Carolina Panthers

Panthers' GM on offseason: We'll stay patient, stick with the plan

Published Feb. 12, 2016 11:01 a.m. ET

foxsports

Carolina Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman has no interest in deviating from the philosophy that has got him here.

Gettleman preaches patience for those fans who want the NFC champions to be spenders in free agency this offseason.

Via Black And Blue Review:

"With my 30-year meteoric rise, I've learned to be patient," Gettleman said. "If you have a philosophy that you believe in, and I know people are impatient, but ... you have to be patient."

Josh Norman, Mike Remmers, Roman Harper and Brad Nortman are the four full-time starters set to become free agents. With an estimated $17.4 million in cap space -- a number that will rise with the new league year -- the Panthers will focus on re-signing their own free agents. They will also allocate cap space for the future when the rookie contracts run out for core players like Kawann Short and Star Lotulelei -- they will become free agents in 2017.

"We're going to do everything we can to keep our core together, I mean, you'd have to be an idiot not to," Gettleman said before adding, "Tough decisions have to be made. We're going to do the best we can to keep this team together. We've got a lot of really good, young players and we don't want to develop players for other teams."

Gettleman reiterated his three-pronged approach for building a roster, and that should give the fans more insight into how the Panthers will attack the draft and free agency.

"We've gone through the process, and three years later, here we are at the mountain top, but not at the peak. The style of the game may change, but there are three truths in football — you have to run it, you have to stop the run, and you have to rush the passer. The way you do that is with big people and our philosophy won't change."

With an excellent core already in place, the Panthers will continue to build their roster in Gettleman's image. That process has gotten them this far.