Carolina Panthers: Thomas Davis pushing for new contract
Thomas Davis is hoping for a new contract with the Carolina Panthers before the start of the 2017 season.
Consistent leadership comes at a premium in the NFL. As players become more established in that role, their abilities come at a price. The challenge becomes whether or not leadership in the front office agrees with paying the potential price tag to keep that player around. The Carolina Panthers and Thomas Davis are headed for such a conversation as the start of the 2017 season inches closer.
At 34 years old, Davis is an elder statesmen for this Panthers unit. The team drafted him as a project player at strong safety back in 2005, but the Georgia alum blossomed into one of the premiere linebackers in the league.
However, what has made Davis such an inspirational player is that he hasn’t let frequent injuries diminish his skills and force him out of the league. Davis is the only player to suffer three torn ACLs and return to make an impact in the league. Not only has Davis done so, but he’s continued to play well enough to remain one of the most important players on this defense.
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Davis is not only a leader on the field, but he’s taken steps to be a leader for the organization off the field as well. For example, in 2012 he restructured his deal to help the Panthers save $3.8 million dollars in cap space at a time when the team was in a crunch for money. Now, all that good will has built up to a point where the conversation shifts to whether or not the team will make a similar good faith effort toward Davis.
Back in 2015 Davis signed a two-year extension worth $18 million. He’s entering the last year of that deal and is looking to have another deal put in place before the start of the 2017 season. Davis had this to say in an interview with WFNZ:
"“It’s something for all players in the last year of their deals, especially for guys that have played the way I’ve played,” Davis said. “You’d hope it’s something that can be worked out. We’re not talking right now, but hopefully we can do something before training camp actually happens.”"
Davis is spot on when talking about his production these last few seasons. Since 2012, he’s missed only three games while earning at least 70 tackles in each one of those years. He’s producing at a level where he remains a valuable piece to this very talented Panthers linebacker group. This group is so talented that it may be time for the Panthers to turn to one of their younger players, but losing Davis and his experience would come at a steep cost.
The Panthers have nine linebackers on the roster at this time, and Davis is the only one of that group who is over the age of 30. It will be interesting to see how the team plans on dealing with this pending contract negotiation. The past, however, has shown that the Panthers are willing to work with veterans who want to make a sacrifice to stay with the team.
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Davis has taken that cut in the past and it’s hard to see it happening again at this point. Either way, Davis has proven his loyalty to this organization and his production on the field has benefited everyone involved.