Panthers coach Matt Rhule told the media earlier this week that he “really wants” Cam Newton on the team and absolutely expects him to be on the roster when the season starts in September. A lot can happen between now and then, but for now we have to assume Newton will be starting at quarterback Week 1.
That means we can turn our attention to the rest of the issues the team needs to address. Here are 11 steps we have in mind for an ideal 2020 offseason.
1. Let the pending free agents over 30 walk
First things first. Sometimes in order to build, first you have to destroy. In this case, that means allowing the team’s older pending free agents to walk. Bruce Irvin, Mario Addison and Gerald McCoy are all over 30 years old. While they can still contribute, it’s more important to save cap room and allow the team’s younger defensive linemen like Brian Burns to step up and get more playing time.