The latest on Carolina Panthers Brian Burns contract extension negotiation

It's a very, very busy time down at Panthers Central, and we're going to ask the old guy questions, Darren Gantt, panthers.com, at DarrenGantt with two T's on Twitter or X or whatever we're calling it these days while it still exists.

I saw your video, loved it with Shaq Thompson. He's very, very engaging, as you are, sir. But we are on Brian Burns' watch. He was absent from the walkthrough on Monday. Where do we stand in the Brian Burns contract stalemate situation right now? Well, I mean, as we sit here at this very moment talking about it, they're not out on the practice field, so nobody really knows what's going to happen today. He's here.

I know that much. I mean, here's what we know. He is in the middle of a contract negotiation with Carolina Panthers. He would like more money.

They would like to give him more money and keep him around for many, many years to come because they love and value him. Yeah, it's just about trying to find the right number. And I guess I know that in the current climate we freak out about all these things immediately as soon as they happen.

But you know me, and we kind of jokingly call it ask the old guy. But having been around when Kevin Green wanted to prove a point to Bill Foley, and so he went and signed with San Francisco for a year in 1997 and then came back, when you've seen Julius Pepper stomp his feet and say, don't tag me, and they tagged him. Trade me. No.

And he continued to play here. You understand that I think the temporal panic over a contract situation, I mean, listen, it's real. It's a thing. But at the same time, it's not, you know, I don't think every momentary crisis is eternal. So I just think that eventually they'll come to some conclusion, or they won't. Either way, I mean, Burns is under contract for this year. They can tag him a couple times next two years if they feel like it. So I'm kind of proceeding under the assumption that something will inevitably work out, or it won't, and Burns will be here for the next little bit anyway. Darren Gant is joining us.

Panthers.com. We're asking the old guy. Here's the thing that this feels like a different sort of holdout than the one that Saquon Barkley was part of with the Giants. It feels like a much more friendly holdout. I mean, he's been in meetings. He's been with the team throughout the entire process.

So now here we are, and we're just a handful of days before the opener on Sunday in Atlanta. As long as they are making some progress, do we expect him to be on the field, or does there have to be a signed contract, you think? I don't know. I mean, that's the question only Burns can answer, honestly. And I'm not trying to be flip, but that's kind of where it is. I mean, this is, you know, what he does or does not do this weekend, the decision he's going to make. I mean, there's obviously economic penalties for people who do not provide contracted services. But at the same time, I mean, we're also talking about what would be a lot of money here. So I mean, and that's why I don't want this to be perceived as I'm taking the team side of this or I'm taking the Burns side of this. I mean, both things can be true at the same time. They can want to get the best deal they want for Burns. He can want all the money he could get for as many years as he can get it.

So both those things can be true. And I just think they're still kind of working some of that stuff out. And you're asking me what he's going to do.

I don't know. I don't know if he's decided what he's going to do, but I can tell you and based on things that have happened today and for all the latest, you can read Panthers.com and read all about it. He is valued here. They want him to be a part of this thing. Frank Craig's talked all offseason about how important his leadership or is around this place. And to your point, he has shown up. He is in the building. He's he's in the weight room doing squats at the end of the day. He's an active participant in this thing.

They're just, it's a, this is a, a trouble that may pass or may, it may not. My guess, my guess is that it will pass because I don't think you can, if the reports are true and I believe them to be true, if you turn down to first round picks a year ago in a trade for Brian Burns, then your plan is to make sure that he is part of your, we'll just use a soccer term project over the long haul. And I believe Brian Burns, whether or not he's at the level of a, was it Nick Bosa? Who's also a holdout, right? Is there, you know, I don't know that he's at that level, but he is certainly an elite player in his position.

So let me ask you about the impact, reasonable conclusion because you are a reasonable person, Adam Golt. So let me, uh, is, is there any sort of a waiting game to see what Bosa is doing and from base, based on what you could gather? Yeah. Having been around these particular real estate markets for a while, there is some degree of nobody ever wants to be the one to go first because that guy always gets a little less. Uh, you know, I mean, that's kind of the nature of the business and you know, here, here's what we know about contracts though.

The next one's always going to be bigger than the one before it. So, you know, I mean, I think it's natural for guys not to want to do it, but I've also seen this through the years. I mean, we've seen a number of players, you know, cam chancellor in Seattle a couple of years back, you know, didn't play in a couple of games and then he finally got to the point where he's like, I want to play. I mean, that's what these guys are wired to do.

So, you know, obviously withholding service is the nuclear option, but nobody knows whether he's prepared to do that or not. Darrin, get me again Sunday. Yeah, I'll ask you. I'll ask you after Sunday when Brian Burns has like three sacks and the panthers get a road win over the Falcons or doesn't either way. I know I'm being up the middle me there. I'm an internal optimist.

Not really. Uh, let me ask you about the, the overall health because that position we know, uh, Marquis Haynes is out for four weeks on still on IR. Uh, where are we defensively in terms of health and player availability? I think in terms of player availability defensively, they should be okay. I mean, the only, uh, while they had a lot of nagging type things or will short-term things coming into the regular season to me. And when we get the injury report later this afternoon at panthers.com, uh, I think my suspicion is the only thing that's a big, uh, concern is probably DJ shark and that hamstring. We'll see what he's able to do this week and where he comes on that, uh, on that injury report.

But I don't think I don't get the impression. Any of the other stuff is big. Oh my God. Is he going to play? I mean, they have laid in a lot of parts on that defense, you know, and again, obviously it's all built around burns and the pressure he's able to create, but you go get adjusted Houston to put on the other side to unlock a little bit of that stuff.

And to make another old guy reference to me, adding Justin Houston to a Brian Burns is kind of like adding a Kevin green to a Lamar Latham. I think that was already good now has the opportunity to become better because what's on the other side, you know, we know they've got a lot of talent that secondary between JC and Dante and chin and bond bill and X and those guys. So I think it's, they're in a pretty good spot now.

There are a lot of unknowns. I mean, listen, this Falcons game, based on some assumptions we make from their off season and the way they've conducted themselves in the preseason, the Falcons would like this to be a two hour and 25 minute football game. They want to run it. They want to keep it on the ground, keep that clock moving, man. So, um, and I don't know that the, anybody here necessarily finds that, but I think it'll be reasonable to wonder how the deep run defense is going to hold up going into that game.

That certainly wasn't a strength in the preseason, but you know, Frank laughed about it the other day when somebody said, we don't know what your defense is all about based on the preseason. And he said, good. Mission accomplished. So Frank Frank gets it. Yeah. There's going to be a lot of news Sunday and we don't know how it's all going to fit together. That's why we watch. It's true.

It's the greatest reality show that we have. Let me ask you one quick question about a defensive guy that they just brought in off waivers. Cornerback to Sean Johnson, who they got Steve Wilkes raved about. He is the new defensive coordinator with 49ers. He raved about this kid. He's a little undersized, but, uh, Wilkes loved his coverage ability, especially in man coverage. Uh, what are the coaches talk about with him? That is a pretty good endorsement to have one from Steve Wilkes.

That guy knows, knows about this kind of stuff. So, uh, I, I haven't had a chance to spend a lot of time watching him in practice. I think he's still new. He's a guy though, in addition to what he's going to do defensively, I think he's got an opportunity at some point this year, the factor in the return game, that's the thing. He was pretty dynamic at, at Texas and you know, we'll, we'll see how it comes together. I mean, it's kind of hard to find a chair in that cornerback room because you've got JC horn and Dante Jackson and CJ Henderson sitting in front of you and an old head and Troy Hill, who this defensive staff knows really well. So I think they wanted to find somebody who could come in and add some depth on the outside and, and we'll see how James pulls it all together, but I think he's, he's a certainly an interesting prospect. And when they made that cut to 53, you knew there was going to be some movement.

And that fourth corner was kind of a place where they were looking for some help. So we'll see how it comes together. But again, if Steve Wilk says you're okay, this, I I'll go with that. Cause Steve knows what he's talking about. All right.

Before we let you go. And I find it interesting that we are going to mirror your most recent, ask the old guy where we basically just let the first overall pick starting quarterback rookie, you know, maybe rookie of the year candidate, Bryce young, just kind of fade into the background because he has been solid and he's very, very, I mean, I don't, I I'm hesitant to insult the word vanilla, but he is really very low key, but let me ask you, will he have at his disposal on the field that Amir Smith, more set, they got from Kansas city who has almost nothing statistically to back up anybody's optimism for him, but people are at least talking up a good game for him. Yeah. I think he's a guy and just watching him in practice. I mean, he is a guy who knows what for, I mean, he's worked with some people who are pretty decent at this offense thing.

Adam Thiel and Augusta stone wrote a story about him last weekend, which feels like a hundred years ago. Uh, but feeling talked him up based on their work together in Minnesota said he knows how to run routes. He he's obviously got top end speed based on the numbers he put up in Kansas city, this preseason. So you know, he's been around some programs.

He's another guy. I think he could be returning your kicks and punts this weekend. We'll say at least the punts probably we'll see on the kickoff. So that's not really a thing anymore, but, um, he's a guy who's going to have an opportunity. And again, while they're sifting through those injuries, I mean, Leviska, Chanel cleared the concussion protocol. We'll see when we go out there on the practice field and a little bit, you know, what Chark's doing, what, uh, tears Marshall's doing that kind of thing or whether there's any new stuff that we're not aware of. So again, tune into panthers.com for the latest on all that. But yeah, I mean, he's a guy they're encouraged about the possibility. And I think that's the big thing.

I mean, you talk about Bryce, this is a season where we're going to find out some stuff that matters more in 24, 25, 26 than it does on September camp. And so, you know, listen, the Panthers record in Atlanta is what it is. Frank Rags record in the opener is what it is.

I did a little back of the envelope research last night or night before last. And you go back the last 30 years of number one pick quarterbacks who start their first game. The last one to win was a young gentleman named David, not Derek, David Carr in 2002. Gosh. I mean, Mr. Mittens, we go right to Mr. Mittens Panthers legend.

You go back 30 years to Drupal it. So the first pick in the 93 draft, there've been 11 of these young gentlemen who started that first game one, nine and one. Wow.

And only David Carr. That is the research department working overtime. Darren Gant asked the old guy for the people.

And you can see the video where he calls Shaq Thompson old on, uh, on Twitter at Darren Gant with two T's for extra talent. Thank you, man. Yeah. And there's also the other thing I would steer you to, because I'm not afraid to shamelessly plug our work here at panthers.com. We've got an extended profile of Frank Reich and the way he thinks about leadership and the way he talks to people. I think it's worth checking out. You might enjoy that too. I always do. Thank you, Darren. All right. Thank you, sir.