Looking into Carolina Panthers' rookie extension candidates and what they might get

Brian Burns - Carolina Panthers OLB

This is the most pressing priority above all else. The Carolina Panthers have to resolve their situation with Brian Burns satisfactorily. Dan Morgan has a chance to stamp a statement of intent on his tenure. The complications will be severe if the contract dispute isn't handled with conviction.

Burns waited patiently for a new deal last summer. It didn't arrive thanks to incompetent mismanagement from the higher-ups. The edge rusher was visibly frustrated when discussing the matter throughout the season. Simply put, it's a situation that should have been avoided.

As previously mentioned, Morgan won't be following his predecessors in allowing valuable contributors in their prime to leave the Panthers. There needs to be more continuity on the playing side. Allowing Burns to walk in free agency won't enter the new front-office leader's thought process.

Just how much the Panthers are willing to pay Burns is another matter. His representatives had a number in mind that was different from what was offered previously. A down year statistically is unlikely to change that given the former first-round pick is still just 25 years old.

Burns wants his name to be among the highest-paid pass-rushers around the league. He hasn't reached the truly elite category just yet, but somewhere in the region of $25-30 million per season will be the bracket for good or bad. However, all signs point to the player being franchise-tagged in the coming weeks.