The Panthers had more significant roster holes than any team could realistically hope to address in one draft class not long ago. Matt Rhule and Scott Fitterer have been busy, though. Their two most recent moves are the most important that they’ve made so far this year, aside from the no-brainer that was franchise-tagging right tackle Taylor Moton.
Last week, they traded three draft picks to the Jets for Sam Darnold, filling their desire for an upgrade over starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. There are questions about Darnold’s production in New York as well as his turnover habit, but we can at least move forward assuming Darnold will be the starter in 2021.
The Panthers also signed former Broncos cornerback A.J. Bouye, finally picking up the veteran outside corner they wanted to pair with Donte Jackson. With Bouye there are also concerns – specifically about how far over the hill he is compared to his peak in 2017 when he made the Pro Bowl as part of a loaded Jaguars defense. Still, Bouye checks the biggest box for Carolina on that side of the ball.
Let’s reassess what this team’s roster needs are as we move towards the home stretch approaching the 2021 NFL draft.