It has been more than a week since word spread that ESPN is about to lay off some prominent "SportsCenter" anchors and other TV personalities. The fear and uncertainty has set off a "panic of biblical proportions" among ESPN on-air talent, a source told Sporting News.

During the last round of layoffs in 2015, ESPN pink-slipped more than 300 production staffers. They were the behind-the-scenes directors, producers and back-office personnel who never appeared on-air.

Things will be a lot different this time. It won't be Suzy in accounting losing her job.

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The coming cutbacks will be focused around high-salaried on-air personalities. That means you can say goodbye to some of your favorite anchors, reporters and analysts. No wonder the talent is on edge in Bristol.

"Everybody's calling their agent. Nobody is safe," said one source.

With ESPN falling to 88 million subscribers from 100 million over the past five years, the Disney-owned network is looking to slash tens of million in costs. But the layoffs are about more than boosting the bottom line, say sources.

In 2017 ESPN to spend $7.3 billion on content more than any source; then Netflix ($6bn), NBC (4.3bn), CBS ($4bn) & Amazon ($3.2bn) #snlkagan — Brad Adgate (@badgate) October 18, 2016

Led by president John Skipper, ESPN brass are trying to reinvent the Worldwide Leader for the modern sports consumer.

The way time-shifting TV viewers are consuming ESPN's TV/radio/digital content has changed. If ESPN is going to reinvent the way it delivers news, highlights and opinions, it can't do it with the same front-facing talent, especially when ESPN is facing new competition from Fox Sports 1 and other cable sports competitors.

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At the same it's planning cutbacks, it's still hiring new talent and pursuing stars of rival networks, such as Katie Nolan of FS1.

As Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated first reported last week, the layoffs are expected to take place over the next four months. Some on-air talent will get their walking papers. Some will have their contracts bought out. Some will take the gold watch and retire.

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ESPN employs about a 1,000 announcers, commentators, reporters and analysts for TV, radio and digital.

Different "talent" are reacting different ways to the looming layoffs.

The ex-athletes-turned analysts are more mentally prepared, said sources. At some point in their careers, the Turk came knocking at their door and told them to hand in their playbooks.

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Anchors and commentators, on the other hand, are more used to job security and annual raises. They're burning up the phone lines to their agents in New York and Los Angeles.

"The analysts are responding very differently than the non-athletes," one source said. "Ex-jocks are used to coming and going. The non-athletes are more panicked."

ESPN declined to comment except to say: “Today's fans consume content in many different ways and we continuously look at the content we create and how we present it. Inevitably that informs how we utilize our talent. ESPN will continue to have a roster of talent that is unequaled in sports and present the highest quality sports coverage in the business.”

As usual in corporate downsizings, there will be some near untouchables. Think Stephen A. Smith of "First Take" on the "Embrace Debate" side, and insiders Adam Schefter and Buster Olney on the news side.

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"Look, we know the Schefters and the Olneys are not going anywhere. But are (ESPN execs) going to sacrifice the other newsbreakers and investigative journalists?" asked one source. "I will be real interested to see where journalism fits into all this."

A lot will depend on shows in development.

Mike Golic told Sporting News last week ESPN brass still hasn't made a decision on the future of ESPN2's long-running "Mike & Mike in the Morning" (6-10 a.m. ET).

Deitsch previously reported Greenberg will land his own New York-based morning show on ESPN. That would end his 18-year on-air partnership with Golic — and raise multiple questions.

Will Golic stay with ESPN? Maybe take a radio-only role? Will Golic continue "Mike & Mike" with a new co-host, such as Trey Wingo of NFL Live or son Mike Golic Jr.? Or will ESPN pull the plug on the show and move the new "SportsCenter:AM" from ESPN into the "Mike & Mike" time slot on ESPN2?

"I would imagine I would be doing ('Mike & Mike') with somebody else," Golic said. "Who that is? I don’t really know."

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Then there's the possible recruitment of Nolan to ESPN.

SN previously broke the news that Skipper, ESPN's Connor Schell and "Pardon the Interruption" producer Erik Rydholm talked with Nolan about jumping to the WWL from FS1.

One scenario: Nolan teaming up with Greenberg on the new New York-based morning show.

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"They must really want Nolan if they're willing to risk secret meetings with her all the way up to Skipper himself," said a source.

Meanwhile, Bomani Jones of "Highly Questionable" and Pablo S. Torre could claim the noon ET time slot previously filled by Jemele Hill and Michael Smith's "His & Hers" show.

There could be an opening for Erin Andrews' old job on "College GameDay," too.

Samantha Ponder of "College GameDay" has emerged as the leading candidate to succeed Berman as host of "Sunday NFL Countdown," said sources.

ESPN's last big round of layoffs two years ago claimed many talented, experienced executives who served in Bristol for decades. The loss of these veterans has hurt ESPN, according to Howie Schwab, the former star of ESPN's "Stump the Schwab."

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“It has hurt the quality of the product, whether they admit it or not. I'm noticing mistakes on air I can’t believe I’m seeing. The other day I was watching the Top 10 plays. They ran a play from a game (that) wasn’t even on that night. I was like, ‘What the heck?'’' said Schwab, who was laid off in 2013 after 26 years with ESPN.

"One day I was watching the 'Bottom Line.' It had the same three stories for an hour. I couldn’t believe it. To be honest, I even tried to call in to tell somebody. Which I really shouldn’t have, because it’s not my job any more."

Me reading what "sources say"... 😏 A post shared by Sam Ponder (@samanthaponder) on Mar 4, 2017 at 2:41pm PST

As in 2015, Schwab blames cord-cutting and ESPN overspending on NFL and NBA TV rights for the "sad" situation at his former company.

Under a new rights deal that started this season, ESPN will pay the NBA a staggering $1.4 billion a year through the 2024-25 season. It was already paying the NFL $1.9 billion a year for "Monday Night Football" through 2021.

Those are "fixed costs," as they say on Wall Street. ESPN must pay the same amount every year, no matter how many subscribers it's losing or how much ad sales go down.

"The problem remains the same," Schwab said. "They overpaid for several (TV) contracts. People are cutting the cord. And almighty ESPN is not what it used to be."