Paul Soliai, Kyle Love Competing For One Spot?
- The Panthers have a plethora of options at defensive tackle, and they’re so stacked at the position that they might be forced to release a talented player, as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. Kawann Short (who is engaged in extension talks), Star Lotulelei, and first-round pick Vernon Butler are guaranteed places on the roster, meaning Paul Soliai and Kyle Love will have to compete for the final tackle spot, unless Carolina opts to keep five interior defenders. The Panthers handed Soliai $3MM fully guaranteed less than five months ago, so it would be a surprise to see him get cut loose.
Panthers, Kawann Short Talking Contract
- Unlike New Orleans and Brees, the NFC South rival Panthers and defensive tackle Kawann Short are engaged in extension talks, GM Dave Gettleman said Wednesday (via David Newton of ESPN.com). Short has expressed dissatisfaction this offseason with his current deal, one that will pay him just over $1MM in base salary in 2016, after he led the Panthers in sacks and forced fumbles last year, and ranked eighth among 123 qualifying interior defenders at Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Fellow D-line standouts like Fletcher Cox and Muhammad Wilkerson have scored sizable deals in recent weeks, and it’s fair to say the 27-year-old Short could look to those pacts as comparables for his next contract. However, while Cox and Wilkerson will average upward of $17MM a year, Gettleman wasn’t willing to go much higher than $15MM per year as of earlier this month.
Panthers, Kurt Coleman Agree To Extension
WEDNESDAY, 2:12pm: Coleman’s three-year extension is worth $17MM, a source tells Rapoport (on Twitter). The deal includes $7MM guaranteed with $6MM paid up front.
TUESDAY, 6:43pm: The Panthers and safety Kurt Coleman have agreed to a three-year extension, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Coleman will sign the deal tomorrow.
[RELATED: Charles Tillman announces retirement]
Coleman, 28, was scheduled to reach free agency next spring, so this multi-year contract will take him through the 2019 campaign. After inking a two-year deal prior to the 2015 season, Coleman was set to earn about $1.6MM during the upcoming season, but he’s now presumably in line for a substantial raise. Earlier this month, Coleman expressed hope that he and the Panthers could come to some sort of agreement.
“I respect everyone that’s involved in the process and I’m trusting that both sides are going to do what’s right and what’s fair,” Coleman said. “Honestly, it’s out of my hands. My job isn’t to negotiate. I probably wouldn’t be that good at it. My personal feelings might get (involved). I just control what I can control.”
Serving as a full-time starter for only the third time in his six-year career, Coleman posted his best season to date, starting 15 games while picking up 53 tackles and seven interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Coleman, an Ohio State alum, also posted two more picks during Carolina’s postseason run. He graded out as the league’s No. 14 safety in 2015, according to Pro Football Focus, just ahead of other playmakers like George Iloka and Will Hill.
Coleman becomes the second Panther to sign an extension this offseason, joining offensive lineman Ryan Kalil and Michael Oher, each of whom were signed through 2018.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Panthers Sign Eric Wallace, Waive Cobi Hamilton
- The Panthers signed tight end Eric Wallace and waived wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, as Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer tweets. Wallace played college basketball at Ohio State and DePaul, and then spent three years playing Australian Rules Football. A few weeks ago, the 6’6″, 260-pounder worked out for Carolina and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds, which led to today’s signing, according to a team press release.
Clayton: Kawann Short Tops 2017 FA Class
- In a class that could also feature the likes of Drew Brees, Tyrann Mathieu, Jamie Collins, Le’Veon Bell, Eric Berry and Alshon Jeffery, among other household names, the best prospective 2017 free agent is Panthers defensive lineman Kawann Short, opines John Clayton of ESPN.com (Insider required). Short has expressed dissatisfaction this offseason with his current deal, one that will pay him just over $1MM in base salary in 2016, but Clayton expects the 315-pounder to land a $100MM-plus payday next year – if the Panthers don’t franchise tag him, that is. The three-year veteran led the Panthers in sacks (11), forced three fumbles and ranked a stellar eighth among 123 qualifying interior defenders at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) last season.
Charles Tillman Will Retire With Bears
THURSDAY, 5:05pm: ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson writes that Tillman is expected to sign a ceremonial one-day contract with Chicago, allowing him to retire as a member of the Bears.
Dickerson notes that the team wants to give Tillman a “proper send-off,” although the organization still hasn’t determined how they’ll honor the cornerback.
MONDAY, 5:55pm: Veteran cornerback Charles Tillman has announced his retirement from the NFL, posting a colorful video via his Twitter account that depicts him literally hanging up his cleats. Tillman, 35, will leave the league after a 13-year career that included 12 seasons with the Bears and one campaign with the Panthers.
Tillman’s most notable time, of course, came in Chicago, where he started 152 games after being selected in the second round of the 2003 draft. “Peanut” posted 36 interceptions with the Bears, returning eight of them for touchdowns, and will finish among the top 100 defenders in the history of the NFL in terms of picks. But he was perhaps even more known for his ability to force fumbles, as he caused opponents to cough up the ball 44 times during his career, including 10 times in single season (2012).
However, injuries sapped Tillman’s effectiveness in the past few years, as he missed most of the 2013 and 2014 seasons with triceps injuries. After becoming a free agent in 2015, Tillman followed his former defensive coordinator Ron Rivera to Carolina, inking a one-year deal with the Panthers. After rebounding from past health concerns to start 12 games, Tillman suffered another devastating injury late in the year, tearing his ACL.
Even as recently as June, Tillman had expressed an interest to play in 2016, but only if he could reunite with Carolina. It’s unclear if the Panthers weren’t sold on re-signing him, or if Tillman simply decided to retire on his own, but either way, he’ll end his career after 13 spectacular seasons as a top-notch cover corner. We at PFR wish him the best in his retirement.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Kawann Short To Report To Training Camp
Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short skipped some voluntary organized team activities as he pushed for a new contract, but he won’t hold out any longer. Short, as expected, will report to training camp, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 
Even though Short was absent for part of OTAs this offseason, he reported for the Panthers’ mandatory three-day minicamp, so it’s not surprising to hear that he’ll report for training camp. Short would have been fined $76K for missing the three-day camp in June and each day of missed training camp would result in a $40K fine. Joel Corry of CBSSports.com (on Twitter) notes that if Short didn’t report at least 30 days before the first regular season game of the 2016 season, he wouldn’t get a year of service for free agency. Basically, Short would have to be crazy to be anywhere but Spartanburg, South Carolina on July 27th.
Short is likely looking for a deal similar to what fellow defensive tackle Fletcher Cox got from the Eagles this summer, but the “sense inside the building” is that Panthers GM Dave Gettleman “won’t go much further than $15MM per season.” Short, who recorded 11 sacks in 2015, is currently scheduled to count for just $1.473MM against the 2016 cap.
Still, the 27-year-old led the Panthers with 11 sacks last season and Carolina knows that the bidding for Short will get out of hand if he reaches the open market after the 2016 season. Short enjoyed a breakout season in 2015, earning his first Pro Bowl nod and starting all 16 of the Panthers’ games for the first time. The Purdue product racked up 11 sacks to go along with 55 tackles, three forced fumbles, and a pair of fumble recoveries. He also added two more sacks and a forced fumble in the postseason.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Charles Johnson Says 2016 Is Prove-It Year
- After being released and re-signed by the Panthers, defensive end Charles Johnson admits this is something of a make-or-break year. “Of course,” Johnson told Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer. “I’ve got to prove myself, right? I’m only signed to a one-year deal, so I got to go out and prove myself.” Carolina saved $8MM by cutting and re-signing Johnson earlier this year, lowering his base salary from a scheduled $11M down to $3MM. Though he played in only nine games in 2015 and posted just a single sack, Johnson was also hampered by injury, so his performance can be somewhat excused. Johnson isn’t exactly washed up, either, as he’s still under 30 years old, and averaged 11 sacks per season from 2012-14.
Panthers Sign Leonard Johnson
- The Panthers have signed cornerback Leonard Johnson and waived fellow defensive back Shaq Richardson, the club announced today. The 26-year-old Johnson spent the first three seasons of his career with the Buccaneers before joining the Patriots in 2015, and has seen significant action at slot corner throughout his time in the NFL, accruing 20 starts between Tampa Bay and New England. Carolina signed nickel cornerback Brandon Boykin earlier this year, but released him after he spent only two months or so with the team, so the Panthers could use help at inside corner. Richardson, meanwhile, was selected by the Steelers in the fifth round of the 2014 draft, but has yet to appear in an NFL contest.
Kurt Coleman Not Focusing On Contract
In his sixth NFL season, safety Kurt Coleman enjoyed something of a career renaissance with the Panthers, starting 15 games while posting seven interceptions, good for second in the NFL. With Josh Norman and Roman Harper no longer around, Coleman will be counted on to act as a veteran leader in Carolina’s secondary, and though he’s entering the final year of his contract, he’s not worried about inking a new deal.
As Roster Resource shows, the Panthers will be relying on players with little to no NFL experience in the defensive backfield. Bene Benwikere, Tre Boston, James Bradberry, and Daryl Worley are among the defenders who will need to contribute in 2016, and that lack of pedigree is one reason I pegged Carolina as a logical landing spot for free agent safety Donte Whitner.