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How would the Panthers fair in an uncapped league?

The NFL salary cap was instituted before the 1994 season. The Panthers, Jaguars, and Texans are the only teams that haven't faced a uncapped league (arguments could also be made for the "expansion" Baltimore Ravens in '96 and Cleveland Browns in '99). With the possibility of 2010 and future years being an uncapped salary year for the NFL, I wanted to look where the Panthers fit in the mix. Panthers_stadium_medium

Since 1998 Forbes has provided a table of every NFL team's value before the start of the next season. The last list was before the 2008 season on September 10, 2008 (based on the 2007 season revenues). Since an uncapped year would mean each team would be free to spend their own money as they see fit (at least from my understanding) then looking at a team's value can help determine where they may fit in the battle for the big dogs.

Star-divide

I know it was suggested that an uncapped league wouldn't affect a team's qualify. But I have a hard time believing that. From my understanding the arguements in that post about FA, tenders, franchcise tags, etc, only apply to 2010. After that there is no contract so no restrictions. Of course a new players CBA will  be needed before the 2011 season if football is to be played but there is no way of knowing what it would entail.

Obviously there are many other factors that go into this, as in the NFL television contracts, an owner's willingness to spend personal money, and many other variables that I'm sure I don't know. Yet looking at the team's value should provide a good basis for understanding their ability to attract quality players.

According to Forbes, the Panthers rank 14th in current value at $1.040 billion ($1,040,000,000) and increase of 9% over the previous year (12th). They hold a 18% debt to value ratio (21st) with $221 million in revenue (11th) and $22.3 million in operating income (17th). Based of those number the Panthers sit pretty much in the middle of the pack regarding team value and income. The debt ratio is a bit high however.

As I started this post the Panthers haven't been around in an uncapped league so the biggest question in all of this is how frugal is management. We know they won't go out and spend like Pacman Jones in a strip club, but would they loosen their walets enough to stay competitive? The Panthers have been a fairly successful franchise, Charlotte is a good city, and the team is doing decently in the income area. If the league returns in 2011 without a salary cap the Panthers should be in decent position. However, the players that just want big money would not find themselves in a Panthers uniform. That is not the way the Richardson's run the team. From my understanding of the way the team, they would find a way to stay true to Panther football. They would be competitive each year, but probably not the popular pick for a Superbowl.

But keep in mind it also could be worse, the Detroit Lions had an operating loss during the 2007 season. Ouch.

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I'm not sure how I feel about continuing a salary cap

I wouldn’t imagine it would change much with the way the Panthers operate. They are frugal but also don’t hesitate to pay their marquee players when warranted.

I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com

by Jaxon on Mar 26, 2009 4:15 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I imagine across the board

Players would see more money… salaries would inflate and if they Panthers couldn’t spend more, then they’d have a tough time signing quality players.

Look at baseball, everytime the Yankees/Red Sox make a big free agent move, the money sets the market for FA’s of similar ability. NFL teams right now avoid digging too deep not because they can’t afford it, but because of the salary cap.

by mariners124m on Mar 26, 2009 10:42 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

more insight on future uncapped league

The following article helps to understand what things will look like during the uncapped times. Here are just a few clips of the extensive article on the subject.

"But in reality, there were so many new parameters built into the CBA’s rules for an uncapped season that owners will have anything but free rein to make a killing for their teams in free agency. And I don’t think the players really grasp those realities yet anywhere near as well as NFL owners and club executives do.

For starters, once the salary cap disappears, players can’t be free agents until they’ve completed six NFL seasons, rather than four. That means there will be fewer quality young players in the 2010 free-agent pool, and less talent for any spend-happy teams to accumulate.

In addition, teams in 2010 would own an extra transition tag, meaning a franchise could use both a franchise tag and a transition tag on two of its own free agents (or two transition tags) in the same season, as opposed to the one or another they get to designate now. Again, that stipulation should serve to limit the quality of the free agents who actually reach the open free agent market.

And there’s more. In the uncapped season of 2010, the league would have a rule called the top eight plan, in which the eight teams that reached the divisional round playoffs in 2009 would have their activity in free agency limited. The NFL’s final four teams wouldn’t be able to sign an unrestricted free agent until they had lost one of their own. The other four teams among the final eight to be eliminated in 2009 would have some salary restrictions on the free agents they signed, which would serve to keep them from being able to afford any elite free agents.

"The uncapped season was built into the design of the collective bargaining agreement for just the reason we have,‘’ Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. "Because of the provisions under an uncapped year, there’s always been a very legitimate thought that we’re better off with those provisions than we were in a capped year.

“So I feel better about our ability to operate without a cap and keep our league competitive and keep the game progressing, moving forward, than any way I could have felt when we were in a capped structure.’’”
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/03/23/nfl.meetings/index.html

by meanoreno on Mar 27, 2009 3:49 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Nice find Meanoreno

That last statement is a big one. I would have though the owners would prefer a cap but now I’m not so sure.

I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com

by Jaxon on Mar 27, 2009 8:29 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

my guess

would be big market teams prefer no cap and small market teams like the cap (in general). Or rather the big market teams don’t want to profit share and the smaller market teams prefer profit sharing.

I bet Detroit really appreciated profit sharing the last few years.

by LittleKing on Mar 27, 2009 10:03 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Thanks Jaxon

Yes, it looks like the owners took care of themselves in the event of an uncapped season by including the necessary provisions in the collective bargaining agreement. There’s probably going to be many players surprised and angered on how well they provided for such a thing, especially the following part: “For starters, once the salary cap disappears, players can’t be free agents until they’ve completed six NFL seasons, rather than four.”

by meanoreno on Mar 28, 2009 1:29 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Why the Lions are losing money

Jaxon noted in his article the following: “But keep in mind it also could be worse, the Detroit Lions had an operating loss during the 2007 season.” Also, LittleKing stated the following: “I bet Detroit really appreciated profit sharing the last few years.” You’re both right, the following article on Detroit’s economic woes is probably why they’ll need profit sharing even more this season. This is why this coming season I hope the Lions have success and give their home fans in Detroit something to cheer about. They need it!

"The Great Depression has reached Detroit. The average price of a home is now $18,513 and unemployment has reached 21%, and it’s expected to get worse. Detroit is facing a crisis of epic proportions that officially puts Detroit statistically (and real term) on par with the great depression. Many readers of Tribble Ad Agency are advertising centric.. and due to the rash of layoffs within all Detroit Advertising firms has put the city on the map for the wrong reasons.

It has become the center of all that is wrong with America… and nothing of what is right.

For example, the crime rate has fallen…. because of lack of targets within the city. Meaning there is nothing left to steal. In fact, even the criminals don’t want to leave jail.
Heard confirmed that some offenders, notably those without homes of their own, were now expressing reluctance to leave jail when their sentences were done.

Home values have plummeted to levels not seen in 1/2 a century… and the 21% unemployment has in some cases been projected to double within 12 months if the auto industry totally collapses.

To make matters even worse, Detroit has superseded New Orleans as the "worst city" in America…. but New Orleans had a Hurricane they could assign blame to… Detroit has no such natural disaster crutch.

"It’s a depression — not a recession," McDuell said, with the authority of someone who has lived through both. "It will get worse before it gets better."

It’s a man-made disaster.

Regarding a local food bank in Detroit that has seen record numbers of individuals entering the system:

"Many people are first-timers — they have no idea how to navigate the system, how to qualify for food stamps," Wells said. "Last year, some were donors — now they’re clients."

In short, last year they donated money into the system… now they are feeding from it because they themselves are in hard financial times.

Detroit needs a miracle, the chances of it showing a resurgence is slim to none in the current economic outlook."
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread422213/pg1

by meanoreno on Mar 28, 2009 1:48 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I certainly don't have the answers

I used to visit Detroit often a few years back when I worked in the auto supply chain. I often joked that Detroit was the arm pit of the nation because of the roads, crime and overall not-so-nice look of most of the city. I don’t say those things anymore because its so bad now its not funny. I’ll stop now because its depressing.

Detroit has the absolutely worst defense in NFL history so I think the Aaron Curry pick is a good one. They can get an OT at #20 or even a QB, and then an OT at the top of the 2nd.

I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com

by Jaxon on Mar 28, 2009 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Detroit still has the Red Wings

so they do at least have one team that does well.

I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com

by Jaxon on Mar 28, 2009 10:48 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

jullis peppers

he needs to make a move to new orleans where he can win a ring we need deffense and have the best offence around the league why not come here where records can be broken thanks frank.

by fparks on Mar 29, 2009 1:08 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Sorry

but the Panther brass would never trade him in-division. It’s always nice to dream though I understand

I blog the Carolina Panthers at www.catscratchreader.com

by Jaxon on Mar 29, 2009 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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