Football teams adhere to the cliche of one game at a time. For the Panthers, it looks like one year at a time. The Panthers have gone on a youth movement with a head coach venturing into the final year of his contract...two diverse situations. An organization known for it's loyalty has gone the other direction by cutting ties with the likes of Julius Peppers, Jake Delhomme, Brad Hoover, Damione Lewis and Na'il Diggs to name a few. Nobody is arguing that some of the moves were not due, but it is a dramatic change in the Fox/Hurney regime. Because of a possible lockout in 2011, many of the personnel decisions are being driven above their heads by those writing the checks, and are not merely roster improvements.
NFL owners are trying to show the NFLPA, the players association, that they are struggling financially. Last year, many teams including the Panthers cut back on their office staffs as Carolina eliminated something close to twenty positions. Now, we are seeing it on the field as many teams are releasing veteran players in favor of younger, cheaper ones to gear up for what should be a stubborn labor negotiation.
Yes, Julius Peppers cashed in with a $91 million dollar deal but the Chicago Bears can also reportedly terminate that deal after one season and walk away. The looming possibility of revenue coming to a screeching halt in 2011 has most NFL owners saving their money for an impending rainy day.
The salary cap has been a good thing for the NFL, but perhaps it's time to blow that system up. While a cap creates financial parity, many of the same teams (Detroit, Cleveland, Oakland, Buffalo, etc) have not been competitive on the field. Not every team spends wisely, and examples like free-spending Daniel Snyder in Washington are proof that it takes more than money to win in the NFL.
2010 feels like a darkening of the NFL skies prior to what could be a major storm in 2011. Stock up on your canned foods, board up those windows and prepare the sand bags. A work stoppage warning is showing up in red on Doplar football radar. If it hits as expected, the NFL could be cleaning up for years to come.