The Panthers have begun putting their house in order for 2019. They’ve handed out new contracts for safeties Eric Reid and Damian Parms, defensive end Efe Obada and former UNC running back Elijah Hood. They have also cut ties with a number of veterans. Ryan Kalil, Julius Peppers, Thomas Davis, Mike Adams and Captain Munnerlyn will all not be returning for one reason or another.
Before they begin exploring potential acquisitions in free agency next month, there are a few more of their own players they should try to re-sign. Here are four names to watch for the next couple of weeks. This list only includes pending unrestricted free agents.
RB Fozzy Whittaker
The Panthers need to retool their backfield depth behind Christian McCaffrey after inexplicably letting C.J. Anderson go. Unlike Cameron Artis-Payne, Kenjon Barner or Travaris Cadet, Fozzy Whittaker has proved he can be a valuable contributor at running back. McCaffrey will have to come off the field on third down every now and then and Whittaker is the ideal substitute for those situations. He’s also a capable kick returner. Re-signing Whittaker should not be too expensive either, especially considering he’s coming off a right knee ACL injury.
DT Kyle Love
The Panthers defensive line may have been the most disappointing unit for the entire team in 2018. Usually a strength of Carolina’s roster, their inability to create pressure with a four-man rush was a huge reason why the defense struggled so much throughout the year. Love remains an extremely valuable backup piece though, and he should get more playing time if he continues to play better than Dontari Poe when he aligns next to Kawann Short. Losing Love to free agency would only set the defensive line back even further.
OT Marshall Newhouse
Beggars can’t be choosers and Carolina can’t afford to be picky about the offensive line situation right now. Newhouse did not perform too great when he came in for a struggling Chris Clark at left tackle late in the year, but he shouldn’t be expected to start in that role anyway. If nothing else, Newhouse provides strong experience in a swing tackle role, offering depth behind both Taylor Moton and whoever the team tries to play on the blindside in 2019. He won’t break the bank, either.
OT Daryl Williams*
Finally, we come to the heart of the matter. How the Panthers play the Daryl Williams conundrum could wind up defining their 2019 offseason. If they make a mistake, it might doom their offensive line for the foreseeable future. If they get it right, they just might field an above-average unit. The best course of action is to sign Williams to a one-year deal or use the franchise tag* on him. That would give Williams a chance to prove his 2017 success was not a fluke and give Carolina some breathing room in case it was and he fails at left tackle.
