David Newton ranking our 21 FAs by importance (updated 21 thru 5)

[Mr. Scot]

I may not be chomping at the bit to re-sign him, but LaFell behind guys who barely played like Hangman, J. Williams, and Connor is kind of a joke.

 

I'd say most of the guys at the bottom of the list are considered pretty expendable.

 

Of the names listed, laFell and Florence would be surprises.

 

[Peppers90 NC]

LaFell second worst?  Only Jimmy Clausen less valuable?

 

 

Ouch :unsure:

At first that seemed absurd, but the fact is Lafell is supposed to be our clear cut #2 option.  When Smith missed the Falcons game, Lafell was almost invisible.  That tells me that he is so far from being a #1 option, he can't possibly be a solid #2.

[Peppers90 NC]

1. Hardy

2. Gross

3. Mitchell

4. Ginn

5. Munnerlyn

[Mr. Scot]

At first that seemed absurd, but the fact is Lafell is supposed to be our clear cut #2 option.  When Smith missed the Falcons game, Lafell was almost invisible.  That tells me that he is so far from being a #1 option, he can't possibly be a solid #2.

 

You won't see me crying if they let Lafell walk.

 

For as big as he is, he should be a much more physical receiver, but he isn't.  If anything, he's a finesse receiver.

 

I say let him go.

 

[Peppers90 NC]

You won't see me crying if they let Lafell walk.

 

For as big as he is, he should be a much more physical receiver, but he isn't.  If anything, he's a finesse receiver.

 

I say let him go.

 

i've already prepared myself (emotionally) to lose him and Hardy

[MHS831]

The fact that Jimmy Clausen's name is still associated with professional football in any shape or form is pathetic, tragic, deplorable, despicable, horrendous, and down right bullshit.

 

I haven't played since college a few decades ago, but his presence on the roster does give me hope.  I have decided to run to the end of the driveway to get the morning paper as part of my conditioning program.  You can bet Gettlemen will be getting a letter from my wife/agent.

 

What say you? 

[Mr. Scot]

i've already prepared myself (emotionally) to lose him and Hardy

 

My emotions won't be all that affected by losing LaFell.

 

Hardy... :(

 

[2plankingpanther]

The Panthers could find out where Dwuane Jarett is and resign him to the roster for a 4 year contract of $100 million and the roster would be set! :D

[2plankingpanther]

Glad Marty Hurney is no longer the GM!

[TheMaulClaw]

pretty much this.

 

as i see it, it's a choice between lafell, nicks, baldwin, decker, and tate.

 

i just don't see lafell as being all that comparable with those other options. sure, he's a good blocker and he knows the offense but he's just not as good as those others. the fact that he'd probably cost just as much as those guys just doesn't help his case.

 

i think we keep ginn around as he's just too useful as a returner and does really well as a third WR option and i think he's still got a good amount of room to grow as a receiver. what we saw this year was just a little bit of what he's got to offer, imo. lafell, on the other hand....i think what you saw this year was about as good as it's going to get.

 

let lafell go and pick up one of those other 4 guys and draft another WR in the first couple rounds and i think we're set.

 

Don't sleep on Decker.  I know there aren't many ties here, and he'll probably command the most money out of those you mentioned, but he's Patrick Jeffers on steroids without the injuries.

[Vagrant]

Stupid and silly to have LaFell that low on the list. The guy was a big time contributor to this team even if he hasn't developed like we'd want. 600 yards in 3 straight seasons and one of the better blocking WR on the roster, if not the league. What alternate dimension is LaFell not worth offering a contract?

[FootballMaestro]

Stupid and silly to have LaFell that low on the list. The guy was a big time contributor to this team even if he hasn't developed like we'd want. 600 yards in 3 straight seasons and one of the better blocking WR on the roster, if not the league. What alternate dimension is LaFell not worth offering a contract?

 

I think it's more of an indication of how much the Panthers are willing to part with Lafell, and/or pick up additional WR talent that's available via free agency. 

[carpanfan96]

Stupid and silly to have LaFell that low on the list. The guy was a big time contributor to this team even if he hasn't developed like we'd want. 600 yards in 3 straight seasons and one of the better blocking WR on the roster, if not the league. What alternate dimension is LaFell not worth offering a contract?

Every single dimension that's ever existed, it's just inconceivable that Lafell gets an offer from the Panthers. He's not a #2 or #3 WR on any team in the NFL and isn't worth any sort of contract outside of the base minimum. 

[Vagrant]

I think it's more of an indication of how much the Panthers are willing to part with Lafell, and/or pick up additional WR talent that's available via free agency. 

 

I mean, that's just the thing though. A guy that we thought would be a better fit in Domenik HIxon, and caught for 567 yards in only 3 starts for the Giants, was supposed to come in last season and supplant a lot of our guys. Another team's 600 yard guy couldn't come in and take the job from LaFell.

 

Look at the guys who were signed as free agents after changing teams last season in the mid-range value that we'd be shopping in:

 

Heyward Bey: $2.5 million - 29 catches for 307 yards and 1 TD

Manningham: $1.8 million - 9 catches for 89 yards and 0 TD

Hixon - $1.2 million - 7 catches for 55 yards and 1 TD

Ginn - $1.1 million - Success for Carolina

Burress - $1.05 million - 3 catches for 42 yards and 1 TD

 

 

I mean, it's not like we're promised a slam dunk player with the money we're going to have to be offering up to WR. These names are nice to float around until the actual money goes down on the table and then it gets real. If we let an in-house option leave that knows the offense, has worked with the QB, and isn't asking for way too much we'd be insane not to take it instead of chasing some absurd low-buy-in free agent that's going to give us a legit second option, or even first option at the rate that Smith is slowing down. It's just not going to happen that way. In a league that is going pass heavy, WR are in more demand now than ever and if a team is letting a guy go it's because he's not a good fit or he's too expensive.

 

Would it be nice if Hakeem Nicks took peanuts to come play here? Yeah. But it's not going to happen. We need to evaluate our position realistically.