Wondering why linebacker Jon Beason is holding out of the Carolina Panthers training camp? Apparently, it has nothing to do with the amount of the contract -- and everything to do with the structure.Following a court ruling earlier this year that made it risky for teams to offer so-called second-year "option bonuses," the Panthers are refusing to offer one to Beason, said his agent, Michael Huyghue. He called it the main stumbling block between the club and Beason, who entered the third day of his holdout.
Basically, the second-year option bonus is a salary-cap relief move that has replaced the signing bonus. It allows teams to sign draft picks while putting off the cap ramifications for one year.
However, it appears the Panthers don't want to give Beason the bulk of his contract that quickly. They want to offer Beason a third-year, non-guaranteed option bonus based on incentives instead. GM Marty Hurney is adamant on this point -- just as he was in 1998 with Jason Peter, who held out for 44 days over something called "voidable clauses" -- while Huyghue claims the Panthers are negotiating in bad faith.
It would behoove the Panthers defense for Hurney and Huyghue to get this deal done soon. Na'il Diggs, who told reporters he was fighting a "ghost" for a starting job, is now fighting something more serious -- a hamstring injury. Between Diggs' hamstring and Dan Morgan's brain, this linebacking corps is a heartbeat away from being stuck with Adam Seward again. The only people who would be happy with that are Deuce McAllister and Jerious Norwood.
