Charles Tillman Still Eyes Panthers Return
Despite a suffering a torn ACL late last year, Charles Tillman clearly enjoyed his time with the Panthers last season. He enjoyed being with the Panthers so much, in fact, that they’re the only team he’s willing to play for in 2016.
“I just want to play for Carolina,” Tillman told Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com. “That’s the only team I really want to play for. It’s a great group of men. … A great group of coaches. The front-office guys are great. To me it was no surprise they were, or we were, 17-2.”
The fumble-forcing dynamo similar comments back in February when he was on the brink of free agency. Tillman, though, is a ways away from being a serious candidate to sign with a team. Tillman is still recovering from the ACL tear he suffered in Week 17 and is about two months away from being able to partake in football activities. The 35-year-old corner says that signing with a team near the end of training camp serves as a realistic goal at this point.
“Being in Carolina felt like I had been there my entire career,” he said. “The team, the community, the atmosphere, that vibe. The Carolinas — North Carolina and South Carolina — they showed a lot of love.”
A Bears starter for 12 seasons, Tillman missed most of the 2013-14 seasons with torn triceps injuries but managed to play in 12 games for the Panthers. Carolina, however, has remade its cornerback corps after rescinding Josh Norman‘s franchise tag. The Panthers certainly have the cap room to add veterans to the mix, but the team seems intent on giving reps to young players instead.
The Panthers selected James Bradberry in the second round, Daryl Worley in the third, and Zack Sanchez in the fifth. Now, Bene Benwikere stands as the team’s only surefire veteran contributor, as Roster Resource details. In theory, the Panthers might want to consider a vet like Tillman, but there has been no indication they are interested in a reunion.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Will Fletcher Cox Extension Complicate Panthers-Kawaan Short Negotiations?
- The Eagles recently signed defensive tackle Fletcher Cox to a six-year, $103MM deal, including $55.5MM in guaranteed money. As Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer writes, this could complicate negotiations with Panthers defensive lineman Kawann Short. The 27-year-old sat out the majority of OTAs in pursuit of a new contract, although he did attend the mandatory minicamp earlier this week. For what it’s worth, Cox and Short finished with similar numbers in 2014, and Short actually rated better in Pro Football Focus’ ranking of interior defenders (subscription required).
- The Panthers certainly recognize the difficulties of finalizing a Short extension, as coach Ron Rivera indicated the other day. “I heard about that one,” he said. “(Someone) wrote that it’s going to complicate things. And it probably will. So we’ll see how things unfold.”
- After having seen a breakdown in contract talks with former Panthers (and current Redskins) cornerback Josh Norman, Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports sees similarities in the Short negotiations. While the writer doesn’t necessarily envision the team letting go of another starter, the presence of first-round pick Vernon Butler could make Short expendable.
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Panthers, Michael Oher Agree To Extension
Panthers tackle Michael Oher signed a three-year contract extension worth $21.6MM in new money, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. The deal works out to averages of $7.2MM per year with $9.5MM guaranteed. 
[RELATED: Panthers Extend Ron Rivera]
Earlier this month, the Panthers locked up center Ryan Kalil and the team didn’t take long to turn their attention to the left tackle position. Oher, for his part, had an excellent campaign in his first year with Carolina, rebounding from a down 2014 with the Titans to grade as a top-30 offensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. Helping block for one of the best running games in the league (as well as protect league MVP Cam Newton), Oher was a key factor in the Panthers ranking 12th in adjusted line yards, up from 21st in 2014.
Having recently hired Drew Rosenhaus for representation, Oher made it known that he was interested in a new deal:
“It would show that the organization believes in me,” Oher said of what a new deal would mean. “I still have to prove myself. I’m still just trying to prove myself to them and just make sure I’m one of these guys because they do it right.”
Oher was originally scheduled to count for $4.5MM on Carolina’s cap in 2016. Now that he and Kalil have secured pay raises, it’s clear that the Panthers are reallocating the money saved when the team pulled the $13.952MM franchise tag from cornerback Josh Norman. More extensions for team vets are likely on the way.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Panthers Extend Ron Rivera
5:28pm: Rivera has actually signed a completely new three-year deal worth $19.5MM, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who adds that the Panthers head coach can earn an extra $3MM via incentives. Additionally, Carolina bumped up the pay of the rest of the football staff (Twitter links).
3:13pm: The Panthers have given Ron Rivera a one-year contract extension that will pay him more than $6MM a year, a league source tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Rivera is now under contract through the 2018 season and is now among the league’s highest-paid coaches. The team has since confirmed the extension via press release. 
Rivera’s extension was actually completed earlier this offseason but the team did not announce it, Person hears. Rivera, who succeeded John Fox as the Panthers’ head coach in 2011, has posted a sub-.500 record in three of his five seasons with the team. However, his overall regular-season mark in Carolina is 47-32-1, and the team has won the NFC South three times in a row, earning the division title in 2014 despite a 7-8-1 record.
“It was an easy decision,” GM Dave Gettleman said in a statement. “Ron has worked extremely hard and we are thrilled with our current direction. Mr. Richardson has established a great culture here and Ron is a big part of that.”
Following a 2013 campaign that saw the Panthers finish 12-4 and earned Rivera AP Coach of the Year honors, Carolina locked up the coach to a three-year extension believed to be worth north of $4MM per season. The deal keeps Rivera under contract through 2017, but after this year’s NFC championship, the Panthers have extended the relationship beyond that with a pay bump.
Rivera’s contract puts him in the top 10 of the NFL’s highest-paid coaches. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll ($8MM+), Saints coach Sean Payton ($8MM), and Patriots coach Bill Belichick ($7.5MM) are the league’s highest earners. Rivera’s new salary puts him in the same ~$6MM/year group as Packers coach Mike McCarthy, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians, and Cowboys coach Jason Garrett.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Dave Gettleman On Dealing With Agents
With Josh Norman out of Carolina thanks to a contract dispute and defensive tackle Kawann Short now angling for a big-money deal, Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman fired a warning shot at player agents Wednesday. “I’d like to think agents have figured out they can’t scare me; they can’t squeeze me. I’m not going to panic. It’s a waste of time,” he defiantly told Black & Blue Review (Twitter link).
NFC Notes: Panthers, Vikings, Saints, Falcons
Panthers coach Ron Rivera admits that Fletcher Cox‘s massive new deal with the Eagles doesn’t help the Panthers’ cause in trying to lock up Kawann Short, Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review writes.
“This is the hard part right now is what’s going on in the league,” Rivera said. “I think some of these contracts are unbelievable as far as what I’m seeing and hearing.”
Word is that the Panthers may not be willing to go above $15MM/year for their standout defensive tackle. Cox, meanwhile, will average nearly $17.2MM per season on his new deal with a great deal in the way of guarantees early on in the pact.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The Vikings can’t seem to find the right counterpart for Harrison Smith at safety, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com, who lists Michael Griffin, Andrew Sendejo, Anthony Harris, Antone Exum, and Jayron Kearse as contenders for the job. Right now, there’s no word as to whether the Vikings could look out-of-house to help bolster the group. Griffin, 31, is the most experienced of the bunch by far, and given that he excels in coverage, he might be the favorite to line up opposite Smith. “One thing I try not to do, especially in OTAs where we’re not in pads, is try to jump to some kind of conclusion of who should be the starter,” said head coach Mike Zimmer of the competition. “I’ll kind of let that play out in camp.”
- Veteran defensive end Darryl Tapp tried out for the Saints on Tuesday, as Evan Woodbery of The Times Picayune tweets.
- The Falcons are trying out wide receiver Donatella Luckett, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- UDFA tight end Ben Braunecker has a real good shot to make the Bears‘ roster, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Braunecker was seen working with Chicago’s second-team offense during OTAs.
- The Bears are trying out tight end Ryan Taylor and defensive lineman Marquise Jackson, according to Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
How Fletcher Cox's Deal Affects Kawann Short, Panthers
- Denver isn’t the only team that the Cox contract could negatively affect, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). The Panthers and Jets have standout defensive linemen Kawann Short and Muhammad Wilkerson, respectively, entering contract years, and now their price tags stand to rise even higher. The Panthers aren’t bullish enough on Short to give him Cox-type money, which will make negotiations difficult, according to Cole. The Jets hold similar feelings toward Wilkerson, so the expectation is that he doesn’t have much of a future with the team. Wilkerson is currently scheduled to play this season under the non-exclusive franchise tag, though he hasn’t signed the tender yet and isn’t a lock to report to training camp.
Kawann Short Checks In With Panthers
- Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short “checked in” at the beginning of minicamp, a source tells Joe Person of the Charlotte Observe (Twitter link). Short is skipping OTAs in the hopes of landing a new contract, but with those talks reportedly on hold, Short may have thought it wise to make an appearance with the team, especially given that head coach Ron Rivera has subtlety voiced his displeasure at Short’s absence.
Panthers Won't Go Past $15MM/Season For Kawann Short?
- Kawann Short is surely hoping for Cox money, but the “sense inside the building” is that Panthers GM Dave Gettleman “won’t go much further than $15MM per season,” Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review writes. Short, who recorded 11 sacks in 2015, is currently scheduled to count for just $1.473MM against the 2016 cap.
Panthers, Lotulelei Yet To Talk Extension
- Panthers defensive tackle Star Lotulelei says the Panthers have not approached him about a long-term extension, Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer writes. However, he made it known in his own way that he wants to stay. “It’s a great organization and a great team. I’ve grown to love this place,” said Lotulelei, who had his ~$6MM fifth-year option exercised for the 2017 season. “I’m going to play as hard as I can, work as hard as I can and we’ll see what happens.”