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Ex-Panther Beason piles on GM for poor secondary: 'It's unacceptable'

Jason Getz / USA TODAY Sports

Ex-Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason knows who to blame for his former team's disappointing 1-5 start.

General manager David Gettleman, who sent Beason to the New York Giants for a seventh-round pick in 2013, didn't feel it was necessary to invest in his secondary after a 15-1 record and a trip to the Super Bowl last year. The decisions to let All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman and veteran safety Roman Harper walk, along with the retirement of Charles Tillman have crippled the team this year, and Beason is none too impressed.

"You were primed to win. You’re not in the rebuild stage," Beason told Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer recently. "It’s unacceptable. At some point you say, well maybe you roll the dice. But it didn’t add up to a competitive season."

After releasing Bene Benwikere midseason, the Panthers are left with three rookie cornerbacks to work with. Tre Boston, who previously saw time as a rotational player, has been thrust into a consistent starting role for the first time.

Beason was particularly struck with Gettleman's decision to rescind Norman's franchise tag after the free-agency period had ended, leaving the Panthers with no opportunity to find another veteran corner. Gettleman refused to meet Norman's contract demands and let the defender go despite the tag.

"Every single player that gets franchise-tagged does not want to be tagged. And when you allow a guy to walk out of the building for nothing and you rescind the franchise tag, it doesn’t happen," Beason said. "I don’t care how disgruntled a player is. You tag them, they don’t show up during the offseason. Guess what, when it comes time for camp, they’re there. You have their services. Because that’s the business part of it. ...

"But if you don’t think he’s worth the money or whatever, and let him walk out, address it in free agency. Address it in the draft early. Get some value for him. And then don’t go out there with guys who have no experience."

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