Let’s talk about Shaq and YGM

[Snake]

Shaq is going to have to restructure to a lower figure or get cut. My money is on the latter. Shaq, Darnold, and RA were the 3 biggest cap hogs on the team. Darnold won't be back so that only leaves Shaq. 

[Jackie Lee]

53 minutes ago, LinvilleGorge said:

Yeah, pretty much. Shaq is okay. He wouldn't be a problem if he was paid like a run of the mill starting LB but he's nowhere near the difference maker he's paid to be. I have no idea why the Panthers organization has always thought so highly of him as a player. I've never seen any signs of a special player.

 

I think they were just hoping to pay a couple Vets from the pre-Rhule days to provide some kind of crossover. Little did they know he would be a whiny biyatch anytime he has to talk to the press, and when other teammates are talking to the press he likes to throw towels and other random objects at them for some kind of stupid middle school level entertainment

[JawnyBlaze]

Shaq is overpaid for what he brings. He was great last year but I haven’t seen the same greatness this year. YGM is still young and has time to develop. Half you numbnuts were trying to give up on Brown too. At worst YGM will likely be a decent player and good depth that isn’t costing much. No need to try to get rid of him. 
 

If we could get anything for Shaq to get his contract off our books we should take it. And no one is trading a pick that we could use to replace YGM with for him, so we might as well hang onto him and see if he develops. 

[BrianS]

Shaq has to be cut.  It's 12 million in cap savings.  Yes, it's nearly 12 million dead, but that's too much money to restructure while getting his salary where it should be.

YGM is one of those players who just kinda gets by.  He's not ever going to be more than an average NFL player.  Maybe he sticks around on short term deals.  But you need those players on your team.  You can't have above average players everywhere.  The NFL isn't set up that way.

[Khyber53]

9 hours ago, Sgt Schultz said:

The biggest problem with Shaq is his contract.  It was another example of Hurney thinking that if we pay a guy like he is one of the best, he will become one of the best.

With RA gone, Shaq is the third highest salary next year and, if I am not mistaken, provides the biggest cap relief.  Of course, dumping/trading him is only one solution to that problem.  We have the rest of the season to figure out what options are worth it, unless somebody pushes a lot of chips into the center of the table for him.

Honestly, there are ways to fix Shaq's contract. What we can't easily do is replace Shaq's ability and leadership.

One thing we have to look at, when it comes to on field performance, is that Shaq has been hybrid played since Snow got here. Even as a MLB, Shaq spends most of his time dropping into coverage as part of Snow's Wonderbread-soft defensive scheme. He's pretty good at it, but he's also great against the run. He can't do both on every play, but you'd oftentimes see him in coverage and then having to mop up against the rushing attack. Part of that is scheme and part of that is that Snow relied on scheme more than he relied on situational decision making. Injuries to DBs over the last couple of seasons have made that even worse and pulled him more and more away from the line.

Shaq's greatest strengths lie in speed and tackling ability. When positioned properly, or allowed to roam a bit, he is great at run stops behind the line. He can just get skinny when he needs to and break through. The guy is actually a good pass rusher, too, but that has been de-emphasized since Rhule came to Carolina.

Lastly, look at the cast of characters he's had around him in the LB group. He is the ONLY continuity we've had there in three years. Luvu came in last season but was used only situationally that first year. Linebackers hunt as a pack, so to say, and that group instinct just hasn't been there. Of course, we haven't had Luke and Thomas Davis back there with him... oh what I'd give to have that trio back. Wow.

I think they should work with Shaq to restructure his deal. The guy has been a stand-up team player and leader since he got here. He'll make the move and stay hometown. If he is made to go, though, we're not going to find an easy replacement and our defense will fall apart like our offense has.

 

[Sgt Schultz]

5 hours ago, Khyber53 said:

Honestly, there are ways to fix Shaq's contract. What we can't easily do is replace Shaq's ability and leadership.

One thing we have to look at, when it comes to on field performance, is that Shaq has been hybrid played since Snow got here. Even as a MLB, Shaq spends most of his time dropping into coverage as part of Snow's Wonderbread-soft defensive scheme. He's pretty good at it, but he's also great against the run. He can't do both on every play, but you'd oftentimes see him in coverage and then having to mop up against the rushing attack. Part of that is scheme and part of that is that Snow relied on scheme more than he relied on situational decision making. Injuries to DBs over the last couple of seasons have made that even worse and pulled him more and more away from the line.

Shaq's greatest strengths lie in speed and tackling ability. When positioned properly, or allowed to roam a bit, he is great at run stops behind the line. He can just get skinny when he needs to and break through. The guy is actually a good pass rusher, too, but that has been de-emphasized since Rhule came to Carolina.

Lastly, look at the cast of characters he's had around him in the LB group. He is the ONLY continuity we've had there in three years. Luvu came in last season but was used only situationally that first year. Linebackers hunt as a pack, so to say, and that group instinct just hasn't been there. Of course, we haven't had Luke and Thomas Davis back there with him... oh what I'd give to have that trio back. Wow.

I think they should work with Shaq to restructure his deal. The guy has been a stand-up team player and leader since he got here. He'll make the move and stay hometown. If he is made to go, though, we're not going to find an easy replacement and our defense will fall apart like our offense has.

 

I agree completely @Kyber53.  I was trying to hint at contract restructuring/extension without sending our board into a tailspin.  His next contract could be his last, and with what he has shown us, I don't have a problem making that with us just at a more reasonable price.  Hence my comment about taking the rest of the year to establish his value unless somebody pushes all their chips in on him.

He is one of those guys that you can point to as victims of the last coaching staff philosophy.  They didn't kill his performance as much as they muzzled him.  Sounds a like Chinn.  Our staff excelled at that.

LBs work as a team as much as the OL does. 

[TheSpecialJuan]

19 hours ago, therealmjl said:

Shaq is an overrated JAG who is insanely overpaid. Looking forward to moving on from that bloated contract. He has never lived up to his hype and simply isn't a difference maker. You could argue that Luvu has impacted the outcome of our games more this season in his first year at LB than Shaq has his entire career.

YGM is another JAG (at best) but at least he's on a rookie deal. Decent depth I guess but doubt we'd even notice if we moved on from him.

edit: inb4 top dawg slams me.

[Carl Spackler]

I often forget Gross-Matos is on the team. Not sure what he's done that qualifies as average.

[Jackie Lee]

8 minutes ago, Carl Spackler said:

I often forget Gross-Matos is on the team. Not sure what he's done that qualifies as average.

Seems like every time Marquise Haynes gets a chance he gets pressures or QB hits. YGM out there all game long doing nothing

[Carl Spackler]

Just now, Jackie Lee said:

Seems like every time Marquise Haynes gets a chance he gets pressures or QB hits. YGM out there all game long doing nothing

He’s paid very well to get some exercise, make friends and get some airtime as an extra on TV 

[Billy Love]

Seemed like Shaw and Rhule had quite a Bromance brewing.