Panthers salary cap strategy/status

[TheSpecialJuan]

The #Panthers waiting to restructure contracts until after they've reached a massive deal (or eventual deals), in theory, allows them to assess how much they need to restructure individually and collectively. 

They don't have to kick the can down the road blindly or overtly.

They still have plenty of wiggle room. It's a matter of shaping the cap with tangible needs and wants. 

Will it work out? Not sure. But it's logical.

https://x.com/mike_e_kaye/status/2031124752480481651?s=46&t=xeIgh_-Vr2aKxBkBJdfnKA

[TheSpecialJuan]

Tomorrow is the time to assess, one would think.
https://x.com/mike_e_kaye/status/2031210595383497117?s=46&t=xeIgh_-Vr2aKxBkBJdfnKA

[PanthersATL]

Per NFL reporter Matt Lombardo, a lot of deals were "made in a steakhouse over the last few weeks"

The deals that drop at 12:01 are the ones that were never really in doubt. They’re the marriages that had been quietly arranged for weeks.

Meanwhile, the genuinely contested signings, the ones where multiple teams are legitimately competing for the same player, those tend to resolve in the days between tampering and the official start of the new league year on Wednesday.

That’s why you see the most coveted players “agreeing to terms” today, and by Wednesday both players and teams are shopping for ideal fits to fill needs and the best opportunities rather than making decisions built largely on securing a market-setting bag.

https://bsky.app/profile/mattlombardo.bsky.social/post/3mgn4nawxmc2o

[TheSpecialJuan]

I expect Andy Dalton, A'Shawn Robinson, and Tommy Tremble to be cut. Damien Lewis will be extended by a year to free up cap space and a few guys will be restructured 

[hepcat]

13 hours ago, TheSpecialJuan said:

I expect Andy Dalton, A'Shawn Robinson, and Tommy Tremble to be cut. Damien Lewis will be extended by a year to free up cap space and a few guys will be restructured 

Dalton has to be getting cut with the Kenny Pickett signing. 

[MHS831]

14 hours ago, TheSpecialJuan said:

I expect Andy Dalton, A'Shawn Robinson, and Tommy Tremble to be cut. Damien Lewis will be extended by a year to free up cap space and a few guys will be restructured 

I think Brown and (get this) Ickey might be extended.  Horn too??

Extending Ickey gives him guaranteed extra money but it is aligned with the risk and position he will play if he returns. For example, (making up the formula) You take the $18m he is costing us for not playing in 2026.  Big men with that injury are given a 50% chance of returning to 90% of their full / current productivity.  The Panthers could then divide the guaranteed amount by 4 years (for example) and it would be $4.5m per.  Since he is going to be moved to G or RT, the average salary for a veteran with his credentials is $15m (for example) per year.  SInce he has a 50% chance, make that $7.5m.  Multiply that by .9.  Roughly dropping it to $6.5.  Now you have Ickey's salary down to $11m per year for the next four years.  Guarantee two years of it--$22m.  That is $4m more than he will make if he is done. Add incentives.  At the end of the day, You could save an easy $12m off the 2026 cap (guesstimate) and you would have a decent G / RT that is pretty cheap for 4 years.  If he does not work out, cut him after year 2.  

So that is my maff.  While it sounds Batshirt crazy to extend Ickey, it could be very smart.  If I had a career-threatening injury but could add a minimum of $4m for extending my guaranteed $, I would do it.

I think Tremble gets restructured.  His blocking was too good down the stretch.

 

[TheSpecialJuan]

14 hours ago, TheSpecialJuan said:

I expect Andy Dalton, A'Shawn Robinson, and Tommy Tremble to be cut. Damien Lewis will be extended by a year to free up cap space and a few guys will be restructured 

They just cut A'Shawn freeing up $10.5 million in cap space with $2.1 mil dead cap. Good player but ultimately an easy decision. 

Jonathan Jones said he will have a market and teams have been calling his agent 

[MHS831]

I would add that if we do nothing more in free agency than land a stud Edge and ILB, Both were top 15 free agents on many lists, we done reeeal good. We got 2 quarters instead of 4 dimes--in the past, we had so many holes to fill, we could not go for the top shelf liquor.

 

We should re-sign some roster players, like Isaiah Simmons, Curhan, Nijman, and hopefully Rozeboom

Edited 46 minutes ago by MHS831