One week from today, the new NFL league year begins and so will free agency. In addition to having a lot of roster holes to fill, the Carolina Panthers also have a bunch of pending free agents which they’ll have to either re-sign or replace.
Let’s break down their position needs one at a time based on just how badly they need more help.
1. Cornerback
Carolina was already in a pretty rough spot at corner and things could get much worse fast. The team does not plan to use its franchise tag on its top corner James Bradberry and he’s expecting at least $15 million a year on his next deal. Expect Bradberry to sign somewhere he won’t have to cover Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, Mike Evans six times a year. The Panthers might also lose their serviceable backup Ross Cockrell and their slot cornerback Javien Elliott, also both pending free agents. The good news here is that if they don’t sign somebody, it’s a deep 2020 draft class at this position.
Potential targets: Bradley Roby, Darqueze Dennard, Kendall Fuller
2. Defensive tackle
Another area that’s likely to see a lot of turnover is the interior of the defensive line. Other than Kawann Short, it’s unclear if anybody else is going to return. The team is expected to decline their option on starting nose tackle Dontari Poe. Meanwhile, Gerald McCoy, Kyle Love and Vernon Butler are all about to become free agents. Outside of Auburn’s Derrick Brown and South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw, there’s not much depth at DT in this rookie class, so they might need to address this position early.
Potential targets: D.J. Reader, Michael Pierce, Javon Hargrave
3. Guard
The analytics indicate guards aren’t that important when it comes to building a winner in the NFL. That may be true, but if the Panthers don’t do something on both sides, their offensive line is going to be a serious problem. To recap, Greg Van Roten just turned 30 years old and is about to hit the market, Trai Turner is being traded to the Chargers for Russell Okung and there’s not much on the depth chart behind either one of them. This might very well be the team’s weakest position right now.
Potential targets: Joe Thuney, Brandon Scherff, Graham Glasgow
4. EDGE
If nothing else, Carolina had a strong pass rush last season, finishing second in the league in sacks. Their edge rotation is about to be hit hard, though. Mario Addison is expected to test the market and Bruce Irvin likely won’t be far behind. We can pencil Brian Burns in as a new starter to replace one of them, but there will be no clear No. 2 on the roster after him once Addison and Irvin are gone. Waiting until the draft to address this position is probably the best idea given the salary cap situation.
Potential targets: Jadeveon Clowney, Yannick Ngakoue, Arik Armstead
5. Linebacker
A couple years ago, the Panthers had the unquestioned best linebacker corps in the NFL. Now, the cupboard is much thinner after losing Thomas Davis to free agency and Luke Kuechly to retirement. Shaq Thompson should take over as the new captain of the defense, but the team needs more help behind him. The best move would be to target Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons in the first round of the draft. There’s no guarantee he will be there, though and there are some quality free agents worth considering.
Potential targets: Cory Littleton, Joe Schobert, Danny Trevathan
6. Tight end
Kuechly isn’t the only beloved veteran who the Panthers lost this offseason, of course. Greg Olsen was released and has since signed with the Seahawks, opening up a huge hole at tight end. While 2018 fourth-round pick Ian Thomas looks promising, he’s had some issues with drops and replacing Olsen is going to require more than one man in any case. Adding another young tight end who can move the chains and block is a must.
Potential targets: Austin Hooper, Hunter Henry, Eric Ebron
7. Wide receiver
On the surface, it may seem like Carolina is set at wide receiver with D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel locked in. However, offensive coordinator Joe Brady will use more receivers on the field and the team has already declined the 2020 option for slot receiver Jarius Wright. They’ll need to add at least two more wideouts between now and the start of the season. Fortunately, it’s a deep draft class so they can probably afford to wait on this one.
Potential targets: Robby Anderson, Taylor Gabriel, Breshad Perriman
