New Panthers GM Gets Down To Business

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Dave Gettleman got his dream job. Now comes the tough part. Carolina’s new general manager will spend the next few weeks evaluating the Panthers’ roster in depth and finding ways to trim at least $16 million of fat from the team’s salary cap. The 61-year-old Gettleman, who joined the Panthers from the New York Giants last week, inherited a team that currently has $136 million committed to 2013 salaries, significantly over the NFL’s projected salary cap of $120 million per team. That means Gettleman faces tough decisions in regard to big-ticket players like cornerback Chris Gamble, linebacker Jon Beason, running back DeAngelo Williams and offensive tackle Jordan Gross, as well as several mid-range salary players like offensive lineman Geoff Hangartner, safety Haruki Nakamura and defensive tackle Ron Edwards. Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.