Latest On Trade Market For Mike Glennon
A former Buccaneers quarterback — the veteran Josh McCown — is drawing interest in free agency after having been released by Tampa Bay earlier this month. But a current Bucs QB — third-year signal-caller Mike Glennon — might be able to bring back the Bucs some form of compensation if they’re willing to trade him. Per Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link), the feeling around the league is that Tampa could receive as much as a third-round pick if it decides to deal Glennon.
One team that might show interest, unsurprisingly, is the Browns, who have also been linked to both McCown and Sam Bradford as they attempt to upgrade their quarterback situation. Two league sources tell Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com that Cleveland has “sniffed around” on Glennon’s availability, and while there haven’t been any formal offers, it seems like the Browns would certainly been amenable to discussing a trade. Caplan confirms Fowler’s report (Twitter link), adding that the Browns have been looking into Glennon for some time.
If the Buccaneers are set on using the first overall pick in this year’s draft to select a QB — either Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota — then attempting to secure compensation for Glennon would probably be the right move. Besides those top two options, the draft doesn’t offer much depth at the quarterback position, and the free agent market is equally lacking, so Glennon would present an alternative for QB-needy teams. In turn, the Browns — who hold two first-round picks — could be interested in parting with a mid-round selection in order to acquire Glennon.
Glennon isn’t outstanding by any means, but at age 25 he offers youth, and he’s been at least mildly capable throughout his first two years in the league. He’s signed for the next two seasons, with cap figures under $1MM in both years.
Josh McCown To Visit Browns
Since the Buccaneers released Josh McCown on February 11, the veteran quarterback has taken three know visits, meeting with the Bills, Bears, and Jets. The 35-year-old McCown left all those visits without a contract, and now he’ll take a meeting with another club that could be in the QB market. According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer (Twitter link), McCown will visit the Browns today and tomorrow.
The quarterback situation in Cleveland is just as — if not more — complicated than the ones in Buffalo, Chicago, and New York, as 2014 first-round pick Johnny Manziel is coming off a season during which he struggled mightily in limited opportunities, and then entered a rehab facility when the season concluded. Brian Hoyer, the Browns starter for the majority of the season, is a free agent, and it doesn’t appear as though the club has any serious interest in retaining him.
Along with Hoyer and Mark Sanchez, McCown sits atop what is an extremely weak free agent crop of quarterbacks, but he’d probably be the favorite to start if signed by the Browns. He’d have some familiarity with the Cleveland coaching staff — Browns offensive coordinator John DeFillipo was the QB coach in Oakland while McCown was there — which might give him a leg up on Manziel.
The Browns have also reportedly shown interest in acquiring Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, but Peter King of MMQB.com later wrote that Cleveland wouldn’t want to acquire Bradford without assurances that he’d stay beyond 2015.
NFC West Notes: Bradford, Dockett, Long
Although initial reports have indicated that both the Browns and the Bills may have expressed varying degrees of interest in acquiring Sam Bradford, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes that, as of Tuesday, no team has contacted the Rams to discuss trading for the quarterback. Per Rapoport, the Rams have asked Bradford to accept a pay cut — when he declined, St. Louis allowed Bradford’s agent to determine if there was a market for his client. But no team has stepped forward, so far, and Rapoport adds that the Rams expect hefty compensation for Bradford, noting that a team would have to “extraordinarily desperate” to meet St. Louis’ demands.
Here’s more from the NFC West:
- The Cardinals recently restructured the contract of receiver Larry Fitzgerald, and now they might be looking to tweak the deal of another veteran. Arizona general manager Steve Keim told reporters, including Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link), that the club has had a dialogue with defensive lineman Darnell Dockett about working out a new deal. Dockett’s 2015 cap hit of $9.8MM is the fifth-highest figure on the Cardinals’ roster.
- Both Bradford and Rams tackle Jake Long are coming off their second ACL tear in as many seasons, and Long’s future in St. Louis is just as murky as Bradford’s. Greg Robinson is slated to be the Rams’ left tackle next season, but head coach Jeff Fisher said there have been discussions about retaining Long, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
- Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch took a stab at guessing Stan Kroenke’s next move. When the Chargers and Raiders formed an alliance and announced plans to build a stadium together in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, it wasn’t the best news for the Rams owner. Now, those who are familiar with Kroenke expect him to operate on multiple tracks in order to guarantee himself a positive outcome.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Earl Thomas To Undergo Shoulder Surgery
Seahawks safety Earl Thomas has never missed a game in his career, but a serious shoulder injury could put his availability for the start of the 2015 season at risk. According to Ed Werder of ESPN, Thomas will undergo surgery today to repair the torn labrum in his left shoulder.
Thomas’ recovery timetable is estimated at six-to-eight months, meaning he could be ready as early as August but as late as October. Either way, it doesn’t appear that Thomas will be at full strength for either training camp or the preseason. However, general manager John Schneider indicated at the combine that the club expects Thomas to be ready for the beginning of next season, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
As Werder writes, Thomas originally incurred the injury while tackling Packers receiver Randall Cobb in the NFC Championship Game. His shoulder was dislocated, and he wore a harness for the remainder of the contest. Thomas continued to wear the harness during Seattle’s Super Bowl loss to the Patriots. The 25-year-old Thomas, who rated as the league’s fifth-best safety last season per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), signed a four-year extension last April that guaranteed him more than $27MM.
The Seahawks’ vaunted secondary could be in a state of flux this offseason. In addition to Thomas, both Richard Sherman and Jeremy Lane are dealing with injury concerns, while corner Byron Maxwell is the top free agent CB available, and is expected to garner significant money on the open market.
Giants Release Mathias Kiwanuka
4:36pm: Kiwanuka’s release was listed with a failed physical designation, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.
3:04pm: The Giants have confirmed Kiwanuka’s release via a press release.
2:23pm: The Giants will release veteran defender Mathias Kiwanuka, according to Kimberly Jones of the NFL Network (Twitter link). The 31-year-old had been with New York for each of his nine seasons in the NFL, winning two Super Bowls during that time.
Kiwanuka has shown a great deal of versatility in his career, spending time at both defensive end and outside linebacker in the Giants’ 4-3 scheme. He’s played at end the prior two seasons, racking up 8.5 sacks in 21 starts in that span. The former first-round pick has nearly 40 sacks in 82 starts during his career. Advanced metrics have soured on Kiwanuka’s performance, as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the third-worst 4-3 DE in the league last season.
Entering the final year of his contract, Kiwanuka was scheduled to count $7.45MM against New York’s cap in 2015. By cutting him, the Giants are now only on the hook for his prorated bonus money, meaning they’ve saved $4.825MM in the process. According to Over the Cap’s data, the club should now have roughly $25MM in cap space.
Kiwanuka will now join a free agent edge defender market that is flush with talented options. As a veteran player who has dealt with injuries (he ended last season on injured reserve), he could have trouble garnering any type of significant guarantees in free agency. The Giants, meanwhile, probably aren’t done making moves, as Dan Graziano of ESPN.com speculated yesterday that Big Blue could look into releasing J.D. Walton and/or Jon Beason.
Ravens Owner, GM, HC On Roster, Free Agency
Earlier today, Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti, general manager Ozzie Newsome, and head coach John Harbaugh spoke to the media in Baltimore, and Jeff Zrebiec and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, and Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com were on hand to document the pair’s comments. Let’s take a look at the highlights, with all links going to Twitter:
GM Ozzie Newsome
- The Ravens have only $5.7MM in cap space at the moment, meaning the club might have to make moves to expand that figure. “We will exhaust every avenue that we have to get as much cap flexibility as we can,” said Newsome. “We’ve been working at it.”
- Newsome said the Ravens have discussed quarterback Joe Flacco‘s cap figure for 2015, and will address it at some point. Flacco will count nearly $15MM against Baltimore’s cap next season.
- The club is working to retain free agent running back Justin Forsett, notes Newsome. The 29-year-old Forsett is likely to draw interest from the Falcons if he isn’t retained in Baltimore.
- It doesn’t sound like the Ravens are planning on re-signing defender Pernell McPhee, as Newsome stated “you can’t pay everyone market value.”
- Newsome believes that embattled former Raven Ray Rice will find out before April if he’ll be able to land an opportunity with another team, and said that he was happy Rice was ultimately reinstated. Newsome also indicated he helped testify to get Rice reinstated.
- Newsome acknowledged the team is in “wait-and-see” mode with tight end Dennis Pitta, who missed most of 2014 with a dislocated hip. The GM did indicate the Ravens would add TEs, whether through free agency or the draft.
Owner Steve Bisciotti
- Bisciotti is aware that Baltimore might not be able to afford free agent receiver Torrey Smith, and even referenced Mike Wallace‘s $12MM per year contract as an outlier. “I don’t think anyone thinks that’s a good deal,” said the owner.
Head coach John Harbaugh
- Harbaugh said he has spoken with free agent tight end Owen Daniels, who has expressed interest in returning to Baltimore.
- Baltimore isn’t sure if defensive lineman Chris Canty is planning on retiring, and Harbaugh said he hasn’t yet broached the subject with the veteran.
Bills Not Pursuing Trade For Sam Bradford
2:06pm: A Bills source has told Joe Buscaglia of WGR 550 that they are not pursuing Bradford.
1:48pm: The Rams tell Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (via Twitter) that there is “no merit” to the report linking Bradford to the Bills.
1:06pm: The Bills are interested in acquiring quarterback Sam Bradford from the Rams, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. Multiple team sources tell Getlin that Buffalo head coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Greg Roman aren’t high on incumbent QB EJ Manuel, and believe that Bradford could help the club contend in 2015.
The Rams have said that they’d like to retain Bradford as their starting quarterback next season, but recent reports have indicated that St. Louis has allowed to Bradford to determine his trade market. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the Rams would deal the 27-year-old Bradford, but it certainly seems like the club is keeping its options open.
Bradford is scheduled to count more than $16MM on the Rams’ cap in 2015, the final year of his contract; St. Louis would be on the hook for just $3.595MM in dead money if they dealt him. An acquiring team would be responsible for Bradford’s base salary of $12.985MM. Still, that figure seems incredibly high for a quarterback who hasn’t been able to stay on the field. Bradford has torn his ACL in each of the past two seasons, and has played in only seven games during that time.
As Getlin writes, it could be tough for the Bills to pony up enough compensation to satisfy the Rams. Buffalo only has six pick in this year’s draft, having already traded their first-round selection to move up in last year’s draft. Still, Bradford probably wouldn’t command a first-rounder anyway, so perhaps the Bills would be willing to part with some combination of mid-round picks.
Over the weekend, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported that the Browns would also have interest in acquiring Bradford.
East Notes: Graham, Maxwell, Revis, McClain
Defensive end Brandon Graham will officially become a free agent next month, and while it’s likely he’ll leave Philadelphia, it’s not a foregone conclusion that the Eagles will fail to re-sign him, according to Geoff Mosher of CSN Philly. Per a team source, the Eagles “haven’t ruled out” Graham returning to the club next season. Mosher reported several weeks ago that Graham would look to secure $20MM in guarantees, and today noted that Everson Griffen‘s five-year pact with the Vikings could act as a starting point in negotiations.
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the East divisions…
- The Jets are expected to be one of the “primary suitors” for Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell, reports Brian Costello of the New York Post. Last week, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net indicated that the Eagles could be the favorites to land Maxwell, and Costello adds that the two clubs may duke it out in free agency to land the 27-year-old. Per Costello, agents know the Jets are desperate to add secondary help, and may force New York to overpay to bring in corners.
- Continuing the subject of standout corners, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com takes a stab at assessing the value of Patriots CB Darrelle Revis, who isn’t technically a free agent yet but likely will be when New England declines his 2015 option. Patriots president Jonathan Kraft admitted earlier this month that Revis’ option was acting as a “placeholder” until the two sides can agree to an extension, and Reiss pegs Revis’ worth at five years, $80MM. PFR’s Luke Adams recently took a look at the Pats’ options regarding Revis.
- Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News profiles Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain, and projects that the 25-year-old will be retained on a short-term deal.
Ravens Negotiating To Keep Haloti Ngata
Speaking to reporters last week, Ravens head coach John Harbaugh made it clear the club would like to work out a new deal with Haloti Ngata that allows the veteran defensive lineman to remain in Baltimore for the foreseeable future. It sounds as if the two sides haven been talking, as Ed Werder of ESPN reports (Twitter link) today that the Ravens have a “very good” offer out to the 31-year-old Ngata.
Ngata isn’t a free agent, but he is in danger of being released if he doesn’t agree to some sort of extension or restructure that significantly lowers his 2015 cap hit. He’s currently scheduled to count $16MM against Baltimore’s cap next year, the highest such figure on the team.
Ngata is entering the final season of his contract, and Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets that the Ravens want to tack on years to his deal, indicating that the club would rather lower the Oregon alum’s cap figure by extending him instead of requesting that he take a pay cut. Of course, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Werder’s classification of the offer as “very good” could translate as “team-friendly” — if the deal was satisfactory to Ngata, he probably would have already accepted it.
The Ravens currently have roughly $5.7MM in cap space, so even if Ngata agrees to bring down his cap figure, they might need to make a few more moves in order to create some financial wiggle room as free agency approaches.
Offseason Outlook: Carolina Panthers
Pending free agents:
- Byron Bell, T
- Chase Blackburn, LB
- Colin Cole, DT
- Ed Dickson, TE
- James Dockery, CB
- Dwan Edwards, DT
- Greg Hardy, DE
- Kevin Matthews, C
- Fernando Velasco, G
- Joe Webb, QB
- Garry Williams, T
Top 10 2015 cap hits:
- Charles Johnson, DE: $20,020,000
- Cam Newton, QB: $14,666,000
- Ryan Kalil, C: $11,795,000
- Thomas Davis, LB: $9,900,000
- Jonathan Stewart, RB: $8,300,000
- Greg Olsen, TE: $7,800,000
- DeAngelo Williams, RB: $6,333,333
- Luke Kuechly, LB: $4,002,283
- Mike Tolbert, RB: $3,425,000
- Graham Gano, K: $3,100,000
Notable coaching changes:
- None
Draft:
- No. 25 overall pick
- No traded picks
Other:
- Current projected cap room (via Over the Cap): $15.65MM
- Must exercise or decline fifth-year option for 2016 for LB Luke Kuechly.
- Top extension candidates: Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, Luke Kuechly, Josh Norman
- Already released RB DeAngelo Williams, released S Thomas DeCoud, re-signed OL Chris Scott.
Overview
If you need further evidence that the NFC South was the worst division in the NFL last season, it’s this: the Panthers regressed in nearly every major statistical category from 2013 to 2014 — they fell from 10th to 20th in offensive DVOA, while moving No. 3 to No. 14 in in defensive DVOA — shaved five wins off their final record, and gave Derek And
erson two starts at quarterback…and still won the division.
Cam Newton started 14 games — missing Week 1 with a rib injury and Week 15 after being involved in a car accident — and completed 58.5% of his passes for for 3,127 yards an 18 touchdowns; he added another 539 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. It wasn’t a spectacular season, but Newton was playing behind an offensive line that had lost Jordan Gross and Travelle Wharton, and throwing to receiving corps that had witnessed the defections of Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell, and Ted Ginn Jr.
Similarly, Carolina’s defense had been ravaged by free agency, as Mike Mitchell, Captain Munnerlyn, and Drayton Florence all left the squad before 2014. Star defensive end Greg Hardy, who had 26 sacks in the two seasons prior, missed all but one game after being placed on the commissioner’s exempt list following a domestic violence incident. Somehow, though, the Panthers managed to earn a postseason berth despite winning only seven games, and even won a playoff game, defeating the Cardinals in the wild card round before succumbing to the Seahawks in the divisional round.
The Panthers have already begun to overhaul their roster in anticipation of the new league year next month. Today we learned that the club will release longtime running back DeAngelo Williams, a move which will actually cost the team cap space (unless he’s designated as a post-June 1 cut). Williams’ release comes on the heels of Carolina cutting veteran safety Thomas DeCoud last week.
Key Free Agents
Hardy is the clear No. 1 free agent on the Panthers’roster — charges against the 26-year-old were recently dismissed, but it still remains unlikely that he’ll return to Carolina. He played last season under the franchise tag, so the cost to use that tag on him for a second consecutive season would be exorbitant. Moreover, the Panthers seem opposed to retaining Hardy due to the headache he caused last season. While not speaking about Hardy directly, Carolina general manager Dave Gettleman recently asked “Who wants the ticking time bomb?” regarding players with off-the-field concerns.
Elsewhere on the defensive line, the Panthers have two veteran tackles — Dwan Edwards and Colin Cole — eligible for free agency. Both are older free agents (Edwards is 33, Cole 34), but each played in excess of 350 snaps in 2014; Edwards, specifically, saw nearly 600 snaps. Carolina might want to get younger at the position, but a club can never have too much depth up front. Perhaps the team will look to retain at least one of Edwards or Cole on a modest, one-year deal.
Following Gross’ retirement, Byron Bell emerged as the starter at left tackle, but his production was extremely disappointing. Per Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), Bell ranked as the second-worst tackle in the league, finishing ahead of only Falcons rookie Jake Matthews. Bell wasn’t as bad as the starting right tackle during the early portion of his career, but he was still well below-average. Offensive line figures to be an area the Panthers address either in free agency or the draft, and both Bell and team source indicated today that the 26-year-old won’t be retained.
On the other hand, Carolina should look to retain reserve interior lineman Fernando Velasco, who started seven games last season, seeing action at both guard positions. The 30-year-old Velasco is probably something close to a replacement level talent at this point, but he was an above-average starter as recently as 2012. The Panthers have young players — Amini Silatolu and Trai Turner — at the guard spots, so Velasco could add valuable experience as the backup both there and at center.
27-year-old tight end Ed Dickson landed with in Carolina on a one-year deal prior to 2014 after spending his entire career with the Ravens. He played 532 snaps as the No. 2 TE to Greg Olsen, but wasn’t a standout blocker and caught only 10 passes. Dickson has expressed interest in re-signing with the Panthers on a multi-year deal (a lofty goal), but the club can probably do better.
Possible Cap Casualties
The Panthers don’t have a ton of players who could be pushed off the roster due to salary cap concerns. The only obvious candidate for release might be RB/FB Mike Tolbert, who’s scheduled to count $3.425MM against the cap next season. The 29-year-old is entering the final season of his two-year deal, and Carolina could clear $2.425MM in space by releasing him. He saw just 226 snaps in 2014, but given that the club just cut Williams, Tolbert’s role figures to grow in 2015, making his release unlikely.
Releasing veterans Jerricho Cotchery and Roman Harper could give the Panthers a combined $3MM windfall (if both were post-June 1 cuts). But both saw an extended amount of playing time last season, and performed at a capable level, so cutting them probably doesn’t make sense.
Positions Of Need
Pending any further cost-cutting maneuvers, the Panthers should have roughly $15.65MM of cap space to work with as free agency approaches. It’s not a ton of room, but Gettleman indicated last month that the club wouldn’t have to shop at the “dollar store” this offseason, meaning they probably won’t need to target the bargain-bin type of free agents they have during the past two years (although I would note that many of those low-cost signings worked out rather well).
The No. 1 area of concern on the Panthers roster — offensive line — hasn’t changed since last year. Tackle, specifically, needs to be upgraded, with Bell unlikely to return and right tackle Nate Chandler also not showing improvement. Following King Dunlap‘s re-upping with the Chargers on Sunday, there aren’t many options on the left side. If Michael Roos decides to hold off on retirement, I wonder if the Panthers would pay a premium to land the veteran. Alternatively, Carolina could try for Bryan Bulaga, the top right tackle available, with the intention of moving him back to the left side, the position he played in college. Or, Carolina could sign Bulaga, Doug Free, or another solid right tackle, and pursue a LT upgrade with the No. 25 pick in the draft.
If it solves its problem at tackle, Carolina could then shift its focus to receiver. Kelvin Benjamin was a revelation in his rookie season, but the club could use another weapon opposite him. Luckily, the free agent market for WRs is flush with options. Jeremy Maclin might be a little out the Panthers’ price range, but Torrey Smith could be a viable target. Moving a little further down the list, Michael Crabtree could be signed with the hopes of bounce-back season, or perhaps Denarius Moore tries to restart his career in Carolina.
Assuming that Hardy leaves for greener pastures, the Panthers will also need help at defensive end. In terms of pure skill, Carolina might not find anyone with the talent level that Hardy brings to the table, but there are certainly other options out there. Brandon Graham was solid for the Eagles in 2014, but if reports of him demanding $20MM in guarantees are true, he’d probably be too spendy for the Panthers. If the club continues its strategy of signing seemingly over-the-hill veterans, I could see them adding Osi Umenyiora, who wasn’t great as a stand-up pass-rusher with the Falcons but could succeed if returned to a 4-3 DE role, or taking on a chance on a 35-year-old Dwight Freeney.
Corner could be another area of concern, although Josh Norman and Bene Benwikere played very well, especially near the end of last season. The free agent CB market is barren, so that’s an area that will probably be addressed via the draft instead. With the release of Williams, the Panthers might also look to bring in another back to complement Jonathan Stewart, who often deals with injury concerns. I doubt they’d spend any significant money on the position, but they could bring in someone like Daniel Thomas or Jacquizz Rodgers as a insurance option.
Extension Candidates/Contract Decisions
The most pressing issue in Carolina at the moment is the future of Newton, who is signed through only 2015 thanks to the Panthers exercising his fifth-year option; he’ll be paid $14.67MM during the upcoming season. Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reported over the weekend that the Panthers and Newton’s reps were set to meet at the combine in Indianapolis to begin discussing an extension, but noted that Newton prefers to let Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson ink out long-term deals first, setting the market for QB deals.
Newton probably won’t see the type of cash that Luck and Wilson will — rather, he’ll probably shoot for an AAV in the $20MM range. He’s already made it clear that he isn’t interested in a Colin Kaepernick-esque contract structure, so it sounds like he’ll be aiming for some relatively large guarantees. The Panthers could use the franchise tag on Newton in 2016 (at a hefty price), but I’d expect the two sides to agree to a deal at some point.
2013 Defensive Player of the Year Luke Kuechly is probably the best inside linebacker in the league, and among the top five or 10 defensive players in the game. The Panthers have a fifth-year option on him that will keep him under contract for the 2016 season at a reasonable rate. But Carolina can now open extension talks with their 23-year-old defensive stalwart, and Kuechly should be able to top the $10MM average salary brought in by Patrick Willis, currently the top earner among inside ILBs.
Olsen will become a free agent at season’s end, at it make sense for the club to get something done with him, as well. With major departures at wide receiver, Olsen (along with Benjamin) became Newton’s primary target, hauling 84 passes for more than 1,000 and six scores. He’ll be 30 years old next month, so he’s not young, but he should still be able to secure a three- or four-year commitment, possibly in the $7-8MM per year range.
Finally, Carolina will probably need to take a look at the contract of veteran defensive end Charles Johnson before the season. The eight-year veteran is scheduled to count $20.02MM against the cap next season, the highest such figure among 4-3 defensive ends. He’s still an excellent player (PFF’s No. 11 4-3 DE), so he’s not a candidate for release, but the Panthers probably need to ask Johnson to restructure his deal, something he’s done in each of the prior two offseasons. He only has two years left on his current pact, which doesn’t leave much room for spreading out prorated bonus money. So instead of a simple restructure, Carolina might need to extend him, tacking on a few years to his contract to make the forthcoming cap hits more palatable.
Overall Outlook
To the casual fan, the Panthers are coming off a highly-successful two-year run during which they made the playoffs in both seasons. More tuned-in observers, however, realize that Carolina was extremely lucky to play in such a subpar division last season, and that there are still numerous holes on the current roster. Newton needs to be re-signed, but Gettleman and head coach Ron Rivera can’t rest until other areas on the team — tackle, receiver, defensive end — are addressed, as well.
Information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.