# 2009 Panthers Offseason thread



## Diable

Whole lot of issues to discuss for the panthers.Apparently Peppers spoke to Chris Mortenson and said he wanted to try his luck somewhere else.It would cost 17 million to franchise him and I just don't see him being worth that.I'd rather use that money to get two guys since Peppers clearly isn't enough by himself.However if we franchised him and another team signed him we'd get two first round picks in return.That would be the best outcome IMO...Although I don't know when the picks would come due.Peppers may have had 14.5 sacks,but our pass rush was dismal last year and you have to think that the salary cap issues make him completely expendable at that price tag.

Jordan Gross can not be franchised again this year,but he has express interest in remaining in Charlotte.It's probably either him or Peppers.Both of them will command big salaries on the open market.In fact we need more offensive linemen and more defensive linemen.I think that improving the pass rush and the secondary are the most pressing issues for this team,but it seems to me that if sign both of them we're not going to do that.No matter how you look at you have to conclude that we're about to cut a lot of guys for salary cap reasons.They can use a razor on anyone in our secondary who gets paid more than the guy who cleans the toilets as far as I'm concerned.All those guys can go somewhere and sell insurance,we can find other guys who can't be any worse than them.

I guess we have to get a better starting qb,but that's exactly what I mean.We need someone who can throw the ball accurately,which apparently isn't Jake.However Jake simply isn't as bad as he looked in the divisional playoff game.If it were up to me I'd want to get Cassell,but he's going to cost a lot and frankly it's not going to happen.Derek Anderson might be the next best option even though he wasn't great last year.He'll also cost a good deal...And again that probably isn't going to happen.


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## CPIII

I really don't want to have a QB in training. Carolina has a really good team NOW. So it seems like the best bet is to try and make some moves where we can be legit contenders next year, right off the bat.

Peppers a few years ago seemed like a franchise player to me. But recently, you hear less of him, and he's just not a standout. (I hope he starts getting things done) I feel we need another WR besides Smith and Moose, someone that wont mind the 3-4 spot(possible 2), and has good hands. (We have the speed)

Our defense is so bad in my opinion. That can't truly be fixed over night though.. so, we'll see how that works out.


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## BlakeJesus

It's a huge bummer, and kind of shocking to see him not being as dominant as he once was. I didn't think that was ever going to be something he just lost.

I agree that another wideout would be a very wise thing for this team to look for. I wouldn't be shocked to see them grab a WR on the first day. Getting a QB should also be priority, I still think Jake Del has a bit left in the tank. That playoff game was horrible, but he IS better than that. 

Though I think somebody like Derek Anderson would help this team immensely, supposing they are willing to part ways with enough to get him.


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## Diable

Apparently the st louis rams just named our linebacker coach their defensive coordinator.I guess his name is Flajole.Not sure I'd care if they wanted any coach we have right now


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## nutmeged3

So in the first two days of free agency we went from having on of the deepest O-Lines to basically having no experience in our backups at all. Hangman signs with Buffalo, Omiyale signs with the Bears, and we cut Bridges on Friday.

We also cut Hackett and Goings, as well as shopping Lucas right now which could end up mean cutting him. He


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## Diable

From waht I've read we're basically going to have the same team next year that we had last year.We just don't have the cap flexibility to make major moves barring a Peppers trade.I find it hard to believe anyone will give us anything for Lucas,but essentially those are the only things that seem likely at this point.We're going to play a first place schedule next year.I'm guessing we're heading straight back to mediocrity.Last year we beat a lot of bad teams from the NFC North and the AFC West.This year we're playing the NFC and AFC East.Only one team on our schedule had a losing record last year and Buffalo was 7-9.I hate to say it,but we're probably not going to make the playoffs.We're just not good enough at QB and our defense can not stop anyone.



> Dates for the schedule won't be released until the summer, but the non-division home games are against Buffalo, Miami, Philadelphia, Washington and Minnesota. The Panthers will play at Dallas, Arizona, the Jets, the Giants and New England.


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## nutmeged3

Wow, that is one brutal schedule. How do we end up playing the Giants two years in a row at their place? Ahh I wish there was some other option to go to then Delhomme but we have the lowest cap room in the league after Peppers monster tag and that doesn't leave us any room to fix anything.


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## Diable

I'm praying that Jake's arm wasn't right at the end of last year and it gets stronger this offseason.He was short on almost every pass after the first half of the season,like his arm had quit on him.That's pure speculation though.I've nothing to base it on beyond the hope that he can't be that bad again next season.If his accuracy isn't any better than that we have no hope,I mean he was throwing the ball wide and short most of the year.

In particular he just couldn't get the ball down the field which is critical when you've got teams playing 8 in the box gainst your run game.We just have no hope with that sort of qb play...Jake has to be able to get the ball down the field and if he can't do better than he did last year we may as well put Moore in and lose with him instead of Jake.


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## nutmeged3

We've brought in Josh Freeman and Pat White for workouts so theres a small (probably very small) oppurtunity we could find that replacement for Jake. I just wish we could figure something out with Peppers we have a lot of holes we need to fill and with his huge contract we're too strapped to do anything about it.

We still need atleast 2 backup OL, a corner, a DT, and possibly a WR. We still got the draft but can't expect immediate contributors when all we don't even have a 1st round pick

Mark Jones signed with the Titans so I guess we're expecting Ryne Robinson to step up and I don't know what to think about that. He mainly struggled his rookie year but he did so flashes of potential. Jones won us some games last year and I don't think it was worth the gamble


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## Diable

****..Our return game goes right back into the toilet without Jones.Poor special teams was the biggest reason we were so bad in 2007 and the vastly improved return game last year was probably the biggest reason we won so many more games last year.If you're going to have Fox playing field position/grind it out football you can't have crappy special teams.


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## nutmeged3

Excactly, a lot of Panther fans were complaining about Jones lack of break away speed but I really don't know how you can complain when he was constantly giving us great field position. He was 4th in the league in PRA, how the hell could you not be happy with that? Now were looking at either Robinson or Keny Moore from Wake and that is by no means reliable. This year is looking more and more likely to result in a step back unless we have a great draft. We have no depth and that was our biggest strength last year.

Peppers tag takes another FA away because of our lack of cap space. Chalk that number up to 4 (Hangman, Jones, Omiyale, Seward last two are debateable on whether it matters) and we still have yet to sign a FA.


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