Bell

We will have 3 new o linemen next year

 

He restructured his deal to make it void after this season so either he wants to go elsewhere or he doesn't want to play football anymore, and I'm 99% sure it's the latter. You're talking about a guy who publicly stated how much he hates lifting weights. I think he's made his millions and wants to enjoy a comfortable life. More power to him.


The hope would be that Gettleman addresses the OL the same way he did DT, but I don't think he will. WR actually is a concern with Smith aging and being the only wideout under contract for 2014, so I'm expecting a draft pick there even if LaFell and Ginn re-sign on short deals, which I'm not sure will happen. DB needs help as well. I just can't get past Gettleman refusing to bring in competition at RT when there was space to do so, which makes me thinks the coaching staff genuinely likes Bell for some inexplicable reason.

 

Probably so, but I'm guessing only one high pick and two late round ones with no significant free agent additions.

 

I definitely don't think he wants to play for another team. He said, though it's just lip service, that the only team he'd play for was Carolina, and that he didn't care if saying that would hurt him in negotiations in the offseason. That makes me think he was just taking the hit.

He was instrumental in taking a little less to beat the deadline and fuck over Julius Peppers with the franchise deal too - the guy is ours, and I don't think that changes, and I think he takes a bullet when he can as long as he's comfortable, which he stated he was.

What lends some credence to your suspicion though, is his tinkering with radio, in that ridiculous This Is Gross thing. He's got his eye on the aftermath of playing football.

But I still believe, and certainly hope, that he's with us a few more years.

You're right about WR, too. It doesn't get discussed because of all the silly teasing it gets, but Smith is nearing retirement. You have guys like Sean Payton pull him aside for a lengthy discussion at the end of games, like they're making sure they pay their respects to a player who they know won't be around for long.

And Shula is being a fool and not making Smith a focal part of this offense, which he can still be. He's every bit as good as last year and the year before. Just needs to get the fucking routes and calls.

 

Smith is getting a similar number of targets, they're just underneath drags and shit instead of deep ins. It's such a basic route combination to have Ginn & Smith on the same side, then have Ginn run a go while Smith does the deep in underneath it. The go pushes the safety and the in is hard for the CB to cover.


As for Gross, he could have restructured without making the rest of his contract void. I can't imagine why he would have done that if he had any intention of playing for the Panthers beyond this season.

 

Perhaps the success they have had will inspire him to make one more run at a ring. It would help immensely if we could move him to right, have a high pick LT and magically Silatolu & Kubiglia return as real G's.

 

I'm a real G.

 

Jesus Christ, I forgot we had Silatolu and Kugbila on the fucking roster.

....

 

You're an OG