You can find a summary of my thoughts about the individual picks in an article I posted here on catcrave.com just yesterday or the day before along with a number of other staff writers’ analyses of it, but the more I went over things, the more I see both the short-range AND long-range strategies involved.

I’m sure I’m missing some of the more nuanced things since I’m not exactly an insider to the inner workings of the organization, but it would appear that General Manager David Gettleman and Head Coach Ron Rivera were on the same page throughout. Oh, I’m sure Rivera may have liked one guy over another somewhere, but that’s what the scouting department is for. Suffice it to say that Rivera got some much-needed help.

First of all, the shorter-range plans are obvious: the interior defensive line was a wreck going into the draft and one of the top need positions on the entire team – if not THE top need.

The near-term issues were taken well care of when Gettleman spent the team’s first TWO picks on defensive tackles. Star Lotulelei of Utah was a gift, frankly, and even if some other players were there – like say Tavon Austin – my bet is Gettleman would still have taken Lotulelei.

But it was the Kawann Short pick that told me he’s trying to turn the DT position from one of weakness to one of strength. With Dwan Edwards being the incumbent slasher/penetrater-type of tackle, and with Ron Edwards’ departure, the team really needed a run-stuffing tackle. A space-eater who commands double-teams.

What they got was that and a lot more. Star can handle the double-team and even beat it at times to make a play despite the double-team, but NFL games are long grinding slogs for linemen.

Therefore, Gettleman chose to add DT Kawann Short of Purdue with the 2nd-round choice. Short is a bit of both….he’s a run-stuffer who actually can play either spot, as can Star. Star’s talent level may be a fair amount higher, but Kawann is someone that might battle Dwan Edwards for a starting spot and should raise the level of play among ALL defensive tackles with the competition. Adding Colin Cole, an inexpensive high-upside player for the cost, could really mean the Panthers have both strong starters and little drop-off when rotating fresh bodies in when Star is tired and needs a blow.

It should also help in another area the defense had issues at last year – short-yardage and goal-line sets.

By drafting Short, Gettleman has built-in competition in perpetuity at least between Short and Lotulelei as they come in the same draft class.

The more long-range planning became apparent when I thought about the situation in the backfield when they drafted Kenjon Barner in the 6th round.

When a player is drafted in the 6th or 7th round, they’re unlikely to be thought of as starters going in, and with the talent in Carolina’s backfield, he won’t be starting anytime soon unless there’s a rash of injuries.

Nov 26, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart (28) carries the ball during the first quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Oddly enough, RB Jonathan Stewart has had issues staying healthy and spent most of 2012 riding the pine with leg injuries. Since it’s the strength of the team, the Panthers didn’t miss him all THAT much, having added FB Mike Tolbert in the offseason last year.

I think Gettleman’s setting up the organization to be more salary cap-friendly in coming years. Since Barner IS a 6th-round pick and not expected to be a big contributor early on, the team can develop him and maximize his coaching for his skill-set so when one of these huge contracts can be shed, look for Gettleman to act upon it. Who knows, Barner could be a special teams hero before the 2013 season is over with, and it leaves last year’s WR Joe Adams’ future with the Panthers in limbo.

Addin A.J. Klein gives them a linebacker who can also play special teams and play any of the 3 LB spots so he will be an important addition to the corps there from day one. As we know, probable starters Jon Beason and Thomas Davis have a lot of history of injuries and other than Jordan Senn, there’s not much depth behind them.

Klein may wind up being the first off the bench and used in different positions, depending on the plan there, but he also represents some long-term value with multiple talents he brings to the table.

It’s nice to see guys being drafted who can play multiple positions. Star Lotulelei can play DT or DE, although tackle is his best position in the 4-3. He’s added both starting talent and depth to the front-seven with several different players, giving Ron Rivera and the defense a maximum of flexibility in the sets they can use, which in turn opens up the defensive playbook as well.

By adding a young late-round running back, we’re seeing the beginning of setting up for the post-Williams and Stewart days for the Carolina Panthers, and at quite a large discount I’m sure.

THAT will help free up money next year for perhaps a good free-agent wide receiver they couldn’t land this year and possibly another one or two.

We’ve seen the worst of the cap situation and now have a GM who plans for both the long and the short term.

It took some peeling back of the onion skin, but I’m certainly not crying about what I see. Gettleman is well on his way to healing the sickly kitty that is the Carolina Panthers.

The offense has Cam. The defense just added their set of claws.

It should be an interesting 2013 NFL season for Carolina indeed!

The reason I’m asking is if you put the moves of the Carolina Panthers and Miami Dolphins next to each other, that “balance” of the scales would thud over on the Miami side like it’s filled with gold while the Panthers’ side is almost empty.

That’s because the Dolphins have been handing out the Krugerands like there’s no tomorrow…probably because their GM, Jeff Ireland, is feeling the heat and likely fears for his job if he doesn’t do his part to help the team improve. He’s put WR Mike Wallace among the top-3 highest-paid receivers in the NFL at age 24. I’m sure they’re paying him on “future production” that they HOPE will be filled with 1,000+ yard seasons and double-digit TDs since he’s the fastest WR in the NFL.

They had a top-ten scoring defense last season and hacked it up a bit too, signing not one but two linebackers to start. Dannell Ellerbe replaces an already very good MLB in Karlos Dansby, himself a free agent acquisition from the Arizona Cardinals a few years ago. Because of Dansby’s productive presence, that move certainly made me wonder. I don’t know all the dynamics, but rising second-year Head Coach Joe Philbin had the team improve last season, and that bought him some credibility.

Dec 2, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland prior to a game against the New England Patriots at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY

Ireland came into the free agent pool diving head first as a result, adding TE Dustin Keller of the New York Jets and WR Brandon Gibson from the St. Louis Rams while keeping Brian Hartline in-house. They lost TE Anthony Fasano but Keller’s a better overall player and reciver. Second-year QB Ryan Tannehill now has about every weapon he could dream of in the passing game when you consider they’ve had a top-ten slot WR in Davone Bess for his entire NFL career.

On the other end – that side of the “balance” that’s swinging empty on the other side of the Dolphins’ largess resides the Carolina Panthers.

New GM David Gettleman’s hands are tied from former GM Marty Hurney’s own largess. It’s one thing to take care of your best players, but he caught the same sickness that it would appear Jeff Ireland succumbed to. Gettleman’s feeling the results of such moves – center Ryan Kalil was made the NFL’s highest-paid center by Hurney. Fine…he’s deserving of it.

However, Hurney seemed to fall in love with certain players…especially running backs. He had signed not one, not two, but THREE (?!!??!??) backs to big multi-year contracts. He signed both DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to huge deals and that raised eyebrows around the NFL. Then, after he signed Mike Tolbert to another big contract before last season, some questioned his sanity despite Tolbert’s “hometown discount.”

Gettleman is quiet this free agency period as a result. He’s there, no doubt working hard, doing his due diligence with the upcoming rookies for the draft, but he has also been re-working contracts in order to get the Panthers beneath the $123 million salary cap figure for 2013. They were over the cap before he worked some magic, and the players, for their part, were receptive to it.

They’re professionals and aren’t stupid; they want to win, and if it means “restructuring” their contracts and/or taking a small pay cut, they’ve generally been on board. They know what’s going on. They read the internet and see the headlines on Sportscenter, etc.

As a result, Gettleman has let a few higher-priced veterans go to make room for the rookies, perhaps a couple of cheap free agents with some upsdie to them like DT Colin Cole, and is maneuvering the team’s salary situation for the future so that when a key free agent becomes available, they’ll be able to DO something about it.

Jan 5, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings (85) during the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. The Packers won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Can you imagine if the Panthers were able to afford Greg Jennings? Fans would be ecstatic.

No…David’s taking a hard-line, prudent, and disciplined approach to the situation this season. Gone are veteran CB Chris Gamble, LB James Anderson, and DT Ron Edwards.

So far, nobody has been signed to replace them and it looks like they’ll have to do so via the 2013 NFL Draft….where Gettleman faces another, albeit smaller, hurdle.

The Panthers do not have a third-round pick because of the trade-up last year to grab DE Frank Alexander out of Oklahoma. It appears he was worth the trade, but unlike the Miami Dolphins and their 5 draft choices in the first 3 rounds, the Panthers have but two…their “organic” first and second-rounders.

Gettleman knows he’s gotta get both of those right. If he can nab two quality starters in the top two picks the team has and find a gem in the latter rounds, he’ll have helped solidify the cracking foundation of the organization’s financial picture while improving the product on the field without spending a king’s ransom to do so…again, unlike the Dolphins.

If he can pull it off, he’ll actually have “shown up” fellow Miami GM Jeff Ireland while doing so with a lot more fiscal restraint.

And that would be exactly what the Carolina Panthers accounting department ordered.

With the rookie wage scale in mind, what should we be looking for in a well-done draft?

The most obvious to me is to consider trading down out of the #14 overall spot. If they stay and WR Cordorrelle Patterson is there, he might wind up being a great choice. It depends on Pro days at the various college campuses with a lot of “name” players sitting the combine out this year.

With a trade down, they swap places with the lower-ranked pick usually for multiple later ones or their second-rounder as well. The exceptionally deep draft in DL talent this year, more specifically at the DT position, means the Panthers can get a starting DT even at pick 32 overall.

The Panthers enter the 2013 draft just like they did the 2012 draft – without a 3rd-round pick. Carolina’s third round choice belongs to the Niners via the Frank Alexander trade last year. For Rivera’s sake, a similar trade this year might be in order so the Panthers could be busy dealing throughout.

Since we agree the DT area is a top priority and I mentioned Cordarrelle Patterson, the Miami Dolphins at 12 are looking heavily at free agent Mike Wallace, who is possibly going to make $13-15 million a year. He’s widely regarded as the fastest man in the NFL and the most dangerous receiver to take it for 6 after the catch simply with that speed.

October 20, 2012; Berkeley, CA, USA; California Golden Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen (21) carries the ball against Stanford Cardinal cornerback Alex Carter (25) during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

As such, he’s going to command a lot of money. It’s money the Dolphins are willing to spend with their talented young gun in QB Ryan Tannehill, and he’s a guy who can get the ball downfield to such a receiver. Tannehill has also shown a willingness to attempt those passes but his help at WR in 2012 was thin to put it kindly.

The reason I dwell on this is that it could make the option to trade down a little more difficult. The Dolphins could ink Wallace, then take WR Patterson at 12 and make the Panthers look hard at Keenan Allen from California or the other way around. If that’s the case, both teams will still be looking to draft a DT with their following pick because that looks like Miami’s other big area of need with corner possibly being up there.

However Gettleman’s strategy plays out, I’m looking for one of the top-6 or so WRs in the draft – again if they go DT-WR instead of WR-DT. That would be ideal, and the safer way this year is to go WR-DT.

If so, don’t be surprised to see Gettleman take the best WR available at 14, assuming it’s either fellow I’ve mentioned here. At this point, anyone else, aside from possibly La. Tech’s Marcus Patton, might be a bit of a reach.

After rounds 1 and 2, they have no 3rd round pick again but have one in each of the remaining rounds.

I’d look at an OG next, and some combination of TE, 2nd DT, 2nd WR, FS and/or OLB. I’m not quite sure as to the coaching staff’s confidence level of the state of the secondary, but the focus will probably be on WR, OG, and TE on offense while the interior DL needs new bodies, the OLB corps could use someone new because I think Beason’s out, and they don’t want to depend on Thomas Davis’ trick knee.

Perhaps D.J. Campbell can breathe some new life into a below-average group of safeties, but SS Charles Godfrey is capable if unspectacular while the FS position is a weakness. Campbell is the key here.

The need at WR along with the lack of a third round pick complicated with the aforementioned thin WR class makes trading down a dicey proposition if the Carolina Panthers are looking to get not just 3 starters but an heir for aging wideout Steve Smith. The priority placed upon that position depends on the thoughts on Brandon LaFell.

I thought he made some key first-down catches, but had that famous drop-six. I’d like another weapon for Cam out there, myself.

With multiple needs on defense, sometimes the path is to just outscore your opponents, and the Indianapolis Colts showed drafting heavily on offense can produce playoff dividends and that’s a tempting direction to go.

They could get a WR in the first, another or a TE in the second, a guard in the 4th, and the TE or WR they didn’t draft in the second in the 5th before they draft on defense.

If David Gettleman can get them effective and inexpensive help in free agency and pulls off a draft that nets 3 or 4 new starters on offense, the 2013 Carolina Panthers would field a top-five NFL offense.

I really hope he can pull the rabbit out of the hat.

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