Don Gregory Not A Candidate For Bills GM
- Even if Doug Whaley is forced out as the Bills‘ general manager, Panthers director of player personnel Don Gregory is not expected to be a candidate for the position in Buffalo, Vic Carrucci of the Buffalo News tweets. Last week, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tossed out Gregory’s name in relation to a possible Bills vacancy, but the CBS scribe was likely speculating rather than reporting. On paper, Gregory could make sense for the Buffalo position given his ties to Bills head coach Sean McDermott, who was the Panthers’ defensive coordinator from 2011-16.
Panthers Interested In Forrest Lamp
Offensive lineman Forrest Lamp is starting to look like a Round 1 lock, according to Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com. Lamp, a Western Kentucky product, will likely play guard in the NFL after playing tackle in college, but he offers versatility that intrigues clubs, as he could slide to the blindside or even to center if needed. The Packers and Vikings both have interest in Lamp, per Pauline, as do the Seahawks. The Falcons, Panthers, and Titans have all put Lamp through a workout, reports Pauline.
Panthers Meet With David Njoku
- Miami tight end David Njoku visited with the Panthers, as Njoku told the Rich Eisen Show (video link) earlier this week. Njoku, who registered 43 receptions and eight touchdowns last season, is expected to be one of two first-round picks at tight end, joining Alabama’s O.J. Howard. The Buccaneers and Giants are also reportedly eyeing Njoku, who is just 20 years old.
Gettleman: Moving Up In Draft Is "Gold"
- The Panthers essentially moved up eight spots when they dealt defensive end Kony Ealy to the Patriots, and general manager Dave Gettleman was perfectly happy with making that move. “It’s a heavy draft and it was an opportunity for us to move up. To you guys, eight spots doesn’t seem like much. But to me, it’s gold,” he said (via Conor Orr of NFL.com). “You’ve got to give up something to get something. You’re not fooling anybody anymore. There’s too much film available. We just wanted to move up and get another second-round pick. I think it gives us more flexibility.”
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Panthers Sign QB Garrett Gilbert
With Cam Newton set to have surgery, the Panthers have added another quarterback. ESPN.com’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the team has signed Garrett Gilbert.
We learned earlier this week that Newton was set to undergo surgery to repair a partially torn rotator cuff on his throwing shoulder. The former MVP is expected to miss offseason workouts, but he should be recovered for the start of training camp. Besides Newton (and Gilbert), the Panthers are currently rostering quarterbacks Derek Anderson and Joe Webb.
Gilbert, a former sixth-round pick, entered the league in 2014. The Southern Methodist product has spent time with the Rams, Patriots, Lions, Raiders, and Panthers. The 25-year-old has yet to make an appearance in a regular season contest. He was on New England’s practice squad during the 2014-15 season, so he is the owner of a Super Bowl ring.
Stewart Deal Won't Block Panthers From High RB Pick
Earlier today, the Panthers extended Jonathan Stewart through 2018, what would be an 11th year in Charlotte for the running back. However, this transaction won’t preclude the team from drafting a running back high next month, GM Dave Gettleman said (via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer, on Twitter). Viewed as a landing spot for Leonard Fournette or Dalvin Cook at No. 8, Carolina won’t use Stewart’s latest agreement as a reason to avoid the position in Round 1. While the Panthers have some other needs, Stewart turned 30 this week and hasn’t played 16 games in a regular season since 2011. Taken at No. 13 in 2008, Stewart represents the most recent Panthers Round 1 running back investment.
Panthers GM: Johnson Surgery Was Surprise
- Panthers GM Dave Gettleman indicated that team didn’t know the full extent of Charles Johnson‘s back injury when they re-signed him this offseason, Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer tweets. Still, he indicated that wouldn’t have changed the team’s thinking. Johnson had back surgery earlier this week but is not expected to miss regular season time as a result.
Panthers Exercise Kelvin Benjamin’s Option
Panthers GM Dave Gettleman announced that the team has picked up Kelvin Benjamin‘s fifth-year option for 2018 (Twitter link via Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer). The option is expected to be worth roughly $8MM. 
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Benjamin, now 26, was taken No. 28 overall by the Panthers in the 2014 draft. He got off to a great start by catching 73 passes for 1,008 yards with nine touchdowns in his rookie season. Unfortunately, a torn ACL suffered in August of 2015 cost him the entire season. He returned to last year and had 63 catches for 941 yards and seven scores. The Panthers’ decision to exercise his fifth-year option was pretty much a no-brainer.
The fifth-year option allows teams to retain first round picks for an additional season at their own discretion. Per the terms of the 2011 CBA, teams can trigger the option as early as January 2 in the year of the player’s fourth season. The deadline to make the call is May 3. The options are guaranteed for injury only.
For now, Benjamin is locked in for an additional season at a below-market rate. However, it’s a good bet that the two sides will discuss a long-term extension between now and when that fifth year kicks in.
Panthers Extend RB Jonathan Stewart
The Panthers signed running back Jonathan Stewart to a one-year contract extension, the team announced Friday morning. Stewart is now under contract through the 2018 season. 
Stewart, 30, would be the Panthers’ starting running back if the season started today. When all is said and done, however, I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds himself in a timeshare with a rookie tailback. The Panthers have the No. 8 overall pick and they should have the opportunity to land a top running back like LSU’s Leonard Fournette, Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey, or Florida State’s Dalvin Cook.
Last year, Stewart had 824 yards off of 218 carries, giving him a less-than-impressive 3.8 yards per carry average He did, however, find the end zone nine times. He also added eight catches for 60 yards.
The Panthers re-signed running back Fozzy Whittaker earlier this month and they’ll also have Cameron Artis-Payne returning for another season.
Panthers Meet With Solomon Thomas
- The Panthers had a meeting with Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas on Thursday, per Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link). Thomas figures to come off the board quickly and might be gone by the time Carolina’s on the clock at No. 8.