"Big men allow you to compete,"--Dave Gettlemen

[MHS831]

I am a Gettlemen fan, and I know Rome wasn't built in a day,  but Ceasar was killed in minutes.  Cam Newton, clearly the team's most dynamic player, is playing behind a bunch of DII or Undrafted OL,

 

1.  Like any great war leader, Cam Newton needs protection and weapons.  He was given Hixon and Ginn and Kugbila.  That is like going to battle with a trash can lid and a bowie knife.

 

2,  Jordan Gross and fellow OL Ryan Kalil restructured their contracts.  Gross took less money, and I am not sure about Kalil.   They sacrificed but the money they gave up is in the bank, not on the field.

 

3. The defense was given a safety and 2 cornerbacks in free agency.   Gettlemen drafted a LB and 2 DTs.  The offense was given  fourth and sixth round draft picks, an oft-injured #3 WR and a punt returner. 

 

4. Gettlemen said, "Big men allow you to compete" and has watched the offense fail to compete for over a month now, largely based on the play of the OL. We have a lot of cap room.  We have a player or two we could trade.  Nothing so far.

 

5. Waiting for cuts is an option, but how do you tell the fans that we have needs and over $15 milliion in cap room?  Sadly, there will be cut OL who can beat out our starters on the right side.

 

DaveG, you have been great so far, but ignoring the OL and not giving Cam weapons is going to haunt you, especially if you are sitting on a wad of cash.  If Cam goes down because an undrafted OL from Kentucky got confused or a foreign kid from Valdosta State  was overpowered, then you are going to have to explain why your wallet did not back up your proverb.   Sure, we can find some project that was released and plug him in during week 3 when he learns the playbook, but we need a more aggressive answer to this problem that has recurred every week for the past 3 games. 

 

Make a trade. 

 

While we do not have much to offer,  it is time to get serious about RT.  Or you can spend all of that cap room on a mediocre QB, someone for Cam to watch from the rehab tub. 

[fieryprophet]

He must have only meant defense.

[IGSaint]

Has there been any info from the press like asking gettleman questions about the horrible O-line and if he is gonna do anything about it? It feels like they should be doing the job of asking what we are all complaining about but we haven't heard poo from them.

[Chimera]

Has there been any info from the press like asking gettleman questions about the horrible O-line and if he is gonna do anything about it? It feels like they should be doing the job of asking what we are all complaining about but we haven't heard poo from them.

sorry... we only have Joe Person. but he did ask

https://twitter.com/josephperson/status/371381037525266432

[IGSaint]

sorry... we only have Joe Person. but he did ask

https://twitter.com/josephperson/status/371381037525266432

 

Give me a break with that bullcrap rivera.

[amcoolio]

Who are we going to trade for a OL that would make an impact. Our 1st rounder? Greg Hardy? Star? Olsen?

 

We aren't exactly swimming in trade assets. This isn't the NBA

[MasterAwesome]

Are there even any impact FA o-linemen available right now? There's no consensus as to whether Wharton would be a true upgrade for us (his play has dipped in the past couple years and he's coming off a major injury) and yet he seems to be the best option unless we somehow coax Moore or Waters out of retirement. Trading for an established o-lineman seems to be the only sure thing...but we don't have a lot of trade bait with how our contracts are.

[KendrickPanther]

Guys the oline is playing poorly. Blame them. Kugbila can't get on the field. Our 3 lineman to the left are high draft picks that have underperformed this preseason. Our 2 to the right are a work in progress. Kugbila is the future at RG if he can play healthy. That leaves Byron Bell whom probably makes 600k a season. There is nobody out there are RT in that price range. You either have to destroy our cap Or draft some more lineman next year. We've drafted 2 guards in 2 seasons, what would you have him do? Draft an offensive tackle instead of Star? NO.

[Dash Global]

you acknowledge rome wasn built in a day so whats the point of the thread? 

 

we addressed the DL this past offseason and we will address the OL next offseason. 

[Creep59]

Give the guy time until cuts are made?  Some of you back seat general managers would leave this team a complete fookin train wreck with your inanity.

[CRA]

If the OL is not important enough to pay Wharton....I doubt DG is going to pay any decent lineman cut soon. They will be Wharton caliber players.

I think people need to brace for us having what we got

[MHS831]

Who are we going to trade for a OL that would make an impact. Our 1st rounder? Greg Hardy? Star? Olsen?

 

We aren't exactly swimming in trade assets. This isn't the NBA

That is a problem--especially in late August.  We have been screaming for the Right Side of the line help since January.  I can;t telll you who we can trade because I do not understand all of the contracts, but there are a few options---none with any real value.

 

So basically, you are asking, what do we have to trade that we do not want?   Not much. 

 

Or you could look at it this way:  Can we afford to lose a player at a position where we have solid depth to bring in a player where we have no starting quality help?  WHen you realize that you have to give something to get something, you start to see what the word TRADE really means.

[MHS831]

you acknowledge rome wasn built in a day so whats the point of the thread? 

 

we addressed the DL this past offseason and we will address the OL next offseason. 

We have been building Rome since 2008.  What is your point?  Wait til next year?

 

We are close THIS year.  A RT is about all we need  to compete if our D stays healthy.  One player--and we sit on $16 million in cap room.

 

And you want to wait until 2014.

[mountainpantherfan2]

3 Issues with trading for an offensive lineman:

1) I have heard nothing of any team or player that would be on trading block. That doesn't mean the options aren't out there. But before asking DG to trade something of value I'd like to know what the return at least could be.

2) The best time to make a trade will be between the 3rd and 4th preseason games. A quality starter that is still good but just so happened to get beat out by a young up and comer is the ideal situation. But teams aren't going to let go of a player until they are sure and no injuries have occurred.

3) And this is the most important point. Your assumption is that DG believes it is worth the risk to make a trade and that he sees Newton as his franshise QB. Neither may be case.

The fan in me agrees with you in that right now I'm still hopeful for this season and believe Newton is our guy. And maybe a trade may happen. But it's not like its as easy as just saying it. Other teams have to be willing as well.