Nomination for Jerk of the Week: Panthers Front Office

[Walter]

E-mail from Andrew H.:


I got frustrated while watching DeAngelo Williams, a fantasy monster, stay shackled against the Eagles because he plays on a team with a fiery, turnover prone QB with a reconstructed arm.

Then I got to thinking, it's not really Jake Delhomme's fault. It's Carolina's GM's fault. He's the one who hasn't made an attempt to address the QB position (even going back to 07 when they had to exume Vinny Testaverde's corpse to play QB for them, the subsequent 08 draft, which would have made perfect sense as the time to draft a legitimate franchise QB, seeing as how the franchise had just suffered a season-long QB injury-filled debacle, but no). Let alone giving Delhomme a contract extension with $20M in guarantees after he spit the bit in epic fashion in the playoffs.

That's why I'm nominating the Panthers GM, whoever the hell that is, for Jerk of the Week.

Condensed version of my case:

2007 Delhomme injury, Testaverde reanimation, presenting the 08 Draft as a perfect QB draft.

2008 draft, takes Jon Stewart (when they already have Deangelo Williams) instead of Joe Flacco (when the only have Jake D)

2008 playoffs, most embarrassing self-debaclization by one player ever, followed by extension of that player's contract with $20M in guaranteed money (instead of just releasing him and starting Joe Flacco in year two)

2009 Hamstrings DeAngelo Williams fantasy value with terrible QB play (instead of Joe Flacco), and pseudo-RBBC with injury-prone backup but genetic freak the Daily Show.

I know all of Carolina/Delhomme's games won't be as bad as that one, but I hate Carolina's GM. What a douche.

[InjuredReserve]

He makes a good argument.

[EL Guapo]

The Jake Delhomme contract extention was one of the dumbest things I can remember in sports. I usually try and see both sides of something because I’m too much of a pussy to come up with an opinion but that was bad.

[mpg1995]

Lol at 2 JOTY

[wraith36444]

I nominate my parents' Forester for stranding me in Mount Vernon on Friday.

[phenomenal_waffles]

The Jake Delhomme contract extention was one of the dumbest things I can remember in sports. I usually try and see both sides of something because I’m too much of a pussy to come up with an opinion but that was bad.

Indeed. I don't get why they'd extend his contract, regardless of his 5 INTs against his Cardinals. Its not like he's the future of the franchise.

[...]

He left out the part where they traded away the 2010 first rounder, leaving the team without a first round pick (which could be pretty high, unfortunately), and a huge question mark at the most important position on the field.

I've been a "Fire Fox & Hurney" proponent for awhile. They've had some success, but it's pretty inconsistent (never had 2 consecutive winning seasons) and has had some bad decision making (especially when it comes to the future of the team.) And the complete refusal to play anyone who's not a veteran.

I really hate the defense Fox runs these days too. It's so boring. And seems to take the life out of the defense.
Fox seems terrified to give up a big play, yet is completely willing to let the opposing team just march down the field, converting easy third downs with our cornerbacks 10 yards away from the receivers, until they score. And do not, under any circumstances, blitz. Ever.

EDIT: They extended Jake's contract because they had to make room in a nearly maxed out salary cap, I believe.

[EL Guapo]

I always hear Cowher would want to go there. Do you hear that in Carolina?

[J Snazzy]

The whole Flacco thing is hindsight. D-lo went off once they got Stewart (Motivation maybe?).

The rest is sound, but they probably made cap room with Jake's contract. It's funny I heard Jake was like third in active QB's for comebacks, who would have thought.

[BroncosCon]

I don't understand why they haven't addressed the long term QB situation.