Drafting poorly can not only sink a franchise, but it can also keep one stuck in the NFL's abyss.
See: Cleveland Browns.
Drafting well can set a team up for success, but it can also create problems.
See: Dave Gettleman.
"We've drafted pretty darn well and these guys are going to cost money," the current Panthers' general manager told Carolina's former GM Bill Polian Tuesday on ESPN.
So juggling the cost of the core — guys like Cam Newton, Luke Kuechly, Kawann Short and Josh Norman — is pretty much the NFL's version of #firstworldproblems.
"I'm getting over the aggravation that you can't pay everybody and you've got to let some guys graduate," Gettleman joked.
To say he's willing to let Norman "graduate" isn't necessarily accurate, at least right now.
Gettleman does want to lock up his top corner, but not at the rate Norman's looking for. According to a league source, the two sides remain far apart, which shouldn't be a surprise considering where they're each coming from.
Because the only leverage a player has is availability, Norman could sit out some or all of the Panthers' offseason workouts and minicamp. He could also threaten to hold out of training camp. But until he signs his $14 million franchise tag tender, he won't see a dollar.
When you put it all together, it's easy to see why it's likely Norman will end up playing under the tag in 2016.
"I have to make decisions based on the best interests of the Panthers," Gettleman told reporters at the NFL's annual spring meetings.
"We have the intention of having him play for us and we'd like to get a long-term deal done. Time will tell. Contracts get done when they're supposed to get done."
And while the Panthers would like to get a deal done with Norman, he's not the priority right now. Defensive tackle Kawann Short is. He's a big reason free agency has produced names like Gino Gradowski instead of Chris Long.
According to the NFLPA, the Panthers are nearly $21 million under the salary cap, so they've had some cash to spend. But their philosophy is to spend it on their own. Doing that with Short will cost at least $15 million a year. That's a massive increase from the $1.47 million he's set to count against the cap in 2016.