Jump to content

  • Welcome!

    Register and log in easily with Twitter or Google accounts!

    Or simply create a new Huddle account. 

    Members receive fewer ads , access our dark theme, and the ability to join the discussion!

     

Younger and Faster or ready for lockout?

Cat Fanboy

By Cat Fanboy,
in Carolina Panthers

Recommended Posts

Bobby Newbie

Bobby

Posted
Posted

It's obviously a salary dump to prepare for a lockout, we just so happen to have some good players.

On the brightside, we could always be Tampa and be in a sea of debt without the deed to our stadium.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Catalyst Newbie

Catalyst

Posted
Posted

I've said it before (though not here) but I think J.R. is preparing for a lockout, but also to put us in the best possible position AFTER the lockout. I can legitimately see us being big-time contenders in '12 and beyond with the current core group we have in place.

I mean, if 2011 is a lost year, it means that teams who depend on a bunch of older veteran players will be in a lot of trouble come 2012 because either those players will have retired and be gone or likely lost a step during the lockout season. The teams that will be in the best shape are teams like us and the Eagles, who have very a young, but also very talented core roster that will remain largely in tact once play resumes in '12.

That said, I do think we'll make the playoffs this year. Our schedule is pretty weak and we've got a very talented team despite all the losses. I just think that if Moore or Clausen becomes the franchise QB we so badly need (and I do believe one of them will) that we'll be in a killer spot after the lockout to really be a factor for the next 5+ years the way the Colts & Patriots were this past decade.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
top dawg Grand Master

top dawg

Posted
Posted

It's a little bit of this, and a little bit of that.

But, by no means is JR handling things to his team's on detriment. To the contrary, he is trying to get "the best of both worlds" and/or make the best out of a bad situation.

In his own, shrewd and cunning way, he has probably achieved the first stages of his master plan, and it's only a matter of time before the pieces ultimately fall in place and culminate in a championship.

The Big Cat, along with his Fox and Hurney, have pulled a Jedi Mind Trick on the media, the NFL, and even the more daft portion of the Panthers' fan base. May the force be with them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
CatMan72 Enthusiast

CatMan72

Posted
Posted

We're taking the opportunity to dump salary in this uncapped year in preparation for a lockout. We're keeping our core guys, so as soon as a new labor agreement is reached we will be poised to build around that core quickly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
panthers55 Grand Master

panthers55

Posted
Posted

We are definitely preparing for the lockout. As for the future that is still up in the air. To date we haven't locked up our core of young players and have little to no one who is under long-term contract. Neither the coaches, staff or the vast majority of key players are signed beyond this year. If we have a change in coach and resultant change in scheme on the defensive side for example, we could have a fruitbowl turnover again next year. I am sure there is master plan but some of the abrupt changes in strategy over the past 12-18 months also suggests that things are in great flux right now. So until this thing shakes out and we see who is here and who isn't, it is hard to say that we are building anything for the future. Most of these current moves are built for the next 12 months. If we sign our players long-term like other teams are beginning to do then perhaps we can talk about 2012. Until then we don't even know who is going to be here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MadHatter Rookie

MadHatter

Posted
Posted

both. not sure why that is so hard to believe.

i would also throw in that we are preparing for the next coach.

It is absolutely for both reasons.

Preparing the costs for the team for a potential lockout. JR is trying to ensure that he does not have to lay-off any employees during a probable lock-out. Lowering the payroll helps achieve this.

He also has young players that need to be on the field. He was able to dump bloated (most) salaries without a cap hit. Dump them after a CBA and he would be required to take a Cap Hit.

Long term....great position.

Short term....taking a calculated risk tha tthe young guys are more athletic and ready to step up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
panthers55 Grand Master

panthers55

Posted
Posted

It is absolutely for both reasons.

Preparing the costs for the team for a potential lockout. JR is trying to ensure that he does not have to lay-off any employees during a probable lock-out. Lowering the payroll helps achieve this.

He also has young players that need to be on the field. He was able to dump bloated (most) salaries without a cap hit. Dump them after a CBA and he would be required to take a Cap Hit.

Long term....great position.

Short term....taking a calculated risk tha tthe young guys are more athletic and ready to step up.

Other than being young and inexperienced- where are the long-term moves. Most of our young core aren't under contract beyond this year. We are likely not to have our current coach and staff next year and our GM has an extension he hasn't bothered to sign. If we change coaches we are looking as possible major changes in personnel again next year. All of you assume that we are going to lock up all the young guys and move forward as a team. That could happen for sure but right now it hasn't. Long term we have nothing, short term is all there is. Sure we are all hopeful that things will work out as we hoped but the last 6 months have shown me that you can't assume anything. I doubt most anybody would have predicted the changes in the last 6 months. There is no guarantee that the next 6 months don't have as many or more changes in the works.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MadHatter Rookie

MadHatter

Posted
Posted

Other than being young and inexperienced- where are the long-term moves. Most of our young core aren't under contract beyond this year. We are likely not to have our current coach and staff next year and our GM has an extension he hasn't bothered to sign. If we change coaches we are looking as possible major changes in personnel again next year. All of you assume that we are going to lock up all the young guys and move forward as a team. That could happen for sure but right now it hasn't. Long term we have nothing, short term is all there is. Sure we are all hopeful that things will work out as we hoped but the last 6 months have shown me that you can't assume anything. I doubt most anybody would have predicted the changes in the last 6 months. There is no guarantee that the next 6 months don't have as many or more changes in the works.

The moves will allow us to lock up our young guys long term.

Given where TD, Beason, Williams, Kalil were drafted...and their base salaries...the current rules make it EXTREMELY difficult to work out extensions.

As for the coaches....I like what one expert said. All coaches are in the last year of their contracts....some will just be paid to be given the boot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • PMH4OWPW7JD2TDGWZKTOYL2T3E.jpg

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Khyber53
      Josina Anderson: Panthers NOT trading Adam Thielen

      By Khyber53 · Posted

      Let's be completely honest about this... Our WR room is AT and a bunch of question marks. Thielen is the only guy we know who knows the route tree completely, understands play calls and can regularly get open/beat close coverage when necessary. He's long in the tooth, isn't the speediest guy on the field but he plays like a pro, starting level wide receiver. Xavier, last season looked great at first, but man he kind of petered out down the stretch and would disappear in a number of games. He wasn't reliable on routes or getting open and where he was supposed to be a king at contested catches, he often looked a bit intimidated. I'm not saying he's a washout by any means. Anyone with his size, speed and catch radius could make it big in the NFL, but can he do it? He'll need to show more than he did in the preseason before we can really rely on him as a WR1 or WR2.  Coker was a revelation last season, he really played way above his (non)draft status and flashed multiple times in games and was a steady performer. What we need to find out, though, is whether he was benefiting from being an unknown that wasn't getting maximum effort from opposing DBs or if he was just outworking and outhustling everyone on the field. We should find out this season. We sure as hell didn't find out much in the pre-season (from him or any receiver or QB for that matter). He's still a question mark, but I think he has the look of the real deal. He might be this generation's next Thielen. Now, let's talk about Tet. High first round draft pick, first true WR off the board this year. Stellar career out west in college. Has the swagger of the WR1. And man, y'all are going to get mad about this but... he comes across as a mook. And in the pre-season he performed, well, not so great against poor opposition of second and third stringers. Yeah, he caught that one moonshot ball in the first game but really, nothing else lighting the place up. Rookie endzone drop in that game, too. He's still young and adjusting, I'm sure, but I was hoping to see something of a breakthrough kind of guy. I'm still looking. Hunter Renfro? Gosh, I hope he can make the team and make a comeback to his old form. It would be such a great story. But maybe neither one of those happens. We won't know until Tuesday and then, if he makes it past there it could be weeks. So, TL;DR: AT is all we can bank on right now. We couldn't afford to let him go considering the number of unknowns we'd be throwing out there for our QB, who himself is still an unknown. One thing to add: Our receivers coaching group has their work cut out for them. I hope they are up to the task, but the pre-season gave me little reason to believe in them. And I really need something to believe in here in Carolina.  
    • PantherChris
      PFF grades from last night...Ransom had a night

      By PantherChris · Posted

      Same I think Randsom is a baller..... hopefully we don't have to suffer through 4-8 games of Scott blowing azz to get him on the feild.
    • Bear Hands
      2025 Roster Cuts

      By Bear Hands · Posted

      Linebacker is the biggest need - I hope we figure out a way to address it. Krys Barnes is the only one who even moderately flashed.  Super nervous about Trevin/Rozeboom as a duo (Still like Trevin) I'd be excited if we had a better vet to mentor Trevin.  Or a better younger guy to support Rozeboom.  They just don't fit well and it may be a big problem against the run, even with our DL much improved. 
×
×
  • Create New...