So, how bad is it?

How bad is the cap hit from Morgan's contract gonna be? I know that someone broke down the yearly numbers, and it seemed like we could get him for 2 years at a reasonable rate and see if he could play before paying him a roster bonus in 2007 - which for the love of all that is holy Hurney better not pay.

But what's our hit, what did we end up paying him, and in the big scheme of things did we luck out that he got hurt when he did?

 

We paid him a 5 mil signing bonus last year. The bonus we paid this year was a roster bonus, and should count totally this year. So I'm thinking about 3 mil in dead money. You'd rather not have that, but its not horrible.

Its vaguely possible that we don't cut Morgan in the offseason if he agrees to defer the 2.5 mil roster bonus due next year.

 

So I am getting a little pissed at the Morgan situation. Who on the planet outside of bobble head Dan thinks he can EVER put together a full season? His chance at being the best and making a difference at the LB position is long gone, it will never happen. Is he forcing the Panthers into cutting him next season so he can go and try to play for someone who does not care about his noggin? Does Dan Morgan want to be a Raider? Or if he wants to play for the Panthers, does he plan on spending the rest of his days now learning how to be a long snapper? That is about the only position I can think of that he could last long enough to play all 16 for the first time ever.

Why does he not retire? What do the Panthers get off the cap if he does? And does it matter if he does it now or in the offseason?

 

If he were to retire, we would get the signing bonus hit through 2010. That's 1 million per year in dead money which is still better than the 5 million + hit that he's costing this year to walk the sidelines.

 

dumb question time; why did we part with witherspoon and retain a chronically injured dan morgan? i like morgan and have since he was drafted. that seems a case of not wanting to pony up for a proven guy and opting to gamble on one still under contract.

 

My understanding of the situation is that Morgan accepted the contract offered, while Spoon felt he could get a better deal on the open market than what the Panthers offered. It wasnt a matter of signing one or the other, Spoon just wanted more than the team felt he was worth.

 

Correct. The Panthers tried to keep them both. The either/or is an invention of the fans, it seems.

 

3 years dead money - $3 million. 2007's share has already counted toward next year, so it's immaterial.

$1.2 million in base, $2 mil in roster bonuses. A slight savings to cut.

 

No, it was either/or until the CBA was agreed upon. Prior to that it was a first come, first serve offer since there wasn't enough remaining cap space for both. They did make an honest (and foolish, in my opinion) offer to 'Spoon once the cap was increased, but that was a lot of negotiating time lost.

 

That also depends on if he'd be willing to give any of the money back. What they'd do is offer him some sorta front office PR type job to convince him of that.