T-Minus 35 Days

yep. Potentially a fiscal disaster, unless they did something very short term, but I love the shit out of Stewart as a back. I don't even begin to understand it though.

 

Jeno James, Will Witherspoon, and Deon Grant (plus Kris Jenkins if you want to count a trade forced by not giving in to salary demands). But yeah, one of the side-effects of overpaying more than any other GM is that you can keep your own players, and they've made a real effort lately to keep that continuity. Still, it's hard to imagine giving Stewart $40+ million given what DW is making and what Cam is going to earn fairly soon.

 

Spoon was a nice contributer put STL paid him big as a MLB. We were never going to compete with that. Didnt quite work out for them either.

James and Grant were replaceable. I remember Grant being very up and down and James benefited from the SB run i believe.

Jenks was another guy that wanted out, forgot about that, but he was very injury prone at the time too and didnt last long after he left.

Pep is the only guy ive regretted seeing leave. Maybe Ricky Manning too but only from a fan standpoint. I think he got paid too for a nickleback.

I think we could definately survive letting Stu walk and replacing him. Considering the amount of carries being split with Cam and Tolbert in the picture too it would likely be the smart decision. We could always pick up another quality backup RB in FA for something similar to Tolbert. Decent guys always hit the market. Someone like Benson would be a fine replacement but there are probably non football related issues at work with some guys that would be available.

 

Grant was inconsistent here but still above average as a safety, and James was arguably the team's best lineman at the time (Gross was a rookie and the only other one you could argue for).

He did have injury issues earlier in his career, but didn't miss a game during his last two seasons with Carolina. Jenkins was elite in his first season with the Jets and the start of the next season, but you're correct that injuries derailed his career at that point.

Sure, but the point is that they shouldn't "let him walk." Unless the front office believes the team will compete for a Super Bowl this season or they fully intend to sign Stewart to an extension, they should have traded him already. I fear that you're correct about them bringing him back, which would make Carolina by far the most expensive backfield in the league (just counting HBs + FBs).

 

What about the Moose?

 

I just can't see paying Stewart when we have already paid DW and are paying Tolbert. It would royally suck to keep Stewart but lose Cam in a few years.

 

That's not happening. Hurney will make Cam the highest paid player in NFL history. I don't bet on sports, but I'd gladly put any amount of money down on that.

 

Agreed on that, unless Cam just does a complete 180, major injury or pulls a Vick. But aside from either of those, they will pay whatever they have to pay to keep him. There has NEVER been a player to create the buzz Cam did last year and this off season for this team, Peppers included.

 

I do not doubt his willingness to do that but if he pisses away all our cap space then how is he going to pull that off?

 

He'll cut as many people as it takes to keep Cam.