The Washington Post On David Tepper
David Tepper may have been a minority owner of the Steelers before purchasing the Panthers for a league-record $2.275 billion, but he does not exactly fit the mold of your prototypical NFL owner. In a fascinating piece on the self-made billionaire, Kent Babb of the Washington Post describes how the enigmatic, unpolished Tepper could clash with the majority of the league’s straightlaced owners, and he wonders whether the league will ultimately change Tepper, or if Tepper might change the league. One way or another, Babb’s piece is worth a read.
NFL Owners "Dreamt" Panthers Would Sell For $3 Billion
- Some NFL owners “dreamt” that the Panthers would sell for $3 billion, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Instead, the Panthers sold to Dave Tepper for $2.275 billion. Breer notes that if the Broncos, who have faced recent controversy surrounding their ownership, were to go up for sale it wouldn’t be “unrealistic” for them to get $3 billion. The value of NFL franchises continues to skyrocket, and the fact that some owners thought the Panthers might get $3 billion shows there’s no sign of the increase slowing down.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/31/2018
Here are today’s minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Retired: FB Austin Ramesh
Carolina Panthers
- Waived: OT Zach Banner
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: Jordan Smallwood
- Waived/Injured: Davon Grayson
Derek Anderson Bids Farewell To Panthers
It appears the Panthers and quarterback Derek Anderson are going their separate ways. On Wednesday, Anderson wished farewell to the Panthers organization and its fans. 
“I appreciated my time with the Panthers more than any of you know,” Anderson tweeted. “Charlotte is where our family started and grew to 5! So much love! I came to you guys when I needed you more than you needed me. Nothing but love for all my teammates and coaches that made me a better person! Can’t forget all of the great Panther fans as well and the many great memories our family will carry with us forever.”
It’s not immediately clear whether Anderson, who turns 35 in a couple of weeks, will look to continue his career. We haven’t heard Anderson’s name much in recent months, except for when Panthers GM Marty Hurney left the door open to his return in April. However, recent comments from head coach Ron Rivera suggested the Panthers would not be adding another player to the backup QB competition.
Anderson has 76 career NFL appearances under his belt, but he has not seen consistent action since his 2010 campaign with the Cardinals. He is best known for leading the 2007 Browns to a 10-5 record in 15 starts and serving as Cam Newton‘s backup for the last seven years.
Panthers Unlikely To Sign QB?
The Panthers don’t have a ton of name recognition behind starter Cam Newton, but head coach Ron Rivera doesn’t seem too worried. On Tuesday morning, Rivera told reporters that he believes the team’s backup quarterback will come from the group presently in-house (Twitter link via Bill Voth of the team website). 
Aside from Newton, the only other signal callers on Carolina’s roster are Garrett Gilbert, Taylor Heinicke, and undrafted rookie Kyle Allen. Combined, they have thrown exactly one NFL pass. That attempt belongs to Heinicke, who threw one pass for the Texans in relief of T.J. Yates against the Steelers in December. On the second drive of his career, Heinicke suffered a head injury and had to be taken off of the field.
Taken at face value, this may mean that veteran Derek Anderson will not be rejoining the team in 2018. Prior to the draft, GM Marty Hurney said the team was in talks with the veteran, but coaches are apparently warming up to the younger options already in-house. Anderson, 35 in June, has 76 career NFL games to his credit, though he has not seen consistent action since his 2010 season with the Cardinals. For the last seven years, he has serve as Newton’s understudy.
Newton has missed just three games in his seven NFL seasons, which could help explain the Panthers’ lack of emphasis on the No. 2 QB position. Still, it’s surprising that they would not seek a more experienced option in the event of an injury.
C.J. Anderson Asked For 1-Year Deal
C.J. Anderson seemed surprised he didn’t see better offers after the Broncos released him. The Panthers signed the sixth-year veteran to a one-year, $1.75MM deal that comes with a $500K signing bonus. While Anderson was making much more with the Broncos the past two years, Denver didn’t do him any favors by cutting him so late into free agency. However, Anderson asked for a one-year deal for the purposes of re-entering free agency in 2019.
NFL Approves David Tepper’s Panthers Purchase
No surprise here. On Tuesday, NFL owners voted to approve hedge fund manager David Tepper as the new owner of the Panthers.
Tepper is no stranger to the NFL community thanks to his time as a minority owner of the Steelers, so his approval at the Atlanta meetings was viewed as a mere formality. Between now and the finalization of his purchase – which is expected to take place in July – he’ll sell his 5% stake in the Steelers.
Tepper is paying $2.2 billion in cash for the club, plus another $75MM in deferred payment, bringing the total purchase price to a league record $2.275 billion. Tepper’s bid may not have been the highest of the bunch as there have been rumblings of bids in the $2.5 billion range.
The transaction sets a new watermark for the league and bodes well for future club values as television rights are expected to increase. The country’s relaxation of sports gambling laws should also aid the league’s growth and the next owner to sell his franchise could conceivably receive $2.5 billion.
The sale to Tepper also allows the league to quickly move on from the Jerry Richardson scandal of 2017. On Tuesday, Richardson will give a farewell address to his colleagues.
No "Surprises" Expected With Panthers Sale
- The Panthers sale to David Tepper is expected to go through without “any surprises,” Houston Texans owner Bob McNair told ESPN’s David Newton. Tepper needs 24 votes — 23 with the absence of former Panthers GM Jerry Richardson — on Tuesday when the 31 NFL owners convene. Richardson is unlikely to attend, but nothing has been set in stone.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/21/18
We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DT Ashaad Mabry
- Waived: OT Korren Kirven
- Signed: TE Jason Vander Laan
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: G Damien Mama
- Waived: OL Jarron Jones
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers: WR Chris Lacy (from Patriots)
- Waived: CB Josh Okonye
Green Bay Packers
- Placed on Reserve/Retired list: DT Filipo Mokofisi
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: DT Chunky Clements
Ben Navarro Made Highest Panthers Bid
David Tepper‘s $2.275 billion Panthers purchase price was not the high bid during this process. Albert Breer of SI.com reports Ben Navarro‘s bid came in closer to Jerry Richardson‘s desired $2.6 billion price. But NFL owners had long preferred Tepper, a part-owner of the Steelers, to Navarro. Richardson wanted the team to go to a Carolinian, and Navarro is a Charleston, S.C., native. However, Tepper was able to make his bid mostly in cash, whereas Navarro had to bring in partners some in the league’s power structure found unsatisfactory. The NFL “didn’t trust his money,” Breer writes, paving the way for Tepper. A credit card company mogul, Navarro encountered scrutiny from other owners, to the point he had to hire a PR firm to navigate obstacles during this high-profile pursuit. Additionally, fellow bidder Michael Rubin assembled a group of potential buyers that turned off some owners, Breer reports.
- Tepper will try to run the Panthers like the Steelers; he’s unlikely to change Carolina’s football operations at this point. In preparation for this entrance into the franchise-ownership game, Tepper consulted Steelers GM Kevin Colbert and VP of football and business administration Omar Khan about Panthers GM Marty Hurney and HC Ron Rivera. And Breer reports the Pittsburgh execs were staunch supporters of both Carolina decision-makers.