Isn't there lessons from Pep to learn concerning DeAngelo?

[scpanther22]

Why the hell would DWill even want to stay here? He just loves Charlotte so much? lol

He's going to get more money elsewhere.

His owner sold out the players and is rallying all the other owners to lock them out.

Want to ever win a championship? There's about 30 other teams right now that give you a better chance.

He'll have to learn a whole new scheme whether he stays or goes.

He has no idea how the new coaching staff will do and how things will change. So he could either take this wild gamble that everything works out here or go to an established team with the pieces already in place.

The only way I see him staying is if we offer him a big ass contract. And that means either A) Stewart is gone when his contract is up or we keep them both and screw over our team royally by sinking in a huge amount of our cap space on RBs.

what makes you think that??

This is the problem I see. I think the FO will pay him but at this point is it worth paying him like a top 5 RB when we have Stewart behind him.

[CRA]

LT is 31, and look at what he's doing.

LT is a hall of famer and one of the greatest RBs in the history of the NFL but I will entertain it.

He was garbage last year at 30......which got him cut. As for right now he has made it 4 games splitting reps 50/50. Not really a good example for a variety of reasons.

[Anybodyhome]

releasing Smith would be retarded. Just like letting a player w/ the value Pep had walk was.

Sorry, but there is evidence to support RBs rapid decline around age 30. I get it, Williams is Panther therefore he is an exception to the norm.....

Players want to win. Great players really want to win. I think "fans" are fooling themselves if they think great players with a small window left in this league are going to want to play out the next few seasons on a team rebuilding. 2-3 yrs......

Not what I said... but I do agree and I've never argued the fact the RBs do decline at that 30 year mark. But let's not get ahead of ourselves- we're talking about a 27-year old being "close to 30." If he were to stay in Charlotte he'd probably be relatively productive until he reached 30, which is 3 more seasons. But I think he'll be gone by then.

And for the same reasons Smith could get the Panthers to trade him, he could also easily get released... and age would be a definite factor there as well.

[scpanther22]

Not what I said... but I do agree and I've never argued the fact the RBs do decline at that 30 year mark. But let's not get ahead of ourselves- we're talking about a 27-year old being "close to 30." If he were to stay in Charlotte he'd probably be relatively productive until he reached 30, which is 3 more seasons. But I think he'll be gone by then. And for the same reasons Smith could get the Panthers to trade him, he could also easily get released... and age would be a definite factor there as well.

Do you really want to pay a RB 20 million in gurantees just for 3 seasons?

But we did pay a guy 18million for one year so who knows:nonod:

[CRA]

Not what I said... but I do agree and I've never argued the fact the RBs do decline at that 30 year mark. But let's not get ahead of ourselves- we're talking about a 27-year old being "close to 30." If he were to stay in Charlotte he'd probably be relatively productive until he reached 30, which is 3 more seasons. But I think he'll be gone by then.

And for the same reasons Smith could get the Panthers to trade him, he could also easily get released... and age would be a definite factor there as well.

likely, Carolina will be rebuilding at least the next 2 years.

and again, w/ Smitty he has too much value to let that occur. You can't let talent walk and sit on the bench. That is the problem w/ so much talent being in the backfield vs. reciever position. Depth in one is great b/c you can put it on the field. Depth at RB is just nice to talk about or during injury.

[R0CKnR0LLA]

2010 = toast

2011 = lockout

2012 = new system, new coaching staff, numerous new players (hopefully)

2013 = probably our first realistic shot at a playoff run

2013 Dwill is 30, Smitty is 34... you decide if these guys are worth clinging onto and turning down draft picks.

[rippadonn]

If there is a lock out next year I'm going to blame Jerry and I'll be mad at the NFL. Billionaires arguing with millionaires when so much money is at stake is foolish meet halfway and settle this bull, it's bad PR, so is coming on the TV and radio spewing B.S. about having put their best product on the field. I'll NEVER trust you again Marty!

[Dilla]

Sorry, but there is evidence to support RBs rapid decline around age 30. I get it, Williams is Panther therefore he is an exception to the norm.

I actually think the productive age for RBs will start to increase in the next few years with the 2-Back System. DeAngelo has probably had about half the bumps that workhorse RBs of the past at his age had.

[CRA]

I actually think the productive age for RBs will start to increase in the next few years with the 2-Back System. DeAngelo has probably had about half the bumps that workhorse RBs of the past at his age had.

30 is still 30. The body naturally changes for everyone.

[Anybodyhome]

likely, Carolina will be rebuilding at least the next 2 years.

and again, w/ Smitty he has too much value to let that occur. You can't let talent walk and sit on the bench. That is the problem w/ so much talent being in the backfield vs. reciever position. Depth in one is great b/c you can put it on the field. Depth at RB is just nice to talk about or during injury.

What would you realistically think Smith could get you? He's 30+, been pretty banged up the last 3 seasons and has obviously been used harder than most NFL WRs over the past couple seasons as well.

And I don't think the Panthers will be relevant again until 2013...

[kdrh5]

Why is everyone assuming it will take multiple years for a new head coach to compete with this team? There is parity in this league every year, especially in this division, and new teams make the playoffs every year.

[Kevin Greene]

Nothing was gained by letting Pep go player wise. It looks like the Panthers may make the same mistake again. Let DWill walk and get nothing at all in return.

I'm not saying I want to trade DW but what I am saying is the team needs to look long and hard and decide do they want to lose another player and get absolutely nothing in return.

How short are the memories around here?

The Panthers offered to make Peppers the highest payed defensive player in the NFL.

Then we go into Peppers wont sign the Franchise tag mode until far too late in the year for the Panthers to do anything else with their roster. Only his agent could negotiate a trade because we couldn't due to no Sig on the FT contract. For two years the Panthers were held hostage and had to pay an underachieving Peppers 20 million per year. They should have let him walk two years earlier and moved on. That is the lesson.

Deangelo Williams is another story. Here's a 27 year old running back in his prime and is "low mileage" because Fox was too stupid to play him much his first two years on the roster. Williams is worth the coin, sign him long term, and do it now. If he won't sign, then send him packing like a smart organization like the Patrioits sent Randy Moss and Richard Seymour packing.

[pstall]

Moss and Seymour were sent packing but they left some new luggage and gift certs behind. But i see what u mean.

[blackcat]

Pep was a special case, we offered to make him the highest paid player, he simply did not want to be here. That's the difference between he and Deangelo. 34 wants to make the most of his time here, and he has the character to do so. Pep did not.