Why the Panthers extended Derrick Brown

With this contract, general manager Dan Morgan, executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis, and head coach Dave Canales are drawing a line in the sand and showing every future generation of Panthers players what they want to be about.

Brown isn’t just one of their best players; he’s one who works the way they want them all to work.

So with this deal, and with the offseason program starting next week, they can point to a clear example of what they want to be about. You can say a lot of words, or you can show players action.

And whether it’s their targeted pursuit of top free agents in March, or a move the scope of this one, they can show players they’re serious about what they want to do.

Now, the next generation of young talents, and the players they’ll choose at the end of this month, will understand that the Panthers aren’t just talking when they say they want to draft and develop.

That’s important when they think about the scope of this team, and what they’re trying to move on from.