It’s been
a rough offseason for Panther fans. After a 12-4 finish, resulting in an
NFC South Championship, fans’ excitement has been smothered by reality. GM
Dave Gettleman had warned that the Panthers were cap challenged and that
righting the ship would not be easy or quick, the high of success caused fans
to ignore the roster and contract difficulties facing Carolina. Fans,
however, felt the cooling shock of the first sobering dose when fan favorite,
and thought to be untouchable franchise legend, Steve Smith fell victim to the
business. Gettleman cut the lifetime Panther in the face of fan outrage without
what appeared to be the slightest of remorse or emotion. Then fans saw Mike
Mitchell sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ted Ginn, Jr. sign with the
Arizona Cardinals, both instrumental in Carolina’s 2013 success.
People
had known it could happen. We should have known it probably would happen, but the
drug of success had clouded our vision. The sobering continued as Captain
Munnerlyn, a small guy hero to the a small guy franchise, inked a long-term
deal in Minnesota. Fans were in such a state of desperation that they were
clamoring for Gettleman to sign Brandon Lafell, longtime fan whipping boy, just
to give the offense a semblance of stability. The fact that fans were so
disheartened by Lafell’s exit exemplifies their desperation.
It wasn’t
just the shock of departures though. Carolina fans itched for another
taste of success. They were chasing the dragon and quick fixes that
probably wouldn’t have been enough to numb the pain anyway. Rumors circulated
that Hakeem Nicks was interested in reestablishing himself as a top wideout in
Carolina. Fans latched onto the idea of a big name and a big target that could
inject vitality into the offense. The deal slipped through, and murmurs from
Nicks’s camp suggested it wasn’t money, but his skepticism of the Panther
organization that caused him to sign with Indianapolis.
James
Jones became the next great hope fans thought could tame the itch. Carolina
showed little interest in the former Packer, nevertheless, and Jones ended up
signing with the Oakland Raiders.
By this
point, fans had nearly scratched their forearms skinless. Gettleman saw the
desperation and gave fans a taste of free agency methadone by signing veteran
receiver Jerricho Cotchery to a remarkably creative deal, which spread out what
was clearly a 2 year contract over 5 years to lessen the cap hit. He has weaned
us more by landing cornerback Antoine Cason to a one year deal. This was the
type of signing that Gettleman magically orchestrated last season that so
ingratiated him with Carolina fans. A veteran guy with talent, on the
cheap, that could step in immediately and fill a void.
The
craving had been subdued, but the addiction was still there. The fan base found
a moment of clarity, but was still susceptible to temptation. Well the pusher
flashed the quality product and the allure of the high of excitement has fans
in recovery contemplating jumping off the wagon.
The rumor
mill is bustling in Carolina as the Philadelphia Eagles reportedly contacted
the Panthers to inquire about trading star wideout DeSean Jackson. The
story got legs when Jackson published a picture on Instagram of him with Cam
Newton at the Pro Bowl. Recently, Jackson has indicated a desire for a
new deal with the Eagles. They met his request by shopping him on the
trade market for a reported 3rd round pick. Many believe that if Philly
can’t find a taker, they will consider cutting Jackson before the 2014 season.
Well
Panther Nation is buzzing. This is the big name they have been clamoring.
Should the Panthers jump off the wagon and make a run for Jackson or should
Carolina stay the course and seek to build the receiver corps through the
draft?
.
STEADY AND ON THE WAGON (Ken’s Case Against)
Stay
strong Panther fans. Don’t give in to the temptation. The Philadelphia
Eagles are asking for a third round pick while dumping a ten million dollar a
year salary off their books. They are also reportedly ready to release him if
they don't get a trade partner for him, putting him on the open market for all
bidders.
I don't
think it makes any sense nor does it fit David Gettleman's modus operandi to
overpay for DeSean’s talent. In fact, he's just released Smitty, as we ALL
know, who was due less than half Jackson's salary.
The
demand is great for Jackson's services, but the salary bar is high as well. If
he's released, he probably would command at least the $10.5 million salary,
which he has been unwilling to negotiate down with the Eagles, and the
organization wants him out.
Salary
aside, there’s usually another reason an organization wants to get rid of any
given player and it’s usually something to do with being trouble in the locker
room, off the field, or both. In Smitty’s case, it was as much a matter of
turning the page on the Panthers locker room and turning it over to the likes of
Cam and Luke instead of keeping a veteran with 10 years more experience around.
It could almost be “generational differences,” but this isn’t about Smitty.
Therein
lies the rub: If Gettleman trades for him, the risk is defined to his current
salary and whatever draft pick(s) given up for him - again, reportedly a
third-rounder, BUT it would mean the Panthers would, in fact, have a lock on
the playmaker and the wild uncertainty that existed at the WR position this
time last week would have almost completely vanished. Don't forget Jerricho
Cotchery signed earlier this week as well.
While
Cotchery isn't really a game-breaker with great athletic ability, he'd likely
be a steady chains-mover who also has a knack for finding the end zone. That, I
attribute to his wile and veteran knowledge of the system he was in and his
route-running ability. He did have a career high in TDs last season but that's
not something I'm looking at him to realistically repeat in 2014.
As for
Jackson, yes - he'd be that deep threat to take the top off the defense at any
moment, but for his part he's not one of the league's bigger receivers and if
Cam Newton has a flaw remaining in his game, it's his accuracy. He's no Dan
Marino as a passer who could hit covered receivers in perfect stride amongst
several defenders and would benefit greatly from a #1 target with a much larger
catch radius.
That
having been said, Jackson will be only 27 years old for the entire 2014 regular
season, so he's got four or five years' worth of top-end performance left in
him. The problem is he seems to get dinged-up a little every year and hasn't
played a full 16-game season except for last year. Don't forget his production
on the field. He has 3-1,000 yard seasons and two of 900+ so when he's playing,
he's getting some yardage but he's never had a double-digit TD year.
He's also
very undersized for the position at 5'10" and 175 lbs and not a very good
run-blocker.
In the
Panthers' offense, that's a big concern and certainly doesn’t fit the scheme
very well.
Also,
he'd be going to a team that runs the ball and I can certainly see complaints
about "not enough targets" coming from him a la Brandon Marshall.
Jackson's more than your average diva WR - he's pretty far up there.
Name a WR
that is NOT a diva? Larry Fitzgerald. Greg Jennings. Andre Johnson. Wes Welker.
Demariyus Thomas. There are plenty.
While I
think Jackson could easily be productive on the field, I'm not crazy about
giving up a third-round draft choice in the best and deepest NFL draft in over
a decade to shell out over ten million dollars in valuable cap space to get
him. If we’re talking about a 5th-rounder AND can make the math work, looking
forward a couple of seasons, then I could probably stomach it. I just think the
price is too high especially if he could be “had” without forking over ANY
picks in the draft.
If we
want a DeSean Jackson THAT bad, take the best WR available at #28 overall. This
year, there should be a Kelvin Benjamin or even an Odell Beckham, Jr. there.
Some mock drafts even have Marqise Lee available at #28, but with plenty of Pro
Days left, there remains some shifting up and down the board to be seen.
An
Opening-Day Kelvin Benjamin would probably be on par with Brandon LaFell’s
top-end ability, and Benjamin will only get better with time and at 6’5” 235
lbs, if he can’t run-block against a corner he’s just a wussy boy. He should
annihilate those guys blocking them on running plays and, in fact, has 60
pounds on DeSean Jackson. I point out Benjamin because he’s very likely to
still be on the draft board at 28th overall.
I just
don't think it's wise to ship a third-round pick to lock-in Jackson's expensive
services in a draft that is so deep at the position. In fact, it wouldn't
surprise me to see Gettleman double-dip and take a WR early and a second one in
the middle to late rounds - again, depending on how their board looks - when
it's quite possible to get him in the open market probably for a similar salary
and save that third-round pick for a younger talented kid who will be playing
for 5% of what DeSean Jackson would command and hamstring the franchise in
coming years with the salary. That was Hurney’s downfall and one the Gettleman
so far seems to be doing quite well to avoid.
OFF THE WAGON FOR A TASTE (Tony’s Case for De-Signing Jackson)
The
temptation is too great. Give into it, the product is lightning in a
bottle. Imagine the energy it would bring to Carolina. Jackson can
straight ball!
The
opposition has pointed to the cost, his diva status, and his lack of size.
Ken’s right. He wouldn’t be cheap. He wouldn’t be chaste. He wouldn’t be
big, but he would be BIG TIME.
This is
not as bad as of deal as people may think. Jackson isn’t a project.
He isn’t a guy that could take the top off defenses--he does!
If you look at his film, he doesn’t just beat defensive backs, he
embarrasses them.
The
knocks against him first deal with money. Jackson has been portrayed as a
money hungry, self-centered diva, who is willing to throw stones in the glass
house in order to land a big contract. After a 12 day holdout in 2011,
Jackson landed his “big deal” (5 yr 48m). It was an ugly affair that
Jackson has since expressed he regretted. He’s gone as far as to advise
other NFL players, Mike Wallace, Lashon McCoy, and Maurice Jones-Drew, to avoid
becoming embroiled in such a dangerous game.
The deal
wasn’t as big as most think. Yes, Jackson is scheduled to make a whopping
12 million this year. Surprising to most, Jackson has expressed his
desire for a new contract in what appears to be a jackpot year.
If the
Steve Smith affair has taught us anything, it’s that the NFL this is a
business--one that can be downright cold at times. Jackson has realized
his deal isn’t as great as once thought. Jackson reigned in a 15 million
dollar signing bonus with his big deal. This is the only guaranteed
aspect of Jackson’s contract. If the Eagles choose to cut him, that 10
million dollar base salary Jackson is due in 2014 would fly out the window.
The Eagles would owe Jackson 6 million towards his signing bonus, but
they would also free up 6 million in cap space for the 2014 season. The
Eagles would essentially cut and run from the big dollars in the back end of
Jackson’s deal. This is why he wants a new deal. He knows that the
contract is only as good as the signing bonus!
So how
expensive would he be? He wouldn’t be cheap for sure. Gettleman and the
Panthers could give him what he wants, and that is guaranteed money. If
Carolina signed him to a deal similar to that he signed in 2011, the price
would be hefty, but the payments might be manageable.
Most
importantly, he would be worth it. Last season, Carolina only had 58
passing plays for more than 20 yards. Jackson had 25 plays for more than
20 yards alone, and averaged 9th in the league with 19.9 yards per catch.
With 86 catches, Jackson amassed a stunning 1,392 yards and 9 TDs.
Carolina’s entire receiver core only had 1,928 and 15 TDs total last
season. Tight end Greg Olsen is the only guy that came remotely close to
Jackson with 76 catches on the year. To put this in perspective,
Carolina’s so called electrifying player, Ted Ginn, Jr, had only 36 receptions
for the season. This stark contrast is why Carolina would benefit from
making a move on Jackson. This guy is electrifying and productive.
Say no
because he is a diva? Say yes because he is a diva! Fans didn’t go berserk
when Carolina parted ways with Steve Smith because of his profound production.
Fans went berserk because Smith was the team’s emotional leader. Smith didn’t
earn this title by being a choir boy. It was his attitude, his
mouthiness, his intensity that made Panther fans jump out of there seats week
in and week out. He was a diva. He punched teammates in the face,
mouthed off after plays big plays, and showboated for the press. Fans
loved every second of it too! Whether it was claiming to have ruined
Fred Smoot’s career or telling Talib to ICE UP SON, fans embraced this vibrant
personality. It was welcomed as long as the production was of showboat
status.
Jackson
is a showboat. Jackson is a diva. He is also a big time playmaker
that can bring an intensity to the field that fans haven’t seen offensively
since Steve Smith was in his prime. So Panther fans, tell Gettleman to
throw the deep ball and go after the big play maker from Philadelphia.
This guy is the real deal and may be just what Carolina needs.
Fans
clamored for Hakeem Nicks because he was a guy that could help the
Carolina offense. Jackson is a guy that will define the offense.
He’s wouldn’t be just a #1 wideout. He would instantly make create
an explosiveness that Carolina lacked in 2013. More importantly, Jackson
would allow the Panthers to draft more effectively. They could go bring
in a rookie wideout that could become a #1, rather than have to be the #1 from
day one.
We can
all admit that bringing in DeSean Jackson would improve the offense from the
get go from a guy like Nicks, or at this point now Kenny Britt, or any rookie
could!
