Panthers' Greg Olsen reportedly wants a new deal that pays him like a top tight end

That makes sense considering that's exactly what Olsen is

Greg Olsen, one of the league's best tight ends, is not paid like one. By the sound it, Olsen would like that to change in the near future.

According to the Charlotte Observer's Joseph Person, Olsen wants a new contract so that he's paid like one of the league's top tight ends. Person cited two league sources in his report, but when Olsen was asked about the Panthers' potentially reworking his deal, he admitted that he'd be very receptive to the idea.

"In the ideal world, that'd be great," Olsen said. "I'm very confident on where I stand in the league and where I belong. Both productivity and all things considered, there's nobody that's been more productive or more consistent than I have. And I'll stand on that until the cows come home."

"You can make of that what you may," Olsen added. "I feel comfortable with where I belong, and hopefully other people do, too."

As it stands, Olsen is the league's seventh-highest paid tight end by average annual salary, per Spotrac. His contract will expire after the 2018 season. Given his age (32), it makes sense why Olsen would rather get a new contract before his current one runs out. He doesn't have many years left at the peak of his game.

And Olsen really is one of the game's best tight ends. Since he arrived in Carolina in 2011, he's averaged roughly 71 catches, 897 yards, and 5.33 touchdowns per season. In that span, he ranks third in receptions, third in yards, and fifth in touchdowns among his peers. Unlike some elite pass-catching tight ends, he's also a dependable blocker. 

He was Pro Football Focus' third-highest graded tight end last season. He recently became the first tight end in NFL history to post three straight 1,000-yard seasons. So, he's not slowing down either.

The problem, of course, is that the Panthers probably enjoy having Olsen at a discounted price. And his age will make it difficult for him to find someone willing to pay him a significant amount of money over a significant amount of years. The move that makes the most sense is the Panthers finding a way to rework his contract so that he gets a little more money now (because he deserves it) without the Panthers committing to him for lengthy period of time (because that doesn't make sense for the team).