Fox likes backup QBs, but change possible

[Reapuh]

http://blogs.charlotte.com/panthers/2009/03/fox-likes-backup-qbs-but-doesnt-rule-out-change.html

Here are more comments from coach John Fox’s Wednesday morning interview with reporters, including the Observer’s Charles Chandler, at the league owners’ meetings in Dana Point, Calif. Some questions and answers are edited for clarity and brevity:

Q: Though you have expressed a strong commitment to Jake Delhomme as your starting quarterback, is it time to identify or go about acquiring his eventual replacement?

A: I think we’ve got two good young quarterbacks right now, Josh McCown and Matty (Moore), who started late in the season two years ago. I think we’ve got too good young developmental guys. And what we do from there, I mean, things could even change from that. But I don’t think it’s like we’ve got a bunch of old veteran guys behind (Delhomme).

Q: How has it been for you this year not being active in free agency due to your tight salary cap, plus also not having a first-round draft pick?

A: We got our first-rounder last year (by trading the ’09 first-rounder to acquire tackle) Jeffrey Otah. As far as cap-wise, I don’t know that we’ve ever been really big players in free agency to begin with. I think we’ve got a good young core for a football team. We’re comfortable working through the draft, and always have been.

Q: Are ’08 draft picks Mackenzy Bernadeau and Geoff Schwartz ready to step up and be primary backups on the offensive line?

A: That’s a hard question to answer. At some point, I wasn’t sure if (recently departed unrestricted free agents) Geoff Hangartner and Frank Omiyale were going to be ready – I’m talking about years ago. That’s the exciting part about coaching. That’s the exciting part about being a young player coming into this league. If you go about your business right, you get rewarded. We’re in that process of getting ready to do it again.

Q: Is Richard Marshall ready to start at cornerback?

A: I hope so. I like Richard. I like his competitiveness. I think he’s done terrific. We’ve got some young guys we think are ready to step up. … He’s a second-round draft pick we’re hoping is ready to start.

Q: Marshall has been such a good No. 3 cornerback for you, and that’s an important position. Who is the third cornerback now, and is he even on the roster yet?

A: That’s hard to predict. Obviously, we wouldn’t have (released starter Ken Lucas) if we didn’t think so.

(There’s) C.J. (Wilson). Dante (Wesley). And we haven’t had a draft yet. We’re not done with the selection process. It’s really too hard to predict yet. But with the guys we have, obviously we have a comfort zone with those guys.

[Murph]

Mr Scott pretty much nailed it . In Fox's eyes, McCown and Moore are the future.

Sounds like he is more confident with CJ at nickel than with our OL backups. Could be a hint that OL will be the target with our first pick in the 2nd round. (that is assuming Peppers is staying of course).

[panthers55]

As several of us have said, it is time for our backups to become starters instead of always picking up someone else's starters in free agency who come at a premium. In order to stay under the cap you have to promote from within, keep your core players long-term and some backups, rookies, and lower priced journeymen are going to have to step up like Vincent, Brayton, Lewis, Williams and others have. You can't pay everyone top money.

[Reapuh]

Didn't feel like starting another thread, so here. From Gantt.

http://www.heraldonline.com/665?plckController=Blog&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3aded44479-eff0-4fb5-98bf-9edb9d130913Post%3a5e7b1e0d-7350-420d-bc9d-c5a2358b6b9c&sid=pluck.heraldonline.com

For starters, take a deep breath.

Sure, the Panthers have talked about an extension for QB Jake Delhomme, but no more so lately than they have the last six months.

Asked a source with first-hand knowledge of what's going on last night if there was anything new or different about the recent talks, or whether a deal was any closer than before.

The one-word reply: "No."

It's probably going to happen, but probably not for the reasons you think.

Any deal for Delhomme will be done to keep him as the quarterback here for the next few years, not for short-term salary cap relief. I'm going to say that again, because the lunatic fringe has struggled to understand this offseason. They're going to do a deal with Jake because they want to keep him around.

That means no Jay Cutler, no Derek Anderson, no Byron Leftwich, no Brett Favre, no Vinny Testaverde and likely no Pat White. Take another deep breath. Try to accept it. It's hard, I know.

I've been getting bombarded by e-mails wanting to know why they aren't going after this guy or that guy. I'm going to say it one more time. It's because they've got their guy. Whether you think it's right or wrong doesn't matter. They've decided.

When (almost certainly not if) they extend him, they'll clear between $2 million and $3 million worth of room. That's probably enough to sign their draft class, even if they don't touch any of the other veteran contracts.

When you add in the $16.7 balloon payment that'll come with a Julius Peppers deal, they can then go sign all the spare parts they need (like someone to long snap and backup linemen) and start working on the next wave of deals. That's when they'll start working on DeAngelo Williams, Thomas Davis, Jon Beason, Ryan Kalil and the other young guys coming up. They've talked about theories of contracts with most of those guys too.

Just as we have to do with Peppers-watch, this one demands patience, and that, as much as anything, seems to be in short supply among the fan base.

[Murph]

OK after reading that, I am convinced that Gantt and Mr. Scott are the same guy. Or at least they are trading notes on a daily basis.

[mountainpantherfan]

I have never questioned the desire of the Panthers to want to extend Delhomme for whatever reason. I still question if Delhomme is willing to sign an extention with the possible uncapped year in 2010. While I think the Panthers could use an upgrade at QB there just isn't one available that makes anymore sense than the two backups we currently have on roster. And no Cutler isn't an option and even if he was he isn't a good fit with the Panthers. So unless fans are ready for the McCown or Moore era, extending Jake is the best/only option right now for the Panthers.

[Fireball77]

I know, Murph. Especially this part. The way it's worded is 100% Mr. Scot.

It's because they've got their guy. Whether you think it's right or wrong doesn't matter. They've decided.

Mountain: I don't think the uncapped year, IF it even occurs, is going to be the $$ bonanza some people think. That said, I also don't think it will affect Jake's thinking about signing a contract. He's not some big name guy who would get tons from another team and I do think he has some loyalty as well.

[mantal]

I know, Murph. Especially this part. The way it's worded is 100% Mr. Scot.

Mountain: I don't think the uncapped year, IF it even occurs, is going to be the $$ bonanza some people think. That said, I also don't think it will affect Jake's thinking about signing a contract. He's not some big name guy who would get tons from another team and I do think he has some loyalty as well.

Spot on as usual...

[mountainpantherfan]

Mountain: I don't think the uncapped year, IF it even occurs, is going to be the $$ bonanza some people think. That said, I also don't think it will affect Jake's thinking about signing a contract. He's not some big name guy who would get tons from another team and I do think he has some loyalty as well.

Oh God no. That is not what I am talking about. You are correct in that Jake wouldn't be a big name free agent getting a mega deal. And you are correct in that he has a lot of loyalty to the team. That is the problem. Right now if he extends his contract he is going to be limited in the amount of money he could get by also helping the team save cap space. The new rules in place limit the amount of increase from one year to another. So even if Delhomme was to say sign a deal that would allow the team to save 3-4 million in cap space this year he couldn't get "compensated" for the discount next year. Right now Jake's loyalty won't allow him to ask for a large deal because he knows the cap situation the Panthers are in. If he waits until next season or until Peppers is traded he will be able to help the team but also be able to make a large amount of money on what is probably going to be the last contract he signs.

Does that make more sense? I hope I explained myself better with this post but I'm not sure...

[carolinarolls]

fvck Darin Gantt.....john fox mouthpiece

[Fireball77]

Does that make more sense? I hope I explained myself better with this post but I'm not sure...

OK, I get what you are saying now. So you are thinking that in the new CBA they will no longer have that 30% (or whatever the % is you can't jump the compensation up by year to year in a contract). That one is currently on the books and isn't new though. I think his agent said that they would basically have to start over with a new deal, so that might not even come into play.

[mountainpantherfan]

OK, I get what you are saying now. So you are thinking that in the new CBA they will no longer have that 30% (or whatever the % is you can't jump the compensation up by year to year in a contract). That one is currently on the books and isn't new though. I think his agent said that they would basically have to start over with a new deal, so that might not even come into play.

A new deal, and not an extension, could be a solution but in doing go Delhomme would be throwing away any of the money owed to him under his current contract. He is due to make 5.725 million this year so that number would have to be added to any new contract in the works. In addition there is 5.275 million that would still be on the cap from Delhomme's original deal that wouldn't go away just becaus of a new deal. Like I said earlier, I don't doubt the Panthers want to sign him to an extension or a new deal but will Delhomme be willing to help the team THAT much.

[Mr. Scot]

OK after reading that, I am convinced that Gantt and Mr. Scott are the same guy. Or at least they are trading notes on a daily basis.

Appreciated, but Gantt's his own guy. He gets paid for what he does.

Me, I'm just in it for the love of the game.

(darn it) :mad2:

[panthers55]

Oh God no. That is not what I am talking about. You are correct in that Jake wouldn't be a big name free agent getting a mega deal. And you are correct in that he has a lot of loyalty to the team. That is the problem. Right now if he extends his contract he is going to be limited in the amount of money he could get by also helping the team save cap space. The new rules in place limit the amount of increase from one year to another. So even if Delhomme was to say sign a deal that would allow the team to save 3-4 million in cap space this year he couldn't get "compensated" for the discount next year. Right now Jake's loyalty won't allow him to ask for a large deal because he knows the cap situation the Panthers are in. If he waits until next season or until Peppers is traded he will be able to help the team but also be able to make a large amount of money on what is probably going to be the last contract he signs.

Does that make more sense? I hope I explained myself better with this post but I'm not sure...

MPF,

I think he could be compensated. If we extend him 2 more years by turning almost all of his full 2009 salary into most of his signing bonus so that he counts 7 million against the cap this year but receives his 5 million salary and lets say a signing bonus of 6 million- 5 million of his converted salary from this year and another million on top- he gets 11 million this year in real dollars,

His cap number for next year is 2 million from the signing bonus and he could get 6 million next year as salary and still fit into the 30% rule and 8 million in salary his last year. If people forget about the cap hit and look at what he is actually receiving which is around 5 million in salary in 2009 it is easy to see that he could get twice that amount in real money this year, he could get a raise over this year for the next 2 years and receive a total of 25 million over the next 3 years in actual dollars which is in line with starting quarterbacks. If you throw in some roster bonuses in the 2010 or 2011 you can make the contract worth 30-35 million to please everyone and if we he cut him you are not out a ton of guaranteed money.

From a cap point of view he will cost around 7 million in 2009, maybe 9 million in 2010, and perhaps 11 or 12 million in 2011 which is not much more than he cost us this year.

It all works and we get a 3 million cap saving this year.

I think.......