[vc_row_inner no_margin=”true” padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px” border=”none”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html]When defensive end Greg Hardy signed with Dallas last month, many Panthers fans understandably grew tired of reading about him. But while he had gone from Carolina to the Cowboys, his status with the league still had potential to affect the Panthers.After word of his 10-game suspension came down Wednesday, we now know two of those effects, and neither are in the Panthers’ favor.
He can and will likely appeal, but currently, Hardy won’t be eligible for reinstatement until after the Cowboys’ 10th game. They have a bye in Week 6, so that means the first game he could play would be in Week 12. And wouldn’t you know it, that’s the same week the Cowboys face the Panthers on Thanksgiving.If the NFL wanted to take attention away from its domestic violence issues, this bit of coincidental scheduling is not in their best interest. And facing an angry Hardy in his first game in 14 months is horrible timing for the Panthers.
As spelled out in this post last week, the Panthers don’t expect to gain any comp picks next year. Losing a marquee free agent like Hardy would tend to get a team an extra third-round choice, but Carolina could sense a long suspension was coming.Since the comp pick process is so complicated and secretive, it’s impossible to know with certainty that the Panthers will be shutout next year. But they still need at least a couple of their former players to sign elsewhere by the middle of next month and Hardy may not count for much, or at all, if he plays just six games.