THE ATHLETIC: Potential cap casualties….

[grimesgoat]

shaq is due to make around 14m this year (cash).  Extend him 2 years and 35m with 15m bonus.  Annual salary in 2024 and 2025 are 10m each with 2025 unguaranteed.

He makes 15m cash in 23 (the 15m is spread over 3 years for cap purposes).

The 2023 cap hit drops to 16 (saving 8m).  2024 and 2025 cap hits are 15m each (10m salary, 5m prorated bonus).  He can be cut in 2025 with a savings of 10m and dead cap hit of 5m.

I think his production and leadership is definitely worth 15m per year.

[joemac]

I just saw some article with like 5 or 6 reasonable moves we can make to get to 50 million under the cap with the quickness.  We're actually in really, really good shape moving forward from a cap standpoint.  They need to lock up Bozeman and Foreman and make a few key FA signings and we will be ready to rock.  This is assuming we draft our future franchise QB in round 1 this year. 

[Jay Roosevelt]

1 minute ago, joemac said:

I just saw some article with like 5 or 6 reasonable moves we can make to get to 50 million under the cap with the quickness.  We're actually in really, really good shape moving forward from a cap standpoint.  They need to lock up Bozeman and Foreman and make a few key FA signings and we will be ready to rock.  This is assuming we draft our future franchise QB in round 1 this year. 

Link to that article?

[Ricky Spanish]

Shaq's biggest fault was not being as good as the two LBers we had before him in Luke and TD. 

Dude is a good LBer. He's not Elite, but he is a good 3 down LBer. I don't see who we could replace him with and be happy with the production drop off from a cost perspective. 

[joemac]

22 minutes ago, Jay Roosevelt said:

Link to that article?

Im trying to find it.  I saw it on Twitter this morning.

[UNCrules2187]

You get to ~$18m in cap space by doing base salary restructures of Moore and Moton (pushing their 2023 salary to the vet minimum and turning the rest into a signing bonus that is spread over the remaining years on the contract), and cutting Elflein, Wilson, and Gonzalez.

After that, I think doing a short-term extension to bring Shaq's cap number down and extending Burns will probably get the Panthers to north of $30-35m in cap space this year. 

In FA, I'd re-sign Bozeman and Pinero, go after a TE (Schultz/Engram/Gesicki), a vet RB on a cheap deal (either resign Foreman or maybe bring in Jamaal Williams since Staley worked with him), a bridge QB for a rookie (Brissett makes sense to me), and maybe see if we can get a good edge rusher to complement Burns (I'd love Javon Hargrave but he may be too rich for the Panthers). Draft a rookie QB and slot/burner WR and some defensive pieces (LB, S).

Edited February 3, 2023 by UNCrules2187

[PanthersGTI]

Shaq is probably going to stay. I'd imagine on a small extension like others have said. He is above average and at points can border on great. He is a/the leader on the defense and we are thin there anyways. I feel like you do what you can to keep him, don't start stripping good parts of our team. 

[Seltzer]

Panthers are in fine shape from a cap perspective.  Have 20 of 24 starters under contract and generate plenty of cap via restructures to sign whomever within reason. 

Atlanta has more cap space but more roster holes to fill.  Bucs & Saints are definitely in a more challenging situation.

That being said, New Orleans is being talked about as a landing spot for Derek Carr.  If they can somehow find cap space (yet again) to make a signing like this, the idea that we are cap-constrained is simply not true

[TheSpecialJuan]

3 hours ago, joemac said:

I just saw some article with like 5 or 6 reasonable moves we can make to get to 50 million under the cap with the quickness.  We're actually in really, really good shape moving forward from a cap standpoint.  They need to lock up Bozeman and Foreman and make a few key FA signings and we will be ready to rock.  This is assuming we draft our future franchise QB in round 1 this year. 

6 moves that can save the Panthers $50 million against their 2023 cap

https://catcrave.com/2023/02/01/6-moves-save-carolina-panthers-50-million-2023-cap/

superior article to Joe Person's lazy one

[Gerry Green]

4 hours ago, joemac said:

What does "cash over the cap" mean?

 

Yeah, that one threw me for a loop as well. Does he mean actual cash? Because he says Tepper is 2nd richest owner. Or is he talking signing bonus? Still a weird way to express the thought.

[WarPanthers89]

9 minutes ago, TheSpecialJuan said:

6 moves that can save the Panthers $50 million against their 2023 cap

https://catcrave.com/2023/02/01/6-moves-save-carolina-panthers-50-million-2023-cap/

superior article to Joe Person's lazy one

 

[ChuckWag78]

7 hours ago, joemac said:

What does "cash over the cap" mean?

Here is a former NFL executive breaks it down better than I could. 

It's all about the actual cash and owner has on hand to spend to attract/retain talent and prorate bonuses down the line.