I almost missed the statement from a recent interview with Marty Hurney but thought it was worthy of a post in order to ease the concerns of those worried that J-Stew has yet to get a new contract:

"He’s a very talented player," Hurney said during a radio interview on Tuesday, via CBS Charlotte. "He fits our Panther profile perfectly, and he’s somebody that we would like to extend for a lot of years."

Stewart has already made it known he wants to stay in Carolina so it would seem it's all about getting the details ironed out. I'm predicting the Panthers finalize an extension for Stewart for the season kicks off, just as they did with Charles Godfrey last season.

What else drew my attention to this quote was the reference to a 'Panther profile'. Though the Panthers have always shied away from troublesome players they would still bring in a variety of personalities and try to make them into the players they sought. Yet we've seen the Panther profile has morph over the years due to failed experiments like Keyshawn Johnson.

Under HC Ron Rivera I think the Panther profile has narrowed even more. They not only want guys who stay out of trouble and don't make waves in the locker room, they also want guys with the right attitude. As a result they have to become better at judging these type of things and I think the recent draft and offseason shows that. Outside of the sometimes brash Josh Norman the Panthers have brought in hard workers, players that demonstrate a sense of commitment and motivation. Players like Jonathan Stewart. So let's lock this guy up for another 4 years already!