FREE AGENCY UPDATES:

   9:58 p.m. Just found out that the Panthers are bringing in safety Marlon McCree for a visit sometime in the next few days. That, according to the San Diego Tribune. The news doesn't surprise me at all and in fact when I saw his name on the list of cuts by the Chargers I figured the Panthers would be eager to make a run at him. Can you imagine a secondary with Chris Harris and McCree? They may not be the fastest safeties, but I wouldn't want to be a receiver coming across the middle against them. McCree is just the type of tough, physical player the Panthers need. When he played here he brought a serious attitude. Harris has that same attitude, as well. By the way, the Panthers aren't the only team interested in McCree. He's also going to visit Cincy and Miami.

   8:19 p.m. Wonder if Pats fans are getting concerned over Randy Moss not yet having a deal done with New England.

   8:17 p.m. I guess it's official now, the best OG is off the market. Alan Feneca signed with the Jets.

   8:15 p.m. And, by the way, if the Panthers want to get a backup QB, they had better move soon. Already five QBs are of the market -- Todd Collins, Billy Volek, Cleo Lemon, Chris Redman and Josh McCown. The one free agent who isn't getting much pub is Marques Tuiasosopa, who the Panthers showed interest in a few years ago.

   8 p.m. OK, I'm back in the saddle. As the Panthers play the waiting game in free agency, some big names have gone off the board including CB Asante Samuel, WRs Jerry Porter and Ernest Wilford, LB Kawika Mitchell and Reggie Torbor, DT Randy Starks, C Jeff  Faine and the two best safeties in Madieu Williams and Gibril Wilson. It looks like Justin Smith, the best DE in free agency, could strike a deal with San Francisco. WR Bernard Berrian is visiting in Minnesota and RB Michael Turner is meeting with Atlanta. 

   5 p.m. Had to go coach soccer. Hey, I've got a life, too. Actually I don't. I pretty much pulled an all-nighter with the free agency stuff.

   3:30 p.m. Marty Hurney talked the media on a conference call and talked at length about the departure of Kris Jenkins. You can read the entire Q and A with Hurney in the "Panther Highlights" section of the website at the bottom of the page. Basically what I got out of it the Panthers are content to start Damione Lewis at defensive tackle. I guess that's why they gave him $14 million over three years. Also, the Panthers plan to be active in free agency, just not today. (read the related story).

   1:45 p.m. Here is what Brad Hoover had to say about re-signing with the Panthers he got a three-year deal late Thursday night. "It naturally feels great to re-sign," Hoover said on the team website. "Carolina is where I started and where I ultimately wanted to be," said Hoover, who is from Thomasville, NC, and attended Western Carolina. "I never imagined at all that I would be able to stay in one place and even play as long as I have. It was a dream come true to be able to play in my home state and now to possibly finish out my career here. It couldn't work out any better."

    1:07 p.m. OK, so the Panthers don't have a visit set up with RB Michael Turner, but here's a name to keep in mind: Mike Bell. Yes, Bell is under contract with the Denver Broncos for one more season, but it's been rumored that he can be had for a sixth or seventh-round draft pick. Bell would fit a role as a power back opposite DeAngelo Williams and would come very cheap (he's only due to make the league third-year veteran minimum of $445,000 in 2008). He ran for 677 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie in 2006 but inexplicably fell out of favor with Denver coach Mike Shanahan last year. Bell wound up playing in only five games and carried just six times for 3 yards. The Panthers could trade for Bell and still sign another running back.

   1:02 p.m. Don't be surprised if the Panthers try to sign cornerback Richard Marshall to a long-term extension, perhaps as early as next week. Marshall, a former second round draft pick, has clearly outperformed his contract with the Panthers and clearly has star potential. However, Marshall isn't getting paid like it. He is scheduled to make league-minimum base salaries of $445,000 this year and $530,000 in 2009.

   12:30 p.m. Wow, how about the Jets giving Kris Jenkins a five-year, $35 million contract with $20 million in guaranteed money?That's outrageous for a player who may be beyond his prime. But hey, more power to Jenkins if he can get that type of money. Obviously the Jets think Jenkins can return to his Pro Bowl days. He sure will be entertaining for the New York media.

   12:28 p.m. Just got word of the Muhsin Muhammad contract. Muhammad will earn a $1 million base salary this year and a $1.5 million base salary in 2009. There's no word on his signing bonus, but my guess is it's between the $1-2 million range. That's not a lot to pay a proven receiver.

   11:45 a.m. For those Carolina fans hoping that the Panthers might sign Michael Turner, the top free agent back on the market, here's some bad news for you (sorry, I know it's a Friday and all). Turner is scheduled to meet today with Carolina's NFC South rival, the Falcons. Ugh! If the Falcons sign Turner, they're likely to cut veteran Warrick Dunn and pair Turner with Jerious Norwood... The Panthers aren't likely to make a push for defensive end Justin Smith, the top player at his position in free agency. In fact, Smith is visiting with San Francisco.... The Detroit Lions have said they will not trade receiver Roy Williams, so don't expect him to be headed to Carolina. That would have been nice, huh? Also, it appears the Jaguars have signed receiver Jerry Porter.

 

  Keep checking back as I will update this site throughout the day. Steve.

 

   According to agent Jim Steiner, the Panthers have not shown any early interest in defensive end Justin Smith, the top-ranked defensive end on the free agent market. I spoke to Steiner at about 12:30 a.m. Friday -- I'm burning the midnight oil here -- and he said, "Nope, there's not any interest from Carolina." The next best defensive end out there is Antwan Odom from Tennessee, but it's beginning to sound like the Panthers might go after less expensive options at that position. A little surprising if you ask me, especially if Mike Rucker doesn't return.

   However, the Panthers will meet on Friday with lesser-known defensive lineman Tyler Brayton from the Oakland Raiders, a former first-round draft pick in 2003. Brayton can play both end and tackle. Here is what you need to know about Brayton: He has just six sacks in five seasons and lost his starting job this past season (he played 16 games as a backup) after starting 47 games over his first four seasons with the Raiders.

   Carolina already met with defensive tackle Rod Coleman on Thursday night, giving him a physical to see if he's recovered from an waterskiing accident that kept him out of most of last season. There are several teams interested in Coleman's services.

   The big news early Friday should be whether or not the Panthers have reached a trade agreement with the Jets for defensive tackle Kris Jenkins. I strongly believe this deal will get done.

    UPDATE: DeShaun Foster must have really wanted to go back to the West Coast because it seems he accepted a horrendous deal late Thursday night to sign with the San Francisco 49ers. Foster inked a two-year deal worth just $1.8 million and will serve as the backup to Frank Gore. Perhaps there was no market for Foster, but that money seems extremely low for a former starter.

  

   I've mentioned this a few times before in this blog, but to repeat...  yes, absolutely, no doubt the Panthers will look to trade three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kris Jenkins if they get the right offer. Jenkins was on the trading block last year and, quite frankly, the Panthers never really took him off of it.

   But the big question is will they get the right offer?

   Jenkins should be fairly marketable since there are very few quality defensive tackles in the free agent market. Some, like Shaun Rogers of Detroit, are available via trade. Jenkins played well enough last season to convince teams that he has fully recovered from a torn ACL in his knee.

   Here's the thing to remember in regards to this trade. Jenkins is due a $1 million roster bonus in early March (the exact date is unclear), so if the Panthers are going to deal him, they would like to do it soon and not have to take an additional $1 million cap hit. Like free agency, the NFL trading deadline opens Friday at 12:01 a.m.

   The New York Jets, Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos could be among the teams interested in trading for Jenkins.

   UPDATE: The Panthers could look at former Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Rod Coleman as a possible replacement. It's been reported that he will visit with the Panthers over the weekend.

   The Panthers unsuccessfull attempted to trade Jenkins last year but were fishing for a first- or second-round draft pick as compensation. They didn't get it. The price tag may drop this year since Jenkins wouldn't be as a big of a hit against the cap. In fact, they would actually free up more $2,955,000 under the 2008 salary cap if they trade or release him.

   So, any takers?

   Jenkins has made it clear he'd like play closer to his off-season home in the surburban Washington, D.C., area, so you have to figure the Panthers would start first with Baltimore, Washington or Philadelphia as possible suitors. But, just like last year, there is no guarantee Jenkins will be dealt. It's hard to imagine the team simply releasing him.

   If I had to guess, I'd say there's a 60 percent he'll be traded.

   UPDATE: The Panthers have tendered offers to exclusive rights free agents linebacker Brandon Jamison and safety Nate Salley, effectively keeping them with the team. The team also confirmed waht we reported a couple of days ago, that restricted free agents Geoff Hangartner, linebacker Adam Seward and tackle Evan Mathis were also tendered contract offers. Hangartner received the second-round tender of $1.47 million, while Seward and Mathis earned the low tender of $927,000.

   Just got back from the press conference at Bank of America Stadium where Muhsin Muhammad was re-introduced to the media.

   Not much has changed.

   Muhammad still looks the same, and for guy about to turn 35 he appears in great shape.

   "I think it does feel good to be back in Charlotte and to play for the Panthers," Muhammad said. "I'm looking forward to the potential that we have here and getting back on the field with Steve (Smith) and Jake (Delhomme) and getting things going."

   Muhammad said he never expected to return to Charlotte after signing a six-year contract with Chicago back in 2005.

   But now he's eager to break 10,000 yards receiving for his career and said that he hopes one day owner Jerry Richardson will construct a statue of him outside of Bank of America Stadium. But Muhammad said his first goal is to bring a Super Bowl championship to Charlotte.

   What remains unclear is where Muhammad fits in the offense.

   Unless the Panthers add a free agent receiver, he will likely head into camp as the No. 2 receiver ahead of Dwayne Jarrett. But obviously, the Panthers are hoping Jarrett can develop into a starting receiver because they view him as a long-term option.

   "Muhsin knows our team and is still familiar with anumber of our coaches and we know what he can do," head coach John Fox said in a statement. "He is a tough player who plays a physical style that we value. It's good to have him back with us."

   Muhammad said he's fine with whatever role the teams gives him.

   Oh, by the way, Muhammad will be wearing No. 87 after striking a deal with tight end Jeff King, who wore that number last season for the Panthers. Muhammad said one of the first phone calls he made upon signing was to King to ask him for the number.

   "Could you see me in anything else?" Muhammad joked.

  In his three seasons with the Bears, Muhammad, 34, started 47 of the 48 games he played and posted 164 receptions for 2,183 yards and 12 touchdowns. He registered 40 catches for 570 yards and three touchdowns last year prior to being released by Chicago on February 19. Muhammad also played in four postseason contests, including Super XL against Indianapolis.

   "It's great to have Muhsin back," general manager Marty Hurney said. "He is not only an excellent player on the field but a leader who brings a mental and physical toughness. He came into the NFL as a Panther, and we are thrilled he is back with us."

   Check back for more in a little while, folks...

 

 

 

   *The Carolina Panthers made a few minor transactions on Monday, re-signing a pair of backups -- safety C.J. Wilson and running back Alex Haynes to one-year contracts worth the league minimum of $370,000. Neither player had the freedom to move to another team since they were both exclusive rights free agents.

   *As expected, the Panthers used the low tender offer of $927,000 on restricted free agent Evan Mathis, meaning any team hoping to sign him away would need to surrender a third-round pick as compensation. Don't expect that to happen. The Panthers are expected to offer linebacker Adam Seward the same contract. He would bring a fifth-round pick as compensation. It's entirely possible that the team's only other restricted free agent, offensive lineman Geoff Hangartner, will receive the second-round tender of $1.47 million. Having to forfeit a second round pick for Hangartner would serve as a deterent for most teams. (UPDATE: On Tuesday, the Panthers did offer Hangartner the second round tender., so he likely won't be going anywhere.)

   *The Panthers did free up a little more than $1 million in cap space by restructuring the contracts of cornerback Ken Lucas and defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu, according to NFL documents. That's a sure sign both of those players will be around this season (although there was little doubt otherwise). Lucas' base salary dropped from $1.3 million to $800,000, while Kemoeatu's fell from $1.9 million to $605,000. Basically, the Panthers converted the differences into a guaranteed bonus money they can now spread over the remainder of those contracts.

   *Another candidate for a contract restructure is offensive lineman Justin Hartwig, who is due a $2.15 million base salary this season. The only players higher than him are Julius Peppers ($6.5 million), Jake Delhomme ($3.69 million) and Kris Jenkins ($2.95 million). As for Jenkins, I'm still not sold he will be back this season. He made it clear he'd like to play closer to home (Washington, D.C. area). He does have some trade value so look for the Panthers to shop him again.

   *You have to wonder if the Panthers won't look to do something with John Kasay's contract. He's due a base salary of $1.5 million this season, which is a little high for a kicker. Kasay is in the final year of his contract, so the team could look to extend him a few more years if they feel he can still play at a high level.

   *A friendly reminder: The NFL free agency signing period and the trading period begins Friday at 12:01 a.m. Look for the Panthers to be active early and try to snare two big names over the weekend.

   *There has been no movement on negotiations with free agent receiver Muhsin Muhammad. Although he wants to play in Carolina, it's clear the Panthers aren't going to overpay to sign him.

   *Running back Stephen Davis will sign a one-day contract with Carolina this week so he can retire a Panther.

   Carolina plans to sign running back Stephen Davis this week to a one-day contract allowing the Spartanburg, S.C., native to retire a Panther, according to the Rock Hill Herald. Davis, who finished up his career in St. Louis, led the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2003 when he ran for a career-high and single-season franchise-record 1,444 yards. Davis was a member of Carolina's 10-year anniversary team.

   The Carolina Panthers have made a contract offer to Dante Wesley, but it appears the veteran cornerback will explore the free agent market. Wesley's agent, Andy Simms, confirmed Monday the Panthers have offered his client a contract, but added, "It isn't exactly what we're looking for."

   Simms said he's hoping the Panthers might up the offer before Friday, but if not his client will explore the free agent market. The Panthers had planned on Wesley being thier No. 4 cornerback, but he was injured early in the year and spent the season on IR.

   Also, the Panthers have offered a contract to fullback Brad Hoover and seem to be making progress in talks with receiver Muhsin Muhammad, although nothing is imminent. It's hard to imagine too many teams having much interest in the 35-year-old Muhammad. The Panthers might be smart to wait for the price to come down. There was a report Sunday on www.profootballtalk.com -- albeit a little premature -- that Muhammad is close to signing a deal worth $1.5 million per season. At this point, nothing is done.

   The Panthers are also likely to bring back linebacker Terrance Melton, who missed all of last season after tearing up his knee in training camp. Melton has been a mainstay at the stadium this off-season while rehabbing his knee. He's also attended a bunch of team functions and was a guest at Torrence Creek Elementary School in Huntersville two weeks ago. Typically players who are on their way out won't waste their time with team-sponsored appearances.

   The Carolina Panthers interest in tight end Alge Crumpler seems to be on the decline, as they appear unwilling to get into a bidding war with six other teams. Although Crumpler seems like a natural fit for the Panthers on the surface -- the Panthers have a need at tight end and Crumpler is a North Carolina guy -- the team isn't ready to dish out the $4 million a year it might take to get him.

   Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said the team would have to give Crumpler a physical before attempting to sign him, but at this point they've made no effort to set up a visit. Basically, it sounds like the Panthers would like Crumpler, but they view him as a luxury and aren't going to overpay to sign him.

   Carolina has other needs including wide receiver, running back, defensive end and free safety.

     

   Well, this makes sense. Rather than tour the country going from city to city look for employment, free agent tight end Alge Crumpler plans to meet with any interested NFL teams this week at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

   Crumpler's knee is a big question and any team interested in signing him would first need to check him out with a very thorough medical exam. And since every team doctor and trainer is in Indianapolis, it makes sense for Crumpler to get it all over with at once.

   Along with Carolina, Crumpler said Tennessee, Tampa Bay, Green Bay, Buffalo, Detroit and Seattle have inquired about his services, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

   Don't be surprised if wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad is in the Indianapolis area as well.

   CAP MONEY: Yes, the Panthers needed to cut running back DeShaun Foster to make room for Jordan Gross getting the franchise tag on Thursday. But the Panthers will be getting some cap credit for past roster moves shortly and will pick an additional $5 million once they pick up the option on Steve Smith's contract. Without boring you death on tedious cap numbers, just know that the Panthers will have plenty of money to work with when the free agent market opens Feb. 29. Look for the Panthers to be very active as they look to upgrade their roster.

  

 

   If the Carolina Panthers are in the market for a big-time defensive end when free agency begins -- and you have to believe they are -- then they received a bit of good news over the weekend.

   The Cincinnati Bengals have decided to put the franchise tag on offensive lineman Stacy Andrews, which likely means defensive end Justin Smith will hit the free agent market. Teams are only allowed to franchise one player per season.

   In case you're not familiar with Smith's game, he's consistently been one of the league's better pass rushers and he'd be a nice fit opposite Julius Peppers.

   Smith, 28, and a seven-year NFL veteran, has at least five sacks in each of his last six seasons with 43.5 for his career. He has 466 career tackles. He's also been very durable, having missed only one game in his career.

   The Panthers are clearly in need of adding some help at defensive end.

   Other than Peppers, they have no proven weapons at that position. Although veteran Mike Rucker is an unrestricted free agent and wants to re-sign with the team, there's no guarantee the Panthers will do that. And, there is no guarantee they will want Rucker to start. The only other options currently on the roster are Stanley McClover and Charles Johnson -- and neither have proven themselves yet.

  

   Three years ago, I can remember talking to general manager Marty Hurney outside an Indianapolis hotel while covering at the NFL Scouting Combines.

   Hurney was pretty upset over the team's difficult decision to release wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad just a few hours  earlier. But he knew the team had little choice. It made no sense to pay Muhammad more than $10 million for one final year, no matter how valuable he had been. So they let him go and Chicago Bears signed Muhammad a few days later.

   It truly was a move that pained Hurney.

   But now the Panthers have a chance to bring him back. Muhammad was cut by the Bears and should be free to sign with any other team (along with ex-Falcons tight end Alge Crumpler) after 4 p.m. Tuesday when the moves become official. The league office was closed Monday for President's Day.

   Muhammad still owns a home in Charlotte and has strong connections to the area. Surely, he would love to come back and play with his buddy Steve Smith. The Panthers would probably like to have him back as a mentor to Dwayne Jarrett. But they aren't likely to overspend for Muhammad, who is getting up there in years. But he would be a nice option for Jake Delhomme given his familiarity with him.

  

    In case you haven't noticed, the Atlanta Falcons are having a fire sale.

   And that may be good news for the Carolina Panthers.

   In an effort to rebuild (start over?) under new head coach Mike Smith, the Falcons dumped 10 players, including several former starters. The most notable of those were tight end Alge Crumpler, defensive tackle Rod Coleman, quarterback Byron Leftwich and 37-year-old offensive tackle Wayne Gandy.

   If you're a Panthers fan, Crumpler is the most intriguing name on that list.

   A Greenville, N.C., native and former North Carolina Tar Heel, Crumpler is good friends with defensive end Julius Peppers and he would seem, at least on the surface, to be a perfect fit in Carolina. The Panthers are in need of playmakers and Crumpler would give them one at the tight end position. The Panthers have two young tight ends under contract in Jeff King and Dante Rosario, but Crumpler would be an obvious upgrade. He could also serve as a mentor. Crumpler is also said to be a great leader in the locker room, which is another plus in his favor. He also knows the NFC South well.

   And remember, offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson did a lot of crowing about getting the ball to the tight end last season, although that never really worked out as well as hoped.

   The only real negatives when it comes signing to Crumpler is he's 30 and he's coming off a knee injury that kept him out of a few games last season. But if the knee checks out, I can't imagine a more perfect fit. Unless Crumpler wants a ridiculous new contract, I can't imagine the Panthers won't be interested. I asked Mary Hurney about Crumpler on Friday and he was mum, at least until the move became official.

   That said, it would not shock me if Crumpler visits with the Panthers over the weekend. I haven't been able to catch up with Crumpler or his agent to verify any interest from the Panthers, but this one makes just too much sense.

   Crumpler, who has killed the Panthers at times, has been in the NFL seven seasons -- all with the Falcons -- and went to the Pro Bowl four times. He's caught at least three touchdowns in every season and, with the exception of last season, has remained fairly healthy throughout his career. He still managed to catch 42 balls for 444 yards with five scores last season despite starting just 10 games.

   His best season came in 2006 when he caught 56 passes for 780 yards and eight touchdowns.

   Obviously Crumpler would help take some of the pressure off Steve Smith in the passing game. Since Crumpler is a vested veteran, he won't have to go through waivers, which means he will be able to sign with any NFL team right away.

  And why not Carolina?

   WHARTON CONTRACT UPDATE: OT Travelle Wharton's contract is believed to be worth $36 million over six seasons with $19 million paid out in the first three years. Here's what I can tell you for sure -- Wharton's base salaries look like this: $600,000 (2008), $1.75 million (2009), $3.9 million (2010), $5.4 million (2011), $5.7 million (2012) and $5.9 million (2013). That's $23.2 million in base salary, meaning about $12-$13 million is bonus money.

   LEWIS CONTRACT UPDATE: DT Damione Lewis also got a pretty big contract from Carolina. Although his signing bonus is not known, Lewis will receive a base salary of $730,000 in 2008 before his yearly salary jumps to $3.17 million in 2009 and $4.05 million in 2010. That's pretty good money for a so-called backup. Wouldn't be surprised if the Panthers try to move Kris Jenkins again this off-season.

  

  

   My hunch, and this is just a hunch, is that the Panthers will move Travelle Wharton inside to left guard this season to take the place of Mike Wahle, who was cut earlier this week.

   I think they will look to add a top-notch tackle with their first pick (13th overall) in the NFL draft. That could mean the team will move Jordan Gross to left tackle and then have the rookie battle with Jeremy Bridges for the right tackle spot., or the rookie could just stay at left tackle if he's good enough and the team could leave Gross at right tackle. Either way, I still think Wharton ends up at guard.

   Anyway, the numbers on the Wharton deal are beginning to trickle in.

   I've not confirmed this, but Adam Schefter of the NFL Network is reporting Wharton's deal is worth $36 million over six years and includes $12 million in guaranteed money. Wharton will make $19 million in the first three years of the contract, according to the report.

   BASANEZ BACK: Quarterback Brett Basanez has signed a one-year contract with the Panthers worth $445,000, the league minimum for a player with two years of NFL experience. Basanez spent last year on injured reserve. He was an exclusive rights free agent, so he had no alternative but to re-sign with Carolina.

   Guard Mike Wahle, who was cut by Carolina earlier this week, signed a multi-year contract with the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.

   He was released for salary-cap reasons on Monday. Wahle began his career in Green Bay under Mike Holmgren in 1998. Holmgren is in his final year as Seahawks coach. Wahle figures to compete for the starting left guard spot with third-year pro Rob Sims. On Thursday, Wahle spent time with “the Afternoon Blitz” on Sirius Radio. Here’s some of what he had to say:

On being released by the Panthers: “We saw it coming from a ways away to be honest with you.  We had kind of started pushing money back a couple of years ago and figured it might come to a head this year with the size of the salary cap.  With the direction that both sides want to head in I thought this was advantageous for both sides.  I thought I had a good talk with Foxy and wished him the best of luck.  I know they just re-signed [tackle] Travelle Wharton there.  I just had a talk with him.  He's real excited.  Like I said I think the future is bright for both parties."

On the Panthers not meeting expectations in 2007 and 2008 due to injuries: “Yeah, that's definitely a fair statement.  You look at the team, you never want to use injuries as an excuse but I think that is a reality at some point.   We did have a lot of in juries the last two years, particularly losing your QB a couple of games into the season this year.  That was huge for us.  We weren't really prepared, I don't think, to deal with that loss.  We were putting in a new offense.  We had a lot of different things going on and having the QB as a source of stability was very important to us.  I don't think as a team we reacted well in a number of difficult situations.  I think you're going to see a lot of changes there and that's a big part of the reason."

On signing with Seattle: “Itell you what, Seattle is at the very top of a very short list of teams I was interested in going in and playing for.  It couldn't have worked out better.  I couldn't have scripted it any better.  They're a class organization and when you come up here and you talk to these guys you get a chance to not only talk to the administration and the coaching staff, you get to talk to some of the players.  It really made all the difference in the world.  Being familiar with the offense is certainly very helpful.  There's going to be some changes.  Obviously, Mike Solari is coming in to coach the offensive line.  I'm real excited about working with him and we're going to make some good things happen this year.”

 

   So the question Panthers fans want to know is this: Why wasn't David Carr among the Carolina Panthers cuts on Monday.

   Good question.

   I can't quite figure it out, but here are some very logical explanations:

   1. The Panthers are hoping somebody around the league didn't watch any Panthers games from last season and might offer them something in return for Carr. Good luck with that.

   2. They plan to wait until after June 1 to cut Carr so they can prorate the remainder of his signing bonus over two seasons instead of one. The Panthers already designated Dan Morgan and Mike Wahle as post-June 1 cuts and teams are only allowed to designate two. So, they may have to wait with Carr.

   3. They couldn't get in touch with Carr on Monday.

   4. They are considering keeping him (OK, maybe the Panthers didn't watch game film of Panthers games).

   Anyway, before you get too upset, Carolina fans, remember it's a long off-season and there is plenty of time to part ways with David Carr. It will happen at some point, one way or the other. It may take weeks or even months, but it will definitely happen. It makes no sense to keep a player you have no faith in.

Here is what GM Marty Hurney had to say about the decision to release Dan Morgan and Mike Wahle on Monday:

On releasing linebacker Dan Morgan and guard Mike Wahle: Obviously, this is a time of the year when we make difficult decisions, and these are certainly two of them. Dan has meant a lot to us. He’s an extremely talented player who has done everything we have asked and brought a dedication and commitment that you look for, but last year with the way things went and the emergence of Jon Beason, we felt that it was time to go in another direction. I can’t speak for Dan but I think he’s looking forward to continuing to play and maybe a change of scenery will be good, as well. You can’t say enough about Dan Morgan and how we feel about him. With Mike Wahle, again, another difficult decision. We’ve kind of decided that we’re going to change some things on our offensive line and rework that unit a little bit. Mike’s been here three years and has been very good for us. He’s a tremendous player. He made one Pro Bowl and was an alternate in another. It’s just one of those things where you make difficult decisions but you make them and move on. We did it at this time, as early as we could, for these guys’ sake and we wish both of them the best because they’ve certainly been tremendous for us. 

On if Dan Morgan’s incentive-based contract last year was a last resort: I don’t think you do anything as a last resort, but obviously we did things and Dan came back and unfortunately it didn’t work out quite like he had hoped or we had hoped with his injury. But again, like I said, I think it just came down to how things went last year and with Jon Beason coming in we just decided that now was the time to make this move.  

On if both cuts go down as post June 1 cuts: Yes.

On if the depth at guard and center influenced the decision to release Wahle: Not really. You just make decisions about which way you’re going to go and you have ideas about the makeup of certain positions and we just decided that this was the time to make this move. Obviously, having players like Ryan Kalil and some of the players we have there…certainly they’re some of the guys you look to, but I think that this was just looking at the overview of what we were going to do and we though this was the right time to make that move.

On if the team will look at Justin Hartwig at guard following this move: I don’t want to get into all the specifics. At this time of year, we work through a lot of things. I’ve said it time and again. This is a time of year that you have to be very flexible. The decisions you make down the road, you take your time and let those decisions happen and see what takes place. For now, we just made the decision that we would let Mike go today so that he would have time to go somewhere else, because he can certainly help somebody.

On if more cuts might be coming and why they weren’t made today: You’re constantly making decisions this time of year, and when they’re made, that’s when we do them and speak to the players. I can’t say that we won’t make any more decisions and I don’t necessarily want to say that we will. I think this is a time of year when things change day to day and hour to hour. You address them at the appropriate time and in the case of these two moves we did them today. 

On if the reported Damione Lewis deal is finalized: No, it’s not. We’re still working through some things there.

On if the team is close to anything else with its own players: No. We’re talking, but I wouldn’t say we’re close. But again, I don’t want to mislead. Things can change with one phone call. I don’t like the word “close” because really it’s irrelevant until it gets done. Things can change so quickly that I don’t ever want to be in a position where I tell you one thing and then something changes and you think I misled you. 

   In a story posted earlier today I mentioned the Panthers might wait until after June 1 to cut Dan Morgan so as to allow them to spread the remainder of his prorated signing bonus over the next two seasons. However, I forgot about a recent ammendment to the NFL's Collective Bargaining Agreement that allows teams to cut two players before June 1 and still treat the transaction as a post-June 1 move for salary cap purposes.

   Don't be surprised if Morgan is one of those moves.

   The team isn't likely to keep him, but they like him very much as a person and would do everything they can to allow him to catch on somewhere else and continue playing football if he so desires. And, obviously the sooner Morgan is released the better chance he has of catching on somewhere else.

   Beginning today, NFL teams can place the franchise tag on one of their soon-to-be unrestricted free agents.

   The Carolina Panthers have seldom used the unpopular tag in the past, but, as we reported near the end of last season, there's a pretty good chance they could do so this year with offensive tackle Jordan Gross. Carolina's goal is to work out a long-term deal with Gross before it gets to that, but time is running out. The free agency signing period begins Feb. 29. The Panthers have until Feb. 21 to use the tag on Gross. I would suspect they would wait unitl the final day before using the tag.

   If Gross were to sign the one-year offer he would make $7.455 million this year, which is the average salary cap figure of the top five highest-paid offensive linemen for 2007. Not bad money, but obviously he would command a much larger signing bonus (which is all guaranteed money) if he hit the free agent market. The franchise tag would basically work as a holding device for Carolina until they can re-sign Gross. Even after they use the franchise tag, the Panthers can continue to negotiate a long-term deal with Gross' agent Ethan Lock. My guess is a long-term deal will get done before the start of the season. When he does eventually sign, Gross is expected to command more than $7 million per season.

   Either way, two things are pretty certain -- 1. Gross isn't going anywhere, and 2. he's going to be a very rich man very soon.

   The bigger question, as we've said before, is what happens to Carolina's other starting offensive tackle Travelle Wharton. My guess is Wharton will explore the free agent market with Carolina's hope being -- although there are no guarantees -- that he'll give the team a chance to match any offer from another team before signing on the dotted line.

   Again, this should be just part of a very intriguing off-season.

   WHAT ABOUT CUTS: As for some fans who are wondering when the Panthers will cut some players, you should start seeing some moves beginning on Monday NFL waiver wire restarts.

   David Carr is likely to be among the cuts, but there's a chance the Panthers could wait until after June 1 to cut Dan Morgan so as to spread out the remainder of his prorated signing bonus over the next two seasons instead of swallowing the entire figure this year.

   Although running back DeShaun Foster has a high salary cap figure, I have a hard time believing the team will cut him. He's well-liked by GM Marty Hurney and coach John Fox. The Panthers could always look to trade Foster at a later date if they find another running back, perhaps one that is more of a power runner. Among those out there are Michael Turner of San Diego and Derrick Ward of the New York Giants.

   Mike Wahle is another player who could become a victim of the salary cap.

 

   Even when he was with the Carolina Panthers there was talk Dan Henning might head to Dallas where he could rejoin Bill Parcells.

    Well, a few years later, that has finally happened.

   The Miami Dolphins have hired Henning, 65, as their offensive coordinator. Here's the link to the story: http://www.miamiherald.com/616/story/406425.html

   Henning, 65, and Parcells, 66, first worked together in 1969 and were on the Florida State staff together in 1970. They were reunited with the New York Jets in 1998 and 1999, with Parcells as the head coach and Henning as quarterbacks coach. Henning was later promoted to offensive coordinator in 2000.

   In Henning's second year in Carolina, the Panthers went to Super Bowl XXXVIII behind the strength of new quarterback Jake Delhomme and running back Stephen Davis.