re: Panthers fire their GM after 4 seasons...

Gettleman was trying to be like Bellicheck, cutting or not extending older players after they have peaked. Charlotte is a small market team with two prominent players seeking extensions, who are quite involved in the local community (local charities, their own foundations, etc). I'm guessing gettleman didn't want to extend Olsen and Thomas Davis's contract, and the "big cat" (Jerry Richardson in Charlotte, Ernie Ladd everywhere else) wanted them to stay.