With free agency inching closer, let’s take a fond look into the past.
Here are the six best free-agent signings in Carolina Panthers history:
6
RB/KR Michael Bates
Bates was already a decorated athlete before he even stepped foot onto an NFL field. And his feet—as evidenced by his work in the track and field arena—were amongst the very fastest in the entire world.
Upon finishing third at the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials, where he beat out nine-time Olympic gold medalist Carl Lewis, Bates qualified for the summer games in Barcelona. He’d go on to win the bronze medal in the 200 meteres, a victory that came just a few months after he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks.
Three summers later, the Panthers claimed Bates off waivers, only to trade him away to the Cleveland Browns the next day. They’d bring him back the next season, where he began a dominant run as the league’s best return man.
From 1996 to 2000, Bates earned five Pro Bowl selections, one first-team All-Pro nod and one second-team All-Pro nod while averaging 25.7 yards per kick return with five touchdowns.
5
OLB Kevin Greene
Greene’s stay in Carolina didn’t last long. In fact, it was split into two different chapters. Nonetheless, his presence was certainly felt.
His first go with the Panthers came in 1996, when he signed a one-year, $2 million deal. Greene went on to amass a league-leading 14.5 sacks, finish second in the AP Defensive Player of the Year voting and help lead the franchise to their first NFC title game.
When the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement on a new deal in 1997, Greene moved on to the San Francisco 49ers for a six-year, $13 million pact. But that marriage lasted only one season, as Greene returned to Carolina for his final two pro campaigns—where he notched 27.0 sacks and his fourth Pro Bowl selection.
4
TE Wesley Walls
The first seven years of Walls’ NFL career were split between San Francisco and New Orleans. But his all-star career began as soon as he hit Charlotte.
Save for his injury-shortened 2000 campaign, Walls made the Pro Bowl in every season as a Panther. His five Pro Bowl nods over that time were accompanied by three second-team All-Pro selections.
Walls wrapped up his tenure in Carolina with 324 catches for 3,902 yards and 44 touchdowns. He still sits fifth in franchise history in receiving yards and third in receiving scores.
3
K John Kasay
After four years in Seattle, Kasay went across the country to Carolina. Little did anyone know, that trip would last a remarkable 16 years.
From 1995 to 2010, Kasay booted through 351 of his 424 field goal tries (82.8 percent) and 429 of 438 extra point attempts (97.9 percent). He earned selections as a second-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 1996, during Carolina’s 12-4 run to the NFC championship game.
Kasay comfortably remains the leading scorer in franchise history—as his margin over the second-place Graham Gano (740) is nearly twice as Gano’s total for Carolina (742). And until two seasons ago, he had played the most games in franchise history.
2
QB Jake Delhomme
Kasay’s teammate of seven years, Delhomme also made a place for himself in Panthers lore.
Following two seasons with his hometown Saints, the Lafayette, La. native signed with Carolina in 2003. Then, after taking over for starter Rodney Peete out of halftime of the regular-season opener, he never looked back.
Delhomme started the remaining 15 games for Carolina that season, leading them to an NFC South title and an eventual NFC crown. While the Panthers came up just short in Super Bowl XXXVIII—his valiant 323-yard, three-touchdown performance won over the hearts of many.
He played a total of seven campaigns in Charlotte—tossing for 19,258 yards, 120 scores and 89 picks. Delhomme ended his Panthers career as the franchise’s all-time leading passer.
1
LB Sam Mills
Mills didn’t play the majority of his career in Carolina, but his impact on the organization is immeasurable.
After playing his first three pro campaigns with the USFL’s Stars and his next nine with the Saints, Mills signed with the Panthers on a two-year, $2.8 million deal. Those two years saw him earn a third-place finish in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting in 1995 and then a fourth-place finish, a first-team All-Pro nod and a Pro Bowl nod in 1996.
He returned for the 1997 campaign, where he racked up 99 tackles and an interception over all 16 games. By the end of his three-year stint in Charlotte, he totaled 331 tackles, seven picks and 10.0 sacks.
Mills then transitioned into a coaching role for the Panthers, becoming a defensive assistant in 1998. His famed “Keep Pounding” speech, which he made during the team’s Super Bowl XXXVIII run after being diagnosed with intestinal cancer, serves as the franchise’s battle cry to this day.
