GROSS SIGNS HIS TENDER

[Fire Wade]

Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Jordan Gross, the team’s franchise player for 2008, has accepted his one-year tender.

As a result, Gross will earn a fully-guaranteed, one-year salary of $7.455 million.

The Panthers can try to sign Gross to a long-term deal. If they choose to use the franchise tag on him again in 2009, his one-year salary will be at least $8.946 million.

“We’ve tried [in the past] to get a deal done, but we haven’t been able to get it done,” G.M. Marty Hurney said, according to CarolinaGrowl.com. ”So right now he has a one-year deal and we’ll go from there.”

Two interior offensive linemen who were restricted free agents also signed their one-year tenders. Geoff Hangartner will earn $1.47 million in 2008, and Evan Mathis will make $927,000. Their contracts are not guaranteed.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/category/rumor-mill/

[RaidenDAWG2]

They really should try to lock him up now. He's been solid for them for years, and he's versatile enough to play either side of the line.

I personally think he's been better when he's on the right, but that could just be me.

-RD

[ThomasTomasz]

Originally Posted by RaidenDAWG2

They really should try to lock him up now. He's been solid for them for years, and he's versatile enough to play either side of the line.

I personally think he's been better when he's on the right, but that could just be me.

-RD

It might not be possible. They are up close on the cap as it is, and they just gave Wharton a huge deal. Peppers will be up for one next off-season, so the Panthers might just be looking at keeping Gross for another season and trying to win this year, and letting him walk afterwards.

If it has to come down to choosing either Peppers or Gross, which it very well might, I'm going to have to go with Peppers.