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          NFL Nation

          Mailbag: Greg Hardy's future with Panthers

          • David Newton, ESPN Staff WriterSep 20, 2014, 08:00 AM ET
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              David Newton is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Carolina Panthers. Newton began covering Carolina in 1995 and came to ESPN in 2006 as a NASCAR reporter before joining NFL Nation in 2013. You can follow Newton on Twitter at @DNewtonespn.
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          CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers aren't exactly stellar when it comes to primetime games.

          They are 13-17 heading into Sunday night's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Bank of America Stadium. They are 3-2 under Ron Rivera, but that doesn't make the fourth-year Carolina coach like them more.

          "I hate night games,'' Rivera said on Friday. "I really do. First of all, I miss dinner.''

          The good news is Rivera gets to see the 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. games, which he likes.

          With that, let's get to the Panthers mailbag:

          @DNewtonESPN: It all depends on the outcome of the jury trial. If Greg Hardy is found innocent, I'd say there is a 50-50 chance he returns. Coach Ron Rivera said repeatedly this week that he expects Hardy back at some point this season even though Hardy's attorney has said the jury trial for the defensive end's domestic violence case, scheduled for Nov. 17, won't be heard until sometime in 2015 because of an overcrowded court docket. Rivera also has said Hardy is "a member of this team.'' He spent an hour and a half talking to Hardy on Wednesday before Hardy was placed on the commissioner's exempt list. Rivera seems to care about Hardy. Also, what Hardy does on this defense isn't easily replaced because he can rush the passer, stop the run and drop into coverage. He also can play end and tackle. Nobody else on the roster is that versatile, or talented. If Hardy is found guilty, there is no way I see owner Jerry Richardson allowing him back, regardless of the price. If he's found innocent, then it will come down to money. With a new deal awaiting quarterback Cam Newton and eventually linebacker Luke Kuechly, the price might be too high regardless.

          @DNewtonESPN: I can almost guarantee it. Defensive end Charles Johnson is set to count $20,020,000 against the 2015 salary cap. So you will see that renegotiated, and eventually his 2016 number of $15,020,000. No other choice for a team with a lot of young, talented players they need to lock up long-term.

          @DNewtonESPN: Pretty simple. He never appealed his case and didn't meet the criteria under the new drug policy.

          @DNewtonESPN: It's not diminished as much as there hasn't been room for anybody to run with teams stacking eight and nine in the box. Plus, there have been breakdowns in communication up front. Plus, a healthy Jonathan Stewart has taken some of the carries. Mike Tolbert still is a go-to player on short-yardage. Now he needs somebody to block. That looked like a jailbreak when he was knocked for a 4-yard loss at the goal line on Sunday. He called the hit by Detroit's Nick Fairley the hardest he has taken. It scared him so much he hyperventilated.

          @DNewtonESPN: Good question. Brandon Williams looked really good in training camp, at least good enough to be kept on the 53-man roster. I think it says more about how well Greg Olsen and Ed Dickson are playing, although Dickson did have a bad drop against Detroit.

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