Any news of Moose?

The guy's missed maybe 12 games in 9 years and you're bitching about injuries? He's a peer-voted team captain, so his attitude can't be that bad. Oh, there was this "decoy" incident one time. Just about all great WRs have that attitude. Keep trying.

Games played per year:
96: 9 (rookie)
97: 13
98: 16
99: 15
00: 16
01: 11
02: 14
03: 15
04: 16

so, not counting his rookie year, he's missed 12 games in 9 years...that's really injury-prone. Leading the league is hard to do, how many years has TO done it, and he's been in WCO's the whole time. Moose has been in run-oriented offenses, with guys like Walls and Jeffers getting a lot of looks too. Fact is, when the offense runs through Moose, he produces. When he doesn't get thrown to, he can't. Pretty simple. I hope they just cut the fucker, because I'm tired of defending him to morons who know nothing about football for the past 5 years.

 

I can understand that there are folks who think Moose is a huge asset to the team (me) and others who would think he's not that great, but to imply he's no good at all amazes me. I didn't think that much of the Decoy episode - heck Wesley Walls came out in public to the press and complained frequently about the way he was used but for the most part got a bye with the fans on that. And seeing Moose around coaches and teammates at practices, he's something of a prankster so the whole Decoy issue may have been a subtle jab, but was likely done in humor.

Piss poor attitude? I think Steve Smith has been more guilty of that with his attack on Bright, loud complaining to press about contract etc so maybe we should cut Moose and Smith? As much as I love having Smith on the team, and want him to stay, he's sure made me a lot angrier with his attitude then ANYTHING Moose has EVER DONE.

I think we're a lot better with Smith, MOOSE and Colbert then we'll be with Smith, Colbert and a player to be named later. We may do fine without Moose, but no matter what is said, in my opinion Moose is a BIG ASSET to the Carolina Panthers.

 

Agreed with all of this. The only injury problem I remember he had at first was the hammy thing, which could be his fault or not. But if I recall correctly he changed his personal trainer and training program and it took care of that. Anything else was really minor or short team and beyond his control.

 

I would bet that Colbert was drafted more with Proehl's depature in mind than Moose. If we start Colbert and Smith as 1 & 2 we should get rid of the black jersey's and go with the blue. That way our WR corps will more closely resemble the smurfs.

 

:xyzthumbs

 

There have been times he's had trouble separating, especially with the old rules (and apparently being asked to carry more weight for whatever reason). The thing is, he had trouble separating in 99 and 00, and he might've caught a ball or two in that time.
The rest? Not so much. If the worst thing you've got on him is that he wore a thing that said "D-Coy" on his helmet in frustration of the middle of a 1-15 season, that the guy wanted the ball more? Wow. That's hangable, right there, we sure did hang Wesley Walls for that.

He had the hamstring thing, but he usually played through it, and then would need a week to rest it on team's orders since he'd just play with the pain. He's played with broken fingers, if I recall. The only time he missed of significance was 01.

 

I wouldn't have thought so, as first, but then when I look at it, Colbert was a fairly dynamic receiver in preseason and couldn't stay active till Smith was hurt - i.e. he wasn't going to eclipse Proehl.
It was a smart move, getting Colbert, no doubt. But it does seem like he's the type of guy who could ease the transition to another receiver, should Moose be forced out.

 

That would be if Smith is 100% and able to perform like 100% physically and mentally. I guess I just have some doubts until we see him in a game or two.

 

Okay, let me see if I can explain the logic from both the player and the team on the 10 million dollar number.

Remember that in order to get a contract signed both sides, player and team, have to agree to the terms.

Last season (2004), we need a little cap room. We approached Moose about a restructure. There had already been reports that Moose would be a cap casuality that year (2004).

Moose and his agent look things over. They figure the restructure means that Panthers are not going to make Moose a cap casuality that year(2004), but they know the chance of Moose becoming on the next year (2005) are likely as well. If Moose is going to get cut as a cap casuality in 2005, the agent and Moose know its best to be cut early in the Free Agency signing period. Wait to late, and the teams needing receivers will have filled their needs from the available talent. So put in a roster bonus on the 1st day of Free Agency so big they know the Panthers won't pay it. The Panthers will need to renegoitiate this offseason (2005) an extension to eliminate the bonus, and if Moose doesn't like the numbers the Panthers are talking, he lets himself become a cap casuality and get that last big contract somewhere else.

Okay fine, that's the players logic and why he wanted the bonus. Why did the Panthers agree to it.

The Panthers look at their WR situation. They have Steve Smith coming off a break out year and the clear #1 option in the pass game. They have Moose, and Ricky Proehl rounding out the top 3. They figure that's a pretty good receiving combo for 2004. They look at the 10 million dollar bonus and know that they won't pay it. They'll either renegoitate or let Moose go as a cap casuality. They figure they can draft a couple of Wide Receivers in the draft and maybe one of them works out. They will have a full season for the youngsters to learn from Smitty, Moose, and Ricky. So if they have to let Moose go, they have a guy ready to move up.

They also figure with Smitty, Moose, Ricky, and working in a rookie or two with some playing time, Moose's numbers are going to be pretty pedestrian, and he'll be 31. No team is really going to pursue him that hard. They can resign Moose to a #2 WR type contract. If he insists on testing the market, they have 1 or 2 rookies who the fans really only got a glimpse of during the season. So if Moose forces the cap casuality, they talk up the youngsters all summer and maybe draft another young wide out in the 3rd-5th rounds.

Nobody panics because instead of 93 catches for 1405 yards and 16 TDs (#1 in yards according to NFL.com), and a Pro Bowl, his numbers look more like Plaxico Burress (another big receiver in a power run offense with a dynamic #1 in Hines Ward). If he had a Burress type year you are talking 35 catches for 698 yards and 5 TDs. People figure a rookie or 2nd year guy can approximate that. For comparison Colbert's stats were 47 catches for 754 yards and 5 TDs.

In that scenario that Panthers have much more leverage. No team is looking for Moose as a big time WR and that coupled with the hassel of moving from Charlotte where he's lived for what 9 years, makes the extension relatively easy to sign around typical numbers for a #2 WR, or he walks and the fans have an emotional attachment but don't believe the passing offense is going to be adversely affected.

 

Steve Smith 5'9"
Keary Colbert 5'10"

Comparison New England

Deion Branch 5'9"(Super Bowl MVP)
David Patten 5'10"

We also have Drew Carter (6'3") coming back from his preseason ACL.
Karl Hankton is 6'2", as is Micah Ross.