Getty ImagesAs the regular season approaches, the Panthers continue to spend money to keep their own players in place.
After signing running back DeAngelo Williams, defensive end Charles Johnson, linebacker Jon Beason, linebacker Thomas Davis, linebacker James Anderson, and center Ryan Kalil to big-money, long-term deals, the Panthers have signed safety Charles Godfrey to a five-year extension, according to Steve Reed of CarolinaGrowl.com.
The contract is worth $27.5 million, and it includes $12.4 million in guaranteed money, Godfrey’s agent, Doug Hendrickson, told Reed.
“He’s on top of the world and he’s thrilled because this is what he wanted,” Hendrickson said. “He really loves the new defense and the staff and everything about the organization. They stepped up big time.”
Godfrey joined the Panthers via round three of the 2008 draft. His rookie contract would have expired after the 2011 season.
Though we respect the Panthers for showing a commitment to keep the nucleus of their team in place, that nucleus won only two of 16 games in 2010.
The nucleus (guys in their 20s not even hitting their prime yet) won 12 games for them few seasons ago.
why are they resigning the same players that got them a sterling 2-14 record?
“Though we respect the Panthers for showing a commitment to keep the nucleus of their team in place, that nucleus won only two of 16 games in 2010.”
Thanks for that insight, Debbie downer.
Pretty sure every single name you listed there would start on any NFL team. Just saying. Enough with the “nucleus won only two of 16 games in 2010″ talk, it’s getting annoying.
Eh. I was okay with the other signings. Im not so hot on this one.
Oh and that last comment in the article….that same nucleus also went 12-4 in 2008. Just saying. Its all abt The QB
most of the extensions are for are Def players, there the reason we didnt go 0-16, if we would have had a better offense, we would of won 10 or 11 games, no doubt…..
Great to see a small market team like us, hold on to our core players.
The way I look at it is this: They’re extending all their young guys on both sides of the ball because player wise, they blame mostly the QB play for last year’s results. On top of that they added two fairly productive (pass catching wise) TEs to help him.
What does only winning two games justify?? You keep saying that as if the guys who they”re locking up aren’t talented.. By your logic if your team has a bad season then they should let their young talented players leave, obviously it says something about the organization if all their young guys are staying committed and signing extensions…
What? Who? I guess Jerry and Marty have been doing kegstands again.
“Though we respect the Panthers for showing a commitment to keep the nucleus of their team in place, that nucleus won only two of 16 games in 2010.”
Horrible quarterback play and injuries decimated Carolina last year. Not saying they are a good team, but they do have talented players. Is it really a terrible thing if they have to overpay to keep some of them around? Is the alternative any better?
too bad they arent spending money on a DT or a 2nd WR.
How did they sign Charles Johnson to $74 million after ONE year as a starter….but they couldn’t resign Julius Peppers? smh….that’s why they will ALWAYS have a top 5 pick in the draft.
A tidbit missing from the story is that he was voted team captain by his peers today. That certainly could be part of why he was offered a contract.
Overall he’s a solid safety, and if Ron Rivera can fill in the gaps around this core of players they’ve extended, the Panthers could be a force in a few seasons.
Yeah, hard to win games with Clausen as your QB.
Don’t forget the 2-14 team had a lame duck coach and Brian St. Pierre at QB for a few games. That might ought to be a “*” next to the record.
$12.4 million guarantee for guy who constantly takes poor angles in run support? Oh how does Hurney still have a job? His last 2 draft have been filled with bust such as EB( traded a future 1st rounder for him) and was cut. Luckily Goodson has done solid when giving a chance. Clausen who could be the #3 Qb on the team, Tony F( cut as well). Tony P( could have added depth to Oline). Who’s next Eric Norwood, etc?
Though we respect the Panthers for showing a commitment to keep the nucleus of their team in place, that nucleus won only two of 16 games in 2010.
That Nucleus did not have a QB and was decimated by injuries. Look beyond the record–they are young . How many games would the Packers or Patriots win without a decent QB?
Hint: not many
Might actually have a good team in a few years, got a bunch of young athletic guys who are going to come up together and have some camaraderie.
Im a fan of Godfrey, a lot of Panthers fan are not…. But he makes plays, he was like 8th in league in INT last year, he good at tackling, yeah he got ran over by Hillis and then hurdle over, but Hillis did that to a lot of ppl last year, other than that, he is good enough to get that extension, Im happy for him and the Panthers…
This move proves to me that the preseason was truly more about player evaluation and “base”system installment,, than showing our hand and selling out to win. I think Rivera is doing it right. The vanilla play has allowed them to see what they have and move forward with player development. I think we can be more competitive faster than people think, with the big-play capability of our skill players. Led by Cam Newton.
its official ..panthers owner jerry Richardson has lost his #$@&**# mind!
this same nucleus went 12-4 two years ago.
only difference? swap Julius Peppers with Charles Johnson and Jake Delhomme with Cam Newton.
the Panthers are a much better team than people and media give them credit for…What was there to play for last year? John Fox and Jimmy Clausen equaling uselessness and owner Richardson not paying ANY money on free agency because he was the main dog in the lockout. Last year was a thrown away year and everyone on the team from top to bottom knew it from the beginning of last season.
this is the SAME team with a new regime and the green light from the big man up top…
toughest schedule in the league, but I still see this group going 8-8 in 2011-12.
It’s funny they’ve re-signed all these players. Most teams completely blow up their rosters after an absolutely horrible season. Not the Panthers. They must have a lot of talent on that crappy football team!
Last year was no fault of any of the guys they extended. This is the team that had a dead coach walking and started Jimmy Clausen, Matt Moore, and freaking Brian St. Pierre at QB. That was why they lost so much.
When you’re at the bottom of the division it makes sense to spend a lot of money to keep your players right? Well the Panthers certainly feel that way.
The Panther’s owner just said here is some blank checks just get them signed.
As a fan of another team, I don’t know which deals are good and which deals are less than good, but every time I see these Panthers extension headlines it brings out upset emotions I didn’t know I had.
honestly don’t understand what Carolina is doing… yes they have a lot of talented players, but like you said this team only won 2 games last year.. obviously that talent doesn’t work well together…
Most of that nucleus was injured in 2010.
Godfrey is a good player and letting good players go is not gonna help the Panthers either.
no john fox and his it is what it is vanilla schemes are what won us 2 of 16 games last year…
Sadly, the Jaguars don’t spend a dime!
and that nucleus also had one of the better defenses in the league until the horrendous offense broke them down towards the end of the season. If we had a better OLine we would not have been as bad.
That same nucleus won 12 of 16 games in 2008.
who???charles who??? Stop spending money on guys that no one has ever heard of….
ticalcaldwell says:
Sep 10, 2011 7:54 AM
who???charles who??? Stop spending money on guys that no one has ever heard of….
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Good point. I’m pretty sure that is #1 criteria for talent evaluators: “Yes, he’s good, but have I ever heard of him?”
@mhs8031
technically, the Pats went 11-5 the year Brady went down. And I believe they’d still win 8-10 games this year if Brady went down. And no, I’m not a Pats fan.
all of these hater comments are friggin stupid. charles who? and why are they spending money on players from a 2-14 team. 1st of all we had a lame duck coach jimmy clasen, brian st pierre, matt moore as our qbs. The players that we are resigning are for the most part the players we drafted and that is the way richardson is going to run the franchise. The players they locked up I am sure all of these “haters” would take on their squad any day
I like Godfrey – he is a hard hitter. I like what we are doing with our young nucleus. I would love to bring in a BIG FAT DT who can stuff the run, but I am not running the team. Give us till next year and we will be playoff bound.
num num num nummmm the packers are coming!
On paper we have one of the best young rosters in the league. We just needed a QB and to get some guys healthy. We have pro bowl caliber players on both sides of the ball. Agree we need DT and CB but still think we could win 8 games this season. If Cam develops into a good QB we will be in the playoffs every year. Can’t wait to see everyone eat their words!!!
Do you know how good the Panthers would be if they had a decent QB ? If Cam Newton lives up to his expectations then expect the Panthers being big contenders in the NFC.This is coming from a Eagles fan.
Didn’t know this many ppl dislike the Panthers… The panthers just can’t win with all u “critics” We keep a Top 10 RB, Top 15 DE, Top LBs, n our top S. N we get Criticized , if we had let them go we would have gotten Criticized.
branch24 says: Sep 10, 2011 11:03 AM
Didn’t know this many ppl dislike the Panthers… The panthers just can’t win with all u “critics” We keep a Top 10 RB, Top 15 DE, Top LBs, n our top S. N we get Criticized , if we had let them go we would have gotten Criticized.
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I wish I could give you a 100 thumbs up!!!
The people who dislike the Panthers are by and large people who pay attention to national media and know next to nothing about individual teams. They don’t realize that all of these players who got re-signed help the team go 12-4 just a couple years ago.
They also don’t realize how many freaking NFL records the Panthers’ RBs hold and that they now have the exact same o-line that blocked for them during that season.
Last’s years record was due to Jimmy Clausen and John Fox. Neither are factors anymore.