Rucker Plans to Play in 2008

by Jaxon on Feb 4, 2008 11:39 AM EST in News Comment 4 comments

As reported by Charlotte.com the agent for Panthers DE Mike Rucker says his client will play in 2008.

"Mike is fired up, motivated and looking forward to continuing his career," Schaffer said. "It's 100 percent."

I’m not sure how I feel about this. If the Panthers make him an offer I’m sure it would be a pay cut which he may not like. If he wants to compete for a starting spot then fine but I’m worried the Panthers would still have that incumbent mentality meaning the spot is his to lose.

I would like to see some new blood at the DE position. We either need to bring in a FA (like Jared Allen) or spend a high draft pick on it. I’m not sold on either Stanley McClover or Charles Johnson being the answer. Both would be adequate back-ups behind Peppers and a free agent.

If Rucker is open to reduced playing time and a smaller pay check then he could very easily stay with the Panthers. I’m sure he’ll feel out the market before committing to the Panthers. I can’t imagine another team giving him starters money given his injury in 2006 and lack of production in 2007. He can still make a million bucks next season playing less minutes which is what I would do. Time will tell.

Poll

Should the Panthers Resign Mike Rucker?

No

8 votes

Yes - but as a back-up

30 votes

Yes - as a starter

8 votes

46 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 4 comments

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Comments

let him go

I think it's time to let him go. He only had 3 sacks, and he gets paid like a starter. We saw last night what happens when you get to the QB repeatedly. He also no longer has the speed to run down opposing RBs, so he's only taking up space. Maybe that's a little harsh, but I like McGlover and Johnson better for the long haul. I seriously doubt they will perform worse than 33 tackles and 3 sacks. That's not absolutely horrible, but not too difficult to match either. Then if we realize we need another DE by the end of next season, we draft that guy next year.

Maybe we could trade him and Kemo for a mid-rd pick.

by usana_gaines on Feb 4, 2008 12:28 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

you guys need a reality check

Are you folks crazy? Really. I mean... really.

Rucker, good guy that he is, took a pay cut this past season to play what the team (and he) thought to be his final season. Well, after coming back from injury in miraculous fashion to a team where he thought he'd be playing a supporting role alongside some new hot-shot draft pick, he ended up playing most of the snaps in a thin three-man DE rotation.

Now, given how terribly the defensive line rotation was managed, and how thin the depth was at every position, every single player on the DL had bad stats. All of them. Peppers. Jenkins. Rucker. Kemo. Lewis. McClover. Johnson. Moorehead. Everyone sucked it up.

Now, is that his fault? Not exclusively. But keep in mind that he was never a dominant player at his position, just smart and hard-working, minimizing errors and maximizing opportunities. He never had a great speed rush or great power moves. On a stronger DL with better rotation (only three active DEs every week? that's an embarrassment), he can again be solid against the run and effective against the pass.

Given that he took that pay cut to return, yet was forced to play most of the defensive snaps, I hope they'll man-up and give him a two-year contract that pays him back for taking a cut last year, even if he only plays one year of the contract.

by r3 on Feb 5, 2008 12:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i disagree

I disagree with you about bringing him back, but you make some good points about his dedication and loyalty to the franchise. No one questioned his work ethic, either. He's an awesome guy, but I still feel it's time for us to move in another direction. We have McGlover and Johnson, and I think Johnson has the ability to be a real force in this league. I think he'll beat out Rucker for the job if Rucker is still around. The question is how much does Rucker count against the cap? I'm assuming not that much since he took a pay cut, and he probably doesn't need the money bad enough to take minimum wage for another team and move. We'll see how he performs in training camp, but I certainly think he won't be starting.

by usana_gaines on Feb 5, 2008 8:24 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If he starts

they that just shows how badly we need some new blood at the position. I've always liked Ruck and I think r3 described him pretty well in his post. You can forget about the Panthers 'manning up' and paying him back for being a starter with back-up pay ($4.4M is back-up pay?). The Panthers are pretty shrewd business guys so I say pay him a reasonable amount and let him try to make the team. If does then great because we know what we get with Ruck. If he wants more money then let him walk.

by Jaxon on Feb 5, 2008 9:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs