Yahoo!: Who's that guy? Youthful Panthers hard to predict

[GRWatcher]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=txpantherspreview

Over 30? Making decent money? Chances are you were cut, traded or allowed to walk via free agency by the Panthers in the offseason. Nine starters from last year are gone, leaving 31-year-old Steve Smith as the oldest position player.

Even the folks left over have little security. Coach John Fox is in the last year of his contract. So is starting quarterback Matt Moore(notes), running back DeAngelo Williams(notes), cornerback Richard Marshall(notes) and numerous other veterans.

.......

“We’ve said it over and over and over again: We made a decision to have young players,” Hurney said Thursday. “You have to make tough decisions. That’s the decision we made. We’ll see if our young players are ready.”

.......

Another theme is small salaries and short-term deals. Fox seemed to part from the company line in May when he said they made the Harris trade because “we’ve got a budget.”

Hurney, whose own deal expired in June, wasn’t willing to go there. But it’s still jarring when you consider the turnover from the 2008 team that went 12-4.

So Hurney is working without a contract. Interesting. This is the first article I've seen that points out what the Panthers have done. Everyone else seems to be avoiding the issue.

We'll see how it goes Saturday night. I hope our offense shows up. I don't like us punting so often .... that's no longer the safe play.

[JungleCat]

Hopefully the Panthers will look better than the Cardinals did last night.

[FuzzyDuck13]

The team is hurt because Richardson won't spend money this year?

Shocking news.

[SmAsHmoUTh!!!]

I'm so sick of every team in the league trying to get younger...Sign some god damn proven veterans!!!

[Delhommey]

I'm so sick of every team in the league trying to get younger...Sign some god damn proven veterans!!!

[Wither]

The team is hurt because Richardson won't spend money this year?

Shocking news.

Please tell me how he could've spent more money to make this team better?

[CRA]

Please tell me how he could've spent more money to make this team better?

a legit #2 NFL WR. A very good DT.

[Lumps]

Please tell me how he could've spent more money to make this team better?

-Paid peppers the $750,000 (or whatever) difference to make him stay.

-Sign Marshall or Boldin or Jackson etc. to strengthen the obvious weakness.

-Called that stud punt returner a day earlier (more laziness than money).

-Sign a proven and more effective DT

Hard to say if it would make the 'team' better, but I think fans are fooling themselves if they think all panther players win becasue they are hungry. They care about getting paid, no reason to lie to yourself and say more money wouldn't help this team becasue it most likely would. The panther's are going to have to really want it this year, all of them. Also it might just be my opinion but not resigning some of our vets now is kind of insulting. I realize there is a looming lockout but the players are going to remember how they were treated. Just my opinion.

If money for proven vets didn't matter all owners would only spend a rock bottom budget.

[Fiz]

Honestly the decisions are only suspicious if you look at it in it's totality and don't break it down on a case by case basis. With the exception of Peppers, they're not worse off at any position really. Moose was pretty obviously a man waiting to be converted, and Hoover still hasn't found a team. That says a lot imho

[Wither]

Honestly the decisions are only suspicious if you look at it in it's totality and don't break it down on a case by case basis. With the exception of Peppers, they're not worse off at any position really. Moose was pretty obviously a man waiting to be converted, and Hoover still hasn't found a team. That says a lot imho

You guys should pay attention to Fiz.

I love how everyone wants to sign a #1 receiver when we already have a #1. That genius move the Bengals made isn't going to work if they don't win games; watch.

[Fiz]

Would you rather have two number one receivers or two number 1 runningbacks, because I don't see many of these passing juggernauts with 2 stud RBs.

[Delhommey]

So, we basically would lose LeFell and Norwood (bookmark this post for later viewing) and get Boldin and a serious contract issue with several players (why are you paying him when you're not paying me?)

Short term would be a definite gain (players would suck it up and play this year and Boldin is better now that LaFell and Norwood combined), but the Boldin deal would jack up the asking price for any number of our players at the end of their contracts this year.

If we can get Kalil and Williams back at a decent price, it's worth way more than having Boldin here.

[CRA]

Honestly the decisions are only suspicious if you look at it in it's totality and don't break it down on a case by case basis. With the exception of Peppers, they're not worse off at any position really. Moose was pretty obviously a man waiting to be converted, and Hoover still hasn't found a team. That says a lot imho

I think the Hoover hasn't found a gig b/c teams don't pound the rock. Carolina, NYJ, NYG, Tenn. Not a lot of teams out there use old school FBs.

[Fiz]

You guys should pay attention to Fiz