Panthers DE Greg Hardy told reporters on Wednesday that he has no issues if the team elects to use their franchise tag on him this offseason, per Steve Reed.
Typically, players coming off of an incredible season are hoping to maximize their position by securing a long-term contract, but it appears as though Hardy believes things will work out in time.
Applying the franchise tag to Hardy would likely run the Panthers close to $12.6 million fully guaranteed next season. Carolina should have close to $19 million in available cap space to work with next season, but a long-term deal could cost them north of $70 million and $40 million guaranteed.
Hardy, 25, has contributed a very impressive 26 sacks to the Panthers defense in the past two seasons. He is a part of arguably the best defensive end tandem in the league that also includes Charles Johnson.
Pro Football Focus has Hardy rated as the No. 6 4-3 defensive end in 2013. We have him listed as the No. 2 player in our Top 50 Free Agents list.
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