So, can we finally start looking forward to Free Agency every year now?

[PantherTrain84]

I have a feeling JR wants to go all out when it comes to changing this team's philiosphy and that could include him hiring a Free Agency friendly GM that isn't afraid to spend and aquire good talent in FA. I dont know about you guys but under the Hurney era I used to dread free agency because I knew we wouldn't be making any big splashes or be players. But has the time finally come where our new GM will make us players in FA?

I still cant get over the fact Vincent Jackson is lighting it up now and he cost the same amount as D Will or J Stew and VJax/Smitty/Cam would have been amazing. Or how we could have got Brandon Marshall or Asante Samuel for peanuts. I really hope our new GM wont have a phobia of household name free agents when it comes to trades or free agency.

[Herbert The Love Bug]

i can't predict the future so i have no idea

[megadeth078]

We still have no cap space...

[jtnc]

We do not have the cap space, and it will only get worse. Our cap situation will soon head to Raiders territory.

[PantherTrain84]

We still have no cap space...

But if we trade or cut players ai think space can be made. At this point we have no clue who is in and out. Beason and Smitty are as good as gone. Smitty will retire or be traded and no way a new GM with any sense keep Beason around with Kuechly beasting and the depth at LB we have.

Then you have the slight possibility of Gross retiring and lets not forget D Will is as good as gone or restructured greatly. Heck, I have a very small feeling Gamble might not even be safe considering his age and him being on IR. Remember, we as fans may overrate and love all these guys but a new GM will have no commection and simply see a lot of huge contracts for overrated players.

[La Pantera]

LOL

[jtnc]

But if we trade or cut players ai think space can be made. At this point we have no clue who is in and out. Beason and Smitty are as good as gone. Smitty will retire or be traded and no way a new GM with any sense keep Beason around with Kuechly beasting and the depth at LB we have.

Then you have the slight possibility of Gross retiring and lets not forget D Will is as good as gone or restructured greatly. Heck, I have a very small feeling Gamble might not even be safe considering his age and him being on IR. Remember, we as fans may overrate and love all these guys but a new GM will have no commection and simply see a lot of huge contracts for overrated players.

We still take a cap hit no matter what. The space from that player just doesn't disappear after he is traded.

[Marguide]

But if we trade or cut players ai think space can be made. At this point we have no clue who is in and out. Beason and Smitty are as good as gone. Smitty will retire or be traded and no way a new GM with any sense keep Beason around with Kuechly beasting and the depth at LB we have.

Then you have the slight possibility of Gross retiring and lets not forget D Will is as good as gone or restructured greatly. Heck, I have a very small feeling Gamble might not even be safe considering his age and him being on IR. Remember, we as fans may overrate and love all these guys but a new GM will have no commection and simply see a lot of huge contracts for overrated players.

So we have Smith, Beason, Gross, DWill and Gamble on your list. Yes, it's likely a couple will be gone, probably Beason and DWill as their replacements are already on the roster. Gross and Gamble will count roughly $22 million against the cap next year and their contracts have aged to the point they could be cut, but keep in mind LT and to a lesser degree CB are highly paid positions, so it just depends whether or not they can identify people at those positions that are: 1) better, 2) cheaper, and 3) want to come here.

These things are never as simple as they sound, and our cap situation will remain dicey for probably 2 years.

The greater risk is you just don't know how a player will fit in your system. Look at what Buffalo paid for Mario Williams, and he has had very little impact on that team.

The best bet is to hire the absolute best GM we can, let him analyze our strengths and weaknesses and start to put the pieces in place. The worst thing we could do is just throw money at the FA market on one or two big names to make everyone feel better. Adding in a few mid-range FA's at key spots is the more likely projection for the next few years.

[Peppers90 NC]

i love watching message board posters try to talk salaries and salary caps and penalties

same owner, doubtful FA operations change much

[Mr. Scot]

Ask me when I know who the new GM is.

[savage]

Greg jennings please. Sure, he is 29 but he will still produce

[rayzor]

if we have a GM who values FA more than hurney...

if we have GM who can get this team out of the contractual messes and cap crap hurney's plan got us on...

maybe.

even then, though, JR isn't a fan of going after high profile/big dollar FAs because he hasn't really seen it be that effective in the past.

the new GM may be more active than hurney as cap allows, but don't expect us to go after those big names anymore than we have before.

[Marguide]

i love watching message board posters try to talk salaries and salary caps and penalties

And I love posters that mock those that actually take the time to educate themselves on things like salaries and the cap.

[Jackofalltrades]

But it works in Madden!