With 8.46 million do we go shopping or sign Hardy?

[CatMan72]

If Hardy is willing to sign now, sign him now, before the price goes up. 

[CatofWar]

The obvious move is to extend Hardy. It's funny how people quickly forget what a solid front 7 can do for a team.

Mike Rucker, Kris Jenkins, Brenston Buckner, Julius Peppers. It was pick your poison. Mark Fields, Dan Morgan and Will Witherspoon were free to do what they do. With Jake we rode the D (no homo) to the Super Bowl.

Our current group, I whole heatedly think, will be better. Keep Kracken and Big Money on the ends, the monsters in the middle. That can and will be the best front four in the league in a couple years. It all starts with locking up Hardy.

[thefuzz]

One could, with a little manipulation, make a contract for Hardy that : Paid out big money, didn't affect out cap in a major way for a couple years, and allowed us to keep CJ until he is roughly 30. 

 

This would be pushing lots of cap hit onto the back end of the deal tho. 

 

Would be dangerous...

 

 

I will flip my poo....

[CPF4LIFE]

yep. much better to focus our efforts on getting cam re-signed and locked up than hardy. hardy is great, but replaceable (alexander).

 

cam? not so much.

 

cam is the priority...making sure we've got the cap space to lock that guy up....and making sure he's got a team he wants to stick with.

 

No he isnt, not yet. You cant take Alexanders sample play and say he can replace Hardy already.

[Matthias]

I'm not sure if this is how it works but I've also thought about it this way. Cam is the first true megastar in Carolina. The revenue that the Panthers make off him has to be astronomical.  I'm not sure if that somehow plays into his contract or not. But the Panthers will do everything to keep this guy here. I could be way of base here, but something I've thought about.

 

I haven't thought about that angle.  Of course unless the revenue he brought the team somehow increased our cap space, I wouldn't personally consider his impact there when doing a new contract. (Of course that is just my take concerning it.  Which doesn't matter one bit. lol)

[thefuzz]

I'm not sure if this is how it works but I've also thought about it this way. Cam is the first true megastar in Carolina. The revenue that the Panthers make off him has to be astronomical.  I'm not sure if that somehow plays into his contract or not. But the Panthers will do everything to keep this guy here. I could be way of base here, but something I've thought about.

 

He will stay here, but he will have to play better to get top 5 money.

 

As of now Cam has not earned that type pay.  He may over the course of the next two years, but he has more to prove.

[Doc Holiday]

I looked at Hardy's contract, and he will make a little over a million this year. Yet I would still opt for any kind of short term pay increase, and then argue with two great years for a good long term deal. I suppose my logic is good if Hardy wanted to stay a Panther and get the very best deal possible. Of course if he is a restricted free agent next year, then the Panthers can wait to pay him. (Also we have the franchise tag option) Considering all of that, there's no need to sign Hardy long term right now.

you are talking about what is best for Hardy, I'm talking about what is best for the panthers cap situation.

Based on our cap situation it's better to sign him now then wait till next year

[OneBadCat]

Hardy will be one of if not the best DE in the league next season. It would be wise to extend him now than have to duke it out with other teams in FA. Would still like a veteran presence on the right side of our o-line though.

[MadHatter]

Now concerning Cam's contract, most Panther fans expect him to be the highest payed QB in the league.  Yet he himself still have a lot to prove.  In order to give him a contract that makes him the highest paid in the league, he needs to at least win one superbowl.  As of right now, I would probably give him a contract similar to Drew Brees' contract when he first landed in New Orleans.  Making around 10-11 million dollars a year.  Now if he put up MVP type numbers, then of course we would give him a lot more, but Cam has to prove something this year before I give him highest paid in the league type of a contract.

1.  It is going to take more than $10M per season to re-sign Cam

 

2.  There is no way an agent worth a poo would sign a couple of year deal for a relatively small increase after the type of season that Hardy had, when he could hit the open market next year.  They will roll the dice.

[thefuzz]

I would let Hardy's agent know to start expecting talks to start during training camp, see what Hardy looks like when he get's in there and go from there.

[Doc Holiday]

Now concerning Cam's contract, most Panther fans expect him to be the highest payed QB in the league. Yet he himself still have a lot to prove. In order to give him a contract that makes him the highest paid in the league, he needs to at least win one superbowl. As of right now, I would probably give him a contract similar to Drew Brees' contract when he first landed in New Orleans. Making around 10-11 million dollars a year. Now if he put up MVP type numbers, then of course we would give him a lot more, but Cam has to prove something this year before I give him highest paid in the league type of a contract.

yes that's expectable but how do you resign two players for 10 mil in the same year, if we sign hardy now we could end up lowering their combined cap hit down the road by 3-5 mil a year

[Udogg]

I looked at Hardy's contract, and he will make a little over a million this year.  Yet I would still opt for any kind of short term pay increase, and then argue with two great years for a good long term deal.  I suppose my logic is good if Hardy wanted to stay a Panther and get the very best deal possible.  Of course if he is a restricted free agent next year, then the Panthers can wait to pay him. (Also we have the franchise tag option)  Considering all of that, there's no need to sign Hardy long term right now.

 

I understand your thinking but DE is a premium position. Essentially by taking a short term pay increase he decreases his leverage for a long term deal. 

 

The front office leverage right now is hey you are only making about a mill.  Lets get you a long term deal and even if you get hurt this year you are covered. Plus long term we will be able to spread out the money to extend our QB and other core players.  Oh we also can tender you or franchise you.

 

Hardy's leverage is you either pay me now or let me hit the free market at the end of this year.  Oh btw I had 10 plus sacks with mediocre DT play and If I have a monster year you aren't going to be able to afford me.  Plus have you seen the franchise tag on DE's?  Top 5 contract average is 16 mill (thank you mario williams) that applies directly to the cap.  Plus I will probably go to ATL where I can be a baller and play you twice a year.

 

I think we should pay the man, I understand that last year was the first year of big production.  It was also his 3rd year the league plus he wasn't completely healthy unlike his 2nd year.   3rd year you expect the jump and he delivered, we don't want to put yourselves in the CJ position again.  Let's pay him fair market value now and lets spread it out so we have flexibility going forward for other moves.

[Kurb]

I will flip my poo....

lol

[Matthias]

Regardless of what happens, we are not losing Hardy next season.  Worst case scenario is Hardy will be tagged.  With Cam, we don't necessarily have to give him a new contract next year.  He will have to prove he deserves to be locked up long term next year.  If I was Gettlemen, I would only consider giving Cam a new contract next year if he either has a MVP type season, or he wins one playoff game.  If he does neither, then no new contract next year.

 

Edit: Oh, I didn't realize the tag for a DE is 16 million. (But then again, I think that was Pep's cap hit when he was franchised correct me if I'm wrong)