Lucas Remains in Carolina, Though Perhaps Temporarily

Cornerback Ken Lucas remained in Carolina last night despite a last-minute offer with the Detroit Lions that would have assured the aging player more than $11 million over the next two seasons. Directly preceding the free agency that started this morning, the Panthers agreed to trade Lucas to the Lions in a deal that would give Carolina more than $2.37 million in salary cap relief, also bringing the prospect of a draft pick or two for the team in return for Lucas. Before the deal could be made, however, Lucas struck it down, (understandably) not wanting to play for a team that went 0-16 in its last season.

Lucas’ rejection of joining the Lions means the cornerback is still a Panther, but it certainly doesn’t mean he will remain with Carolina into next season. The trading period started today, so there’s still plenty of time for the Panthers and Lucas to come up with a deal that will either keep, trade or release him. While much of the NFL is abuzz today with free agent deals, the Panthers are expected to lay low, still overwhelmed with salary cap issues and surely not being able to afford players like former Tennessee Titan Albert Haynesworth, who just went to the Redskins in a $100 million deal.

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Hackett, Goings, Bridges Cut by Panthers

Some very distinct faces of the Carolina Panthers including D.J. Hackett, Nick Goings and Jeremy Bridges will no longer be seen in Charlotte. Like waning lights in a harbor, these three players have had their last hurrah with the Panthers, all cut yesterday to clear salary-cap space before free agency begins. These cuts save the team more than $4 million as Carolina tries to scrape under the $123 million cap before the free agency tomorrow.

Wide receiver Hackett was plagued with injuries in the 2008 season and quickly fell behind both Muhsin Muhammad and Dwayne Jarrett, seeing diminishing playing time on the field. Goings, a Panther since 2001 when he signed as an undrafted free agent, has been a versatile figure for Carolina but ultimately couldn’t cut it, and offensive lineman Bridges was likely cut due to his bad reputation and run-ins with the law, which caused him to miss games last season. Bridges was convicted of assault in the 2007 season after being arrested and accused of pointing a gun at a woman outside a strip club, and in 2008 the lineman missed a game after being arrested for a disturbance at a restaurant.

While already making three significant moves, the Panthers might not be done yet. The team recently restructured contracts of both cornerback Chris Gamble and linebacker Landon Johnson, and cornerback Ken Lucas could possibly be the next player on the chopping block.

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No Deal for Jake Delhomme?

The last anyone saw of Jake Delhomme geared up in Panthers attire was on that terrible day of his 34th birthday, when the Carolina quarterback threw six interceptions in an embarrassing loss to Arizona in the NFC divisional playoff game. Speculation has lately been stirring about Julius Peppers and Jordan Gross, but what will come of Jake Delhomme in the upcoming seasons?

Delhomme is now in the final year of his contract, but the Panthers have yet to make big moves either way in keeping or dismissing the aging QB. Delhomme’s $5.235 million base salary is the second-highest on the team, and with the Panthers trying to trim down numbers under their salary cap this season, perhaps Delhomme’s numbers are about to shrink. Although coach John Fox has already backed Delhomme’s performance in the playoffs and has said that the QB will return for next season, it is yet unclear whether or not Delhomme will sign a contract extension after this season. A likely alternative for the future of Delhomme would be for the team to restructure his contract, freeing up cap room. This would also mean that Delhomme would be given a contract extension, but nothing further has been discussed yet.

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Panthers Court Allen

Roger Allen has been forced to sit out of this week’s 2009 Combine because of a hernia, but the standout Division II college player is not sweating the injury too much, knowing he has already lined up interviews with the Carolina Panthers and the Dallas Cowboys in the meantime. Allen, one of the most decorated offensive linemen to come out of Missouri Western State University, has been tearing it up as a senior for the Griffons and is now looking to the pros, as he was invited to participate in this year’s Combine.

Both the Panthers and the Cowboys are two of the leading teams courting Allen as the NFL Draft approaches, and both teams have invited the O-lineman to in-depth interviews with head coaches, o-line coaches, GM and scouts. Roger Allen is expected to be drafted between the fourth and sixth rounds of April’s draft, or would likely be signed as a free agent in the case that he is not drafted. Even though Allen is sitting out of the Combine, he is still interviewing with several teams and is expected to gear up for Missouri’s pro day on March 19 and Missouri Western’s on April 2. Will Roger Allen suit up in Panther blue next season? Stay tuned to find out!

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Inside the Gross Deal

With all the frenzied media speculation surrounding defensive end Julius Peppers and his antics in leaving Carolina, some of the pressure has been taken off offensive tackle Jordan Gross, who just signed a very crucial deal that will put him back in Panther blue for the upcoming NFL season. The Panthers ran the Gross deal very close to the wire, finally settling last Thursday on a six-year contract extension that will make this offensive lineman one of the highest-paid players in the league in the position.

Jordan Gross has been one of the most consistent Panthers to storm the field since his induction to the team six years ago, playing in 84 consecutive regular-season games before missing his first one last season, when Kansas City linebacker Michael Boley unintentionally hit Gross in the helmet with his knee in Week 5 of the regular season and caused a concussion. Gross went on this year to become the first offensive lineman for the Panthers to be selected to the Pro Bowl since Mike Wahle in 2006, making his first Pro Bowl appearance in Honolulu. Before he was drafted as a first round (and eighth overall) draft pick for the Carolina Panthers in 2003, Gross made waves as a standout lineman for the Utah Utes in his collegiate career.

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Panthers Slap Franchise Tag on Peppers

The Carolina Panthers locked down some crucial last-minute moves yesterday, placing the franchise tag on defensive end Julius Peppers after reaching an agreement for a contract extension with left tackle Jordan Gross. The chain reaction started with Gross, who signed s six-year deal worth more than $30 million in his first three seasons, becoming one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the league. After securing the All-Pro tackle, the Panthers next went after Peppers, franchising him just moments after the Gross deal went through. Placing the franchise tag on Julius Peppers was nothing unexpected for the team, which now could trade Peppers and get something (or someone) in return.

Peppers’ agent Carl Carey came out with a written statement after the deal, saying, “Julius was expecting to be franchised. We will continue to work toward a resolution that is in line with his professional goals.” Because Peppers is now wrapped up in a non-exclusive franchise tag, he will be offered a one-year deal of $16.7 million. He can still ask for offers from other teams, but in return for his trade to another team, the Panthers will demand two first-round draft picks from the team signing him. Stay tuned to follow the Peppers story as it continues unraveling!

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Satisfying Peppers Isn’t Easy

Make no mistake - Julius Peppers still wants out of Carolina. He’s made it clear, however, that he’s only doing it under his own terms. Peppers has spent the last few weeks strategizing his exit from Charlotte, and now the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end has complicated his situation further, naming just four NFL teams he would be willing to play for should he be traded by the Panthers. Peppers allegedly has agreed to play for either the Dallas Cowboys or three other unnamed teams, two of which are in the NFC. This cramps the Panthers’ developing plan for Peppers even more, as the DE wouldn’t likely agree on a trade to any other team but these unnamed four.

Realistically, it will be hard to determine whether or not Peppers could become a Dallas Cowboy next season, as the Panthers would likely want to trade Peppers to an AFC team rather than a fellow NFC team. Also, the Panthers will seek a first-round draft pick in return for his trade, and the Cowboys do not have a first-round pick this year. This narrows down the field even more for where Julius Peppers will end up once it’s all said and done, so stay tuned for the next chapter in the Peppers saga.

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Shell Retires in Midst of Layoffs

It’s been a rough week for the Carolina Panthers, as the team has made 20 personnel cuts and has seen longtime director of player development Donnie Shell announce his retirement this week. Shell’s retirement from the Panthers has nothing to do with the several layoffs the NFL team is putting in place, but it does put a damper on the mood in Charlotte.

In his playing days, Donnie Shell got his start playing at South Carolina State and was even inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1998. In the NFL, Shell was a 13-year Pittsburgh Steeler and member of the team’s famed “Steel Curtain” defense in the 1970s, retiring from playing in 1987 before joining the Panthers as part of the team’s community relations expansion project, eventually growing into the director of player personnel, where he contributed his energy for 15 years.

Shell’s retirement comes the same day the Panthers announced cuts for 20 employees, stating economic turmoil in the NFL as a main reason for the layoffs. The Panthers will continue mulling over money issues this week as the team tries negotiating a contract with Jordan Gross while also trying to accommodate Julius Peppers.

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The Peppers/Gross Situation

It’s coming down to the wire, but all is not said and done when it comes to two of the Panthers’ best players, defensive end  Julius Peppers and offensive tackle Jordan Gross. Ideally, the Panthers would like to have both Peppers and Gross return for next year’s season, but with Peppers already requesting his departure from Carolina, that is not likely to happen. The Panthers have just one franchise tag to use in the next few days, and it’s looking like that will go to Julius Peppers while the Panthers negotiate a deal to keep Gross in Carolina blue for next season.

Peppers has already said that if he does get slapped with the franchise tag, he will request a trade. While Peppers does not have all the say when it comes to who he’ll be playing for next year, the all-star player did recently say that “if it was my decision, this is what I would do: Jordan Gross has come and stated that he wants to sign an extension with the Panthers. We’ve got one player who says he does and one player that says he wants to move on and try something different. If I was in that situation, I would try to accommodate the guy that wants to be there, number one priority.” Coach Peppers, you may be right; the Panthers are said to be close to making a deal with Gross, who is expected to walk away with a contract of close to $9 million a year (the second-highest contract for an offensive lineman, behind Dolphins OT Jake Long.)

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Baker Named Defensive Line Coach

The Carolina Panthers have fulfilled their roster of defensive coaches for the 2009 season, as the team’s newest addition was announced on Friday. Brian Baker, who has spent the last three years as a coach for the St. Louis Rams, has officially accepted a position as defensive line coach of the Panthers for the 2009 season, taking the place of Sal Sunseri, who left Carolina last month to take a job as assistant head coach/linebackers coach at the University of Alabama.

Baker comes to Carolina as a defensive coach for the Panthers after serving as a defensive assistant for the Minnesota Vikings, Detroit Lions, San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Rams, having coached defensive giants such as Kevin Williams, Robert Porcher and Luther Elliss since his arrival into the NFL as a coach in 1996. Before he joined the pros, Brian Baker was a coach at both University of Maryland from 1984-1985 and Georgia Tech from 1987-1995. In his college career, Baker played outside linebacker for Maryland from 1981-1983.
Baker joins Carolina’s newest selections Ron Meeks (defensive coordinator), Richard Smith (linebackers coach) and Ron Milus (defensive backs coach) on the Panthers’ defensive side.

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