The Carolina Panthers weren't about to let their top free agent Charles Johnson get away, even if it meant shelling out big bucks. The Panthers persuaded Johnson, their prized defensive end, to agree to a contract worth $72 million over six years and that includes a $30 million signing bonus. The team confirmed the deal Tuesday night and Johnson said he plans to sign the deal on Friday. "The Panthers told me the whole time they were going to come after me hard," Johnson said. "I had to see it to believe, but they did." Johnson said he was "blown away" by Carolina's offer and the money convinced him to choose Carolina over Atlanta and Denver, who also expressed interest. Read more: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/6...olina-panthers-agree-six-year-72-million-deal
