Update

[CarolinaPanthers8789]

It's easy to bag on a guy that's 350 pounds. I never really understood how guys that big could even play in the NFL without getting career injuries after playing 5 or 6 games. . it's truly amazing what they do at that size. Anyways, if D'lo has his back then I dont see why we should take other people's impressions as more credible, especially if theyre not on the field bleeding with him or have just joined the staff.

Jeff Otah hasn't been doing much of anything on the field since his rookie season.

[Razeyfingers]

Jeff Otah hasn't been doing much of anything on the field since his rookie season.

hmm?

He played every game of his second year ('09).

[Udogg]

Locking up kalil, and williams makes me happy.

Giving Beason his much deserved contract extension also good news.

I really like TD, but the same argument against signing Sidney Rice is the same argument against signing TD imo. Is he injury prone or just bad luck. I hope the TD deal will be extremely incentive laden.

Otah is really disappointing tbh. Night and day difference in our run game when he was playing especially on the right side. The CB position also has me worried but I don't think it would be hard to replace Richard Marshall level production. Improving the position may prove difficult but same level is easily doable.

[Catalyst]

Eric Wright could be a good under the radar signing at CB. He's slipped some the last year or two but was a pretty solid corner in Cleveland at one point. If we can get him for a reasonable price I'd love that signing.

[jtm]

Lol....I am not a hater. I prefer he stays pending he doesn't do Cam like Clausen. Smitty is an amazing WR.

.

Will never happen with Cam. Coaching staff will never allow it and Smitty will know that the media is watching every play. He will be a darling to Cam. Clausen kind of has that "I am a jerk look" and for some reason turns people off.

[rayzor]

So we should ignore good cap management cause you think we are a few players away from winning a championship with a rookie qb.

I have no problem with the team adding pieces that fit, and make sense.

if it doesn't result in you having a team that can get you a real shot at a lombardi every year, then it's not good cap management.

no one is asking that we break the bank and get every star FA around. just open up the bank and get premium players to fill the big holes. if the money is there to do it, then do it. even just get 2 big signings to fill a couple of the holes. those would be pieces that fit our needs and it would make sense. find your holes and then find the best pieces to fill it. use the resources at your disposal to make sure they are the best pieces and best fits possible. what could make more sense than that?

[MadHatter]

Will never happen with Cam. Coaching staff will never allow it and Smitty will know that the media is watching every play. He will be a darling to Cam. Clausen kind of has that "I am a jerk look" and for some reason turns people off.

Smith has NEVER cared what the media and others think of him.

In short, Smitty is a great athlete and playmaker.

He is not and never will be a great leader. It is just not in his personality....much like Peppers.

From an attitude and personality perspective, he is pretty much a jerk. But, he has delivered at a high level on the field.

I defer the decision to Rivera. He knows what he needs on the field vs. in the locker room.

[Jpjr]

Smith has NEVER cared what the media and others think of him.

In short, Smitty is a great athlete and playmaker.

He is not and never will be a great leader. It is just not in his personality....much like Peppers.

From an attitude and personality perspective, he is pretty much a jerk. But, he has delivered at a high level on the field.

I defer the decision to Rivera. He knows what he needs on the field vs. in the locker room.

More or less agree.

To keep entertaining two fantasies in this thread...

First, Smith will be back because a) no one else will offer any value for him because there isn't any and b) he is not ready to retire. It's as simple as that.

That said, some of you guys continue to ignore the past as a predictor of the future. Of course Smitty likes Cam now... he liked Clausen before the season began. Then he had to play with a rookie QB and the rest is history. Cam can find open receivers because of his running threat but finding a short receiver in double coverage is a completely different story. It will be fun watching it unfold this year.

Second, Matt Moore, a proven career backup quarterback, is a huge long shot to be starting for the Miami Dolphins next season. I don't understand how Miami solves their QB problem by brining in a guy that 1)has less starting experience than Henne, 2) is coming off a significant season ending injury, and 3) is coming from a team that has concluded that it needed to draft quarterbacks the last two years. I guess this doesn't mean the Dolphins won't go after Moore to challenge Henne, but we've clearly reached that time of year where the Moore disciples have erased the past and re-convinced themselves that he is an elite QB.

[pantherclaw]

When you have the chance to be good you have to take risks. Many teams do it. The year the Saints won the Super Bowl they added two starters in Darren Sharper and Jabari Greer.

Now ownership does not need to bankrupt the team but when there are guys out there that you know can help the team get better at a weak position on your roster and you have the money yet you still refuse to do it is just flat out foolish.

Foolishness is throwing around money for the sake of throwing around money.

Like I said, I no problems with the team adding players that fit the team. You seem to think any FA at a positionthat we can use, we should throw money at, regardless if they fit or not. We are not the redskins.

One more thing, comparing the panthers to the saints the off season before their superbowl, is also foolish.

[bleys]

if we manage to sign Cofield and Joseph or Wright, then all of this is a moot point. we did open up to FA.

If Holmes, VJax, or Floyd sign with their respective teams, that leaves guys like Edwards and Burress to sign (rather not the latter unless coaches feel he's had an awakening)...

I think this thread got people more concerned than needed.. obviously, we would have opened the pocketbook to bring some FA's in..

as far as WR is concerned, it'll be interesting to see what's a reasonable buy and who we need to realize may only be worth bringing in for the right price.

I think this year is going to look like the next two for WR.. we might be able to pull someone away from their team, but it's going to cost a pretty penny.

We did build through the draft, we got Cam Newton.

But when the team that is in place is only four starters (WR, CB, DT, OL) away from being a possible Super Bowl contender and players such as (WR) Sidney Rice, Braylon Edwards, Santonio Holmes (OL) Carl Nicks, Logan Mankins, Alan Faneca (DT) Brandon Mebane, Aubrayo Franklin, Barry Coefield (CB) Nnamdi Asomugha, Jonathan Joseph, and Ike Taylor on the board and the Panthers choose to go with cheaper guys who they THINK can get the job done, kind of upsets people. And we may have been to a Super Bowl while bargain hunting for players, but we did not WIN a Championship through bargain hunting.

as mentioned above, if we grab Cofield and Joseph/Wright, then we didn't bargain shop and your point is irrelevant (as usual)..

[TheGreatestOfAllTimeCam]

Really appreciate the update here

[Crixtala]

I think this year is going to look like the next two.. we might be able to pull someone away from their team, but it's going to cost a pretty penny.

this is the thing i'm most concerned about

after we sign our own (which will account for a big chunk of the money people are thinking this team is going to have on hand), bringing in outside FA's could be difficult without throwing out a ton of cash. what pull does charlotte have? the panthers were at the bottom of the league last year, and outside of a rabid fanbase, who has any idea of the direction we're headed in? and again... it's fuging charlotte. who wants to come here? i live here and i don't want to be here

[bleys]

this is the thing i'm most concerned about

after we sign our own (which will account for a big chunk of the money people are thinking this team is going to have on hand), bringing in outside FA's could be difficult without throwing out a ton of cash. what pull does charlotte have? the panthers were at the bottom of the league last year, and outside of a rabid fanbase, who has any idea of the direction we're headed in? and again... it's f**king charlotte. who wants to come here? i live here and i don't want to be here

lol@living there/not wanting to live there

I think we have some pull. we have a coaching staff that SHOULD coach up talent and put them in place to make plays.

People have seen what Rivera has done at 2 different teams, both bringing a league leading defense.

if Chud lives up to what we think he can do and Cam becomes a legit star, offensive players will come here.

I think we do need to see what direction we may be heading though..

[Stroupe-a-loop]

lol@living there/not wanting to live there

I think we have some pull. we have a coaching staff that SHOULD coach up talent and put them in place to make plays.

People have seen what Rivera has done at 2 different teams, both bringing a league leading defense.

if Chud lives up to what we think he can do and Cam becomes a legit star, offensive players will come here.

I think we do need to see what direction we may be heading though..

I understand the belief in Rivera (I'm totally on board), but I think we are putting a little too much pressure on Chud to be something special. He may just be alright.

And as for Crixtala, people will come to Charlotte because we pay them. People go to down franchises all the time. It's the point of free agency.