The Panthers have made some major changes this offseason. General manager Marty Hurney deserves credit for the urgency and aggressiveness he’s shown in addressing the team’s considerable number of roster holes. Both the offensive and defensive lines, the wide receiver corps and the backfield have seen a ton of turnover. More changes may be on the way, as well.
Here are three potential players who might be surprise cuts between now and the beginning of the season.
RB Cameron Artis-Payne
Why he might get cut: Christian McCaffrey is essentially entrenched as the team’s No. 1 and No. 2 running backs. That leaves very little room for the rest of the backs on the team to impress and there’s a lot of competition to go around. Artis-Payne seems to be a favorite of coach Ron Rivera’s, but this time around he’ll have to contend with two new rookies in Jordan Scarlett and Elijah Holyfield in addition to Elijah Hood and Reggie Bonnafon. He may have to do something special this summer in order to stick around on the roster.
Potential cap savings: $645,000 in 2019
WR Jarius Wright
Why he might get cut: Wright was solid as a security blanket for Cam Newton last season, posting 25 first downs on just 43 catches. However, the Panthers have added several new faces to the wide receivers room this year that could make his skill set redundant. Chris Hogan served as an excellent third-down option for Tom Brady in New England and is considerably cheaper than Wright. Also, rookie receiver Terry Godwin does his best work from the slot. Through no fault of his own, Wright may find himself on the outside looking in when the 2019 roster is revealed.
Potential cap savings: $1.8 million in 2019, $3 million in 2020
DT Vernon Butler
Why he might get cut: By now you have probably heard that the Panthers went all out to upgrade their defensive line this offseason. The centerpiece was acquiring defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who instantly makes every other interior lineman on the team more expendable with the exception of Kawann Short. Butler has not lived up to his status as a former first-round pick and was benched late last year. Letting him play out the last season of his rookie contract and then letting him walk in free agency next year isn’t the worst idea ever, but don’t be shocked if Butler is not around anymore when the season begins.
Potential cap savings: $1.6 million in 2019
