The Facts: Newton’s representatives were scheduled to meet with the Panthers on Saturday at the NFL scouting combine, according to a league source with knowledge of the meeting.With Seattle’s Russell Wilson and Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck in line for record-breaking deals, Newton is content to let those negotiations reset the market for quarterbacks, according to two league sources. Then, sources say, if the Panthers’ offer meets Newton’s expectations, he is interested in remaining with Carolina for the long-term.
Diehards Line:Luck and Wilson are expected to become the two highest-paid players in league history this offseason. New Orleans’ Drew Brees set the current threshold for quarterbacks at $20 million per year in 2012, and four quarterbacks – Tony Romo, Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco – received comparable deals in 2013. Newton’s deal likely would fall closer to those from the latter group than Luck and Wilson, some industry experts think. The Panthers made an initial offer of a long-term contract to Newton before last season, although those negotiations did not progress far. Newton is set to make a guaranteed $14.7 million in 2015 after the Panthers picked up the club option for his fifth season. Then he becomes a free agent, although the Panthers could use the franchise tag and keep him through at least 2016. But by using the franchise tag, the Panthers would take a salary cap hit because the money would count for one season rather than being spread out over the length of a longer contract. ... Stay tuned.