NFL Notes: Las Vegas, Chargers, Raiders, & Panthers

Las Vegas

Ron Reese, a senior vice president at the Las Vegas Sands Corp, says that Raiders owner Mark Davis is “serious” about relocating the franchise to Las Vegas.

“Mark Davis has been to Las Vegas a half-dozen times the last six or eight weeks,”  Reese said on Thursday, via USA Today. “The Raiders are serious about it.”

Reese mentioned Sheldon Adelson, the CEO and chairman of Sands, is making a “major investment” by leading the effort to build a 65,000-seat domed stadium that will cost around $1.4 billion.

“It’s a major investment,” Reese said. “The NFL has expressed a strong desire for a public-private partnership. Our organization is taking the lead, working with the Raiders to create public-private support for this.”

A source with knowledge of the dynamics in Nevada tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Nevada governor Brian Sandoval and other politicians are strongly opposed to the proposed $750 million public contribution, and are instead looking to have this figure reduced by $200 million or more.

Florio mentions that this situation will likely boil down to how much Nevada wants an NFL team, and whether $550 million in public contributions will be enough to convince the Raiders or possibly even the Chargers to consider moving their franchise.

Interestingly enough, Florio writes that the recent hurdles with a downtown stadium in San Diego could give Nevada an opportunity to pit the Raiders and Chargers against each other while sticking by their $550 million contribution.

Panthers

Panthers veteran LB Thomas Davis said he’s confident they’ll be able to lock up DT Kwann Short to a long-term extension at some point.

“The way the league is right now (salaries) are slotted for players. You’re expected to get a certain (number) based on what you’ve done and what the guys before you have done,” Davis said, via the Charlotte Observer. “So I’m pretty sure that Mr. Gettleman is a smart man, and he’s proven that. And I’m pretty sure they’ll come to an agreement and he’ll get something worked out. He knows how valuable KK Short is to our football team.

“As players we understand that this thing is a business. We understand that Mr. Gettleman has a job to do,” Davis said. “But at the same time, KK’s agent (Joel Segal), he has a job to do as well. He’s representing his client. And you’ve just got to let it take care of itself. As players we’re responsible for going out and playing at the highest level and playing at the best of our ability.”