An outlier among teams with the most cap space

[Icebox]

It seems like no one can even respond to what I'm saying without completely mischaracterizing it or resorting to tired cliches that don't even address the point. Money does buy talent in the NFL. Some teams make bad deals because they fail to evaluate talent properly, but that doesn't negate the point: a capitalist system, people with talent generally go where the most money is being offered.

You can't pretend we're using the Josh Norman 2016 cap space to extend Starr and Short, because you know we're not. One, we already had plenty of cap room to extend them. Two, it is doubtful that even if we extend them that they would get pay raises this year. Extending them and allowing Norman to play out the franchise tag tender are not mutually exclusive. (And let's be realistic. We won't even start conversations with Starr until next year at the earliest, since we've already exercised his fifth year option for 2017).

We were already awash in cap room this offseason. It makes no sense not to let Norman play out his franchise tag contract this year. Unquestionably, we will be a worse team in 2016 because of this move. Complete headscratcher. It seems like Gettleman is more concerned with cutting costs than putting together a SB contender.

I'm willing to wait to see if something actually does happen. But - unlike most on here - I'm not thrilled with the idea of having $30 million in cap room. It means nothing unless we actually plan to do something with it.

[Icebox]

By the way, before anyone else decides to completely mischaracterize what I'm saying even more, I was completely in favor of letting Norman walk after this year. I agree that it isn't wise to invest the amount he was seeking in the corner slot, when we play mostly zone coverage. But what I am not in favor of is rescinding the tag on guy who really helps the team this year to save money we aren't going to spend elsewhere.

[ctrcat]

3 minutes ago, Icebox said:

By the way, before anyone else decides to completely mischaracterize what I'm saying even more, I was completely in favor of letting Norman walk after this year. I agree that it isn't wise to invest the amount he was seeking in the corner slot, when we play mostly zone coverage. But what I am not in favor of is rescinding the tag on guy who really helps the team this year to save money we aren't going to spend elsewhere.

Some of that money will be used on players not currently on the roster that will help us THIS year.  Free agents and trade opportunities will be available and our flexibility is infinitely more than it was a week ago.  Again watch the presser.  "We don't play until Septemer 8".

[pantherj]

Gentleman has plans to spread what would have been Norman's tag money around to improve the team. We don't value the CB position enough to pay any CB the kind of money Norman wanted, and not even the one year tag money once they thought it over.

I understand if fans have an uneasy feeling about the overall talent level of our team, it's not that great, but Gettleman is going to make some moves for run of the mill free agents. I'd rather the talent level be higher now, and try to win now with Cam in his prime, but Gettleman is thinking about being good over the long run, rather than being great one season and winning the SB, and then being in cap hell for 2 or 3 seasons afterward. Gettleman is a high stress emotional person who doesn't want to worry about being fired. He's extremely tense, and as a result he manages in a low risk, steady as you go, don't get fired kind of way. Keep the cap well under control and don't rock the boat too much. He doesn't want to be sweating bullets late at night worried about the cap, or extremely pricey players and their demands. His heart can't take the stress. The good news is that we can win on the back of Cam even if his supporting cast let's him down left and right. The sacks in the Super Bowl were embarrassing, but Cam's unprecedented ability will keep us in the hunt no matter who we lose. No KB? No problem. No Luke? No problem. We don't have to have Norman either. As a fan I want to load up the talent and win NOW, but it's not up to me, and maybe it's better that it's not.

 

[Icebox]

10 minutes ago, pantherj said:

I'd rather the talent level be higher now, and try to win now with Cam in his prime, but Gettleman is thinking about being good over the long run, rather than being great one season and winning the SB, and then being in cap hell for 2 or 3 seasons afterward. 

We wouldn't be in cap hell by allowing Norman to play out his one-year tender in 2016. The beauty of a franchise tag one-year tender is that it doesn't drag you down in future seasons. You aren't likely to get any other All-Pro quality talent on a one-year deal, except with the franchise tag.

The mental gymnastics being done to justify this move would earn you guys an Olympic-gold-medal!

[pantherj]

Just now, Icebox said:

We wouldn't be in cap hell by allowing Norman to play out his one-year tender in 2016. The beauty of a franchise tag one-year tender is that it doesn't drag you down in future seasons. You aren't likely to get any other All-Pro quality talent on a one-year deal, except with the franchise tag.

The mental gymnastics being done to justify this move would earn you guys an Olympic-gold-medal!

Oh yeah we'd be fine cap wise with Norman tagged. I was stunned when we rescinded the tag. I would have kept the tag on him.

[pantherj]

Norman was stunned as well I see.

“It came out of nowhere. It really did,” Norman told his new team’s official website.“

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/04/24/josh-norman-was-sideswiped-by-carolinas-decision-to-rescind-tag/

[t96]

8 minutes ago, Icebox said:

We wouldn't be in cap hell by allowing Norman to play out his one-year tender in 2016. The beauty of a franchise tag one-year tender is that it doesn't drag you down in future seasons. You aren't likely to get any other All-Pro quality talent on a one-year deal, except with the franchise tag.

The mental gymnastics being done to justify this move would earn you guys an Olympic-gold-medal!

You're right we wouldn't be in "cap hell" but we'll be in a much much better situation after this year cap-wise and have a significantly better chance at keeping more of our own young core players.

[Carolina Crazy V2]

2 hours ago, Icebox said:

By the way, before anyone else decides to completely mischaracterize what I'm saying even more, I was completely in favor of letting Norman walk after this year. I agree that it isn't wise to invest the amount he was seeking in the corner slot, when we play mostly zone coverage. But what I am not in favor of is rescinding the tag on guy who really helps the team this year to save money we aren't going to spend elsewhere.

When you don't fill up your cap space, you carry over cap room in the NFL. So dropping Norman will help a lot down the line in extending our other key young guys.