After nine years of making their lives difficult as a division rival, former Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy is visiting with the Panthers today as a free agent. McCoy has already taken meetings with the Browns and Ravens, so there’s plenty of competition for his services.
Carolina seems like an outside shot to win the race, but things got more interesting Thursday night when wide receiver Torrey Smith agreed to a $2 million pay cut. This could mean the Panthers are clearing cap room in order to make a big move. If they really are making a run at McCoy, here’s a few thoughts on what it would mean for the team.
1. Carolina would officially be in win-now mode
The Panthers have had a lot of success in the Cam Newton/Ron Rivera/Luke Kuechly era, but they have not been able to reach the top of the mountain.
Signing McCoy would be a signal the front office is anxious about their championship window closing, as well as their job security. It would definitely qualify as a bold and risky move, the kind of transaction that often either makes or breaks an executive’s career.
By coughing up a big contract for McCoy, they would essentially be admitting that they’re on the hot seat and officially in win-now mode.
2. Dontari Poe is probably on his way out
McCoy coming into the picture would almost certainly mean that the Panthers intend to jettison one of their veteran defensive tackles from the roster. The most likely candidate to get moved is Poe.
While he’s had strong seasons before in Atlanta and Kansas City, he was disappointing for Carolina’s defense in 2018 and he will cost the team $9.33 million this year. Signing McCoy would probably cost at least that much and keeping both around in addition to Kawann Short would be unthinkable from a cap perspective.
Cutting Poe is problematic, though. It would mean a dead cap hit of $5.8 million this year and another $3.33 million in 2020. Finding a willing trade partner is probably the best solution if the Panthers do decide to sign McCoy and move on from Poe.
3. The Vernon Butler experiment is almost over
Poe’s salary makes him the most expendable, but every other DT on the roster should be anxious, with the exception of Short and Kyle Love.
Former first-round pick Vernon Butler, in particular, has reason to worry. While it’s not Butler’s fault that former general manager Dave Gettleman reached for him in the 2016 draft, he has not lived up to his potential on the field and has gotten into trouble off it. Butler was a healthy scratch for a few games down the stretch last season, so he was already in danger of being cut even before the McCoy rumors began.
Cutting Butler would only save the Panthers about $1 million in cap room though, so he’s another good candidate to get traded if McCoy signs on. They may just let him play out the last year of his rookie deal and let him walk, though.
4. The Panthers overvalue the DT position
While it’s hard to argue that adding a talent like McCoy would not make the Panthers’ defensive line better, signing him would be the latest move in a clear trend indicating the team overvalues the position.
Short is one of the finest DTs in the NFL today, but he represents a massive chunk of the salary cap. His cap hits over the next three years are $17 million, $18 million and $18.5 million. Adding another defensive tackle with a significant salary raises questions about why they’re willing to invest so much more at the position than their competitors.
The Panthers have already boosted their defensive line enough this offseason. At this point, they should be focused on fixing the back end of their defense, not doubling down more up front.
