Decisiveness helps Carolina

Panthers GM Hurney has his team off to a great start
By Ken Bikoff ([email protected])
March 4, 2005





Some teams are run well. Some just don’t get the job done, or at the very least, they don’t find a plan and stick to it.

Don’t count the Panthers among the latter group.

Carolina jumped out of the box swinging on the free-agent market, signing OG Mike Wahle away from the Packers and CB Ken Lucas away from the Seahawks on Thursday. For the record, that is the signing of one of the top offensive linemen available and another solid cornerback to shore up the secondary on the second full day of the free-agent signing period.

That’s getting the job done.

The reason I have to tip my cap to Panthers general manager Marty Hurney so early is that he went into the offseason knowing that he had to improve his offensive line and get some depth at corner. He has other areas to improve, such as safety and possibly running back, but he knocked the biggest needs out of the way right off the bat.

But Hurney’s best move might have come prior to the start of free agency. Hurney made the unpopular move of saying goodbye to WR Muhsin Muhammad, accepting that Muhammad wasn’t willing to restructure his deal to make sure he stayed in Carolina blue. Muhammad did what was best for him, but Hurney also didn’t make an attempt to try to squeeze Muhammad under the cap. Some GMs out there might have convinced Muhammad to lower his cap number even while crippling the team for the future, just to get one of the original Panthers to return for another season.

The fact is Muhammad wasn’t necessary for the Panthers anymore. Sure, he had a great season in 2004, and there are questions about the health of WR Steve Smith or just how ready Keary Colbert is to take on a bigger role in the offense. But Hurney thought with his head instead of his heart, and he saved money in the process.

The $10 million roster bonus that Muhammad was due March 1 obviously wasn’t something the Panthers could swallow. Few teams could. But when it was clear that Muhammad wasn’t going to drop his asking price any more and Hurney had reached the ceiling of what he was willing to offer, well, Muhammad was cordially sent on his way. Heck, Hurney even pulled the trigger a couple of days early just so he wouldn’t keep the world waiting.

That decisiveness is one of the reasons the Panthers are a team on the rise. After coming within three points of winning Super Bowl XXXVIII, the Panthers appeared poised to be a force again. They re-signed Smith, they swallowed hard and held on to Muhammad when most thought he would be released last offseason, and the nucleus of the defensive line was locked up. This was a team with a direction.

Then the injuries came and destroyed the 2004 season. Carolina managed to rally to pull within striking distance of the playoffs last year, but they came up just short. The string of injuries wasn’t the Panthers’ fault, and Hurney certainly couldn’t be blamed. When running back after running back went down, Hurney had someone else in place who was ready to play for head coach John Fox.

That stability is one of the reasons the loss of Muhammad won’t be tough to take for the team. Sure, there is the emotion for the loss. Muhammad came to the Panthers in just the second year of the franchise and is second to PK John Kasay on the team’s all-time games played list. Muhammad has been through the ringer with Carolina, and he was a huge part of the Panthers’ resurgence last year.

But none of that mattered when Hurney was faced with a decision. I don’t say this as a criticism. He had to weigh his loyalty to Muhammad to what was best for the team, and he sided with the franchise. Knowing that Muhammad was collecting his last big payday, Hurney went with what was best for all involved. Muhammad could get his money elsewhere — Chicago, it turned out — and the Panthers didn’t hurt their flexibility in the future by overspending for a 32-year-old receiver who was going to be a No. 2 at best anyway.

Then, Hurney went right out and signed two “name” free agents who fill a need but didn’t break the bank. Last offseason, Hurney admittedly fell behind in his preparation because of the team's unexpected run to the Super Bowl. This year, he was more prepared, and not just because he didn’t have to deal with the distraction of the playoffs — this time, the Panthers had a clear set of priorities in place. First and foremost was dealing with Muhammad. Once that move was out of the way, the offseason truly could start.

And Hurney didn’t waste any time. The Muhammad situation wasn’t going to be resolved in favor of the Panthers, so Muhammad was released and Hurney moved on. Now with two of his biggest needs already addressed through free agency, Hurney can breathe a little easier when it comes to the draft. He still has tough decisions to make over who to select, and there are other free-agent signings to work through. Still, Hurney has the confidence of knowing that he has gotten off to a solid start.

I look at Carolina a lot like I look back at the 1996-97 San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. In the 1996-97 season, center David Robinson went down with a back injury, and the Spurs’ season fell apart right after that. They won the draft lottery, however, and selected Tim Duncan. Armed with Duncan, they went to the playoffs in ’98 and won an NBA title in ’99. In other words, the Spurs weren’t nearly as bad as their 1996-97 record suggested. Injuries were everything.

That’s the boat the Panthers find themselves in. They missed the playoffs and were only a 7-9 team, but they are much stronger than that record indicates. Smith will be healthy. QB Jake Delhomme has proven himself to be a gritty winner. RBs Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster will be healthy, plus Nick Goings will be back and the Panthers could add to their depth through the draft. Colbert is promising, and the offensive line is on its way to being revamped. The pieces are in place.

Hurney knew he needed to take a hit if Muhammad’s price didn’t drop, and he knew he couldn’t dwell on the move. That decisiveness will make the Panthers that much stronger next season, and — I’ll predict it right now — will send Carolina back to the postseason.

Making playoff predictions in March isn’t all that easy, but with Hurney guiding the ship, I’m confident smooth sailing is ahead for the Panthers.

 

I agree Hurney addressed our needs, in spades. As far as the playoffs are concerned, I believe we have an excellant chance mainly because #1 the Bucs are in the hands of Gruden and he has them in disarray. If you don't believe it go to the Bucs board and listen to their fans. #2 I seriously doubt that Hotlanta will upgrade any position this year due to cap restrictions. Teams are catching up with Vick and unless I misjudge the situation their O will have a down year. D, tho, should keep them afloat, but only third place in the South. N.O. should be our competition this year but we compete nicely with them. We win the south.