NFC Notes: Cardinals, Panthers, Seahawks

Cardinals

• According to the Toronto Sports Network’s Farhan Lalji, the Cardinals are guaranteeing around $100,000 of QB Chris Streveler‘s futures contract. 

Panthers

The Panthers put out an announcement this past weekend that they and TE Greg Olsen would be “mutually” parting ways after eight seasons together. After the team officially released him Monday, Olsen said that mutual was overstating the nature of the situation. 

“I told them all along that if they wanted me back, obviously I would have been back. The mutual parting might have been a little bit overblown,” Olsen said in a radio interview on WFNZ per Alaina Getzenberg of the Charlotte Observer. “The reality is they weren’t going to bring me back at my current contract, with my age and direction of the team. That wasn’t me deciding I was gone, that was me reading the tea leaves through some stuff internally that was going on. I’ve been around long enough to see the writing on the wall.”

Olsen said he sensed the winds of change blowing as the 2019 season unfolded. Once the team made the decision to let HC Ron Rivera go, it seemed like the team would be moving toward a full rebuild. While Olsen said he would have been on board if the team wanted him around, he says he was never approached about a pay cut. 

“I try not to deal with hypotheticals. Once the conversation was set in motion, I’m not gonna sit there and beg for my job” Olsen said via the Athletic’s Joe Person. “I have respected and I totally understood the direction they were headed. I accepted that. I told Marty how much I appreciated him and appreciated what the organization has done for me. And that I’d been around the game long enough to realize sometimes things just change. And sometimes the reasons aren’t as important as much as they just do. I’ve seen it happen to a lot of guys over the years and it was my turn, and that’s just pretty much the way it is.”

In the meantime, Olsen says he’s been blown away by the amount of interest he’s received as a free agent. He’s set to visit the Bills on Wednesday and will also visit the Redskins and Seahawks at some point in the next ten days. Olsen also didn’t rule out retiring and starting what is viewed as a promising career as a broadcaster. 

“I don’t know. I think the best way to classify it right now I’m just kind of doing some due diligence,” Olsen said. “The last thing I would want is to make a rash decision to not play and go do some TV, and always kinda wonder what could’ve been? What opportunity was out there? I know in my heart I can play. I still enjoy it. But I just want to see is there that right situation out there that checks the boxes that are important to me? And a big part of that is, would it be a good situation for my family? … I don’t think any final decisions have been made one way or another. I think a lot of it depends on how things play out at these visits, how things play out as I go out and meet with these teams and gather that info.”

Seahawks

• ESPN’s Brady Henderson writes that former Panthers TE Greg Olsen would fill a big need at the position for the Seahawks.
• The Seahawks have 2019 opening day starter Will Dissly coming off an Achilles tear, while Ed Dickson is a potential cap casualty, Luke Willson is an unrestricted free agent and Jacob Hollister is a restricted free agent. 
• According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner ($10.75 million) and WR Tyler Lockett ($5.093 million) have injury guarantees that vest to full guarantees Friday. 
• The Seahawks are hopeful CB Tre Flowers can follow the career arc of his fellow CB Shaquill Griffin and improve in his third season. (Henderson)
• If Seattle elects to sign a corner in free agency, Henderson mentions Cowboys CB Byron Jones and Steelers CB Artie Burns as players with the size and length the Seahawks want in the position. 
• Henderson identifies Seahawks S Bradley McDougald as a potential cap casualty given he’s not guaranteed to keep his starting spot. 
• Henderson writes Seahawks CB Ugo Amadi will likely be the incumbent nickelback to start the 2020 season.