Panthers' hard-line stance could result in another Norman-like defection
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – All offseason, the NFL’s free-agent slot machines have been ringing. In Jacksonville. In Oakland. In Washington. Even inside the corridors of the typically thrifty New York Giants. But here in Charlotte, the lever can be pulled as many times as you want. If the wheels don’t line up sensibly to Carolina Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman, that big payout isn’t coming.
Considering how success typically breeds escalating contract demands in the NFL, this is likely to become a familiar storyline in Carolina. We learned that with cornerback Josh Norman. Now we’re getting a refresher with All-Pro defensive tackle Kawann Short.
Gettleman has a financial schematic, and he believes the foundation of the franchise depends on it. The dedication to the design was illustrated with Norman, whose franchise tag was stunningly rescinded in April, much to the delight of Norman’s new team, the Washington Redskins. Whether that is a decision the Panthers and Gettleman will regret will ultimately be one of the defining points of the 2016 season.
In that vein, one of Gettleman’s favorite adages may have never been more true than when he repeated it after the Panthers’ final minicamp closed: “You learn something new every day.”
Where it concerns the Panthers and Gettleman’s financial line this offseason, even his critics can agree on that point: everyone is going to learn something about this franchise next season. Not only how it adjusts to the loss of Norman, but how it copes with the Super Bowl defeat. And beyond that, how the franchise will balance retaining a talent core that will get only more expensive in success. Short is a prime example. Barring a letdown, his average salary as a free agent next offseason could command $17 million per season. If the Panthers are looking at $14 million to $15 million per year, that could be a problem.
It’s worth noting Carolina also used a first-round pick on defensive tackle Vernon Butler this year. Gettleman will have contract extension talks with Star Lotulelei on the docket in 2017, too. Considering what transpired with Norman, the writing could be on the wall for one of the current starting defensive tackles, particularly if Butler develops as hoped.
Letting go of yet another prominent starter next offseason would seem unlikely, but after the cratering of the Norman negotiations, nothing is out of the question. At the very least, Gettleman has proven he has the intestinal fortitude to make talent and salary choices that initially cut against the grain of public opinion. That all goes back to the financial design. If the numbers don’t fit, Gettleman isn’t shy about giving a quick course on long-term viability versus short-term popularity. Salaries are moving into unprecedented territory, to the point that Panthers coach Ron Rivera called some of the contracts “unbelievable.” That could translate into a standoff like the one with Norman becoming an annual occurrence.
“It’s not easy. It’s very, very difficult,” Gettleman said of his penchant for sticking to his line in contract negotiations. “… You have to balance the needs of the team now with the needs of the team in a couple of years. You have to plan. I’m very methodical and intentional about what I do [and] about the decisions we make. You have to be that way with the salary cap, because it’s going to cost you.”
Don’t expect Gettleman to blame other teams for issues the Panthers may have had in past or future negotiations. His plan is his responsibility. And he’s not looking to judge the slot-machine mentality of a few other franchises.
“It’s reality so you just deal with it,” he said. “I would never say [another team] did something I didn’t understand. Nobody knows what’s going on behind closed doors. You don’t. They did what’s best for them. God bless them. We’ll do what’s best for us.”
That ideology unraveled the relationship with Norman, and there’s little question that the former Panthers star took the fallout personally. Reflecting on it this week, Norman told Yahoo Sports that he never believed he was one of Gettleman’s favored players, and that lack of a close relationship – and not just money – may have manifested in the divorce.
“He didn’t bring me in,” Norman said. “So I didn’t have any ties to him. You’ve just got people who don’t care what other people think. They think they know it all and they’ve got all the right answers. Well, hey. It’s your decision. It’s your choice. You make it and you’ve got to live with it.”
Norman is right, the Panthers and Gettleman are living with their choices. Having a salary cap conscience cuts both ways. Carolina is sitting with nearly $28 million in cap space and last year’s All-Pro cornerback is lining up with the Redskins. Some of that money will likely be used to extend offensive tackle Michael Oher in the coming months, but there’s little that can be done for the back end of the defense. One of the young cornerbacks, or perhaps all of them, will have to mature quickly to fill massive shoes. That’s what Carolina had in mind when it plucked corners with its second-, third- and fifth-round picks in the draft. And the franchise is also banking on some development from players who were already in the fold when Norman departed.
There’s no guarantee any of those players puts it together quickly enough to supplement the loss of Norman’s playmaking. Much like quarterbacks, letting go of a top shelf cornerback can often result in a years-long quest to find his replacement. And having to do it in a season where the dreaded Super Bowl hangover looms makes that task more daunting.
That is what awaits Carolina when training camp opens in July. Rivera will enter with a contract extension in exchange for implementing a design that took the Panthers to the Super Bowl. Now he’ll try to replicate that without one of his best defensive players.
No matter how that works out, the financial schematic in Carolina seems more cemented than ever before. And that might be the ultimate revelation from last season’s success. Carolina’s storyline won’t simply be about building a perennial Super Bowl contender. Now it will also be about what sacrifices can be made without undermining it.
