Slow Starts A Concern?

No big money? Are you kidding me??

Panthers |Ferrario contract details - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 26 Feb 2005 1141 -0800

Pat Yasinskas, of the Charlotte Observer, reports that Bill Ferrario will recieve a 2 year/coupon to eat at Denny's contract extension with the Carolina Panthers.

 

>>Are you asserting that a street-FA could come in and become the tackler on ST that Smart or Hankton is? I just don't believe that.

No. What I am assuming, of course, is that the players I mentioned are more important than special teamers, and there are always guys out there that can play special teams. It's a matter of priority.

I'm worried about getting worse. I agree with what you're suggesting - though Neil, specifically, is good, he's not special, though, and I don't want to give up the pick for Givens when IMO we've pretty much planned to have Colbert be the starter - but in the end I don't see any of these moves really getting us any closer than near where we were.

 

Hell, we're all worried. It's like Lombardi said: "If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you'll be fired with enthusiasm."

I think it's a little premature to assume that Fox has Colbert penciled in at #2. I think if the focus is going to be WR in round one, Givens (24 y/o, 2 Super Bowl rings and a TD in each of those games) gives you a better instant return than any WR in the draft.

Neil, Miller. It's all a matter of opinion there. Bottom line is that the O-Line needs to improve, namely at guard (Reyes) and RT (Willig). I would love us to draft David Baas in round two, if at all possible.

 

As far as ST goes, I feel it's better to have established guys who do it at a high level than to have versitile players who are okay STers, and okay everywhere else. But, in terms of salary cap, I don't think either makes a significant difference. Just a matter of personal preference.

 

Actually, it does. Our kicker and punter are paid well above average, we've got a fair amount in a vet longsnapper. Last year, our special teams kept on Smart at the RFA amount of over $625k; same for Cooper, Tillman. Richardson was getting $825k as a third string safety. Add in Hankton, another vet at the end of his deal.

It makes an impact. Just as does keeping on a Claridge, Noa at vet contracts behind Reyes (with a new deal), Brzezinski, Tylski, Nelson. They were 3rd string depth, expensive depth, that helped keep us near the cap all year while we said we didn't have money to do anything else.

I'm not against vets playing ST. I'd just rather we not concentrate on it so hard that it starts to take away from having a better football player at a specific position.

 

Maybe it's high time to start tossing around the idea of cutting Ray Guy.

 

If we get less production at punter and we get more production at receiver, I'm happy with it. If we get less production at any position and we get ten scrubs, I'm not so happy.

It's kinda like going back with Howard Griffith. Let him walk, because we didn't need to spend that on that guy. Didn't need his leadership, figured we could use Biakabutuka out of the backfield to replace his offense.

Sure, you don't bring him back, but did you replace him? Did you get equity? We got Ernie Mills, who didn't last the year.

Long as we do something positive-to-remarkable to turn this team into something it previously wasn't, well, I can deal with us sacrificing a player or two. Just don't want to see it done in the name of mediocre transactions.

 

Well, I would obviously hope to acquire worth talent always.

And I don't think Fox and Hurney approach it any differently. Difference between Todd Guy and Howard Griffith is the leadership factor.