You want to contend again, right?

[ellis]

Thank God we settled that. 

[d-dave]

13 minutes ago, Khaki Lackey said:

I don't see how keeping TD around in a reduced roll for a reasonable salary could hurt this team. Changing of the guard would mean new GM and coaching staff.

I see it as a mentality.  Keeping TD around would make players feel like "well, they still have TD..." To clarify: You have a Young LB and TD.  Young LB is the starter, and in the back of their mind there's the legendary TD.  They compete, compete, compete all off season.  The whole time, the specter of TD coming in at any second gnaws at the back of that young LB's mind.  He's also a crutch for the team.  All aging vets end up as crutches.  Why go to the new guy when we have good old reliable?

The shot has been fired, and the locker room has heard it.  Get hungry and take a job.  TD is beloved by the team and fan base, but keeping him around hampers some of the youth movements because he's always an easy replacement for a young guy who struggles instead of giving that young guy a chance to redeem themselves.

[Shotgun]

1 hour ago, Jangler said:

These are the same people who ran Cam into the ground, to save their jobs.

Yep and if Ron stays, CMC is next. :(

[L-TownCat]

Gonna catch heat for this, but it aint even close to losing Smitty.

That one hurt, this just feels like its time.

Love TD, dont get me wrong, but we all knew.

[ellis]

They didn’t want him anymore. That doesn’t mean any sort of brilliant philosophical shift is on the horizon. 

I’d love nothing more than to see Tepper have success here. But I’m not gonna put this move into that equation, good or bad. 

This doesn’t suddenly make us the 2003 patriots. 

[ForJimmy]

You know we do Jeremy!

[ellis]

Until Marty is no longer the GM, I will view every move with skepticism.

And if this is a Tepper move, boy oh boy, that might become old fast.

[ForJimmy]

Just now, je1005 said:

They didn’t want him anymore. That doesn’t mean any sort of brilliant philosophical shift is on the horizon. 

I’d love nothing more than to see Tepper have success here. But I’m not gonna put this move into that equation, good or bad. 

This doesn’t suddenly make us the 2003 patriots. 

No but it shows a glimmer of hope that Hurney is learning. Old Hurney would have given him a 3-5 year deal worth way too much because he wants the players to like him.

[ellis]

I’m not gonna sit here and praise Marty for being less stupid than usual.

I’m not devastated over TD leaving. It is a business, indeed. Just trying to look at this like a reasonable adult.

Turning away a franchise icon when his skills haven’t eroded nearly as much as advertised doesn’t suddenly make your franchise a no-nonsense juggernaut. I believe/hope the thinking here is a philosophical shift to more 5/6 DB packages. Davis was REPEATEDLY asked to cover slot receivers vs 10 personnel. That’s on Ron/Eric. 

Many fans look at this like it’s either has to be “mom ‘n pop” or “cutthroat alley”. Neither one of those extremes are sustainable.

[coralreefer_1]

17 hours ago, Khaki Lackey said:

I don't see how keeping TD around in a reduced roll for a reasonable salary could hurt this team. Changing of the guard would mean new GM and coaching staff.

This is the part we dont know.  We dont know what he expected for compensation, and we dont know what was offered. All we know is that TD wants and thinks he can play at a level this team was not willing to pay for. So many are blaming the team as if they forced him out.  Would TD accept a reduced role? Would he accept Vet Min?  Would he accept a 1 year deal for slightly above vet min?  We dont know what was offered, and in my opinion more importantly....what TD turned down from the Panthers. 

 

Keeping TD around in a reduced role does not sound like the TD we saw in the twitter video that believed he still has alot to give and can still play. 

[ickmule]

It’s the right move, but contend again quickly ? If quickly is 2 or 3 years then okay.   It won’t be next season.  

[ickmule]

20 minutes ago, Shotgun said:

Yep and if Ron stays, CMC is next. :(

Yeah, they are seriously over using that dude.  

[ellis]

To be fair, the Panthers were contenders until the secondary and pass rush disappeared, and the quarterback’s arm fell off.

Shifting away from your veteran core is a necessary part of the business, but it’s not going to help matters in any short term capacity. 

It’s funny, we’re gonna be having this discussion about Cam in a couple of years. He’s not a young 30.

[coralreefer_1]

17 hours ago, je1005 said:

To be fair, the Panthers were contenders until the secondary and pass rush disappeared, and the quarterback’s arm fell off.

Shifting away from your veteran core is a necessary part of the business, but it’s not going to help matters in any short term capacity. 

It’s funny, we’re gonna be having this discussion about Cam in a couple of years. He’s not a young 30.

Cam wont last as long as TD as a Panther. Like it or not.  This team has ridden Cam like a mule these years. He wont last 14 years with the Panthers, and frankly i wouldnt blame him one bit if he signed with another team. Gimpy shoulder and all, the Panthers have literally done NOTHING todevelop him as a QB