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Clock's ticking, with update
Submitted by Darin on Mon, 2008-07-21 05:57.
Sometime today, expect the Panthers to finalize deals with third-rounder Charles Godfrey and seventh-rounder Geoff Schwartz (they're close to both already), leaving them a pair of first-rounders to deal with. [Update, 1:53 p.m.: Godfrey's agent confirms deal is done, and Schwartz's said he'd be done "no later than Tuesday."]
And even though they expect RB Jonathan Stewart and RT Jeff Otah to be significant parts of a rebuilt offense, there's more to the pressure to get them into camp than the obvious.
The Panthers under GM Marty Hurney have prided themselves on getting guys into camp on time, and last year's holdout by Jon Beason stung them on a personal as well as a professional level. To make a long story short, they refused to do a deal which included option bonuses they couldn't recoup in the future, and Beason's former agent was insisting on one for a while. They ultimately came up with a structure that worked, but not before turning themselves into knots because he wasn't here. Hurney and cap guy Rob Rogers had the same hang-dog look through the entire holdout, clearly pained by the process.
That's why I expect things to go more smoothly this week with Stewart and Otah, if only to compensate for last year's mess. As the week progresses, you'll see the first round fill in (only six of the 31 are signed so far), but at this point I would be genuinely surprised if the Panthers take the field Saturday without their two top picks.
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Submitted by Darin on Mon, 2008-07-21 05:57.
Sometime today, expect the Panthers to finalize deals with third-rounder Charles Godfrey and seventh-rounder Geoff Schwartz (they're close to both already), leaving them a pair of first-rounders to deal with. [Update, 1:53 p.m.: Godfrey's agent confirms deal is done, and Schwartz's said he'd be done "no later than Tuesday."]
And even though they expect RB Jonathan Stewart and RT Jeff Otah to be significant parts of a rebuilt offense, there's more to the pressure to get them into camp than the obvious.
The Panthers under GM Marty Hurney have prided themselves on getting guys into camp on time, and last year's holdout by Jon Beason stung them on a personal as well as a professional level. To make a long story short, they refused to do a deal which included option bonuses they couldn't recoup in the future, and Beason's former agent was insisting on one for a while. They ultimately came up with a structure that worked, but not before turning themselves into knots because he wasn't here. Hurney and cap guy Rob Rogers had the same hang-dog look through the entire holdout, clearly pained by the process.
That's why I expect things to go more smoothly this week with Stewart and Otah, if only to compensate for last year's mess. As the week progresses, you'll see the first round fill in (only six of the 31 are signed so far), but at this point I would be genuinely surprised if the Panthers take the field Saturday without their two top picks.
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