The Panthers are wearing financial handcuffs this offseason because of their habit of giving big extensions to their own players during Marty Hurney’s run as the team’s general manager and now they’ll have to decide whether to wade into those waters again under Dave Gettleman.
Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer reports that defensive end Greg Hardy’s agent Drew Rosenhaus has approached the team about a contract extension for his client. Hardy is entering the final year of the deal he signed after being a sixth-round pick in 2010 and stands to make $1.35 million as a result of escalators in the deal.
After compiling seven sacks in his first two seasons, Hardy broke out in 2012 with 11 sacks off the edge for the Panthers. That would seem to be a good time to go hunting for a new deal, but two factors will likely be conspiring against Hardy.
The first is that defensive ends are having a hard time cashing in for big money around the league, something that would seem to argue against handing a big deal to a guy coming off his first good season. The other is that, as mentioned, the Panthers are hard up against the cap and a new deal for Hardy isn’t likely to bring them any immediate cap relief.
With the franchise tag in their back pocket on top of those other factors, it seems like a real long shot that Hardy will get an extension in the near future.