O nce again, it almost seems like the Panthers have had a plan.After an offseason where they avoided adding big-money free agents, on Wednesday they gave three of their young guys contract extensions.Offensive tackle Nate Chandler signed for three more years, while defensive end Mario Addison and safety Colin Jones received two-year extensions. All were going into the final year of their contracts.”You have to think long-term and be proactive,” general manager Dave Gettleman told Max Henson of Panthers.com.In the best case scenario, Carolina may have locked up a future starting tackle and defensive end, plus a special teams leader, all at a fraction of what it would likely cost to bring in other guys.

The Panthers picked up Chandler in 2012 as an undrafted free agent. Last season, they switched him from defensive tackle to offensive tackle, but he then had to help at guard when all other options went down with injuries.Chandler has returned full time at tackle, where he’s competing to win either spot.”Going into this year I really wasn’t thinking about an extension or anything like that. After OTAs it came up, and it really hasn’t hit me yet,” Chandler told Henson. “I’m just so thankful for them believing in me. I came in as an undrafted rookie not knowing if I would make the team, and now the two years of work I’ve put in has gotten me to this point.” The cap-strapped Panthers are planning ahead on both lines, most notably at defensive end. Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy currently take up more than 20 percent of the team’s salary cap, a figure that’s not sustainable.Gettleman felt he got a steal when Kony Ealy fell to the second-round in last month’s draft, and Addison started to emerge last year. In 16 games, he racked up 14 tackles and 15 quarterback pressures. During Carolina’s minicamp this week, Addison has spent some time rotating in with the first team.”Mario is a legitimate pass-rusher. He is definitely what we’re looking for in our defensive ends,” Gettleman said. Jones is listed as a safety, but his main role since coming over in a 2012 trade with the 49ers has been special teams. With former captain Jordan Senn now in Chicago, there’s a spot for Jones to take over as the unit’s leader. Plus, the Panthers have started to see improvement in him at safety.”It’s nice to have a home now,” Jones said. “I’m getting more comfortable with the defense, and this is a great opportunity.”Wednesday’s moves won’t get as much attention as signing a big-name free agent, but they could end up being a lot smarter.[gap size=”2.513em”]