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

[top dawg]

Only one player today. Perhaps Newton is going to draw things out. Coming in as the last player outside of his top 10 is Jordan Senn. To me, Senn is like the Nick Goings of linebackers, and provided we can re-sign him somewhere around his current level he will continue to be a great value.

[CatMan72]

I'd rank Wharton higher... Silatolu has shown promise but we don't really know what we've got and Kugbila was a rookie who has yet to play in an NFL game.  

[SCP]

I'd rank Wharton higher... Silatolu has shown promise but we don't really know what we've got and Kugbila was a rookie who has yet to play in an NFL game.

Kugbila hasn't even practiced in real pads.

[top dawg]

Yeah, it appears that Newton is gonna drag this out.

 

At number 10, Newton says it "just makes sense" to re-sign Anderson. Surprisingly (to me anyway), he mentions that it's also a good idea to draft a QB for the back-up role. To me, if DA is going to be here, then I would think that signing another guy would be a waste of a draft opportunity, unless the draftee is really thought to have extraordinary potential (which I don't see happening outside the third round). I say if Anderson re-signs, roll with him and perhaps bring some young UFA into camp to see if we can get lucky, and use that draft spot on a more pressing need.

[tondi]

I can't see us wasting a roster spot on a 3rd QB if we are keeping Anderson.  DG has already proven he doesn't believe in 3rd QB's anyway and with us potentially only being a few players away from SB contention why would we waste a roster spot (or draft pick) on somebody just to stash them on the practice squad and hope nobody snatches him away.

[top dawg]

Number 9 on Newton's list is Cap Munnerlyn.  Here is a guy that I would like to see signed, but am not gonna cry if it's elsewhere.  Cap's experience and tenaciousness are great, but I am tired of having an undersized starting corner.  And, like Newton said, I have seen him get burned too many times where it looked like his height (or judgment, or both) was the liability.

[catnip]

In Atlanta when the game was on the line Can threw to Hixon in the end zone. Hixon made a great catch on a tough throw.  Would Lafell have made the same catch?  You have to make the most of your opportunities in this league.  Most of the time whem Lafell made a catch he ran straight for the sidelines.

When Smitty went down, Lafell should have made the most of it to show he's worthy. I just didn't see it.  Maybe he's better than keeping Hixon or maybe not, but he certaintly will not be our #2 wr next year.   Gettleman will go after a young vet WR who is hungry like Ginn that can step up and play. He will also draft a wr.  It may not be our first round pick depending who is at #28, but within the frist two picks.

[MtnProwler]

I think with the situation we are in we have to rely on our draft picks performing well and starting in some cases. If we pick up a WR in FA to be our #2, and Ginn is our #3. I think we are better served picking another position when we are essentially picking our #4 WR in the 2nd as you say. That is if it even plays out like this.

[top dawg]

Today Domenik Hixon makes Newton's top 10, coming in at number eight.  Hell, if Hixon is number eight for real, then that doesn't bode well for those behind him (sense the sarcasm). As far as I am concerned, he is easily replaceable. The only reason that I would try to re-sign him is because of his veteran leadership and moxie (that I am assuming that he has). His injury history definitely leaves a lot to be desired, so even if we do re-sign him, I hope that he is relegated to the bench in favor of younger talent with more upside.

[j2sgam]

A year of severely limited action should bode well for Hixon though, dude hardly saw the field let alone got hit. A year to heal the prone injuries, Domenik should be plenty healthy come TC. Id like to see what he can do as the #2, let LaFell test the market....

[top dawg]

I suppose it's just a matter of opinion. 

 

I've seen what Hixon can do, not as a Panther mind you, as a Giant.  Hixon is not a spring chicken, so if he had a higher ceiling we would have seen it by now.  

 

Having Hixon as our WR2 would be extremely unsettling and disappointing in my opinion. I don't want LaFell 2.5 as my WR2. Hixon may be a smidgen above mediocrity, and Cam needs weapons. The team needs consistent, legit play-makes and game-changers.  At least with the new blood, I can at least fool myself that we have someone with greater upside than Hixon has been able to display in seven years.

[DaCityKats]

Hixon is jag. nothing more, nothing less.

[top dawg]

Coming in in the top third today at number 7 is Ted Ginn Jr.  I think that we must re-sign this guy, as he has the potential to represent the most bang for your buck out of any free agent that we have this year.  Of course inherent in that statement is the assumption that Ginn is not going to command relatively that much money.

 

With Ginn on the field, the whole threat level of the offense rises. To be honest, I am not going to say that we scratched the surface with Ginn this year, but I will say that I believe that Ginn can be even more of a threat---even just his presence alone---once we get another legit wide-out on the field that can threaten to take it to the house on any given play. With Ginn, Smitty and Olsen, sure opposing defenses have to be wary. But, once we get that other piece, defenses will have to pick their poison, and Ginn is not the type of receiver where you can get caught slippin'. 

 

Oh, yeah, and the kick returns...

[top dawg]

Well, I skipped a day. It's not like this is riveting information, and I've had a couple of late nights. Anyway...

 

Coming in as Newton's pick 6---err, sixth pick is Ben Hartsock. I suppose if Hartsock wants to return at a bargain, then how can we not sign him, but I hardly think that he is number 6. We can probably get a cheaper alternative with perhaps some more upside in the draft (e.g., a Marcel Jensen who is reportedly a great blocker).  I think that Ginn is more of a priority than Hartsock.

 

Graham Gano begins Newton's top 5, and rightly so. I don't know if anyone was extremely secure with Gano at the start of the season. In other words, I can't say that people were "all-in" on Gano (I know that i wasn't), but Gano put on a clinic this past season in regards to kicking in both phases of the game. He has apparently turned the corner with his accuracy and as such has become an obvious priority in the Panthers' plans going forward.