Dave Gettleman Defends Kelvin Benjamin's Progress
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If you want to start a debate among Carolina Panthers fans, talk about Kelvin Benjamin. It's been like that from the beginning
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Carolina Panthers Now Know What Kind Of Money They Have.
/We knew the salary cap was going to rise about $10 million heading into the 2017 off season. We now know what the actual number should look like and where the Panthers fall on that list.
This puts the Panthers at $36,588,761 (15th) under the cap according to OverTheCap.com.
Some fans have pointed out that the company of teams the Panthers are listed behind is a tale-tell sign of teams winning and losing. That's an understandable assumption, but Carolina wasn't winning when Gettleman took over a strapped cap either. Not to mention, free agency isn't even fully underway yet. Time will tell.
Follow @TrippMorgan6 and Cat_Chronicles for the latest news and updates on the Carolina Panthers
Article photo by Fraetis Photography. www.fraetisphotography.com
Carolina will have to trade up to Second Overall to get Fournette
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This is one of the times of year, after the Super Bowl and before free agency for veterans, when fans and analysts alike take a look at the incoming rookie class and attempt to project where these kids get chosen and try to figure who is likely to go where. However, historically speaking, most "mock drafts" do well to get more than 4-5 picks out of the first round correct. It's the nature of the beast. With a top-ten pick this season, the Carolina Panthers' #8 overall selection falls close to...
Read MoreVictor Cruz Visit With Carolina Panthers, 'Went Well.'
/As many expected, the Carolina Panthers brought in free agent wide receiver Victor Cruz for a visit on Monday.
General Manager Dave Gettleman was with the Giants in 2010 when they brought Cruz in undrafted and he shot to stardom. Gettleman bringing Cruz in to visit says that Gettleman both likes Cruz as a player, on and off the field, and that the Panthers front office wants to address the wide receiver position.
Cruz said in a phone conversation that the visit, "Went well" according to Art Stapleton of The Record.
Cruz was released a week ago in a move to free $7 million of cap space with players like Odell Beckham Jr. becoming house hold names and rookie Sterling Shepard impressing in his rokie season.
Cruz, 30, recorded 39 catches for 586 yards and one touchdown in his first season back after being sidelined with injuries the previous two seasons. Cruz would immediately bring a much needed veteran presence that was lost when Jerricho Cotchery left. For comparison, Cotchery had 39 catches for 485 yards and three touchdowns with the Panthers in 2015.
The slot receiver position struggled last season and Cruz could be a viable option and more importantly, cost effective. It seems the interest is mutual on both sides.
Follow @TrippMorgan6 and @Cat_Chronicles on Twitter for the latest news and updates following this story and others with the Carolina Panthers.
Thumbnail photo by Jesse Fraetis photography.
It's Getting Close To Decision Time For The Carolina Panthers And Kawann Short
/Today, February 15th, marks the first day teams are able to start designating their franchise ag on players who could become free agents. For the Panthers and Kawann Short, it's a road they have been trying to avoid, but may end up crossing before the teams deadline of March 1st.
Short led the Panthers pass rush during the 15-1 Super Bowl year with a break out season of 11 sacks. After a slow start in 2016 he finished strong and was ranked the fourth best defensive tackle in the league (87.7) by Pro Football Focus. He finished 2016 with 30 total tackles, 25 assisted, and six sacks. Comparable enough to his breakout 36 tackle, 19 assisted, 11 sack campaign in 2015.
Many fans feared Short may be the next Dave Gettleman finance victim and that he could walk, mainly after drafting defensive tackle Vernon Butler in the first round of the 2016 draft. But a recent statement by Rivera during Super Bowl week that said otherwise.
"Obviously, we'll probably have to tag him,'' Rivera said. "But if we do, so be it. If not, I think they can get a deal done and I'm pretty optimistic about that because KK is a big part of what we do."
Rivera continued later, "Again, we believe up front is the most important part of your team. You've got to be able to stop the run, rush the passer, and I think KK is one of those guys who has that kind of ability."
The estimated tag for Short at defensive tackle is $13.5 million. Short was believed to be seeking around the $17 million range compared to Philadelphia Eagles Fletcher Cox.
When asked at the end of the season about his situation turning out like Josh Norman's last off season, Short was to quick to end it.
"Me and Josh are two different people," Short said. "We walk two totally different sides of the street, at two totally different places, in two totally different directions."
Short was quick to say he would like to avoid the tag, but would obviously still be a professional about the situation.
With Rivera's comments, fans can probably expect to see Short get tagged sooner rather than closer to March 1st.
Written By Tripp Morgan-Follow Him On Twitter @TrippMorgan6
Article Thumbnail Photo by Jesse Fraetis Photography
Icarus: The Fall of Dave Gettleman and the 2016 Carolina Panthers
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It’s a lesson that can be easily forgotten when experiencing the exhilaration of flying high. And like Icarus, Dave Gettleman flew too close to the sun and the 2016 Panthers, who not long ago felt that euphoria, have crashed and drowned.
Read MoreJosh Norman Celebrates While Carolina's Secondary Surrenders 500 Passing Yards
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Josh Norman intercepted his first pass as a Washington Redskin today. He was penalized on the play for taunting as he acted as he was firing an imaginary bow and arrow, reminiscent of riding Delta after a pick-six in Carolina last year.
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Where Do the Panthers Go from Here?
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I just posted regarding the issues the Carolina Panthers had last Sunday got my thinking more to the offensive side of the ball, and I think that's the side that gave us the most trouble. The Vikings had a lot to do with it, but I think a lot was self-inflicted in Week 3 as well. Read to find out where the Carolina Panthers need to go for 2016.
Read MorePanthers Interested in Safety Donte Whitner
/Safety has been a position for the Panthers before Marcus Ball suffered an injury requiring surgery and Dean Marlowe pulled up lame with a hamstring injury. Carolina has been hoping that Tre Boston could step into that starting strong safety and play well enough to have these younger unproven players find enough practice reps where they could step in a supportive role.
Read MoreEarly 2016 Position Strengths for the Carolina Panthers
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I realize this is a smidgen early. No, it's way way early. Panthers GM Dave Gettleman is known for playing chess and in doing so, he is thinking years down the road. I want to look position by position, tying things up at the end for 2016. Here goes for each position group's year-long outlook:
Read MoreWill Kawann Short Follow in Josh Norman's Footsteps?
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I must say that I wasn't 100% surprised when Carolina Panthers General Manager Dave Gettleman rescinded the franchise tag on cornerback Josh Norman.
I was only 95% surprised.
Now, as a fan, I (and indeed, all of you as well) have to consider what Gettleman's track record is. He has been Carolina's GM for four years (or is it five?) but the point being that he already has earned a rather miserly reputation. A few things stick out:
Read MoreA Kawann Short Holdout Would Find a Depth of Support
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We all know what this man is capable of on the field. 11 sacks. 36 total tackles. 16 games started. So why is there no massive 6-year, $100 million contract in his lap right now? We know it's not because of the way he performs. But what could be at risk if we don't see him sign a contract extension prior to our Week 1 matchup at Mile-High?
Read MoreKawann Short: Pay the Man Already
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Kawann Short, Carolina’s star defensive tackle, is entering the last year of his rookie contract. He is currently slated to make only $1.4 million. As we all have heard, he skipped
Read MoreA Deeper Look into Brandon Boykin's Departure
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Most fans of the Carolina Panthers were baffled at the release of nickel CB Brandon Boykin a couple of days ago as he had just been signed a couple of months ago. Twitter lit up with confusion over the move. A few fans really got in a funk over it and quickly became annoying to listen to as every foreseeable outcome was nothing but doom and gloom for them.
Read MorePanthers Need Few Players to get back to the Super Bowl
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Since the Super Bowl Fifty fiasco and the NFL's deck stacked against them with Peyton Manning's "storybook" career winding down, the NFL wanted a nice, neat bow tied around the half-century mark of Super Bowl history, and a few key "missed calls" *AHEM* certainly helped the Broncos accomplish that feat. However, it's still a fact that the Panthers' offense never could get untracked as they went up against a defense that was every bit as good as their own.
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