Bargain shopping in FA on the horizon per Gantt

[top dawg]

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

[top dawg]

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

[Smithers]

The entire league is cash strapped, so I don’t buy into the assumption that we won’t be targeting big names.  A lot of 1 year deals or back loaded multi year deals will be handed out this year, and free agents will have no choice but to accept that.  There simply isn’t enough money to go around like previous years.  We have tons of cap space available next year and are among only a handful of teams with decent space available this year.  We will be more active than some think.  

[top dawg]

3 minutes ago, Smithers said:

The entire league is cash strapped, so I don’t buy into the assumption that we won’t be targeting big names.  A lot of 1 year deals or back loaded multi year deals will be handed out this year, and free agents will have no choice but to accept that.  There simply isn’t enough money to go around like previous years.  We have tons of cap space available next year and are among only a handful of teams with decent space available this year.  We will be more active than some think.  

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.

[MHS831]

14 minutes ago, top dawg said:

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

I appreciate this, as I am sure others do.

[Little Goody Two Shoes]

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[MHS831]

Key words:  POSITIONAL FLEXIBILITY

We have several players on the team and in the draft with this--not sure about free agency--will have to look.

• RB/WR (had that in Samuel)
• LB/S/nickel: Chinn
• CB/S/RB: Hartsfield
• OT/OG:  Daley
• DT/DE: Obada (free agent)
• 3T/NT: Brown

We need a hybrid TE/WR     
 

(Just working from the top of my head--I think we do value dual position aptitude --made that term up, but positional flexibility is also effective)

 

 

 

 

[MHS831]

1 minute ago, Little Goody Two Shoes said:

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Like underwear, so why bother changing.  Whose with me?

[TheCasillas]

bargain shoppping is going ot be ridiculously good players this year due to the cap 

[MHS831]

Folks, shopping in free agency on day one is not a good practice.  Traditionally, teams rarely make a good investment.  Rhule and Co. are good developing players--give em room.

https://www.fieldgulls.com/2019/3/18/18270197/free-agency-is-bad

Take a look at the article above (written in 2019) by the Seahawks. It supports the article I posted on the Huddle a few years ago that used data to show that about 70-75% of expensive free agents do not earn their contracts (when compared to positional performance of peers). 

Let's use the 2016 group of free agents as an example, since 2020 would have been the end of the fourth year:

"Highest paid players to switch teams in free agency, in “total” value: Malik Jackson, Olivier Vernon, Josh Norman, Brock Osweiler, Janoris Jenkins, Kelechi Osemele, Russell Okung, Damon Harrison, Kelvin Beachum, Alex Mack, Marvin Jones, Brandon Brooks, Bruce Irvin, Sean Smith, Coby Fleener, Tashaun Gipson, Rodney McLeod, Mitchell Schwartz, Mohamed Sanu, J.R. Sweezy.

Of those 20 players, 13 are no longer with the teams that signed them just three years later (2019). Those 20 players had 17 contracts that were at least five years in length (Jackson was the only one who got six and he was cut after three), and most of those were ended prematurely without the expected return at time of signing. Of the three four-year deals, Irvin made it the longest at 2.5 seasons. The only player of those 20 to win a Super Bowl has been Brooks, a remarkably good signing for the team and for him as a free agent choosing a good situation to walk into."

 

 

 

Edited March 10, 2021 by MHS831

[Verge]

It's like Gettleman never left 

[rippadonn]

7 minutes ago, Verge said:

It's like Gettleman never left 

Dollar Store Dave.

[rippadonn]

Free agent Cam Newton might be a steal. He's been looked at by New Englands doctors and cleared for play. You know, doctors.

I'm not a doctor.

[ENCPantherfan2]

So Family Dollar Fritterer?