#1 Priority for Next Year

[onmyown]

It’s funny because all these people screaming QB will be the first to blame the franchise when he fails or gets injured because of the oline (again)

so should probably first hire a guy capable of finding oline talent and then take time to fix it....do things right this time

[onmyown]

21 minutes ago, SOJA said:

The insane part about all this is the best player on our offensive line we drafted and for some reason don't seem willing to re-sign him

Don’t mind Moton, bradberry, Norman and norwell...just remember what Hurney said - we build through the draft!

[LinvilleGorge]

1 minute ago, onmyown said:

It’s funny because all these people screaming QB will be the first to blame the franchise when he fails or gets injured because of the oline (again)

so should probably first hire a guy capable of finding oline taken and then fix it....do things right this time

Teddy on the roster means you don't have to play him as a rookie.

[PhillyB]

i don't think TB5 is the answer at QB, but if there isn't an upgrade immediately available and/or you think he can be better, you fix that OL and LB core, which are urgent needs anyway. easily the two worst groups on the team.

[ncfan]

Center 

MLB

DB

 

In that order

[onmyown]

7 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Teddy on the roster means you don't have to play him as a rookie.

Except when TB gets slaughtered under bad olineman play the fans will scream to start the rookie

Also I don’t remember a top 10 qb that sat for an entire year recently...it’s pretty rare as you want that kind of investment to get experience ASAP but I would be on board with it

stills leaves the biggest issue...who in the FO is capable of drafting and evaluating oline talent? 

[LinvilleGorge]

29 minutes ago, SOJA said:

The insane part about all this is the best player on our offensive line we drafted and for some reason don't seem willing to re-sign him

It's baffling. Letting Moton walk would be a HUGE mistake. We need an entire new OL if you let him walk.

 

[mrcompletely11]

Firing Hurney not an option?

[LinvilleGorge]

5 minutes ago, mrcompletely11 said:

Firing Hurney not an option?

I'm working under the assumption that's a foregone conclusion. If he stays, who cares? We already know what Hurney will bring. Re-signing Hurney as GM would make me throw in the towel as a Panthers fan. Straight up. His contract is over after this season. If he is re-signed as GM I'm done.

[bLACKpANTHER]

if we cant get a decent Oline - our offense will keep us in games enough for us to tinker with the defense (Bring in stop gaps for LBs & DBs) while the young guys that show promise gain more experience and evolve..

There is no hope for the guys on the Oline and we need an overhaul..

[Peon Awesome]

If we're taking about the draft, with all the positions we can upgrade, BPA is highly likely to shore up a key weakness unless it's an offensive skill position. What I don't want is us to reach or be desperate to fill any one spot.

As far as OL or QB, the only starter under contract for next year is Paradis who is likely to be a cap casualty. Do you think we're more likely to win games with Bridgewater and a revamped solid OL or Trey Lance with the line play we saw against the Falcons, or *shudders* possibly worse after losing Moton? Now I guess if you're in love with a rookie qb, you could draft him and call 2021 a lost season and slowly build the line for 2022. Maybe that's the "smart" play if you're truly convinced you're drafting an elite prospect (although more likely than not, you'll be wrong). But seeing as how it feels like we're a couple pieces away already from competing for a playoff spot, would be disappointing to go backwards.

[pantherj]

38 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

I'm working under the assumption that's a foregone conclusion. If he stays, who cares? We already know what Hurney will bring. Re-signing Hurney as GM would make me throw in the towel as a Panthers fan. Straight up. His contract is over after this season. If he is re-signed as GM I'm done.

Are you being serious?

[LinvilleGorge]

4 minutes ago, pantherj said:

Are you being serious?

Yep. If Hurney is retained, what's the point? At some point, if it's blatantly obvious the organization either doesn't care about winning or is incapable of making decisions to facilitate winning then why continue to torture yourself as a fan? Before we drafted Peppers I was pretty much just a general NFL fan. I had casual interest in the Panthers as the local team, but I primarily just tuned in for interesting match ups, to follow Tar Heels in the NFL, and had favorite players I liked to watch more so than favorite teams. I'd probably start going back that direction. 

Losing is one thing. Every long term Panthers fan can deal with losing. But re-upping the guy who has facilitated the majority of that losing? Nah, can't do it. That'd be it.

[MHS831]

We have to find 3 - 4 strong starters in free agency this winter.

The following names are among the top 8 highest paid Panther contracts (along with CMC, Bridgewater, Anderson). Along with a league leading $51m in dead cap, these players are liabilities, in relation to their production:

All figures from OTC

• Paradis:  Post june 2021 cut--saves $8.5m,  creates $1.8 dead cap--cutting him at the end of the season (pre june 1, 2021) would save $5m, but create $5.6m in dead cap.  I think he needs to be held for insurance and then cut June 2 if we find a center.
• Okung:  Currently in last year of $13m deal.  Not sure he is worth nearly $1m per game to sit on the bench.  Let that contract go.
• Shaq Thompson:  Cutting him post june 2021 saves $11m, creates $3.2 in dead cap  (will hurt, but it is the thing to do, financially)
• Short:  Cut pre June 2021, he saves about $9m.  It is the move here, even though waiting to cut him saves another $5m.  $11m to dead cap figure, but we have to move him.
• Weatherly:  Cutting Weatherly at the end of the season saves the team nearly $6m.  There is no benefit for cutting him post june 1

Sooooo....Lotta ways you could go (for example, will you need the KK Short cut money now?  If not, make it post June 1 and save more)

• I would cut Paradis Post june 1
• I would not re-sign Okung,.
• I would try to trade Thompson and if no takers, cut him post June 1  The good part--Shaq has only 29% of that contract guaranteed.
• I would cut Short after the season ends.
• I would cut Weatherly after the season ends.  YGM and Burns and Obada and Haynes and maybe another rookie can get the job done. 

So this alone would create $30m in cap room before free agency (and re-signing Moton and maybe Samuel will take a big chunk of that) and it would create post June 1 funds of about $20m. 

In addition, the Panthers ridiculous $50.5m in dead cap money drops to $9.1m in 2021.

So, my math (and I do not get into this stuff often, so correct me if wrong) says it could go down like this:

• Cut the players mentioned as suggested and save $30m.  Re-sign Moton ($17m or so) and try to keep Samuel ($5m or so), leaving $7m fir free agency.
• $41m comes off the dead cap, creating $48m in cap room.
• Sign 3-4 key free agents:  Based on the draft availability of players, sign  a starting TE, MLB,and LG, and a rotational DT.
• Draft a LT, C, CB, to hopefully start and depth at FS, SS, DE, and DT. 
• In June, using the $20m in post June 1 cuts, extend Robby Anderson for 3 more years and use the rest to sign the draft picks and a surprise cut or two from another team.  That would put Anderson here until he is 31.

We shall see, but we are in a good place in 2021 based on my understanding of the dead cap being lowered considerably.

Some may say, "But what about Boston at S?"  His contract is not that bad and Rome was not built in a day.  If we upgrade MLB and CB, maybe the competition on the roster can play out. Boston has limitations, but is he the most pressing need?  Debatable.