New Deal for Gross Could Happen in June - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

Jordan Gross signed of his $7.455 million franchise tag tender on Thursday , ensuring he'll stay with the Carolina Panthers for one more season. His signing the tender this early, though, may be a sign that the long-term deal he's seeking could still happen.

Throughout most of this offseason, Gross has said expressed his desire to remain with the Panthers. However, Carolina has dragged its heels on getting Gross a long-term deal, choosing instead to sign a handful of 2nd- and 3rd-tier free agents to bolster its depth.

Perhaps that might change in June, though. When the Panthers released Dan Morgan and Mike Wahle last month, they knew the $7 million in cap space created by those cuts wouldn't come available until June 2. Perhaps Marty Hurney is waiting for that money to come available before giving Gross the deal he wants.

I suspect Gross' deal could be one of many deals the Panthers finish off in June. Don't expect Carolina to sign any of their draft picks, either, until that cap space is free for the Panthers to use.