top dawg

Could be. We'll see what happens.

You probably said (or thought) the same thing about Stafford. I wouldn't bet that we're going to land Watson, but I will bet that we're going to put in a trade offer. We "competed" for Stafford and almost got him. We'll do the same for Watson if he ever hits the market.

I thought that it means that basically we're taking more of a hit now, but will be easier to manipulate their contract numbers in the future--make their numbers more absorbable and palatable, even in the event that they're cut or traded, in the future, and that this benefit would pass along to other teams because the numbers would be lower, especially in relation to a rising cap number.

That, and it provides flexibility like @grimesgoatsaid. That's why I'm appropriately keeping my mouth shut...for now.

Nah, man. You can't blame them for that. Any above average--even average--coach and GM should be able to overcome questionable contracts signed by an old regime. Moreover, both received relatively long contracts by an owner who doesn't seem to be given into knee-jerk firings or signings.

I would say that Shaq played better with Luke, so that person is not exactly who he is. I thought he'd play better, but I wouldn't have paid him that amount because it was always a guessing game with him. I wouldn't have paid Teddy that either, or at least if I felt inclined I certainly would have had an out if he didn't get it done. He should've gotten a prove-it deal, and if he wouldn't have signed, I guess he would've been a Bear. Marty's contracts were eye-raising too many times. I'm hoping for better under Fit.

Have you seen how much money we're projected to have? It's been so long, I can't even fathom it.

Not referring to Shaq. I would've let him walk at that number. CMC earned his contract. He's not that much higher than guys in his tier. With what would've been the normal cap increases, his numbers would've become a bargain sooner than they will now due to Covid. I don't see Saints fans crying over Kamara or Vikings fans crying over Cook. Sometimes it is what it is and the player is that talented and productive.

I'm not going to be critical until I see the end results here. No one knows the chess moves or the overall strategy that's actually taking place.

So you believe that letting a player of CMC's skill walk is a sustainable way for continued success. Homegrown talent is really what you want; it just so happens that CMC is perhaps the best, or at least the most productively versatile, at his position.

I'll take that, though I think simply "Frugal Fitterer" might have a better ring to it.

I kinda agree with you. I think that the bargain bin this season may produce a higher quality result--more for your money, if you will. But, do we really want to backload deals when we can just wait to see the presumably talent-rich market next offseason as a situational result of this offseason? I mean we'll be a lot freer and cash-rich in 2022; why cloud that up? And we're still going to need the money to sign our rookies this year.

That won't happen with Brees...when he comes back! Honestly, it probably wouldn't happen with Winston either (provided he's being whispered to). Edit: What I'm saying is that they won't be bad enough. There will be teams that are worse and less likely to trade out of their prime real estate

Well, double post. Sorry, in between working shifts. Still better than the other though.

I'd think that the discerning and readers of tea leaves would already have figured this, but we're not going to make big splashes in free agency. Darin Gantt, via Panthers.com, shares this rational opinion. "As the Panthers look ahead to free agency, their fans should expect a more understated strategy, but one that still looks to fill some starting jobs." Gantt hilighted the decent finds last year in Juston Burris, John Miller and Zach Kerr. They were solid. He also pointed out the failures in Tahir Whitehead, Stephen Weatherly and Eli Apple. He adds that Rhule should be better this year. "As head coach Matt Rhule heads into his second year, he should also have a better idea of what he has on hand and how to fit parts around them, and at which positions." Of course last year with the Covid-19 situation was a hot mess, and I'd absolutely expect Rhule to have a better pulse of the team, and hopefully Scott Fitterer will exercise his supposed knowledge to our benefit as well, so I believe it is fair to have higher expectations, but to still temper that a bit by realizing that the known commodities aren't likely going to be coming this offseason. "While projecting specific names makes for good talk-radio banter this time of year, recognizing that the players might not be household names will be helpful. If you wanted to narrow the list, being under 30 years old and having positional flexibility are major plusses for potential candidates. It will be a targeted approach because the Panthers aren't in a position to justify spending on old guys with established resumes." We'll be good just to shore up our own, but that's not to say we'll totally disappear in free agency; we'll likely get some of those late value signings or maybe a mid-level splash early (hopefully) for guys with some upside. https://www.panthers.com/news/free-agency-won-t-be-extremely-active-time-for-panthers

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/saints-set-to-enter-salary-cap-crisis-in-2021-and-several-cap-experts-are-unsure-how-theyll-escape-it/amp/

The chickens will come to roost. The reckoning has already begun. The only thing that will save them is another helluva draft! And even then, they will probably suffer once Brees hangs it up.

I wouldn't say that they ignored him. Dude said he had the best arm and rushing ability in this class. To me, that speaks volumes! It's just that smart people realize that he will likely need more time than the others to develop. And, I'd argue that he is the hardest to evaluate simply from lack of the number of games that he played due to this missed season.

PFF gives some analysis as to what we need to concentrate on, and possible fixes regarding a free agent and a draft prospect. They specifically mention the O-line, and the offense in general with Curt's probable departure and the bottom-barrel TE room. Moreover, they believe we have a pretty much gaping hole at safety and could stand another cover corner considering how much cover 3 we play. Read the article for the particulars, but here's some QB stuff, which in their opinion is rightly the largest priority, as well as a bit on CMC. On any QB needy team, including us: "Any quarterback-needy team in the top 10 of this year's draft should consider drafting one of the top prospects. The top three players on PFF’s Big Board — Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson and Justin Fields — are all quarterbacks. All three are talented enough to be worthy of No. 1 overall pick consideration in a typical draft. That doesn’t even include Trey Lance, who PFF lead draft analyst Mike Renner labels as having both the strongest arm and the best rushing ability of any quarterback in this class. There are legitimate reasons to consider Alabama’s Mac Jones in the first half of Round 1, as well." On CMC; "The argument that his absence made the Panthers’ offense better in 2020 seems disingenuous at first glance... "The basis of the argument for the Panthers' offense operating more smoothly with Mike Davis starting is that the team had become so reliant on McCaffrey that it was forgoing more valuable looks down the field to pepper him with targets near the line of scrimmage. In his absence, wideouts Moore, Anderson and Samuel showed what they could do as featured elements of the passing game. "...the Panthers also need to make a concerted effort to avoid running their offense so heavily through their All-Pro running back." On Watson: "...My advice to Carolina if a Watson trade is on the table is the same advice I would give almost every other team in the league in that scenario: take it. PFF has written at length over the past several months about Watson's prowess and where he projects moving forward. He’s a young, franchise-altering quarterback..." Fields gets a nod: "Bringing in a talented quarterback on a rookie deal has clear benefits, however. The Panthers would likely have to trade up for either Zach Wilson or Justin Fields, but both of those players are worth it. Fields, specifically, boasts arguably the best accuracy of any quarterback in the draft class to go along with high-level rushing ability..." https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-carolina-panthers-2021-free-agency-nfl-draft-preview

It depends on the player and the situation. Some players don't mind it at all! But it's all about how they perceive their value--not monetarily per se, but in terms of how long they want to stay in a particular location and their importance to the team (some get in their feelings). Or, they may just want out at all costs due to other reasons, and the tag is an obstacle to that. And, lastly, with some it could just be a control issue and the principle of the matter.

I think Minshew has a better attitude, and he may have a better aptitude.

It's all too low of a bar for me.

I kinda expect Rivera to make a push, and I kinda think that Samuel would be crazy to go for it, unless the WFT wants to expand his playing time, or at least keep it where it is. This whole "gadget player" philosophy and/or mantra in relation to Samuel is shortsighted. Could this cool his market a little? Maybe. But I believe he's definitely a legit slot weapon (if nothing else), with understated versatility.

If you draft Lance, you don't draft him thinking he's going to light the league on fire in his rookie year. With reps, he will get better and better if given competent teaching and development. His upside is sky high. You don't draft a QB whose floor is higher, but whose upside is substantially lower just because you're desperate for a quick fix. To me, that's pretty ill-advised, if not outright dumb. With a top 10 pick, you're investing long term, not short, otherwise you can just keep the likes of Bridgewater, or some other JAG who needs everything near perfect to get you to where you want to go.