CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- An email slugged "Sign that boy up!!!" appeared in my inbox late Monday morning, soon after the domestic violence charges against Carolina Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy were dropped because the accuser would not cooperate with the district attorney's office.

The body of the message said: "Panthers need to sign Hardy for sure. This should have happened last year. Hardy should have paid her off last year. He has suffered enough."

Such an opinion exists.

It is not shared here.

It is not shared by the Panthers, or at least by team owner Jerry Richardson.

Sources said before Monday's development that the Panthers would not pursue Hardy in free agency next month, regardless of the outcome of his trial. That the charges were dropped was not a proclamation of innocence by the district attorney's office or sufficient reason for the team to change its stance.

It simply was a concession that the case could not be pursued because Nicole Holder, who accused Hardy of assaulting and threatening to kill her in May, would not cooperate.

That the district attorney's office said there was "reliable information Ms. Holder has reached a civil settlement" also was telling. It indicated Holder didn't cooperate because Hardy had enough money to make it worth her time to basically disappear.

Hardy, a Pro Bowl player in 2013, had enough money because the Panthers paid him $13.1 million last season to sit on the commissioner's exempt list for 14 regular-season and two playoff games until the case was resolved.

What won't disappear is the negative perception the case brought on Hardy, the Panthers organization and the NFL during the 2014 season.

Don't lose sight of the fact that a Mecklenburg County judge found Hardy guilty of domestic violence charges on July 15. The conviction only was set aside, as required by North Carolina law, because of the appeal.

And don't lose sight of the fact Hardy still could face a minimum six-game suspension by the league for violating the new code-of-conduct policy -- although that might bring more legal proceedings, because the charges were dropped.

And "suffered"? It would be hard to convince the Panthers that Hardy suffered while cashing weekly checks of about $770,000. It's not even clear that he took the case against him seriously. On Monday, less than 30 minutes before the charges were dismissed, he was on Twitter offering a prize to the fan who could answer three questions about him.

If u can tell me my favorite color, my favorite president, and favorite NBA player I am prepared to hand over the original snitch cleats

— Greg Hardy (@OverlordKraken) February 9, 2015

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Hardy may or may not have made Holder disappear with a check. But the Panthers can certainly make Hardy disappear by not writing him one. And they likely will.