rivera says things are on track to be under cap and hints at FA

[rayzor]

no details (and it would be dumb to do that) but i suspect they'll be able to make enough room for them to be a little active in FA. I'm pretty sure that aside from canty (who i think/hope we pick up) that they will all be solid, but cheap one year contract type guys. i really don't see a mike wallace type pick up, but we'll still be active.

However, Rivera did say the plan to reach the $121 million salary cap is taking shape.

“We’re very close with all the things we’ve got to start doing,” Rivera said after giving the keynote address and the NFL-NCAA Coaches Academy on Sunday night. New Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman “has been sitting down and talking to our guys in terms of cap. All that stuff’s being put into place right now.”

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“We’re preparing for” free agency, Rivera said. “We’ve got all the names down, and we’re looking at all the potential guys we like. Obviously we’ve got our own guys too that we’re concerned with and we’re looking at.”

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/02/18/3863636/ron-rivera-carolina-panthers-on.html#storylink=rss?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed#storylink=cpy

[SOJA]

not that we didn't expect this, but there isn't a snowball's chance in hell Gamble doesn't get cut

[SCP]

A Canty type guy would be nice man. Solidify the D through free agency and draft offense.

[IamSoClutch]

yea gambles a goner. i think our guys are going to do there part to get us under the cap

[rayzor]

yea gambles a goner. i think our guys are going to do there part to get us under the cap

agreed. i think several will restructure just because the alternative means the hassle of uprooting their families for the unknown. they may not be happy with having to possibly take a little less, but better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

guys that likely get released might look like a significant loss on paper (gamble, james anderson, ron edwards, etc) but we'll hardly notice from a production standpoint.

[rayzor]

A Canty type guy would be nice man. Solidify the D through free agency and draft offense.

agreed. my preference is that we solidify the trenches this year with vets from FA for the short term (just because i think it takes too long for players to lose their roller skates) and make sure that we pick up solid playmakers at WR and in the secondary.

[panther4life]

I have my eyes set on 3 free agents right now that I think may be affordable(pending how much room we can clear).

1.Kenny Phillips(FS, NYG)

2.Chris Canty(DT, NYG)

3.Louis Vasquez (RG San Diego)

Then I'd like to try and retain

Dwan Edwards

Jason Phillips

and maybe these guys pending other moves made

Senn and Munnerlyn.

[SCP]

I have my eyes set on 3 free agents right now that I think may be affordable(pending how much room we can clear).

1.Kenny Phillips(FS, NYG)

2.Chris Canty(DT, NYG)

3.Louis Vasquez (RG San Diego)

Then I'd like to try and retain

Dwan Edwards

Jason Phillips

and maybe these guys pending other moves made

Senn and Munnerlyn.

Vasquez would be a great addition but he might be the best FA guard on the market this year. Is he really that affordable?

[CatMan72]

I though this was particularly interesting:

Transferring some of Stewart’s contract money into guaranteed base salary raised questions about the future of DeAngelo Williams, the franchise’s leading rusher. Rivera, unwilling to talk about specific players, bristled at that notion.

“We’re going through the whole thing first and foremost before those decisions are made,” he said.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/02/18/3863636/ron-rivera-carolina-panthers-on.html#storylink=cpy

I won't be surprised at all to see DeAngelo back next year.

[SCP]

agreed. my preference is that we solidify the trenches this year with vets from FA for the short term (just because i think it takes too long for players to lose their roller skates) and make sure that we pick up solid playmakers at WR and in the secondary.

The short term one year contracts Gettleman spoke of are genius in the fact that you can fill a need for a year until the next draft with out tying your hands for too long.

[chknwing]

so were $10 million over with Gambles cap hit being $10 million. Release him and carolina is good?

[Firefox]

so were $10 million over with Gambles cap hit being $10 million. Release him and carolina is good?

You don't save ALL of the hit.

$7.9 mil savings here.

[chknwing]

so they still need about $2 million plus if they want to sign free agents

[panther4life]

so they still need about $2 million plus if they want to sign free agents

correct. If you look at the pinned thread it tells you how much each player would save us. For instance Ron Edwards being cut would save another 2.5 million.

All we have to do it be under the cap by march 12th when free agency starts. We can then go over it again but we'll have to be under the cap again by the time we cut down to 53.

EDIT: P55 corrected me and we can not go above the cap again before cutting down to 53.