PFT: Panthers linebacker hopes to face Cowboys early, for good reason

Panthers linebacker hopes to face Cowboys early, for good reason

Posted by Darin Gantt on April 20, 2015, 10:29 AM EDT

While there were Panthers players who were willing to go to bat for Greg Hardy this offseason, at least one of them isn’t looking for a quick reunion.

Sort of.

At the start of Panthers voluntary workouts, linebacker Thomas Davis was sent out as a representative, and said not seeing the Cowboys defensive end at all would be fine with him.

“I hope we play [the Cowboys] early in the season so we don’t have to face him,” Davis said, via Bill Voth of Black and Blue Review.

Davis was, of course, referring to the fact Hardy’s expected to be suspended at some point, for some length of time, for last year’s domestic violence arrest. Charges were ultimately thrown out when his accuser didn’t show for court after reaching a civil settlement.

So far, the league hasn’t said how long it would be, or when it might be announced.

That goes for Hardy’s punishment, as well as the schedule release, when teams can begin planning for trips and opponents they already know are coming.

Hardy shouldn’t have any beef with the Panthers, after they paid him $13.1 million for one game last year. He spent the rest of the year on the commissioner’s exempt list, before they let him walk in free agency.

He had 15.0 sacks the last time he played a full season, so Davis’ concern for Cam Newton’s safety is legitimate.

It still baffles me that Hardy is going to be suspended while Peterson is reinstated and allowed to participate right away

Violence against women and violence with fists draws a different perception than taking a switch to a child. Had Peterson beaten his son with his fists, he might have been out of the league for good and probably in jail.

Hardy's case on the surface appears disturbing if you believe the woman's statement at all, whoever non-credible it might be in its entirety. According to her he flung, dragged, strangled, hit, and slammed a toilet seat on her. He flung her into walls, into a bathtub, and onto rifles. Those can easily be perceived as the actions of a wild man not deserving of being in the NFL.

His being black, weighing 280 pounds, and playing defense all make this perception worse.

No one seems to care that he's contrite, has a different story, actually called 9-1-1 to bring the police, and won his case in the eyes of the law.

Boy, I can't tell ya how much of a shit I give about how the Panthers players feel about Hardy being a Cowboy. It is so relevant.

I took his comments as a positive towards Hardy. They don't want him getting after Newton and ruining their season, especially since he'll probably play with a little more fire against them then everyone else.

Deuce said:

I took his comments as a positive towards Hardy. They don't want him getting after Newton and ruining their season, especially since he'll probably play with a little more fire against them then everyone else.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I took them the same way.