Kemoeatu a Panther

It's not a need, though. We can stop the run at DT, we just can't rush the passer (at least not without a healthy Jenkins). Moreover, contrast signing Kemoeatu for $25 million with Arizona getting Kendrick Clancy for $8.1 million over four years. They're both 27, they've both started one year, and they're both run-stopping DTs (Kemo is better against the run, but Clancy gives a little more against the pass). Kemo was Pasquarelli's #8 free agent and top DT, while Clancy was Pasquarelli's top rated DT and #2 overall player in his "sleeper UFA" list.

 

Panthers | Contract update: M. Kemoeatu
Sat, 11 Mar 2006 1200 -0800

ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports Carolina Panthers DT Ma'ake Kemoeatu's new five-year contract is worth $27.5 million. It includes a $6 million signing bonus and $2 million in a second-tier bonus. His base salary for 2006 is $1 million.

 

Pretty heavily backloaded.

 

I think we're trying to be able to stop good running teams, in the playoffs. I like it.

 

The run defense is certainly was not bad, but I wouldn't say that it tested either. Even though we gave up only 3.6 a carry, the amount of attempts per game against us was near the bottom of the league. We often opened up a lead early, which forced teams to pass more than they probably would have wanted. And some teams showed that they could test our manhood up front and win.

So I consider this a valuable signing, very much so. He may be one dimensional, but that dimemsion appeals to something extremely valuable to our philosophy.

 

I think this was a humongous need. We were good against the run UNLESS the opposing OL was good. Then we were not good.

Good DTs are expensive. I think the contract was very reasonable.

I don't think he replaces Jenks one bit. Other than QB, I can't think of a better place to put money than DL. Our DL was overrated because it was inconsistent. This guy looks consistent.

I really really like this. C e l e b r a t i o n t i m e !

 

From that information I'd guess that it's probably more like a

Year 1: $2.2 million ($1 mil base, $1.2 mil signing bonus)
Year 2: $3.2 million ($1.5 mil base maybe?, $1.2 mil sb, $500k roster bonus)
Year 3: $5.7 million ($4 mil base, $1.2 mil sb, $500k mil rb)
Year 4: $7.7 million ($6 mil base, $1.2 mil sb, $500k rb)
Year 5: $8.7 million ($7 mil base, $1.2 mil sb, $500k rb)

If so, that would mean a cut or restructure after year 3, which would essentially be a three year deal for $14.5 million (with a '09 dead cap hit of $3.4 million).

 

For some reason when said I thought it was a reasonable deal, I thought it was for 6 years. Yes, its a bit rich for 5 years.

Still, a 2 down DL is on the field for over 2/3s of the plays, usually, and that's all we want to play our DTs anyway. Just think what Ted Washington meant to all the teams he's played on. Kemo may not be that good, but its the concept. He's been steadily improving, apparently

 

Well, now we have a defensive lineman with an african sounding name to talk shit back to the Giants and Bears of the world...

 

I've heard it's structured as

year 1: $1 mil base, $6 mil bonus (cap hit $2.2 mil)
year 2: unknown base, $2 mil bonus (cap hit = base + 1.7 mil)

I like the broken up bonus, but $1.7 mil a year for the last four years in just bonus is a lot of money on the cap, and that's before you pay him salary.