Tag: Jake Delhomme contract extension

      Panthers’ decision to extend Delhomme last year will cost them

      March 5, 2010 /

      Last April, the Carolina Panthers decided to be loyal to the quarterback that brought them their lone Super Bowl appearance by signing Jake Dehomme to a five-year, $42.5 million contract extension.

      The move was a bit strange seeing as how Delhomme was coming off a horrid performance in a home playoff loss against the Cardinals in which he threw six interceptions. Usually a team locks a player up that is on the rise, not the decline, and Delhomme was definitely on the decline.

      Things didn’t get any better for Delhomme in 2009. He played in just 11 games, throwing eight touchdown passes and 18 interceptions. He struggled reading defenses, displayed poor decision making and routinely forced passes into covered receivers. Eventually, Matt Moore took over under center and played well, raising speculation that Delhomme would have to compete for his job in 2010.

      Now he won’t even have the opportunity to do that.

      The Panthers released Delhomme on Thursday, ending his seven-year tenure in Carolina. The team is obviously committed to Moore and wanted to create a clear path to the starting job for the youngster next season.

      Thanks to their horrendous decision to sign him to an extension, the Panthers still owe Delhomme $12.5 million in guaranteed money. With this being an uncapped offseason, $12.5 million could have gone a long way for a team that will needs a solid No. 2 receiver opposite Steve Smith and a pass rusher to replace Julius Peppers for when he signs elsewhere this month.

      Why the Panthers signed Delhomme for that much money is anyone’s guess. One would have thought that John Fox and his coaching staff would have seen that Delhomme’s skills were deteriorating and convinced the front office not to offer him such a lucrative extension. The Panthers’ inability to see what others saw will cost them financially this offseason.


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      NFL

      Panthers sign Delhomme to five-year extension

      April 23, 2009 /

      According to the Charlotte Observer, the Panthers have signed quarterback Jake Delhomme to a five-year, $42.5 million contract extension through 2014.

      Jake DelhommeThe Panthers announced they have agreed to extend the contract of quarterback Jake Delhomme, which secures their long-term commitment to him at the all-important position and also provides some salary-cap relief. Delhomme was in the final year of his contract and was scheduled to count more than $11 million against the cap, but now has a new five-year deal that agent Rick Smith said is worth $42.5 million with $20 million in guarantees. Smith said the contract’s structure was “extremely complicated” but will save the Panthers at least a couple million in 2009 cap space.

      Whaa? They created cap space, which was nice, but $8-plus mil a year over the next five years? For Jake Delhomme? Like, for real?

      This move essentially tells me that the Panthers are dedicated to Delhomme for at least the next two to three years and probably won’t draft a quarterback high in the next two drafts because they won’t be able to sink that much money into one position. (Especially the quarterback position.)

      Delhomme has certainly done more good than bad in Carolina over the years (after all, he did lead them to the Super Bowl), but this is a player that is definitely on the decline. And if his performance in last year’s home playoff loss to the Cardinals is any indication of how his play will be from here on out, the Panthers will learn to regret this decision.

      NFL

      Panthers to extend Delhomme’s contract?

      March 26, 2009 /

      According to the Charlotte Observer, the Panthers have opened negotiations with quarterback Jake Delhomme about potentially extending his contract.

      Delhomme, 34, is in the final year of his contract and is scheduled to count more than $11 million against the Panthers’ salary cap next season. The team could significantly reduce his 2009 cap number – perhaps by as much as 50 percent – with a multi-year extension.

      Wednesday was the first day either side has confirmed the contract talks. “There are discussions,” coach John Fox said at the NFL owners’ meetings.

      “It’s always ongoing. There is no question we’ve got a commitment to Jake. Whether that comes to fruition with a contract (extension), I can’t say.”

      Delhomme’s agent, Rick Smith, said the uncertainty of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement factors into the situation. Unless a CBA extension is reached, the 2010 season is scheduled to be played without a salary cap, without a lockout of players by team owners possible before the 2011 season.

      This would be a wise move for the Panthers in terms of cap space, but they have to find an eventual replacement for Delhomme at some point. The quarterback class in this year’s draft is weak so they might not find a long-term answer this year. But again at some point, they’ll need to start grooming a youngster.

      Delhomme was absolutely filthy-awful in the Panthers’ loss to the Cardinals in last year’s divisional playoff round. And I hate to sound like one of those sports bloggers that makes generalized opinions and pawns them off as facts, but take away Steve Smith and Delhomme is about as effective as a remote without batteries.

      NFL

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