Shockey, Olsen and Tolbert.. Why did we get away from getting those level of guys?

[FakePlasticTree]

I agree that giving Suh 60 million in guaranteed money would not make sense for the Panthers. However, there was talent available at positions of need and the Panthers were not even in the conversation. The Panthers were a below 500 team and FA can be an opportunity to improve a team. To this point, the Panthers seem to be acting to solidify something approaching mediocrity by re- signing role players, signing other role players, and negotiating a new contract with someone already under contract.

This has been a busy period with some quality players changing teams. The Panthers have rarely been mentioned except as it relates to marginal and role players. It is disappointing. It seems that we are still shopping at the Dollar Store notwithstanding Gettleman's comment to the contrary.

There is still time, but the talent pool is much more restrictive as quality players sign early in the process......just another disappointing offseason. Last season we had the salary cap as an excuse. We do not have this excuse this season.

[Ricky Spanish]

Mike Mitchell and Ted Ginn were those same guys for us last year. Mitchell came in and started and Ginn had a career year. We didn't retain them because we didn't have money, so we let them walk. Now, we got Ginn back. We haven't shied away from it, you just have tunnel vision about "the good ol' days" and just want to start threads. Just because we aren't throwing money and trades at production doesn't mean it's not happening. We ran out of money last year, and because of it, we couldn't go out and get those mid level guys. We had to dumpster dive and it showed unfortunately.

 

What we have done has draft well the past two years as well as picked up solid plug in players this off-season, and we aren't even done yet. 

 

So slow your roll dude, and please stop making the same thread over and over again just saying the same thing in a different way each time.

 

Please.

[pantherclaw]

I don't understand how fans can fail to understand that we don't have a lot of money for Gettleman to go sign free agents with.

[cardiackat88.]

Right, and I acknowledge Gman can draft like a mofo, didnt dispute that whatsoever, still shouldnt stop him from going after true mid level guys

The three guys I named are costing almost nothing, why sign three assholes that aren't even as good for more money?

[pantherclaw]

Mid tier guys come in weeks 2 - 10 of free agency.

[Diehardpanther02]

The FO might be looking to sign cam and luke and star and kk and josh norman, you know 60 or so million in contracts. Idk why we would save money and not spend on big names now instead of paying those bums?

[Arroz con Panther]

There is still time, but the talent pool is much more restrictive as quality players sign early in the process......just another disappointing offseason. Last season we had the salary cap as an excuse. We do not have this excuse this season.

 

Sorry, but the salary cap is still the reason.  We only have around 11 million.  Take away around 5 million that we need for during the season and we're only left with around 6 million.  Oh, and we have a couple of big contracts coming up either this year or next. 

[KintnerBoy]

Yea and the third we traded for Olsen the Bears traded for Brandon Marshall I believe...could be wrong.

It would be nice to get players like that but you have to realize Shockey didnt care where he went he was old, Tolbert wanted to come here to the point of even taking a paycut. Olsen was quoted as saying he was blindsided by the trade and didn't understand why he couldn't stay in Chicago but will adjust (later he does say he loves it here). The main theme is FAs aren't looking at Carolina as a team they want to play for. You know, the guys have a choice who they're going to play for. When is the last time a big FA played for a decent contract going to a shitty team? Never, it's usually a big contract and more money than the winning teams would pay. That means money has to bring them here and money is not what we offer. Hopefully we will offer a winning culture in the next few years and I really believe we will.

I don't know why FA's don't want to move here and play for us because seems every fugging body else is moving here.

[FakePlasticTree]

Sorry, but the salary cap is still the reason. We only have around 11 million. Take away around 5 million that we need for during the season and we're only left with around 6 million. Oh, and we have a couple of big contracts coming up either this year or next.

I think it is more like 12.8 million and a few restructured contract could create more. Admittedly, the Panthers are not swimming in available funds. They are in the bottom third. For example, the Dolphins only had 7 million in cap space.

The sad reality is that the Panthers should have much more cap space given it's talent current contract structurings.

[TheNewStandard]

Re: fakeplastictrees

I hear you and yes, there have been solid guys in FA. this was actually one of the deepest FA pools in recent memory. lots of players resigned with their own clubs and that took out a huge chunk of the top-level pool.

as far as us being a sun-500 team last year, you need to look no further than our injury list on a week to week basis and the loss of Hardy and his main backup Frank Alexander. those were huge losses and put a ton of pressure on our young backups and the patchwork secondary that we were expecting our front 7 to cover for.

Now look at the offense. I mean, we had 1 returning starting offensive lineman that played the same position the year before. it's been gone over so many times about how the OL FA market was basically void of any solid talent within our budget, so as Getts stated...the answer was on our roster...sorta.

Cam missed basically all of the OTAs and training cap all while we had zero returning WR which killed any chemistry that could have been developed.

injuries...Trai, Tolbert, Stewart and Williams all missed considerable time and that hurt us as well.

thankfully, we had a masterful draft class that came together in time for the final playoff push and no FA we signed played any kind of positive impact compared to those draftees.

so, the 13 mil that went to Hardy may have handicapped us from taking some better talent, but I guarantee you had Hardy played the entire year, no amount of FA would have had as much of an impact as his 14+ sacks and run stopping ability would have had for us.

and here we are, conference winners with a playoff victory and a basic reset button for the rest of the teams in our league to try and figure out how to compete against this Panther team that lost virtually no one besides a mostly hurt deangelo Williams and had begun to plug it's obvious holes without losing any stars and a full barrel of draft picks to take BPA.

our super bowl window has the blinds pulled up and we are on the comfy cozy couch, inside looking out laughing at the chaos ensuing within our division, holding the keys with Luke and CPI safeguarding our house.

[panthers55]

The mid level guys are still out there and we are 2 days into free agency . Can we wait until at least week 3 before bitching.........

[PanthersUnited]

I don't understand how fans can fail to understand that we don't have a lot of money for Gettleman to go sign free agents with.

I do understand that, Shockey and Tolbert didn't cost a fortune.

[run1stdownrun2nddown]

Jeremy Shockey.. Was considered old and a huge "locker room cancer" when we signed him.. He signs with us and contributes immensly to Cam's monster rookie year and wouldnt you know, ended up being very well liked by Cam and our locker room, go figure..

Greg Olsen, wasnt that well known of a TE at the time, we traded a 3rd rounder for him and he is now literally the best TE in the NFCs (with Graham now gone.) He is the text book high character guy and is a pro bowler.

Mike Tolbert.. You can give a huge amount of our credit in 2013 going for it on 4th down because when it was 4th and short, he would poind the rock in and make it look so easy.

I think when me and other Panther fans get upset we arent active in FA, people misunderstand that as us bashing Gettleman for not dropping mega contracts left and right Miami Dolphins or Chip Kelly style. That is not the case at all, infact I think the Fins went full retard with Suh and Chip Kelly is having some sort of mental break down.

My point is this.. Just bring in guys that have proven to be impact players in this league, thats all we want. We dont need Suh or Maclin, or players like thst, just proven impact players. I could understand completely if Shockey, Tolbert and Olsen didnt pan out, but they did and in a big way! Why dont we go after these kind of players anymore? Cap cant be an excuse because we got all three of these guys before Hurney cap hell went into effect.

 

Fixed it for you.

[The Huddler]

Shouldn't you be posting on saints report doom and gloom poo charlottepanther?

 

he might be GrrBeck

 

remember him? that dude was awesome