Interview with Ron Rivera on NFL AM

[WOW!!]

Is anybody else noticing the noncommittals to Smitty by Rivera and Gettelmen? ?

[jptaylor84]

Is anybody else noticing the noncommittals to Smitty by Rivera and Gettelmen? ?

It's the point that started me worrying if I'm honest, I also think it's a lack of respect to a guy who has given us so much, no sentiment maybe from some but treat the guy right.

[CelticCat]

Real question would you rather have Nicks or Hardy?

 

That should be a no-brainer. You're asking if we'd rather have a growing DE that has had 26 sacks over the last two years or a regressing WR that has had 3 TD's over the last two years.

 

I realize Nicks gets a lot of love for being a Carolina guy and I wouldn't be against making him an offer, but those two guys shouldn't be linked at all as far as cap decisions go.

 

Nicks needs to prove himself again, buyer beware if you plan on handing out a massive contract for him. Remember, we got 5 TD's out of Ginn last year for only a 1 mill contract, plus, he was a reliable returner for us also.

 

[Jackofalltrades]

According to Walterfootball.

2/21: Ron Rivera said that finding a "receiver who can step up" is the team's No. 1 priority. He also said the secondary needs to be addressed.

http://walterfootball.com/draft2014rumorsteams_1.php

[ctrcat]

FA: Emmanuel Sanders, WR ?

2014 Draft

(RD.1) AUSTIN SEFERIAN-JENKINS, TE, WASHINGTON

(RD.2) JARVIS LANDRY, WR, LSU

We're good to go!

Oh happy day!!!

[CRA]

Hardy and CJ aren't the same situation as double trouble. DE's see the field at the same time and have a bigger impact.

We lose Hardy and CJ gets hurt then we are really screwed.

No, it isn't apples to apples and paying huge amounts to 2 DEs is nowhere near as crazy as paying 2 RBs.

However, it is still heavily investing in one position on defense. Limits your ability to invest in a well rounded one IMO. Which IMO makes injuries tougher

[El Chingon]

Hardy has already turned down a $40 million deal during the season. Five years $55 million should do the trick.

[Khaki Lackey]

No, it isn't apples to apples and paying huge amounts to 2 DEs is nowhere near as crazy as paying 2 RBs.

However, it is still heavily investing in one position on defense. Limits your ability to invest in a well rounded one IMO. Which IMO makes injuries tougher

 

I get what you're saying, but we were the 2nd best defense in the NFL. If we lose Hardy, we are a leg whip away from starting two situational pass rushers at DE.  All of a sudden we have no pass rush and stopping the run becomes a lot more difficult and all of our newly acquired weapons will be asked to put up a lot of points.

 

[CelticCat]

However, it is still heavily investing in one position on defense. Limits your ability to invest in a well rounded one IMO. Which IMO makes injuries tougher

 

I guess it depends on the GM's philosophy. Ideally, you'd love to be in Seattle's situation, paying peanuts to a lot of quality players but eventually they will have to pay up or let guys go too.

 

Last year proved the D could get the job done with a cheap secondary and a quality front 7. He constantly preaches Hog Mollies and Hardy is one of those.

 

Injuries to highly paid (read talented) players will hurt any team regardless of position, we saw that when Kalil and Gamble were lost early in the season last year.

 

Its easy to sit back and say get rid of pro bowl player A and we can replace him for a future pro bowl player B. To actually succeed in doing so is another. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

 

[El Chingon]

Keeping Hardy is not worth it. Read this:

 

1. Cut Charles Godfrey outright, with a June 1 designation.

This move saves $5 million against the cap

Current room: $16.9 million

2. Try to restructure Charles Johnson

Johnson is set to pocket $9 million this year and his cap hit is $16 million. The remaining salary on his deal is $29.25 million, so the smart move would be to offer a five-year restructured that converts that salary into a $31 million signing bonus.

CJ gets the money up front, guaranteed and it lets the Panthers reduce his salary to the veteran minimum for at least the next two years. This would save $9 million against the cap.

Current room: $25.9 million

3. Cut Dwan Edwards

Making this move outright would save $1.4 million against the cap.

Current room: $27.3 million

 

Sacrifices as a result

Let's assume those three dominoes fall into place and the Panthers re-sign Greg Hardy. They now have 26 roster spots to fill and roughly $17 million to do it.

Jordan Gross

With $17 million left there's simply no room to keep a veteran of his caliber. Given that he's mulling over the idea of retirement it's wholly unlikely he'll accept the veteran minimum. A realistic deal would be two years at $12 million with a $6 million signing bonus. Back-load that deal and you cause problems for 2015, keep it even and he's a $6 million cap hit.

Assume they keep him: You have $11 million to spend on 18 players.

Graham Gano

A high-level kicker isn't something the Panthers can afford if they want to retain Hardy. Gano is one of the top-tier kickers scheduled to hit free agency and anything over $1 million is too much for the team to bare, and it will be.

Brandon LaFell

Most people don't like him, so what the heck? Retain Hardy, you can't keep LaFell -- it's that simple. He will command more than Darrius Heyward-Bey made from the Colts in 2013, which was $2.5 million against the cap.

Mike Mitchell

Bye.

The Panthers got a great deal in 2013 and he vastly out-performed his contract. Expect an offer in the range of $6-8 million for 2-3 years, which isn't something Carolina can afford.

Ted Ginn

Like Mike Mitchell, it ain't gonna happen. Teams need deep threats and there aren't enough in the league. Factor in his relative youth and additions on special teams and Ginn will command deals around the $3-4 million mark, as a cap hit in 2014.

Captain Munnerlyn and Drayton Florence

Here's two player the Panthers can't afford to lose. You hit a breaking point pretty quickly when releasing players that results in a barely-competitive franchise. Wide receivers can be drafted or signed, getting quality corneback play doesn't happen immediately.

Let's assume the pair counts as $4 million against the cap in 2014 (which could be low-balling).

Carolina now has 16 available roster spots and $7 million to do it.

The good news

Fourteen players leaving in free agency were rotational guys or special teams players. Those can be found for cheap enough to make it work.

The bad news

Under this plan the Panthers lose a grand total of five starters: LaFell, Gano, Mitchell, Bryon Bell and Travelle Wharton.

It means that between a seven pick draft and dwindling free agent money you need to find a starting offensive tackle, wide receiver, safety, guard and kicker. Take a guess how likely that is to happen?

None of this is impossible. The plan outlined above would fiscally allow the Panthers to keep Hardy a field a team in 2014, but it's the cost that needs to be evaluated. If the long-con is to treat Hardy as a franchise cornerstone then it means accepting that Carolina will probably suck in 2014.

A struggling offensive line and secondary gets worse, while Cam Newton is sure to lose weapons. Unless there's some serious luck in the draft the idea of making the playoff again is near-impossible, there's just no quality depth.

The bright side would be, as Dave Gettleman says "a dollar over three dimes." It positions the Panthers to be more competitive when they get out of cap hell, but is it worth it?

 

This is from the terrific James Dator

[CelticCat]

Keeping Hardy is not worth it. Read this:

 

1. Cut Charles Godfrey outright, with a June 1 designation.

This move saves $5 million against the cap

Current room: $16.9 million

2. Try to restructure Charles Johnson

Johnson is set to pocket $9 million this year and his cap hit is $16 million. The remaining salary on his deal is $29.25 million, so the smart move would be to offer a five-year restructured that converts that salary into a $31 million signing bonus.

CJ gets the money up front, guaranteed and it lets the Panthers reduce his salary to the veteran minimum for at least the next two years. This would save $9 million against the cap.

Current room: $25.9 million

3. Cut Dwan Edwards

Making this move outright would save $1.4 million against the cap.

Current room: $27.3 million

 

Sacrifices as a result

Let's assume those three dominoes fall into place and the Panthers re-sign Greg Hardy. They now have 26 roster spots to fill and roughly $17 million to do it.

Jordan Gross

With $17 million left there's simply no room to keep a veteran of his caliber. Given that he's mulling over the idea of retirement it's wholly unlikely he'll accept the veteran minimum. A realistic deal would be two years at $12 million with a $6 million signing bonus. Back-load that deal and you cause problems for 2015, keep it even and he's a $6 million cap hit.

Assume they keep him: You have $11 million to spend on 18 players.

Graham Gano

A high-level kicker isn't something the Panthers can afford if they want to retain Hardy. Gano is one of the top-tier kickers scheduled to hit free agency and anything over $1 million is too much for the team to bare, and it will be.

Brandon LaFell

Most people don't like him, so what the heck? Retain Hardy, you can't keep LaFell -- it's that simple. He will command more than Darrius Heyward-Bey made from the Colts in 2013, which was $2.5 million against the cap.

Mike Mitchell

Bye.

The Panthers got a great deal in 2013 and he vastly out-performed his contract. Expect an offer in the range of $6-8 million for 2-3 years, which isn't something Carolina can afford.

Ted Ginn

Like Mike Mitchell, it ain't gonna happen. Teams need deep threats and there aren't enough in the league. Factor in his relative youth and additions on special teams and Ginn will command deals around the $3-4 million mark, as a cap hit in 2014.

Captain Munnerlyn and Drayton Florence

Here's two player the Panthers can't afford to lose. You hit a breaking point pretty quickly when releasing players that results in a barely-competitive franchise. Wide receivers can be drafted or signed, getting quality corneback play doesn't happen immediately.

Let's assume the pair counts as $4 million against the cap in 2014 (which could be low-balling).

Carolina now has 16 available roster spots and $7 million to do it.

The good news

Fourteen players leaving in free agency were rotational guys or special teams players. Those can be found for cheap enough to make it work.

The bad news

Under this plan the Panthers lose a grand total of five starters: LaFell, Gano, Mitchell, Bryon Bell and Travelle Wharton.

It means that between a seven pick draft and dwindling free agent money you need to find a starting offensive tackle, wide receiver, safety, guard and kicker. Take a guess how likely that is to happen?

None of this is impossible. The plan outlined above would fiscally allow the Panthers to keep Hardy a field a team in 2014, but it's the cost that needs to be evaluated. If the long-con is to treat Hardy as a franchise cornerstone then it means accepting that Carolina will probably suck in 2014.

A struggling offensive line and secondary gets worse, while Cam Newton is sure to lose weapons. Unless there's some serious luck in the draft the idea of making the playoff again is near-impossible, there's just no quality depth.

The bright side would be, as Dave Gettleman says "a dollar over three dimes." It positions the Panthers to be more competitive when they get out of cap hell, but is it worth it?

 

This is from the terrific James Dator

 

Dator sounds like Hurney. He is seriously over valuing some of our FA's.

 

Gman got this.

[EightyNine]

Keeping Hardy is not worth it. Read this:

 

1. Cut Charles Godfrey outright, with a June 1 designation.

This move saves $5 million against the cap

Current room: $16.9 million

2. Try to restructure Charles Johnson

Johnson is set to pocket $9 million this year and his cap hit is $16 million. The remaining salary on his deal is $29.25 million, so the smart move would be to offer a five-year restructured that converts that salary into a $31 million signing bonus.

CJ gets the money up front, guaranteed and it lets the Panthers reduce his salary to the veteran minimum for at least the next two years. This would save $9 million against the cap.

Current room: $25.9 million

3. Cut Dwan Edwards

Making this move outright would save $1.4 million against the cap.

Current room: $27.3 million

 

Sacrifices as a result

Let's assume those three dominoes fall into place and the Panthers re-sign Greg Hardy. They now have 26 roster spots to fill and roughly $17 million to do it.

Jordan Gross

With $17 million left there's simply no room to keep a veteran of his caliber. Given that he's mulling over the idea of retirement it's wholly unlikely he'll accept the veteran minimum. A realistic deal would be two years at $12 million with a $6 million signing bonus. Back-load that deal and you cause problems for 2015, keep it even and he's a $6 million cap hit.

Assume they keep him: You have $11 million to spend on 18 players.

Graham Gano

A high-level kicker isn't something the Panthers can afford if they want to retain Hardy. Gano is one of the top-tier kickers scheduled to hit free agency and anything over $1 million is too much for the team to bare, and it will be.

Brandon LaFell

Most people don't like him, so what the heck? Retain Hardy, you can't keep LaFell -- it's that simple. He will command more than Darrius Heyward-Bey made from the Colts in 2013, which was $2.5 million against the cap.

Mike Mitchell

Bye.

The Panthers got a great deal in 2013 and he vastly out-performed his contract. Expect an offer in the range of $6-8 million for 2-3 years, which isn't something Carolina can afford.

Ted Ginn

Like Mike Mitchell, it ain't gonna happen. Teams need deep threats and there aren't enough in the league. Factor in his relative youth and additions on special teams and Ginn will command deals around the $3-4 million mark, as a cap hit in 2014.

Captain Munnerlyn and Drayton Florence

Here's two player the Panthers can't afford to lose. You hit a breaking point pretty quickly when releasing players that results in a barely-competitive franchise. Wide receivers can be drafted or signed, getting quality corneback play doesn't happen immediately.

Let's assume the pair counts as $4 million against the cap in 2014 (which could be low-balling).

Carolina now has 16 available roster spots and $7 million to do it.

The good news

Fourteen players leaving in free agency were rotational guys or special teams players. Those can be found for cheap enough to make it work.

The bad news

Under this plan the Panthers lose a grand total of five starters: LaFell, Gano, Mitchell, Bryon Bell and Travelle Wharton.

It means that between a seven pick draft and dwindling free agent money you need to find a starting offensive tackle, wide receiver, safety, guard and kicker. Take a guess how likely that is to happen?

None of this is impossible. The plan outlined above would fiscally allow the Panthers to keep Hardy a field a team in 2014, but it's the cost that needs to be evaluated. If the long-con is to treat Hardy as a franchise cornerstone then it means accepting that Carolina will probably suck in 2014.

A struggling offensive line and secondary gets worse, while Cam Newton is sure to lose weapons. Unless there's some serious luck in the draft the idea of making the playoff again is near-impossible, there's just no quality depth.

The bright side would be, as Dave Gettleman says "a dollar over three dimes." It positions the Panthers to be more competitive when they get out of cap hell, but is it worth it?

 

This is from the terrific James Dator

 

Well there you have it people... The only possible scenario has been layed out for you..

[updownsigma]

Well.... I don't think anyone of really wants to see the Kraken in another jersey. Let's just hope our other fears are put to ease and we don't over spend. 

Real question would you rather have Nicks or Hardy?

 

I don't think anyone would say Nicks...but the choice isn't between the two, its between Hardy and Nicks + Ginn, Captain, Mitchell, etc.

[El Chingon]

Dator sounds like Hurney. He is seriously over valuing some of our FA's.

 

Gman got this.

Well I do agree, Gettleman will make the right decison.  Give Dator credit, he makes some excellent points.