Update on cap situation new GM will inherit.

[panther4life]

New Carolina GM will face cap challenge

October, 23, 2012

OCT 23

3:14

PM ET

By

Pat Yasinskas

| ESPN.com

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I’ve been looking at 2013 salary-cap figures and it’s pretty obvious that whoever takes over as general manager of the Carolina Panthers is going to face a pretty difficult situation.

The Panthers, who fired general manager Marty Hurney on Monday, already have just about $130 million committed toward next year’s salary cap. The exact cap for next year won’t be set until the offseason, but it’s safe to say Carolina’s commitment will put the Panthers at least $5 million over the cap. I’m seeing only five teams with more cap room already tied up for 2013.

This isn’t quite a crisis situation, but the Panthers have only 46 players under contract for 2013. They’ll have to sign a draft class that likely will include a top-10 pick and they might want to re-sign a few of their own free agents and pursue free agents from other teams.

It’s too early to even speculate who the Panthers might want to re-sign and what free agents they might want to chase because we have no idea who the new general manager will be and current coach Ron Rivera seems to be in the same lame-duck zone John Fox occupied in 2010.

But I do think it’s safe to say that no matter who is running the show, there will be some major changes in Carolina in the offseason and it’s a virtual certainty that some veterans will have to go to create some cap space and others will have to restructure their contracts.

I’m looking at some individual cap figures and wondering if linebacker James Anderson ($4.4 million), linebacker Jon Beason ($9.5 million), defensive tackle Ron Edwards ($3.3 million), cornerback Chris Gamble ($10.9 million), tackle Jordan Gross ($11.7 million), defensive endCharles Johnson ($13 million), center Ryan Kalil ($9.85 million), receiver Steve Smith ($5.7 million) and running back DeAngelo Williams ($8.2 million) can all stay with the team in 2013.

I seriously doubt it. Some could be asked to restructure their deals and I think Smith and Gross at least could ponder retirement. But I think the Panthers will have to release at least a few significant players to create some cap room.

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth

[TruCatzFan]

This ain't good at all

[UNCrules2187]

My response?

There are only 32 GM positions (in theory) in the league. At least two thirds of those are unavailable for the foreseeable future.

So, if you're someone in a personnel department of team right now, and you have the opportunity to become the head of another team, you can't afford to be picky.

If JR comes calling for you to interview for the position, can you really turn it down? Who knows when that opportunity comes knocking again...

[csx]

The Huddle gets a lesson in how the Salary Cap is real finally

[BeasonBeastingBacks]

Now lets cut Beason/DWill/CJ/anyone else making more than league minimum

[Marguide]

This should not come as a surprise to anyone here.

[Zaximus]

I feel like we need to keep Kalil. IMO, he's the only "elite" player on this team. I'd like to see Anderson stick around. The rest, I think we may lose and I wouldn't really disagree.

[R0CKnR0LLA]

The Panthers, who fired general manager Marty Hurney on Monday, already have just about $130 million committed toward next year’s salary cap. The exact cap for next year won’t be set until the offseason, but it’s safe to say Carolina’s commitment will put the Panthers at least $5 million over the cap. I’m seeing only five teams with more cap room already tied up for 2013.

actually $131 million, the projected cap is expected to be $121 million, so it's expected the Panthers will be $10 million over the cap, not 5

[panther4life]

You can use this link to see player salaries. Then you can click on them individually and see what their future cap hits are. http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/carolina-panthers/cap-hit/

As far as I understand it if you cut someone whatever portion of their signing bonus (guaranteed money) remaining will hit the cap immediately. The only exception is if you give them a june 1st designation it will spread the hit over the cap for the next year as well.

So if I am correct and those numbers on the site listed are accurate, you can play with the idea of cutting some people to see how it would affect the cap.

A no brainer to me would be shaving off 2.5 by cutting Ron Edwards, then theres some other tough decisions to make.

[Ivan The Awesome]

I used to defend this man. I used to believe this man "Got this"...damn. I was wrong fellas. I apologize to all those who I made fun of with my Hurney pics. 0_o

[hepcat]

So basically Hurney left the team financially fuged and whatever GM they hire is going to have to gut the team to have any flexibility at all to rebuild the roster.

That's just what I wanted to hear.

[frash.exe]

many players were good starters but have been so grossly overpaid (mostly in 2010) that it's handicapped us pretty badly.

[frash.exe]

So basically Hurney left the team financially fuged and whatever GM they hire is going to have to gut the team to have any flexibility at all to rebuild the roster.

That's just what I wanted to hear.

bro didn't you hear hurney's a cap genius

[R0CKnR0LLA]

I used to defend this man. I used to believe this man "Got this"...damn. I was wrong fellas. I apologize to all those who I made fun of with my Hurney pics. 0_o

don't sweat it, Hurney is the past, time to move forward