Carolina Panthers: Kawann Short Likely to be Tagged
The Carolina Panthers may have tipped their hand to their intentions to franchise Kawann Short.
The Carolina Panthers and Dave Gettleman have been about saving the money. Today, Coach Ron Rivera shared the probable result of that cash saving bent. Rivera told ESPN’s NFL Insiders that the Panthers were likely to use the franchise tag on Kawann Short this upcoming season.
Short is coming off of his rookie deal and he has proven to be a big player in the team’s plans for the future. The market is pushing contracts for defensive lineman of high caliber towards the $17 million a year at the lower end. The franchise tag for Short will be closer to $13.5 million, almost four million in cap room less.
The Panthers have somewhere near fifty million in cap room to spend. Just franchising Short will bring them down to thirty-five or thirty-six million. That will be the remaining money available to sign draft picks, re-sign free agents, and sign new potential new free agents.
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The Panthers are of course taking a risk that the market for defensive tackles does not get jacked up in the year that Short is franchised. That would be particularly bad since Star Lotulelei will come off his rookie deal next summer as well. That may set up a situation where the team cannot keep them both.
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As far as Short is concerned, he told reporters at the end of the season that he would handle playing under the franchise tag according to reports by ESPN’s David Newton. He reminded people that he was not Josh Norman and did not intend for his situation to end up like Norman’s did last year. Norman ended up having his franchise tag offer rescinded.
Norman is a reminder that the franchise tag is no guarantee things get worked out. Von Miller sat out of training camp until the Broncos paid him what he was worth. Hopefully Short will not choose such tactics and the Panthers can return to their winning ways next season.