Much has been written about the Brian Burns contract saga. 

And then the trail went quiet after the Carolina Panthers star pass rusher said contract talks are tabled so he can focus on football. 

Fair. However, ESPN  reporter Jeremy Fowler recently published a story that has Burns listed as one of the several pending free agents due for a hefty pay raise. 

Take a look at Fowler's reasoning: 

"The stage is set for Burns to earn a massive payday. He's an elite edge rusher who turned 25 in April and is poised for another double-digit-sack season with three quarterback takedowns through four weeks. Only one problem — the Panthers would almost assuredly franchise Burns at the end of the season if they don't reach a long-term agreement by the end of the tag window. Projections for the tag are just under $22 million, which is on the low end of the pass-rush market. That could be a problem for Burns, whose agents negotiated with Carolina for months."

Fowler brings up an interesting point: Should the Panthers franchise tag Burns? If they do, it still doesn't guarantee that Burns plays under the tag. 

He has long sought a contract extension from the Panthers. The critical disagreement between the two sides has been the dollar amount. Burns wants to get paid like he is Nick Bosa. The Panthers want to pay Burns somewhere in the Maxx Crosby range. Neither side is really wrong. 

Burns wanting to maximize his value isn't a surprise. The Panthers wanting to pay him in the ballpark of players that produce his same output is also not a surprise. But already Burns has shown his value as a leader on a Panthers defense that is quite formidable. 

Through four games, Burns has three sacks and one forced fumble. What may help Burns as he seeks a payday, however, is if the Panthers start winning games. And to that, he can only do so much. 

Franchising Burns is an interesting thought experiment, but it is hard to imagine the Panthers not trading Burns if the franchise knows they aren't going to reach a long-term agreement on a contract and are looking at an eventual rebuild, for the fourth season in a row. 

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