Black and Blue Review
C am Newton is going to get paid. That much was obvious before 49ers’ quarterback Colin Kaepernick signed his new deal Wednesday. What’s not obvious is what Kaepernick’s deal is truly worth, and how much the Panthers will eventually have to fork over for their franchise quarterback.
Something that apparently also wasn’t obvious to many this offseason: If a team knows it’s soon going to have to pay a guy in the neighborhood of $20 million a year, it’s wise to start planning ahead. Or if a team knows it’s soon going to have to pay a guy in the neighborhood of $20 million a year AND they’re currently in a salary cap mess, it’s wise to start planning ahead.
You see, this is yet another look into one of the large layers of the Panthers’ plans this offseason.
They would have liked to have kept cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, safety Mike Mitchell and receiver Ted Ginn, but general manager Dave Gettleman wasn’t going to match the funny money other teams had. He had to stay away from his phone even though his team’s fan base was inching closer to the edge every day.
They would have liked to have been a player in the elite left tackle market or defensive back market, but not at the cost of adding a huge contract while having to patiently wait out the huge contracts currently bogging them down.
And Greg Hardy for one season, while tying their hands even more in the present, is a safer bet than locking up future loads of money in another defensive end.
The Panthers have their quarterback. They’re going to pay him a huge amount of money. Oh, and then there’s the matter of the guy who won Rookie Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year his first two seasons.
Branden Albert, Jairus Byrd or DeSean Jackson would have made the Panthers better this season. But as we’ve said and we’ll continue to say — all of this has been about much more than just 2014.
WEDNESDAY’S OTA RECAPS
Impressions, Video and Pictures
BBR NUGGETS
- Receiver Kelvin Benjamin and guard Trai Turner each signed their rookie contracts Wednesday afternoon, making the Panthers the 11th team done with draftee’ deals.
#Panthers first-round wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin has signed his rookie contract. pic.twitter.com/DZ0okUjWyt
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) June 4, 2014
#Panthers third-round guard Trai Turner has signed his rookie contract. pic.twitter.com/aDtFyfM1cE
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) June 4, 2014
- The top pic in this OTA recap from Jeremy Igo is fantastic. – CarolinaHuddle
- Thomas Davis, one of Vinnie Iyer’s ’30 Best Players Over 30.’ – Sporting News
- Former Panthers’ linebacker James Anderson lands in New England. – patriots.com
- [iShare]Cam Newton is going to get paid. That much was obvious before Colin Kaepernick signed his new deal.[/iShare]
- [iShare]Another another look into one of the large layers of the #Panthers plans this offseason.[/iShare]
- [iShare]The #Panthers have their quarterback. They’re going to pay him a huge amount of money.[/iShare]