J ust 122 days ago, Bank of America Stadium was alive. The Panthers were about to play their first postseason game in five years. Moods that morning were as bright as the sun that shone in the Carolina blue sky.

Since then: the team’s most important offensive lineman retired, their all-time best receiver was released, the franchise player had surgery, a bunch of key pieces took more money to go elsewhere, and general manager Dave Gettleman had just enough cash to buy a box of band-aids. Not even name brand. The generic kind.

With all that has seemingly gone wrong since the playoff loss to the 49ers, you can’t blame fans for wondering when the dark clouds will dissipate.

But to be fair, it’s not like all those things should be put in a “what’s gone wrong” box. Jordan Gross had enough, Steve Smith’s cord needed to be cut, Cam Newton’s ankle had to be addressed, and the cap-strapped Gettleman was forced to bargain shop through free agency again.

But then came Tuesday. News of Greg Hardy’s arrest wasn’t as much of a bombshell as it was a disappointment.

Everyone around the Panthers organization knows the defensive end can be a bit … out there. Even most fans can see through the “Kraken” craziness.

Hardy is a fascinating figure. He’s been in Carolina since 2010, and still no one truly know who he is. The Panthers’ tight financial situation wasn’t the only reason Hardy hasn’t and won’t get the long-term contract he’s looking for this offseason.

Beyond the business side, an arrest by itself would have been bad enough for Hardy and the Panthers. But allegations of domestic violence make all this more disturbing.

And this is the part where we have to say we can’t talk much about it because we don’t know what truly happened. From Colin Kaepernick last month to Jon Beason in 2009, we’ve seen plenty of cases where a professional athlete is unfairly accused. That’s not to say Hardy is necessarily innocent. We have no clue either way right now.

After spending Tuesday night in jail, Hardy will be in court Wednesday morning. Over the next few days and weeks, we’ll slowly learn more details of what may or may not have happened. Only then can we truly make sense of the latest and biggest issue for the Panthers this offseason.

So if you’re feeling a bit down about your team today, just think, 10 weeks from now we’ll be complaining about the Spartanburg heat. At least that means the sun will be out again.

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BBR NUGGETS

• The Panthers picked up defensive tackle Drake Nevins from the waiver wire.
• The draft picks have been assigned numbers.
• At his size, it’s incredible that not only has Ryan Kalil made it, but he’s also one of the best centers in the league. Here’s how he’s done it.
• Cam Newton ankle update. *Sponsored by Beats and Gatorade.
• Panthers’ owner Jerry Richardson gets a statue.

COMING UP

• Hardy’s court appearance will be the news of the day. We’ll also be talking to David Foucault, a mountain of a man who was the 5th pick in the Tuesday’s CFL Draft. Foucault will be at the Panthers’ two-day minicamp this weekend, and some are treating him as sort of a cult-like figure. Have questions for him? Send them our way.

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