What does Gettleman need to do to make you optimistic for 2013?

[prowler2k8]

This article says we are roughly 11.8 million over the cap once the carry over money is figured in. If we use the numbers in this thread. Cutting Gamble, Ron Edwards and Nakumura get you even.

So even if we keep Williams, Gross and Beason but restructure the deals for a few million apiece we are sitting 6-8 million under the cap which covers your rookies. You cut Tolbert, cut Onatolu, restructure Godfrey, restructure Dwan Edwards and cut Armanti and you have 5 or 6 million more.

And who have we gotten rid of really?? I think we can cut Pickles and save a few million more. Yeah a rookie would be better or a minimum vet guy from another team. I don't see that cutting a lot of useless guys will keep us out of free agency or doom us to suck. We have had a number of guys who have seriously underperformed but got paid well for nothing.

http://www.catscratc...y-cap-situation

I agree with everything you said except cutting Tolbert. We should try to trade Stewart, who although younger seems to have chronic foot/ankle problems. Williams (who probably has 2-3 years left) and Tolbert make a good enough tandem at RB with Tauren Poole and Armond Smith contending for the 3rd RB/ST/depth. I like Stewart, but he and Tolbert are basically the same physical style RB and I was somewhat suprised that we resigned Stewart after we got Tolbert last year.

[panthers55]

I agree with everything you said except cutting Tolbert. We should try to trade Stewart, who although younger seems to have chronic foot/ankle problems. Williams (who probably has 2-3 years left) and Tolbert make a good enough tandem at RB with Tauren Poole and Armond Smith contending for the 3rd RB/ST/depth. I like Stewart, but he and Tolbert are basically the same physical style RB and I was somewhat suprised that we resigned Stewart after we got Tolbert last year.

The reason for cutting Tolbert is that he is due a 1 million dollar roster bonus in March. If we cut him we save that. The problem with cutting or trading Stewart is that his guaranteed money escalates and we get little benefit from cutting him. Plus any cut would be after June 1st which doesn't help us get below the cap before free agency starts. I like Tolbert in short yardage situations and on the screen, I just don't think we can keep everyone.

[Keith Moons Liver]

Nothing he can do. The main problem is higher in the food chain than Gettleman.

[pantherclaw]

Yes, kurb , the team has issues.

That doesn't change the goal for next season. The goal of winning a championship. The Superbowl.

[Zod]

I have a goal of having a solid gold toilet in my house this year. Probably won't happen.

Goals are funny like that. You need a plan to reach them.

[Kevin Greene]

A good plan that is well executed.

[Kevin Greene]

As John McKay once said of what he thought of his team's execution so far:

"I'm all for it."

[CC Rider]

There is nothing he can do to make me as optimistic as I was last off-season. I really expected an over-the-top team, as I think a lot of people did.

I will always pull for the Panthers to do great things, but as of now (actually since game 3 of 2012) I am in full on "I'll believe it when I see it" mode. Nothing anybody says will ever get me to be excited about this team. This time, my enthusiasm will have to be earned. I'll still watch every game, every off-season move with interest, always root for my team and I'll still be bummed when they loose... but until I see it on the field, I won't get fooled again.

It was my own fault of course, not managing my own expectations...

So what can he say to make me optimistic? Nothing.

Show me, don't tell me.

[pantherj]

Gettleman is in a position where no matter what he does we're going to lose some very talented players. Drafting well, and finding diamond in the rough type FAs would give me some hope for next season. But even if we draft well, I just don't see a winning season on the horizon. We're lacking at CB, S, OG, OT, DT, WR, and we're probably going to lose Gamble and a few other vets. I hope I'm wrong and we have a great season, but things look really bad right now.

[panthers55]

Gettleman is in a position where no matter what he does we're going to lose some very talented players. Drafting well, and finding diamond in the rough type FAs would give me some hope for next season. But even if we draft well, I just don't see a winning season on the horizon. We're lacking at CB, S, OG, OT, DT, WR, and we're probably going to lose Gamble and a few other vets. I hope I'm wrong and we have a great season, but things look really bad right now.

So how many of these guys we will lose actually contributed during our late season run?? Gamble?? No. The secondary got better without him. Nakamura? LOL, Ron Edwards?? He finished the season on IR as well.

Stewart didn't play, Beason didn't play, etc. Williams, Dwan Edwards and Tolbert were the only guys who we could use who were there all year and produced but we could lose to cap issues.. Gross is another is they let him go although I don't think they will.

We won with a lot of backups and no names like DJ Campbell, James Dockery, Dwan Edwards, and Nate Ness to name a few. I think canning some big name overpriced guys and putting folks on notice will shake things up and get better results. You don't need big stars to win, you need guys who play big in big situations to win.

[pantherj]

So how many of these guys we will lose actually contributed during our late season run?? Gamble?? No. The secondary got better without him. Nakamura? LOL, Ron Edwards?? He finished the season on IR as well.

Stewart didn't play, Beason didn't play, etc. Williams, Dwan Edwards and Tolbert were the only guys who we could use who were there all year and produced but we could lose to cap issues.. Gross is another is they let him go although I don't think they will.

We won with a lot of backups and no names like DJ Campbell, James Dockery, Dwan Edwards, and Nate Ness to name a few. I think canning some big name overpriced guys and putting folks on notice will shake things up and get better results. You don't need big stars to win, you need guys who play big in big situations to win.

Gamble not participating in our run at the end of the season doesn't mean we're better without him. I would consider losing him to be major loss. Nakamura is terrible and it's no big deal to lose him. Edwards is decent but aging, so again not too big of a deal losing him.

We don't at this point know who will be cut (of course), but we're going to lose talent off of a team that really doesn't have much to spare.

Winning a lot with backups and no names? I mean the run we went on was due in large part because we played several terrible teams close together. Cam Newton can drag this team past the lesser teams in the NFL, but having a winning season is a different matter. Of course I want guys who play big in big situations, but I'm really worried about the overall taent level of this team. And when the cuts come the talet level with drop even lower. Now I certainly hope our newer players can step up and toe the line, but I'm very concerned.

[panthers55]

Gamble not participating in our run at the end of the season doesn't mean we're better without him. I would consider losing him to be major loss. Nakamura is terrible and it's no big deal to lose him. Edwards is decent but aging, so again not too big of a deal losing him.

We don't at this point know who will be cut (of course), but we're going to lose talent off of a team that really doesn't have much to spare.

Winning a lot with backups and no names? I mean the run we went on was due in large part because we played several terrible teams close together. Cam Newton can drag this team past the lesser teams in the NFL, but having a winning season is a different matter. Of course I want guys who play big in big situations, but I'm really worried about the overall taent level of this team. And when the cuts come the talet level with drop even lower. Now I certainly hope our newer players can step up and toe the line, but I'm very concerned.

Can't say I agree on most fronts with your post. Our secondary got better when Gamble and Norman went out. We played a more aggressive press man coverage which Gamble has never been that good at doing. He was always a cover 2 guy most of his time here. We will lose some talent and will gain some as well. Plus guys like Silatolu, Adams, and a number of other rookie or young guys will have a year in the system and most players make their biggest jump between year 1 and year 2. So experience wise, we will be better not worse even if we lose a few guys.

And we played both New Orleans and Atlanta during that stretch who are bitter division rivals and who are not terrible teams. The one team that was terrible, KC, we actually lost to them. Anytime you can win on the road is a good win.

When you look at how the backups and practice squad guys came together, you realize that on paper the guys were less talented but more motivated and that is the key. We will have guys who are playing for their football lives next year and need to win, they will do more even if they have less because it isn't just how talented the players are, but how well they complement each other and as a unit perform at a high level. After watching Philly for the past 2 years it is easy to see that talent alone doesn't win games either.

[R0CKnR0LLA]

The biggest thing I want to see this offseason is getting rid of those bad Hurney contracts. Either by dumping the player or renegotiating the deal. Just about every non-rookie contract on this team is a bad deal (besides the bottom of the roster league minimum type guys).

That and have a solid draft. Both of these things will help set the team up for long term success.

I really don't expect much for 2013 though, even if these things do happen. Like was mentioned in the OP, the coaching staff was already bad and has been downgraded AND is in lame duck status, free agent wise we'll be subtracting more talent than adding, and we have limited draft picks. Oh and a tough schedule. So yeah.

[Ivan The Awesome]

That good and fine, but you know what is better than a few good scouts ? A poo ton of good scouts.

You're right on that account. There is still a slight chance that he may lure away some scouts from the Giants. You never know.