Panther, Gross Getting Closer

A deal that is over a year in the works, the Carolina Panthers may actually be close to signing left tackle Jordan Gross. In an unsuccessful attempt last season to sign Gross to a long-term contract, the Panthers were forced to use their franchise tag to keep him, a move they are prepared to do again in order to guarantee his services.

The NFL Network's Adam Schefter reported Monday night that the two sides made "significant progress," toward a deal that would pay Gross in the neighborhood of $9 million a year. Multiple league sources confirmed Monday night that both sides had moved a great deal in recent days. The deal is not yet done, but they're closer than they've been since a year ago this time.