The Carolina Panthers are going all in on 2019. According to Adam Schefter at ESPN, the team is signing free agent defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.
The Panthers are more than familiar with McCoy’s abilities. Since the Buccaneers picked him in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft, he’s been a thorn in the side of their offense twice a year. McCoy is one of the league’s best interior defenders and instantly boosts Carolina’s defensive line.
There are questions to be answered about what McCoy’s signing means for the rest of the team. The Panthers were already spending more money at defensive tackle than any other team in the league even before adding him. Vernon Butler and Dontari Poe, in particular, might be on the trade block now in order to make room for McCoy’s contract.
McCoy is a six-time Pro Bowler and former All-Pro who has totaled 54.5 sacks and 140 quarterback hits in his 123-game career. Tampa never made the playoffs during McCoy’s run there, though.
Other teams were definitely interested in McCoy’s services. Both the Browns and the Ravens met with McCoy and were still negotiating with his agent as of Monday afternoon, per Ian Rapoport at NFL Network.
Baltimore and Cleveland are projected to do better than Carolina is this coming season, but McCoy will get two revenge games against his old team.
Financial details of the deal have not yet been reported.
