Panthers Fan-Here's Your Salary Cap Stat ($10Mil) Per ESPN 1-15-09

[PeppersOut]

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

The Carolina Panthers are next in our team-by-team series of updates on where each NFC South team stands regarding the salary cap.

Keep in mind, these numbers are very much in flux at the moment as teams sign players to future contracts and incentives reached in 2008 haven't been factored in yet. The cap is expected to be $123 million.

Salary-cap status: $10 million under the salary cap.

Overview: Don't get too excited by that number because it's very deceiving. The Panthers are trying to re-sign offensive tackle Jordan Gross, whose value got a big boost with an All-Pro season, and defensive end Julius Peppers. Re-signing both or re-signing one and using the franchise tag on the other would put the Panthers well over the salary cap, no matter how the deals are structured. Carolina has to clear room somewhere and cornerback Ken Lucas, who's carrying a big cap number and didn't have a good second half of the season, could be a target for release or restructure. Wide receiver D.J. Hackett, a free-agent pickup who didn't work out, also looks likely to be gone. The Panthers also have a lot of veterans whose contracts can be restructured to free up some cap room. But don't look for Carolina to do much in free agency because the Panthers aren't going to have much room to work with

[frash.exe]

limited cap room, two star players threatened to be lost, and no first rounder this draft.

talk about being "all-in" this season, next season's going to be "none-in".

[Highlandfire]

Delhomme will be forced to cut his salary, Hackett and Lucas will be cut. That is a nice chunk of cap room right there. Franchise peppers, trade him. re sign Gross and lets draft.

[panthers1789]

Cut Landon Johnson instead of Hackett

[countryboi]

looks like this off season is going to make wish he got fired

[RSXNova]

Cut Landon Johnson instead of Hackett

Cut both

[BlindSite]

It's painful when you guys try to talk cap based off what ESPN says, our cap figure is going to be much, much better when the off-season and free agency begins.

[Phil Dees]

subtract another 14 million we will save when we trade peppers, and we will have quite a bit to work with.

Peppers has $0 cap hit figured in that next year since he doesn't have a contract. And you can't trade him unless you have a contract with him.

[wickedjester26]

SUGGS WOULD BE A GREAT ADDITION BUT WITH THE SECONDARY MAINLY THANKS TO TURGO BEING SO S****Y asomugha WOULD BE AN IDEAL PICKUP

[BigCat#1]

what if baltimore franchise tags suggs, we cut lucus and hackett, we franchise tag peppers, sign asmogha, re-work Jakes contract, and trade peppers for suggs? is that possible?

Also, when franchise tagged players are traded, does that 1 yr deal apply to the new team or do they restructure that contract upon arrival?

[Snake]

Cap room is always low this time of year. With Pep gone and Delhomme restructure along with a Lucas cut we should be alright. Prob about 30 mill alright.

[PeppersOut]

Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas

The Carolina Panthers are next in our team-by-team series of updates on where each NFC South team stands regarding the salary cap.

Keep in mind, these numbers are very much in flux at the moment as teams sign players to future contracts and incentives reached in 2008 haven't been factored in yet. The cap is expected to be $123 million.

Salary-cap status: $10 million under the salary cap.

Overview: Don't get too excited by that number because it's very deceiving. The Panthers are trying to re-sign offensive tackle Jordan Gross, whose value got a big boost with an All-Pro season, and defensive end Julius Peppers. Re-signing both or re-signing one and using the franchise tag on the other would put the Panthers well over the salary cap, no matter how the deals are structured. Carolina has to clear room somewhere and cornerback Ken Lucas, who's carrying a big cap number and didn't have a good second half of the season, could be a target for release or restructure. Wide receiver D.J. Hackett, a free-agent pickup who didn't work out, also looks likely to be gone. The Panthers also have a lot of veterans whose contracts can be restructured to free up some cap room. But don't look for Carolina to do much in free agency because the Panthers aren't going to have much room to work with

This is the reason Gantt indicated that the Panthers might have no other choice but let one of its FA walk w/out compensation in return.

Truthfully- I would be pissed at Peppers. I'm still frigid on how he handled this whole situation. Nonethless, the Panthers GM will be earning his $$$ this offseason with FA and the Draft.

[Woodie]

Serious question, when was the last time anyone in the media (local or national) had accurate numbers for our cap?

Don't bother, I'll tell you, never.

Every year they talk about how we have little cap room and will likely not be big players in FA, then all of a sudden, BOOM, we start making some moves. Hurney and Rogers are masters at manipulating the cap. So while it doesn't look like we have much, we will actually have plenty of money to make any deal we want to.