This picture, during happier times, came during a Charlotte Observer photo shoot in Jon Beason's heyday for Carolina.
Jon Beason -- traded for a late-round draft choice?! Shipped out for a pennies on the dollar price?!
It has happened, the Panthers have confirmed -- Beason will go to the New York Giants for a late-round draft choice (what year and what draft choice has not been announced). The linebacker and former first-round draft choice (2007) has passed his physical, though, and is with the Giants.
This would have seemed inconceivable a little more than two years ago. In 2011, Beason was a cornerstone of the Panthers -- a three-time Pro Bowler already. He was Luke Kuechly before Luke Kuechly. Few blinked when general manager Marty Hurney signed him to a five-year, $51.5-million contract extension.
But now.... the sad truth is that the Panthers have been better on defense the past two years when Beason is not playing. Once Kuechly switched to middle linebacker early in the 2012 season following Beason's latest injury, they got better. Once Chase Blackburn was inserted into the starting lineup against the New York Giants in the Panthers' third game and Beason benched, the Panthers got way better, shutting out the Giants, 38-0.
Ironically, it is the 0-4 Giants who then wanted Beason, and the Panthers who were so ready to part ways with him that they will take what would have seemed like a completely lowball offer not that long ago. Not anymore, though -- that GM Dave Gettleman got anything for Beason is a bit of a surprise. Coach Ron Rivera confirmed the trade Friday afternoon, saying Beason talked to him Thursday and said he wanted to be a starter. Gettleman has yet to speak to the media about it.
In the first two games of 2013, Beason was a shadow of his former self, especially in pass coverage. He struggled to find his old speed. He missed tackles.
A torn Achilles in 2011 and knee and shoulder issues in 2012 had limited him to just five games in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and it was obvious that the knee in particular still gave Beason problems. The shoulder didn't bother him anymore -- he did make a few good stops filling holes in run defense -- but a linebacker without the ability to run is a compromised linebacker. Beason still wanted to start and wasn't happy at all that he got only one snap against the Giants, but it was hard to see the Panthers doing it any differently at that point.
As Beason, 28, told a group of us reporters in August: “The wings are never an issue. It’s the wheels that get you.”
The deal will give Carolina some salary-cap relief, but not that much given that Beason's contract (newly restructured -- he had taken a substantial pay cut already) was going to void after the 2013 season anyway. Beason had been marginalized already -- no longer a team captain and turned into a parttime player.
I will miss No.52 -- always a standup guy in the locker room.
But I also understand why Carolina traded him. He no longer was doing the team much good on the field. In a bottom-line business, Beason -- really through no fault of his own, except that his body let him down -- no longer was producing. I imagine he understands this move, too. Good luck to him in New York.
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15 comments:
If he's not very good anymore...how is it pennies on the dollar. To get the salary cap relief (for the rest of this year's salary) alone is a fair trade, and then they got a pick along with it. Chase Blackburn was nothing more than a solid average LB in NY. When a guy steps on the field and the linebacking corp looks THAT much better...you know the guy he was replacing no longer had it. GREAT trade.
good move for everyone involved. Panthers get a late draft pick for a guy they were going to cut at the end of the season anyway. Giants get a LB who when healthy is a great LB - and he is only 28. Beason gets another chance to start and a change could spark him. Most likey the Giants are hoping he can get healthy by 2014 but felt it was worth a gamble if he can't.
I agree. Better to be a team now that trades away ballast rather than signing ballast. Plenty of depth at linebacker after the we got Luke. Need to spend that money at other positions.
Sorry Scott, butt this is a fantastic move for the Panthers. Gettleman gave Beason ever opportunity redo his contract, and Beason had every right to refuse. Then, Beason was given the chance to prove he was worth the contract...and he did not live up to it.
Gettleman is making a shrewd move, one which will pay off handsomely in many ways, particularly when it pertains to the salary cap. This is never about loyalty, so get used to it, for the NFL is a business, like anything else.
Kudos, to our new GM on a job well done! Jon Beason, thanks for the memories.
I will miss Beason as much as I miss Delhomme when he left.
It was an idiotic extension in 2011, and everyone who knows football knew it. We all told you then it was stupid. He was damaged goods. The only people who "didn't blink an eye" were the eternal yes men at the Observer.
The Panthers are horrible. One win against another horrible team has changed nothing. We will struggle to win five games this season. Book it.
At least we have the Bobcats soon.
PLEASE SELL THIS TEAM TO COMPETENT MANAGEMENT/OWNERSHIP JERRY!
Hate to see him go because he's such a class guy, but Beason hasn't been able to contribute for two years and there's no indication he'll be able to in the future. Might as well get something for a player the team will cut in the offseason.
pennies on the dollar if you are comparing him to his past value. the trade is at fair value.
beason is done, good move by the panthers. nice to see the panthers not hope and pay for past performance, but rather look to the future.
Great trade by the Panthers. Not sure where the "pennies on the dollar" headline comes from. He isn't what he used to be. Based on his current play, or lack thereof, it was a good trade. He was gone next year anyway. At least our new GM got something for him. You should be praising Gettleman.
We weren't under pressure to get under the cap and giving Gettlemen a later round pick amounts to zero value I am afraid. Edmund Kugbila say's it all. 7th round value taken with the 4th round pick.
That has to be one of the worst draft picks in Panthers history. He couldn't even get fit enough to make it to the practice field. Way to ignore all the conditioning concerns by the scouts.
Good luck Jon. Always a Carolina Panther.
Luke, remember that the fickle Panther fans will very quickly turn on you and discount your worth once your replacement is identified. Best wishes to Beason who was a "beast" on defense for the Panthers!
Scott has been wrong on each game, if Arizona wins he'll be 1-3, so will the Panthers. I thnk he'll
be 0-4 and the Panthers will be 2-2. Beason was a beast, and I wish him well, but I can understand the Panthers decision. I think we win the next 4 then we'll see where we are. Go Panthers!
I think many of you are missing the point. In all honesty, compared to the Josh Freeman debacle and other issues in the NFL this is a classy move. I will miss Beason, at least the player he was. I loved how hard he played and everything.
He lost his roster spot and the front office instead of letting him rot on a roster, gave him a gracious trade to a team where he can start and play and maybe prove himself. He gets a jump on the competition instead of coming in to a team where they drafted a middle linebacker and he has to compete and maybe lose his job there too.
IF he does marginally well he can get one more decent sized payday in an era with a soft cap figure after the most recent which causes veteran players to be extremely devalued.
Don't think the rest of the league wont' notice. This is the type of thing that lets players know your organization is fair and when the time comes to part, at least they will make the effort to do right by you instead of feeding you to the wolves. I wish Beason all the best and I wish he could have spent his entire career here.
It was not meant to be, but if I ever see him in person I am buying him a beer and referring to him as a Carolina Panther.
Good luck and thanks for all the memories Beas.
Kudos to the new management team in cutting a great guy when he could no longer contribute. If only Delhomme was done the same way instead of letting him hang around 3 seasons to long, we could have had a few decent seasons there.
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