HEADLINES

Byron Bell

Panthers Notes: FAs, Newton, Hardy, Carter

January 13th, 2015 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to the media today, Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman indicated that his team will have a little more flexibility to spend in free agency this offseason, likening last year’s approach to FAs to shopping “in the dollar store,” writes Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. However, while the GM said Carolina may “move up in class” in 2015’s free agent market, that came with a caveat: “I said we’re going to move up in class, I didn’t say we’re going to go out and spend big money on a player.”

Let’s round up a few more Panthers-related items…

  • According to Person, Gettleman didn’t sound particularly enamored of Byron Bell‘s play at left tackle in 2014, suggesting that could be a position the team looks to improve: “Byron showed flashes. It’s about consistency. I give him a little bit of the benefit of the doubt, it was his first year playing there. But I think we’ve shown if a player shows up that we think is going to make us better, we’re going to go get him.”
  • Gettleman referred to Cam Newton as the Panthers’ franchise quarterback and wants to lock him up with a long-term contract, but declined to go into any details on extension discussions between the two sides, says Person.
  • Gettlemen also shot down any speculation on Greg Hardy‘s situation, saying there’s nothing to discuss until his domestic violence trial is adjudicated. Asked whether a player’s history of domestic violence would dissuade the Panthers from signing him, Gettleman conceded, “It would be something that you’d have to really think about.”
  • CFL receiver Duron Carter has a visit to the Panthers on his schedule for Wednesday, and could still visit the 49ers, Browns, and Titans after that, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. We heard last week that the Vikings are the frontrunners for Cris Carter’s son, with the Colts strongly in the mix as well.

 

NFC Links: Lions, Panthers, Vikings

October 4th, 2014 at 9:31am CST by Ben Levine

You can be assured that Eagles cornerback Bradley Fletcher has had this weekend’s matchup against the Rams circled on his calendar. After all, the former third-rounder was not re-signed by the team, and the 28-year-old instead joined the Eagles on a two-year, $5.25MM contract. Even though his former team didn’t put up much of an effort towards retaining him, Fletcher isn’t worked up about the ordeal. Via Bob Grotz of The Trentonian…

“It will be good to see them again,” Fletcher said. “I look forward to the competition of the game. I look forward to going against them. But at the end of the day it’s another football game to me. I look at it as another game to get a ‘W’ and another game to put ourselves in a better position going forward in the season. I don’t really look at it as … I don’t really have a whole lot to say as far as talking to them.”

“The decision I made to come here to Philadelphia is the right decision. I’m happy to be here. It’s a great organization and I’m enjoying it. I look forward to this Sunday. It will be cool to play the team I started out with but this was where I want to be.”

Let’s take a look at what else is happening around the NFC…

  • With LaAdrian Waddle on his way back from injury, the Lions likely won’t be pursuing a free agent offensive tackle, writes ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein.
  • The handling of the Steve Smith situation will not have any impact on negotiations between the Panthers and future free agents, writes ESPN.com’s David Newton.
  • Considering how long it takes to acclimate a new player into a team’s system, Newton doesn’t believe the Panthers will pursue an offensive lineman to replace Byron Bell.
  • Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway continues to recover from a broken hand and three broken ribs, but he’s still trying his best to contribute to the team. “Just trying to help them out with stuff I’m seeing,” Greenway said (via Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN Radio). “Formations, communications I’m hearing and trying to get the information to those guys and do what I can.” 

NFC South Links: Bell, Griffin, Robinson

August 9th, 2014 at 9:48pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Panthers‘ offensive line had a poor showing in their first preseason game, getting dominated by the Bills’ defensive line, writes Tom Sorenson of the Charlotte Observer. Granted, the team was without their top two running backs, the unit was unable to open holes for their running game. The offensive line was one of the biggest questions heading into 2014, especially without finding a legitimate replacement for Jordan Gross, who retired unexpectedly this offseason.

Here are some other links from around the NFC South:

  • Byron Bell filled in at left tackle for the Panthers and did not allow any sacks, but has not locked himself into the starting job just yet, writes David Newton of ESPN.com. Nate Chandler, who took the position on the second team, did give up a sack fumble, and the depth for the unit is not good.
  • The Saints might have found a long-term backup to Drew Brees in second year man Ryan Griffin out of Tulane, writes Chris Wessling of NFL’s Around the League (via Twitter). Ian Rapoport reports that the Saints agree with Wessling’s assesment (via Twitter).
  • Patrick Robinson is holding on to the Saints‘ second starting cornerback job, after a strong showing against the Rams, writes Larry Holder of NOLA.com. Corey White is entrenched as the nickel corner, and with Champ Bailey struggling with injury and second-round pick Stanley Jean-Baptiste struggling with performance, it has become Robinson’s job to lose.
  • The Falcons are getting safety Dwight Lowery and linebacker Pat Angerer back from concussion, reports Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, as part of his training camp report.

OTA Previews: Panthers, Bears, Seahawks

May 26th, 2014 at 8:51pm CST by Rory Parks

It’s the calm before the storm tonight, as most teams are set to begin OTAs either tomorrow or Wednesday. Given that, let’s take a quick look at some of the main storylines to follow as we inch ever closer to training camp:

Byron Bell Signs Tender

May 5th, 2014 at 4:33pm CST by Rob DiRe

Offensive tackle Byron Bell has signed his restricted-free agent tender with the Panthers, reports Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer. It is a second-round tender, and will be worth $2.187MM.

The Panthers are in need of a starting left tackle since stalwart Jordan Gross retired earlier this offseason, and Person writes that some in the Panthers’ organization believe Bell could fill in to protect Cam Newton‘s blind side.

Bell played on the right side for his first three NFL seasons. Now that Bell is officially under contract, the Seahawks’ Doug Baldwin is the final restricted-free agent yet to sign.

No Offer Sheets For Doug Baldwin, Byron Bell

May 2nd, 2014 at 7:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Today’s afternoon deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets came and went without any news on wide receiver Doug Baldwin or offensive lineman Byron Bell, the only two remaining RFAs. As such, Baldwin should return to Seattle and Bell should return to Carolina for the 2014 season. Baldwin and Bell received $2.187MM tenders from their respective teams, so they can either accept and sign those offers, or try to negotiate longer-term deals.

Offer sheets from prospective suitors needed to be finalized by today in order to give the Seahawks and Panthers five days before the draft to decide whether to match or pass on those offers. If a rival team had signed Baldwin to an offer sheet, for instance, and the Seahawks decided to let him go, they would have been entitled to a 2014 second-round pick from that club as compensation.

I explained restricted free agency in more detail in a PFR Glossary entry this morning.

Panthers Notes: Bell, Draft, Receivers

April 29th, 2014 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Panthers will be an intriguing team to watch in next week’s draft, considering the club lost a handful of notable contributors this offseason to retirement or free agency. A good or bad draft could be the difference between Carolina continuing to build on last year’s success or falling back to the middle of the pack in the NFC. Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer has a number of notes on the team, including several tidbits from general manager Dave Gettleman. Let’s check out the highlights (all links go to Person’s Twitter)….

  • May 2 is the deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets, so resolution on tackle Byron Bell‘s contract situation should be coming soon. The Panthers tendered Bell at the second-round level ($2.187MM), but could lock him up to a longer-term deal.
  • While the Panthers brought in 26 players for pre-draft visits, the team’s draft board is “not even remotely closed to being finished,” according to Gettleman.
  • Gettleman identified left tackle and wide receiver as two of the Panthers’ top needs heading into the draft, and raved about the depth of those positions in this year’s draft class. The GM has given nine or 10 wideouts and offensive tackles first-round grades.
  • Gettleman also indicated that cornerback is a position of need for the team.
  • Despite the fact that it’s not one of the team’s top areas of focus, if there’s an impact defensive tackle or end available, the Panthers won’t shy away from drafting that player, says Gettleman.
  • Noting that one of the main takeaways of Gettleman’s comments was how much he loves the receivers in this draft, Person points out that the Panthers’ offseason has been shaped by that fact. If the club thinks it can land a solid wideout or two in the draft, its decision to let its top four 2013 receivers walk makes more sense.

NFC Notes: Smith, Cowboys, Seahawks, Bell

April 13th, 2014 at 8:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was arrested this afternoon at Los Angeles International Airport following an incident where he allegedly falsely indicated that he possessed a bomb, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. The episode reflects poorly not only on a Niners team that has dealt with several off-the-field issues over the past month (the Colin Kaepernick investigation and the Chris Culliver arrest), but also on Smith himself, who has been embroiled in personal struggles over the past year, including missing five games last season while spending time in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility.

This incident could have implications on Smith’s future with the 49ers: as ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson points out, the team has not decided whether to pick up the fifth-year option they hold on Smith. If San Francisco decides that the young edge rusher’s personal issues make him too difficult to trust, they could opt to decline the option, estimated to be worth more than $9MM. The deadline to decide on the option is May 3.

Other news from the NFC:

  • Rainer Sabin of the Dallas Morning News examines the Cowboys draft strategy regarding developmental quarterbacks, and wonders why the team hasn’t copied the strategy of the Patriots and Packers and drafted an heir apparent to Tony Romo.
  • The Seahawks might look ahead to 2015 needs rather than simply draft to fill immediate positional vacancies in the upcoming draft, writes Andy Benoit of the MMQB.com. Seahawks general manager John Schneider is a forward-thinking executive, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him eschew a pressing receiver need in favor of stockpiling defensive talent.
  • Byron Bell is expected to slide from right to left tackle for the Panthers, helping to replace the void created by Jordan Gross‘ retirement, according to David Newton of ESPN.com. Bell was below-average last season according to Pro Football Focus (-2.8 grade), but both Gross and coach Ron Rivera think Bell should be much improved in 2014. Additionally, Carolina’s tight cap situation meant they couldn’t sign a free agent left tackle, and the premier options in the draft likely won’t last until pick No. 28, so Bell looks to be the team’s only option.

Contract Tenders: Monday

March 10th, 2014 at 5:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys punter Chris Jones signed his exclusive rights tender of $645K, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. The move locks down Dallas’ punter situation but eats up about $150K of the ~$2MM salary cap space the club had to work with. Jones averaged 45 yards per punt in his first full season with the Cowboys. The latest contract tenders from around the NFL..

  • Restricted free agent tackle Byron Bell has received a second-round tender worth $2.187MM from the Panthers, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). The club also tendered exclusive rights free agent Chris Scott, tweets ESPN.com’s David Newton.
  • The Chargers have only two exclusive rights free agents in linebacker Bront Bird and guard Stephen Schilling and they won’t be tendering either one, tweets Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego.
  • Jets linebacker Nick Bellore got the low restricted free agent tender, a source tells ESPN’s Adam Caplan (on Twitter). Bellore led Gang Green in special teams kickoff tackles last season.
  • The Ravens won’t extend an RFA tender to wide receiver Tandon Doss, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team could still bring Doss back on a smaller deal though.
  • Lions wide receiver Kris Durham confirmed via Twitter that he inked his tender with the club. Durham, a fourth-round pick in 2011, became a more significant part of the Lions’ offense in 2013, racking up 38 receptions, 490 receiving yards, and a pair of touchdowns while starting 13 games. He didn’t perform well based on Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), which ranked him 109th out of 111 qualified receivers, but he’s still just 25 years old, and may not be relied upon for quite as large a role in 2014 if the team adds a receiver or two.
  • Joe Morgan and Jed Collins won’t receive RFA tenders from the Saints, but the club still has interest in re-signing the two free agents, says Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune.
  • The Rams won’t tender tight end Mike McNeill, who was eligible for restricted free agency, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  • Linebacker Justin Hickman has signed his ERFA tender from the Colts, according to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.