Talks Ongoing For Panthers, Thomas Davis
Before his surprise firing, Dave Gettleman engaged in extension talks with Thomas Davis‘ camp. The new Panthers regime led by Marty Hurney has been in place just over a week, but negotiations have apparently picked up again. The linebacker told reporters on Wednesday morning that talks are “ongoing,” (Twitter link via Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer). 
[RELATED: Tight End Greg Olsen Changes Course]
Tight end Greg Olsen backed off from his contract demands on Tuesday, citing a desire to avoid further distractions for Carolina. Davis’ situation is a bit different, however, since he has only one year to go versus the two years left on Olsen’s pact. Davis’ relationship with Hurney may help his cause, though the interim GM has promised to focus on analytics over emotion going forward.
Davis, 34, started in all 16 games last season and led all Panthers defenders in snaps. He proved that he has plenty of good football left as he tallied 106 tackles, three interceptions, two fumble recoveries, and a touchdown.
Davis’ current deal calls for an $8.25MM cap hit in 2017.
Panthers Sign WR Trevor Graham
The Panthers have signed free agent wide receiver Trevor Graham, the club announced Monday. Graham, an ex-third-round pick of the Bills, formerly went by the first name T.J., but has since reverted to his given name. Carolina also signed center Greg Van Roten, waived/injured wideout Charles Johnson, and waived defensive end Ryan Delaire with a failed physical designation.
Graham, who turns 28 years old later this week, is now the 13th receiver on Carolina’s roster, and if he makes the club, it will likely be because of his speed. A track athlete while at North Carolina State, Graham averaged 27 receptions and 342 yards during his first two years in the league (both with Buffalo), but hasn’t contributed on offense since.
While Graham’s skillset seemingly should make him a solid return man in the kicking game, that’s not a role he’s been asked to play throughout his NFL career. He’s returned just seven kickoffs during his time in the league, and has never returned a punt. In fact, in his two seasons with the Bills, Graham played only three total special teams snaps.
As such, it will be difficult for Graham to earn a spot on the Panthers’ roster unless he carves out a role as a deep threat à la Ted Ginn Jr. Given that Kelvin Benjamin, Devin Funchess, Russell Shepard are locks to make Carolina’s squad, Graham will be competing with the likes of Damiere Byrd, Brenton Bersin, and Kaelin Clay for reps during training camp.
Johnson — not to be confused with his former defensive end teammate of the same name — won’t be part of that receiver group, as he’s been cut following right knee surgery. He’ll go through waivers but won’t be claimed due to his injury, so he’ll revert to the Panthers’ injured reserve list. At that point, Carolina could agree to an injury settlement with the former Viking in order to clear him from IR. Johnson, 28, signed a one-year deal with a maximum value of $2.2MM earlier this offseason.
Delaire, meanwhile, played 139 defensive snaps for the Panthers a season ago in between two separate stints on injured reserve. In six games, Delaire managed five tackles, one sack, and one pass defensed.
Greg Olsen Says He’ll Play Out Contract
Panthers tight end Greg Olsen was hoping to have his deal reworked this offseason and even intimated that he might sit out during training camp to get what he wanted. On Tuesday morning, Olsen said he’s changing course. He’ll instead play out his contract so as to not cause further distraction to the team, the tight end tells Tiffany Blackmon of the NFL Network (on Twitter). 
[RELATED: Panthers TE Greg Olsen Won’t Hold Out]
It’s not uncommon for players to back off of holdout threats, but it’s rare that a player will entirely abandon his pursuit of a better contract at the same time. Apparently, Olsen does not want to rock the boat in Carolina days after the team fired Dave Gettleman and brought back Marty Hurney to serve as interim GM.
Olsen was facing an uphill battle in trying to get his deal reworked with two years to go, but he also had a compelling case to make. His three-year, $22.5MM extension signed prior to the 2015 season was a reasonable deal at the time, but it now seems drastically under market for a player coming off of a third consecutive Pro Bowl nod.
With another quality season, Olsen and the Panthers can be expected to discuss an extension that will allow him to end his career in Carolina. In the interim, Olsen will put his contract qualms aside and focus on football.
Panthers TE Greg Olsen Won’t Hold Out
The Panthers are set to report to training camp tomorrow, and Greg Olsen will reportedly be among the attendants. According to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer, the Pro Bowl tight end will not be holding out and is planning on reporting to Wofford College.
Olsen has been one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL over the past several years, and he recently became the only player at his position to post three consecutive 1,00o-yard seasons. Despite this production, the 32-year-old will be relatively underpaid, as he’s set to earn base salaries of $6.5MM over the next two seasons (along with a $10.35MM cap hit in 2017 and $9.75MM cap hit in 2018).
Olsen recently discussed his contract situation, and he didn’t reject the possibility of a hold out. Agent Drew Rosenhaus echoed this sentiment, but he cautioned that players shouldn’t “exercise” their “leverage” unless it’s necessary. The Panthers have seen plenty of front office turnover this offseason, but it sounds like the changes will have little impact on negotiations. Olsen made it clear that talks with former general manager Dave Gettleman were never contentious, although some tend to think that negotiations with interim general manager Marty Hurney may lead to a quick agreement.
The Panthers might be inclined to extend the tight end instead of reworking the final two years of his contract. This would provide the organization with additional control over the tight end’s upcoming cap hits, and it’d also let Olsen earn some extra cash.
Panthers Fire Executive Mark Koncz
After the Panthers fired GM Dave Gettleman, there was speculation that longtime pro personnel director Mark Koncz could be the man to take over. Now, Koncz also finds himself out of work after being fired by interim GM Marty Hurney, sources tell Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer.
Koncz, 50, started with the Panthers as an intern in the ticket office in 1994. He became the team’s pro scouting director in 2000 and he was just promoted to his latest role in May. Besides Gettleman, Koncz joins a list of executives who have departed the organization this offseason. Former president Danny Morrison left the team back in February, and Brandon Beane later went to Buffalo to become the Bills general manager. Despite all of the turnover, a report from earlier this month indicated that owner Jerry Richardson remains high on coach Ron Rivera.
If Gettleman lands a GM job in the next offseason cycle, it’s a good bet that Koncz could follow him. In the meantime, Koncz finds himself on the unemployment line at an awkward time on the NFL calendar.
Details On Dave Gettleman's Firing
Dave Gettleman‘s ouster as the Panthers general manager stands as this week’s most shocking NFL story, and Joe Person and Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer detail some of the reasons behind his firing. Gettleman’s “brusque management style” and his reshaping of Carolina’s roster after its 15-1, NFC-winning campaign in 2015 contributed to his demise, with his decision to rescind cornerback Josh Norman‘s franchise tag in 2016 helping to decide his fate. Letting Norman loose on the free agent market meant allowing a No. 1-caliber corner to walk away without the club receiving compensation, and it irked some of the team’s players.
A year later, the departure of ex-assistant general manager Brandon Beane also weakened Gettleman’s grip on the GM job. Beane took over as Buffalo’s GM in May, which cost Gettleman the good cop to his bad cop. The loss of Beane negatively affected Gettleman’s work relationships, according to Person and Fowler, as the former “acted as a go-between among the front office, coaching staff and locker room,” the reporters explain. Former Panthers fullback Mike Tolbert, who signed with the Bills after Gettleman released him in February, confirmed that Beane was a valuable figure in Carolina. “As players we all love Beane. We all love being around him,” said Tolbert. “He’s part of the reason we did what we did. I’m happy to have him in Buffalo now, I can tell you that much.”
Panthers Sign Trai Turner To Extension
It didn’t take long for acting GM Marty Hurney to get to work. The Panthers have agreed to an extension with offensive guard Trai Turner. 
“Beyond excited today!!,” Turner tweeted. “Thank you to Mr. [Jerry] Richardson and the Panther family, I’ll be a Panther for four more years!!!”
The four-year deal is worth $45MM with $20.5MM guaranteed, a source tells ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The deal gives Turner a yearly average of $11.25MM per year and will enable him to be a free agent again at the age of 28.
Turner’s new deal gives him the third-highest yearly average of any guard in the NFL. Next year’s guard market will likely see the top guys eclipse Kevin Zeitler‘s $12MM/year average, so it’s a solid deal for the Panthers from a cap perspective. Meanwhile, Turner should be in position for another mega contract just as he enters his prime.
Turner, a former third round pick, was previously set to play out the 2017 season at a $1.931MM cap number. Presumably, the new deal will kick in starting with the 2018 season, giving him a sizable pay bump while keeping him under Panthers control through the 2021 campaign.
“Any time you’re able to secure someone like Trai, a two-time Pro Bowler and a staple of our offensive line, you’re very fortunate,” Hurney said in a statement. “The offensive line is a key to the team’s success and Trai is a very integral part of that. We’re extremely excited to have Trai under contract for the next five seasons.”
The ceiling for guards has been pushed higher thanks to recent free agent contracts inked by Zeitler (five years, $60MM) and Kelechi Osemele (five years, $58.5MM). Guards like Joel Bitonio (five years, $51.2MM), David DeCastro (five years, $50MM), Kyle Long (four years, $40MM), and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (five years, $42.4MM) also did their part by signing lucrative extensions with their respective teams.
Turner, 24, has started in every possible game over the last two years, earning back-to-back Pro Bowl nods. The advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus only gave him a so-so 72.2 overall score last season, placing him as just the 38th best guard in the NFL, but the Panthers believe he’s a much better player than that. In 2015, PFF rated Turner as one of the very best guards in the league.
Graham Gano On Roster Bubble
- Panthers kicker Graham Gano is on the bubble thanks to the addition of seventh-round pick Harrison Butker, David Newton of ESPN.com writes. The selection of the Georgia Tech product was the first time the Panthers have ever drafted a place kicker and it’s a sign that they could be moving on from the veteran. Gano missed several big kicks last season and converted on just 78.9% of his attempts.
Panthers Release Michael Oher
Michael Oher has been released by the Panthers with a failed physical designation, the team announced. The move has been anticipated for some time. 
The reason for Oher’s failed physical has not been released, but odds are that Oher was cut due to complications stemming from the brain trauma he has suffered as of late. When considering Oher’s concussion history and erratic off-the-field behavior, it’s clear that Oher has bigger fish to fry before he worries about resurrecting his football career. It’s worth noting that Oher has been in the league’s concussion protocol since September, and no player has ever been in protocol this long and managed to return to live action.
By cutting Oher, the Panthers will save $1.69MM against the cap. Meanwhile, Oher will qualify for injury compensation.
In 2015, Oher appeared in all 16 regular season games for the Panthers graded out as a top-30 offensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. The Panthers rewarded him with a three-year, $21.6MM extension, but that deal has not worked out for Carolina. He was sidelines after three games in 2016 and formally placed on IR around Thanksgiving.
Panthers Notes: Olsen, Gettleman, Hurney
Despite what Marty Hurney says, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer isn’t convinced that he’ll leave after one year if the Panthers wind up making the playoffs. Of course, if the Panthers fall flat and finish with a losing record again, it’s likely that the team follows through on the plan to hire a successor.
- Panthers tight end Greg Olsen says contract talks with Dave Gettleman were never contentious and he doesn’t believe that Gettleman’s negotiations with him or Thomas Davis were tipping points in his standing with the team (Twitter links via Person). Olsen added that he never had a problem with Gettleman and says he respects the fact that he stuck to his guns in contract dealings. Some believe that Olsen is more likely to get the revised deal that he is seeking now that Hurney is in charge. For what it’s worth, Hurney says he is going to be more practical and less emotional in his second stint running the Panthers.