Impact On the Panthers In Uncapped Year

A major change could be coming to the NFL this off-season. The salary cap, limiting the amount of money teams can spend on players, is set to expire.

A year without a salary cap would be a big shift in the way the NFL does business.

“It’s going to change the game,” says fan Courtney Nowlin.

Fans here say they’re worried about the impact it could have on the Panthers. Would they be able to compete in signing the big free agents?

“I think it’d make it more difficult. I don’t think we’ve got the presence nationwide that many teams do,” says Fort Mill, SC resident Jim Whitley.

Panthers broadcaster Jim Szoke says it seems like the Panthers have been preparing for an uncapped year for awhile.

“People asking why Jake Delhomme, why Chris Gamble, getting contract extensions, I think they’re trying to lock some of these guys in place,” Szoke says.

The same thing they tried to do with Julius Peppers, whose price could skyrocket out of the Panthers reach in an open market.

But NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell argues there are protections in place to keep the game competitive.

“That includes, free agency would go from four to six (years), there will be protections for players that are in playoff teams, that those teams would not be able to sign free agents,” Goodell says.

Meaning it would be harder for the rise of a “Yankees” of football, signing a steady stream of high end free agents.

Some do argue though that money isn’t everything.

“For every New York Yankees that seem to do well, although it had been a while since they won a World Series, there's a New York Mets who spend a lot of money and don't seem to make all the right decisions,” Szoke says.

Meaning its back to the basics: making smart deals and knowing team chemistry could be the key to the Panthers’ success in an uncapped year.