More comments from the Carolina Panthers as they checked-in Wednesday for the start of training camp.
General manager Dave Gettleman
On contract talks with DT Kawann Short:
"You're in conversation, and as long as you're in conversation, something good can happen."
On if he feels the Panthers are the team to beat in the NFC:
"It's the old story; you always want to beat the king. Right now, we're going to have to strap it on every week."
On why he was wearing his 2015 NFC Championship ring:
"Because I think it's important that all understand what we all accomplished last year and that we didn't quite get it done. So a little bittersweet."
On bringing back the majority of the coaching staff:
"It's huge. That kind of continuity is just so important. Why is football so difficult? It's because you have 63 players and there are so many moving parts. Well, look at your coaching staff. You've got 17 coaches, and that's a ton of moving parts. I mean, I'm shocked. I'm absolutely shocked that we lost nobody. And I'm very selfishly thrilled."
Head coach Ron Rivera
On his thoughts heading into training camp:
"My feeling is we're the hunted. We're where a lot of people want to be."
On if he's confident the team can get an extension done with Short:
"I'm confident that we're going to try."
On why the return of most starters doesn't guarantee anything:
"You still have to work on and develop that rapport because what we're going to have in that locker room is going to be vastly different. We have to make sure we create the 2016 version. You can't use the 2015 version; it ain't going to work."
FB Mike Tolbert
On his approach to training camp:
"I go out every day like somebody's trying to take my job, and it just so happens somebody is trying to take my job. So I'm going out with the expectation that I gotta work ... I'll be ready. Trust me."
On if the Panthers are the favorite in the NFC:
"I don't see why we wouldn't be."
On S Kurt Coleman's 3-year extension:
"That's my guy. I think he might take us to dinner tonight."
On Short's negotiations:
"Man, that's going to be a tough one. Goodness. It's part of it, but he's a hell of a player and things will work out best."
TE Greg Olsen
On losing to the Broncos in the Super Bowl:
"They played better than us that day. The NFL comes down to that. We don't get the best-of-seven series. I think anybody in the Panthers world would've loved to have run it back and start over, but that's not how football works. We had one shot, we missed our shot. The nice thing is we're zero and zero right now and we've got another run at it."
DT Kawann Short
On if he's uncomfortable with being in the spotlight during negotiations:
"It's a good uncomfortable. You want to be in this position, but you also want to get things done. It's going to take time and I'm patient."
On his situation compared to former cornerback Josh Norman's last year:
"That's a whole different guy, that's a whole different character. I can't really put myself in his shoes and what he went through. Everybody's different."
LB Shaq Thompson
On getting over the Super Bowl loss:
"We turned the page when we had the little ceremony when we got our rings. That's over and done with. Last season's done. It's out. This is a new beginning, new year, new season."