Smitty meets with Gettleman today

[MHS831]

When your TE is your #1 receiver, you either have a problem or run the Wishbone offense.  We probably all agree that something needs to be done, and there are many factors that need to be considered-cap (now and in future), production, talent pool, etc.  We really do not want our GM to be emotional like Hurney, but there are people on here getting on Gettlemen because he is not paying his respects to Smitty.  That is hard to take, but I don't think it is important to Gettlemen.  That may be a good trait.  Let the coach, owner, PR dept.  handle the emotional/fan-based stuff. 

 

From Smitty's comments at Clemson, it seems that he accepts the fact that the press was behind the Gettlemen comments more than anything.  Gettlemen probably said, "I meant it as a compliment.  I would not go to the press and tell them something about you before I told you.  Look at my history.  I do not throw employees under the bus."

[Jon Snow]

Looking unemotionally at the Steve Smith conversation, we have to accept that his days are numbered. I love Smith. He's grown up and been the best player to wear the Panthers' uniform. At that price, heck even for this year, he's got to be a big yardage, big play guy. Now we'll look at the total numbers of catches and yards and TDs, but we'll also have to compare those (low) numbers to the critical conversions (3rd/4th/2pt) that he made this past year. How often was he shut out by single coverage? Does he still command special attention of a defense that will allow other guys to make plays?

If he can still move the chains, make those big time conversions that help us win, and open things up for some other WRs, then you have to pay him and keep him. I think we're going to see Smith around for the 2014 season due to the fact there is NOTHING else on our roster aside from Greg Olsen who can make plays in the passing game.

It's a difficult situation to be in but it goes beyond 2014. If Steve refuses to renegotiate his contract now then Gettleman has no choice but to trade or release him because there's no way he's going to pay 7 million in 2015 and 9 million in 2016 for a slot receiver.

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[NFLFangirl19]

All these allegations & still NO proof huh? Funny...not like it matters either way though right. He'll be here next season & the haters will just have to stay mad *shrugs*

[Jon Snow]

All these allegations & still NO proof huh? Funny...not like it matters either way though right. He'll be here next season & the haters will just have to stay mad *shrugs*

Where are these haters you speak of? I've yet to see anyone angry that Steve could still be here. As a matter of fact the people that are angry are the one's that refuse to consider that he may not. I think we all can agree that we want him here but it's not up to us just as it's not up to Steve if he refuses to renegotiate as he himself has stated he would not do.

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[NFLFangirl19]

Where are these haters you speak of? I've yet to see anyone angry that Steve could still be here. As a matter of fact the people that are angry are the one's that refuse to consider that he may not. I think we all can agree that we want him here but it's not up to us just as it's not up to Steve if he refuses to renegotiate as he himself has stated he would not do.

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im sorry...you must be reading a different thread than I am. But the one I'm reading has ppl calling him a butt hurt diva for simply answering questions related to the situation & bringing up past altercations stating them as reasons why he should leave now. I would call that hating but if that isn't you then why are you even acknowledging this comment? Only a hit dog will holler....

[jarhead]

It's a difficult situation to be in but it goes beyond 2014. If Steve refuses to renegotiate his contract now then Gettleman has no choice but to trade or release him because there's no way he's going to pay 7 million in 2015 and 9 million in 2016 for a slot receiver.

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Agreed I would like to think Smitty has some control over his destiny ie. restructuring his contract. That said I could also see cutting him or better yet trading him if he does not restructure. 

 

Does he still have value to this team .......I absolutely think he does. 

[CelticCat]

Gman probably wants to do to Smitty what he did with Gross, take a paycut, add voidable years and invite him to retire.

 

Problem is, he's the only legitimate WR under contract and he's chasing stats for the HOF. Gross seemed content to retire early, Smitty still has alot of fight still in him even if he has lost a step.

[jarhead]

Gman probably wants to do to Smitty what he did with Gross, take a paycut, add voidable years and invite him to retire.

 

Problem is, he's the only legitimate WR under contract and he's chasing stats for the HOF. Gross seemed content to retire early, Smitty still has alot of fight still in him even if he has lost a step.

 

 

I agree if I understand the Smith situation (which is sketchy) if we do not either cut trade or restructure his contract this year versus next year it will have significant cap implications in 2015 and 2016 .Is that correct? Please help me understand this.

[Jon Snow]

im sorry...you must be reading a different thread than I am. But the one I'm reading has ppl calling him a butt hurt diva for simply answering questions related to the situation & bringing up past altercations stating them as reasons why he should leave now. I would call that hating but if that isn't you then why are you even acknowledging this comment? Only a hit dog will holler....

I wouldn't call one uninformed individual "everyone". The fact remains that Steve will have to redo his contract or the team really has no choice but to move or release him. It has nothing to do with there not being anyone better currently on the roster. The team will have to address that.

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[Jon Snow]

I agree if I understand the Smith situation (which is sketchy) if we do not either cut trade or restructure his contract this year versus next year it will have significant cap implications in 2015 and 2016 .Is that correct? Please help me understand this.

If the contact details I read that have be published are accurate then there's no way realistically the team can keep him.

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[CelticCat]

I agree if I understand the Smith situation (which is sketchy) if we do not either cut trade or restructure his contract this year versus next year it will have significant cap implications in 2015 and 2016 .Is that correct? Please help me understand this.

 

 I think its more about age V production. You don't want to be paying a 35 year old 9 mill a season. Unfortunately the prudent thing to do is cut ties and prepare for the future. It sucks as a fan because he has meant so much. But it happens to them all eventually. Hopefully they can work it out for at least one more year.

[jarhead]

If the contact details I read that have be published are accurate then there's no way realistically the team can keep him.

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Yes unfortunately that seems to be the case unless he takes a serious pay cut or we trade him 

[NFLFangirl19]

I wouldn't call one uninformed individual "everyone". The fact remains that Steve will have to redo his contract or the team really has no choice but to move or release him. It has nothing to do with there not being anyone better currently on the roster. The team will have to address that.

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im sorry...where did you see the word "everyone" in my comment. I'm not even sure you're responding to the right person rn

B/c I never went into all that about what would need to happen for us to keep him or not. But I wonder why it is that ppl keep acting like cutting him is gonna save us 10 mill $$ & then we'll be able to add 5 new plyrs to the team. The amount we'd recoup really wouldn't even be that much & we'd still be paying him about 3 mill & he won't even be playing. Then we'll be working w/ a bunch of rookie/unproven wrs who I'm sure would even tell you themselves they'd rather have Smith there to play alongside & learn from. Sound like a lose-lose situation to me.

[Jon Snow]

im sorry...where did you see the word "everyone" in my comment. I'm not even sure you're responding to the right person rn B/c I never went into all that about what would need to happen for us to keep him or not. But I wonder why it is that ppl keep acting like cutting him is gonna save us 10 mill $$ & then we'll be able to add 5 new plyrs to the team. The amount we'd recoup really wouldn't even be that much & we'd still be paying him about 3 mill & he won't even be playing. Then we'll be working w/ a bunch of rookie/unproven wrs who I'm sure would even tell you themselves they'd rather have Smith there to play alongside & learn from. Sound like a lose-lose situation to me.

Look, I agree that life without Steve is a scary thought with not knowing how the team will compensate for him. I say compensate because you just can't simply replace what Steve has been for this team. I use the word has because going forward we really can't assume that at his age he will continue to perform at the level his contract will require. Steve was an unknown when we drafted him just like all rookies. Every player in the league was a rookie at one point in their career. Every team has to rely on rookies to step up as vets decline. We haven't had a GM until now that knew how to draft or evaluate talent to allow for that transition. I have faith that Gettleman will find enough talent to compensate for Smith if it comes to that. Again, the money saved is not what it's about. The money will be spent on another player or players that are younger and paid according to their position value. Right now Steve is a slot receiver, even he will admit that, and a slot receiver, especially at his age, does not command the kind of money his contract will pay him. Sent from my Nexus 7 using CarolinaHuddle mobile app