Beason

I wish him the best, but it's clearly addition by subtraction for the Panthers.

 

From Scott Fowlers Blog:
Jon Beason -- traded for a late-round draft choice?! Shipped out for a pennies on the dollar price?!

It is imminent, according to multiple reports -- Beason will go to the New York Giants for a late-round draft choice. That's assuming he passes a Giants physical, which is no guarantee given his recent injury history.

Still, this would have seemed inconceivable a little more than two years ago. In 2011, Beason was a cornerstone of the Panthers -- a three-time Pro Bowler already. He was Luke Kuechly before Luke Kuechly. Few blinked when general manager Marty Hurney signed him to a five-year, $51.5-million contract extension.

But now.... the sad truth is that the Panthers have been better on defense the past two years when Beason is not playing. Once Kuechly switched to middle linebacker early in the 2012 season following Beason's latest injury, they got better. Once Chase Blackburn was inserted into the starting lineup against the New York Giants in the Panthers' third game and Beason benched, the Panthers got way better, shutting out the Giants, 38-0.

Ironically, it is the 0-4 Giants who now want Beason, and the Panthers who are apparently so ready to part ways with him that they will take what would have seemed like a completely lowball offer not that long ago.

In the first two games of 2013, Beason was a shadow of his former self, especially in pass coverage. He struggled to find his old speed. He missed tackles.

A torn Achilles in 2011 and knee and shoulder issues in 2012 had limited him to just five games in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and it was obvious that the knee in particular still gave Beason problems. The shoulder didn't bother him anymore -- he did make a few good stops filling holes in run defense -- but a linebacker without the ability to run is a compromised linebacker.

As Beason, 28, told a group of us reporters in August: “The wings are never an issue,” Beason said. “It’s the wheels that get you.”

The deal will give Carolina some salary-cap relief, but not that much given that Beason's contract (newly restructured -- he had taken a substantial pay cut already) was going to void after the 2013 season anyway. He had been marginalized already -- no longer a team captain and turned into a parttime player.

Assuming he passes the physical and really is gone, I will miss No.52 -- always a standup guy in the locker room.

But I also understand why Carolina traded him. He no longer was doing the team much good on the field. In a bottom-line business, Beason -- really through no fault of his own, except that his body let him down -- no longer was producing.

Read more here: Scott Says ...

 

Never actually thought it'd happen. He played so poorly thus far we were all happy for his benching. Now that he actually might be off the team it's a little surreal. Always figured he'd rest up like Rivera said and get back into shape. He meant a lot to that defense and team as a whole. Hopefully he can play in the middle up in NYC

 

I wonder what we do with the roster spot. It would be nice to have a real blocking fullback for the two back sets.

 

Josh Freeman

Actually New England waived Zach Sudfeld. How about a little TE offense in Carolina

 

It's amazing that we got anything for him.

Beason might settle back into a decent run down MLB, but he can no longer cover ground and has no value at all on special teams. It was pretty obvious from the preseason that Blackburn should be starting.

 

I thought it was treated as if he were released. But in this case, we would carry about $9.4 million this year (we were slated to carry almost $6.2 anyway) and none in 2014. We had cleared a bunch of cap from some other moves, so maybe Gettleman has been working on this for a few weeks.

 

Hate to lose Beason as a leader but it makes sense. If he passes the physical I'll be shocked.

Anyway, how bout stash Freeman as the 3rd QB for now?

Seriously though...I'm thinking maybe someone like Frank Omiyale could help us.

 

I think probably so. I have a feeling we were likely encouraging him to retire but he's not ready to. I bet the best we can do is a late pick, maybe even conditional.

 

According to ESPN he passed the physical, trade is done.