already here we really do not need to put that in danger by signing a contract that will seal the fate of some of our young core players.

[mountainpantherfan]

I think you guys missed Unicar's point. He wasn't suggesting to sign all three but that you sign Gross and then sign either Peppers or Aso. Not both.

I agree with him. Having Aso, Gamble and Marshall in the secondary would be a very tough secondary. Although I question how effective they would be with Trgo and Lewis still here.

[Samuel L. Jackson]

Pep stays, Gross stays...

Jake re-ups, saving us a ton by backloading the deal knowing full well he won't be here through the end of it...

The following people are gone:

Bridges

Hackett

Landon Johnson

Lucas

We re-sign most of our FA's (Seward and Darwin Walker maybe not, possibly Goings but I think he sticks)...

This should leave us plenty of money to bring in a FA CB (the market is pretty deep, don't have to break the bank for Nnamdi), and a couple of roleplayers...

In the draft we address DT, CB, MLB, OT, S, and some BPA's (risk on a QB, but I doubt it)...

Typical Hurney offseason, and it will work....

[Urrymonster]

I think you guys missed Unicar's point. He wasn't suggesting to sign all three but that you sign Gross and then sign either Peppers or Aso. Not both.

I agree with him. Having Aso, Gamble and Marshall in the secondary would be a very tough secondary. Although I question how effective they would be with Trgo and Lewis still here.

Very true.

The flip side though is how effective will they be with the resulting pass rush we have. I just can't see us justifying going for Aso when we have lost our only guaranteed pass rush. If we can restructure Lucas to a rotation / low level starter and Jake to a similar level then I would rather us work on the DL IF we lose Pep. Maybe a combination of Suggs and a DT.

[rayzor]

until there are any changes with pep i am going to assume that he will be back.

that said, i see us hitting FA looking for DLs the way we did looking for OLs last year.

Every big fat underachieving DT they can find they are going to bring in and try to find the best to line up beside kemo .

DE and DT they are also going to focus in on the draft while looking for help at CB.

I don't think they are going to want to risk a rookie CB but who knows? there might be a diamond in the rough there in the middle rounds.

[Urrymonster]

This should leave us plenty of money to bring in a FA CB (the market is pretty deep, don't have to break the bank for Nnamdi), and a couple of roleplayers...

In the draft we address DT, CB, MLB, OT, S, and some BPA's (risk on a QB, but I doubt it)...

Typical Hurney offseason, and it will work....

My only worry with that is that rookie DTs very rarely make any impct at all in their initial season and thus we would be looking at an almost identical DL situation. Maybe Johnson continues his progress, but we will always struggle to get consistent pressure if that interior is not strengthened.

I am also not so convinced Lucas is DEF on his way out. With Godfrey, Harris and Gamble you have three guys where Gamble is head and shoulders the most experienced guy. Personally I feel Lucas has been made the scape goat a touch and that ALL the secondary missed assignments. What that tells me is that they are not particularly suited to the scheme we are playing.

[Snake]

I think the feeling is that Pep prob played his last down in Carolina that Sat night. With out having to sign him we have some good cap room to work with and some picks out of a pep trade. Maybe a DE or CB and our biggest prob inside rush will need to be addressed.

[Fox007]

you can forget about any big names if we resign gross and pep because those are two big names right there

I don't think we really need any more talent in the secondary, the D-line is very weak compared to our previous seasons

improve the pass rush of our front 4 and the secondary will look much better

He is saying that you can make up for a crappy front four with an elite secondary, much like you can make up for a weak secondary with good pressure.

So we would have a weak front four, but a good secondary, and then use blitz's to hurry the QB while our corners lock down the WR's.

Both ways can work, it's not like you HAVE to have a dominant front four to have a good defense.

That is only four positions out of 11(obviously).

And to Sammy L, why the hell would we draft a MLB? We got Dan Connor last year.

[w1bke4s]

This should leave us plenty of money to bring in a FA CB (the market is pretty deep, don't have to break the bank for Nnamdi

Good points overall but the CB market isnt deep at all...it is basically Nnamdi and Dunta Robinson which did come back and have a pretty good yr after a carreer threatening injury so he could be a good alternative but theres really nobody else out there...there are some decent safeties that will be free agents although we dont really need them now.

[Silverskull]

until there are any changes with pep i am going to assume that he will be back.

that said, i see us hitting FA looking for DLs the way we did looking for OLs last year.

Every big fat underachieving DT they can find they are going to bring in and try to find the best to line up beside kemo .

DE and DT they are also going to focus in on the draft while looking for help at CB.

I don't think they are going to want to risk a rookie CB but who knows? there might be a diamond in the rough there in the middle rounds.

"paging Ryan Sims"!