In case you haven't noticed, the Atlanta Falcons are having a fire sale.
And that may be good news for the Carolina Panthers.
In an effort to rebuild (start over?) under new head coach Mike Smith, the Falcons dumped 10 players, including several former starters. The most notable of those were tight end Alge Crumpler, defensive tackle Rod Coleman, quarterback Byron Leftwich and 37-year-old offensive tackle Wayne Gandy.
If you're a Panthers fan, Crumpler is the most intriguing name on that list.
A Greenville, N.C., native and former North Carolina Tar Heel, Crumpler is good friends with defensive end Julius Peppers and he would seem, at least on the surface, to be a perfect fit in Carolina. The Panthers are in need of playmakers and Crumpler would give them one at the tight end position. The Panthers have two young tight ends under contract in Jeff King and Dante Rosario, but Crumpler would be an obvious upgrade. He could also serve as a mentor. Crumpler is also said to be a great leader in the locker room, which is another plus in his favor. He also knows the NFC South well.
And remember, offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson did a lot of crowing about getting the ball to the tight end last season, although that never really worked out as well as hoped.
The only real negatives when it comes signing to Crumpler is he's 30 and he's coming off a knee injury that kept him out of a few games last season. But if the knee checks out, I can't imagine a more perfect fit. Unless Crumpler wants a ridiculous new contract, I can't imagine the Panthers won't be interested. I asked Mary Hurney about Crumpler on Friday and he was mum, at least until the move became official.
That said, it would not shock me if Crumpler visits with the Panthers over the weekend. I haven't been able to catch up with Crumpler or his agent to verify any interest from the Panthers, but this one makes just too much sense.
Crumpler, who has killed the Panthers at times, has been in the NFL seven seasons -- all with the Falcons -- and went to the Pro Bowl four times. He's caught at least three touchdowns in every season and, with the exception of last season, has remained fairly healthy throughout his career. He still managed to catch 42 balls for 444 yards with five scores last season despite starting just 10 games.
His best season came in 2006 when he caught 56 passes for 780 yards and eight touchdowns.
Obviously Crumpler would help take some of the pressure off Steve Smith in the passing game. Since Crumpler is a vested veteran, he won't have to go through waivers, which means he will be able to sign with any NFL team right away.
And why not Carolina?
WHARTON CONTRACT UPDATE: OT Travelle Wharton's contract is believed to be worth $36 million over six seasons with $19 million paid out in the first three years. Here's what I can tell you for sure -- Wharton's base salaries look like this: $600,000 (2008), $1.75 million (2009), $3.9 million (2010), $5.4 million (2011), $5.7 million (2012) and $5.9 million (2013). That's $23.2 million in base salary, meaning about $12-$13 million is bonus money.
LEWIS CONTRACT UPDATE: DT Damione Lewis also got a pretty big contract from Carolina. Although his signing bonus is not known, Lewis will receive a base salary of $730,000 in 2008 before his yearly salary jumps to $3.17 million in 2009 and $4.05 million in 2010. That's pretty good money for a so-called backup. Wouldn't be surprised if the Panthers try to move Kris Jenkins again this off-season.