Category: Panthers Free Agency

Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: TE Jared Cook

If they’re interested in a more experienced tight end it won’t get any better than Cook.

Today the Saints cut tight ends Jared Cook and Josh Hill, making a small dent in their considerable salary cap problem. (They’re still over $60 million in the red). In Cook’s case it was a procedural move as he was set to become a free agent in a couple weeks, anyway.

The Panthers could use some more firepower at this position. We’ve already looked at a couple of younger options like Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. If they’re interested in a more experienced tight end it won’t get any better than Cook. Here’s why it might work.

Pros

Only a handful of tight ends around the NFL have been more productive the last several years than Cook. Since 2018, Pro Football Focus has him graded out as the sixth-best player at the position. That year with the Raiders he had a rare late-career breakout season, totaling 896 yards and six scores. After joining New Orleans in 2019, Cook posted another 80 catches, 1,209 yards and 16 touchdowns. Cook is also the only free agent tight end who would bring familiarity with the offensive scheme Joe Brady is running in Carolina. At this point in his career, signing him likely wouldn’t cost too much, either.

Cons

The obvious downside with Cook is his age. He will turn 34 years old next month and has been in the league since 2009, when the Titans drafted him in the third round. Since then he’s appeared in 178 regular season games. That’s a lot of mileage for any athlete, especially one with Cook’s size (6-foot-5, 254 pounds). Even if he’s a huge upgrade over Ian Thomas and Chris Manhertz as a receiver, he’s not really a long-term answer to this question.

Conclusion

Cook has always been the one veteran tight end we thought made the most sense for the Panthers to sign this year. Obviously, acquiring a guy like Henry or Smith would help more, but they can’t really afford to splurge at this spot given all their other roster needs. Assuming that his asking price is reasonable enough, Cook should fit like a glove.

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Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: QB Jameis Winston

If Carolina is truly looking for a departure from current starter Teddy Bridgewater, it doesn’t get much more different than Winston’s game.

The Saints ignored the salary cap for 15 years and managed to stay competitive for most of that time. The bill has finally come due though and even after restructuring Drew Brees’ deal the team finds themselves some $69.5 million over the cap. That will make it extremely difficult for them to retain some of their pending free agents.

The Panthers could try to pick off guys like safety Marcus Williams or tight end Jared Cook, but the biggest potential prize is taking a chance on the potential of a former No. 1 overall pick. Jameis Winston spent the year as Brees’ backup and is about to hit the market if the Saints’ don’t re-sign him before the new league year.

Pros

If Carolina is truly looking for a departure from current starter Teddy Bridgewater, it doesn’t get much more different than Winston’s game. He can be erratic to say the least, but he has far more arm talent than Teddy (and most starters) and is capable of making some mind-blowing throws. In 2019 with the Bucs – his last as a QB1 – he led the NFL with 5,109 passing yards and also threw 33 touchdowns. Winston is not shy about testing defenses deep, averaging 12.6 yards gained per completion in his career. After spending a year in New Orleans with Brees and Sean Payton, Winston should also be familiar with the concepts that Joe Brady employs in his offense with the Panthers.

Cons

While Bridgewater’s fault lies in not being aggressive enough and frequently throwing short of the sticks, Winston goes too far the other direction, taking too many risks and forcing too many throws down the field into tight windows. Panthers fans should be as familiar as any fanbase outside Tampa with Winston’s issues. He also threw a league-high 30 picks in 2019 and has 88 in his career, 14 of them coming against Carolina.

Conclusion

It’s pretty tough to guess what Winston’s market value is right now. He signed with the Saints for a pittance but he’s clearly worth more than that, turnovers notwithstanding. One could see Winston signing another one-year deal for the veteran mininum or signing a massive contract that averages closer to $25 million a year. The Panthers should at least call his agent if Winston’s available in two weeks and they haven’t traded for another QB.

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Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: CB Ronald Darby

A younger alternative Carolina should look at is Ronald Darby.

The Panthers were busy last week cutting long-time veterans and restructuring contracts to free up more salary cap space. After converting most of Matt Paradis’ 2021 salary into a signing bonus, they now have around $35-$36 million in cap room. That gives them enough cash to make at least one splash move in free agency, or more likely several mid-level deals to address the considerable number of holes on their roster.

One spot they’ll need to address this offseason is cornerback, where they got inconsistent-at-best play from everybody except Donte Jackson outside and Corn Elder in the slot. There are some very interesting names at cornerback who are about to hit the market – including Richard Sherman – however, most of them are on the wrong side of 30. A younger alternative Carolina should look at is Ronald Darby.

Pros

Darby (27) has had an up-and-down kind of career. He appears to be on the up-swing at the moment, though. He had a couple good years in Buffalo, followed by some injury-riddled ones in Philadelphia. He put together a strong 2020 campaign in Washington under Ron Rivera, suggesting with the right coaching he can still be a solid starting corner at this level. Darby played 96% of WFT’s defensive snaps. He only allowed one touchdown in coverage to go with an 81.0 passer rating and a 54.1% completion rate. Spotrac is projecting his market value to be a reasonable $9.2 million a year.

Cons

Consistent coverage is hard to come by. There’s a simple reason for that. It’s much, much, much easier to be Julio Jones trying to catch a football than it is to be someone trying to stop him from doing so. That’s why a defender like Tre Boston can go from indispensable to liability in just one season, or why Stephon Gilmore can get roasted by D.K. Metcalf after winning DPOY. In Darby’s case, it’s not difficult to imagine his coverage declining again soon. During the 2019 season (his last with the Eagles) he gave up six touchdowns and a 116.8 passer rating. His missed tackle rate is also a little concerning.

Conclusion

Darby is a name that won’t excite a lot of fans. He certainly doesn’t have the same starpower as a Sherman, Patrick Peterson or A.J. Bouye, who are also pending free agents. Darby has a solid mix of youth and experience, though and at anything under $10 million a season he might turn out to be a bargain.

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Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: CB Richard Sherman

The top pending free agent at the position this year is Richard Sherman, who has a connection with the Panthers’ new general manager.

The Panthers let their best cornerback walk in free agency last year. James Bradberry went on to have a fantastic season with the Giants, while Carolina was left searching for answers at a critical position once again. Donte Jackson had a strong year despite foot injuries, but there’s not another outside corner on the roster who’s a true starter at the moment.

Finding a veteran cornerback who can defend the other side of the field and help coach up Carolina’s other young DBs is an idea worth considering. The top pending free agent at the position this year is Richard Sherman, who has a connection with the Panthers’ new general manager.

Pros

Like linebacker K.J. Wright, Sherman (a fifth-round pick) came into the NFL in the 2011 draft class, Scott Fitterer’s first as Seattle’s Director of College Scouting. Aside from Russell Wilson, no other player offered more value over the last decade for the Seahawks. For most of his career Sherman has been one of the game’s top cover defenders and for a few years he was indisputably the best cornerback on the planet. The three-time All-Pro has totaled 36 interceptions and 115 pass breakups in 139 games.

Even though he’s past his prime, Sherman is still an extremely intelligent DB. His influence and experience helped dramatically improve a 49ers secondary that was pitiful only a few years ago. Sherman might be able to help engineer a similar turnaround for the Panthers.

Cons

At 32 years old, Sherman might finally be starting to decline. In 2020 he allowed a 116.2 passer rating and four touchdowns in coverage after only giving up two the previous two years – and that was in just five games. Sherman also won’t come cheap. Spotrac is projecting his market value at $10.4 million a season.

The Panthers can probably afford that, but it wouldn’t leave much for the likes of right tackle Taylor Moton and WR/RB Curtis Samuel, whose extensions should take priority over signing any new players.

Conclusion

Sherman might only have 2-3 quality seasons left, so he’s not a long-term solution to the team’s outside CB problem. That said, he’s far better than the ones the Panthers tried to start opposite Jackson last year. If team owner David Tepper is trying to make a real splash in 2021, then signing a corner of Sherman’s caliber would be a significant step in the right direction.

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Panthers 2021 potential free agent targets: LB Lavonte David

David excels in every part of the game.

Every team that wins the Super Bowl inevitably loses some key players to their competitors the next year. For the Buccaneers, several important pieces are about to become unrestricted free agents, including Shaq Barrett, Ndamukong Suh, Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown.

The most crucial one is Lavonte David, without whom these Bucs probably don’t win a championship. He is far and away the top linebacker who might become available in 2021 and this franchise has to make an effort if he does end up on the market.

Pros

The Panthers predictably missed Luke Kuechly a lot in 2020. While David isn’t as good as Kuechly was in his prime, he’s as close as any linebacker still in the NFL. David excels in every part of the game. Like Kuechly, he’s tight in coverage with 12 career picks and 51 pass breakups. He can also rush the passer (24 sacks, 55 QB hits) and stop the run (806 solo tackles, 128 for a loss). David practically never leaves the field, either. In six of his nine seasons in the league, he has played at least 97% of Tampa’s defensive snaps and he has only missed seven games.

Cons

The Bucs wisely don’t seem inclined to let David test the market. As Bruce Arians told him at their championship parade, “your ass ain’t going nowhere.” Even if they can’t work out a deal, signing David wouldn’t be easy. Any team that needs an off-ball linebacker might be in the mix and Spotrac is projecting his market value to be $12.7 million a season. Also, he doesn’t look it, but he just turned 31 years old.

Conclusion

It’s a long shot, but if Carolina is going to splurge on one defensive free agent this year then David will get them the best value. No other one NFL player could improve this defensive unit more.

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Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: LB K.J. Wright

We will look at several options over the next few weeks ahead of the new league year, beginning with linebacker K.J. Wright.

The first free agent the Panthers signed in the Scott Fitterer era was former Seahawks tight end Stephen Sullivan. Given Fitterer’s 20 years’ worth of connections with that franchise, fans should expect Carolina to sign at least a couple more Seattle products this offseason.

We will look at several options over the next few weeks ahead of the new league year, beginning with linebacker K.J. Wright.

Pros

Wright was part of the first draft class (2011) that Fitterer was involved in as Director of College Scouting for the Seahawks. He has been playing the position at a high level ever since, a remarkable achievement in any era, but especially this one. Over the years (144 regular season games) Wright has totaled 593 solo tackles (66 for a loss). He also has 54 pass breakups, 11 forced fumbles and 13.5 sacks. Even after a decade, Wright remains one of the game’s most intelligent and instinctual off-ball linebackers. Signing him at this point wouldn’t break the bank, either.

Cons

Wright has been a high-quality defender for a long time but at 31 years old he may be starting to slow down. In two of the last three seasons he’s allowed a passer rating over 100 when targeted. While the other things he does makes up for it, declining coverage is a legitimate concern. He also doesn’t quite fit Carolina’s needs at linebacker. Bobby Wagner has played the MLB role for Seattle most of Wright’s career and that’s the one spot they really need help at.

Conclusion

Wright’s experience and football IQ make him worth considering even if he’s not a perfect fit like Lavonte David of the Buccaneers. He wouldn’t be the answer to all their problems, defensively. However, signing Wright to a short-term deal (two years max) is about as sure a thing at LB that Carolina can afford this offseason.

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Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: DT Larry Ogunjobi

Another name to watch is Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, who apparently won’t be re-signing with Cleveland in 2021.

The Panthers might have other more pressing roster needs, but what the Buccaneers just did to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the Super Bowl is a strong argument for adding even more firepower up front to Carolina’s defensive line – especially if Kawann Short is released. If they decide to sign a free agent to replace him, there will be some interesting options.

We’ve already looked at Shelby Harris of the Broncos and the far less likely J.J. Watt, who was just released by the Texans. Another name to watch is Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, who apparently won’t be re-signing with Cleveland in 2021 according to Mary Kay Cabot.

Pros

Ogunjobi played his college ball at Charlotte, where he posted 29 tackles for a loss over two seasons. The Browns picked him in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. Since then, he’s appeared in 60 games, totaling 14.5 sacks, 37 quarterback hits and 29 tackles for a loss. Ogunjobi (6-foot-3, 305 pounds) is not as good as Short was in his prime, but with a little more time he could develop into a very-respectable starter at the 3-tech spot.

Ogunjobi is just 26 years old and shouldn’t break the bank. Spotrac is projecting his market value to be around $9.3 million a season. If that’s even in the ballpark for what he’ll command, it makes Ogunjobi an affordable replacement for Short who’s also six years younger.

Cons

Ogunjobi didn’t move the needle much as a pass rusher during the 2020 season, totaling 2.5 sacks and and 12 pressures, about half of what he normally produces. He also missed a few too many tackles (13.2%) to feel truly comfortable about his run defense. Whoever signs him will be betting that Ogunjobi can get back to the level he played at in 2018-2019.

Conclusion

If the Panthers decide to add to their defensive line they should probably be targetting a veteran who can help the other young guns up front develop. Ogunjobi isn’t that, but he checks all the other boxes. Assuming Watt gets too many offers for Carolina to compete, signing a second-tier iDL like Harris or Ogunjobi is the way to go.

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Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: DL J.J. Watt

The Panthers already have a solid defensive line, but there should always be room for a talent like Watt.

Houston has a problem. Every player who’s any good doesn’t want to play for them anymore. As of yet, Deshaun Watson has not forced a trade, but another big name just became available. The Texans have released superstar defensive lineman J.J. Watt, adding a future Hall of Famer to the pool of free agents for 2021.

The Panthers already have a solid defensive line, but there should always be room for a talent like Watt. Here’s why he might fit.

Pros

Before Aaron Donald came along, Watt was the top defensive performer in the league, hands down. He’s earned three Defensive Player of the Year awards, five Pro Bowl nominations, five first-team All Pro nods and eight appearances on the NFL top 100 list, peaking at No. 1 in 2015.

Watt is a world-wrecking pass rusher, having totaled 101 sacks and 282 quarterback hits in 128 games. He’s also a dominant run stopper (172 career tackles for a loss) who can line up at any position along the defensive line and command a double team, opening up penetration opportunities for his teammates. For a promising young Panthers unit, that could act as a force multiplier and elevate everyone’s game, especially EDGE Brian Burns.

Cons

Watt (31) will be worth whatever he gets on the open market, so the price tag is not worth debating even if it’s going to sound exorbitantly expensive. The question with Watt is his health. He missed most of 2016-2017 and half of 2019 with a variety of fairly-serious injuries. Another one could end Watt’s career prematurely.

Conclusion

When a defender like Watt becomes available, every team who didn’t play in the Super Bowl should consider signing him. Tampa just won the big game thanks largely to a relentless pass rush, and adding a monster like Watt would at least bring Carolina’s defensive line a lot closer to competing with the champs.

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Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: DT Shelby Harris

If they go the free agent path, the most interesting name to watch this year is Shelby Harris of the Broncos.

The Panthers have a solid defensive line going into the offseason. They could use some more depth on the interior, though – especially if they plan to cut veteran defensive tackle Kawann Short. Doing so after June 1 would save Carolina some $13.2 million in salary cap space. However, it would also come with around $6.3 million in dead money and take away the team’s best interior defensive lineman.

If Short gets cut, then the Panthers will have to consider adding another iDL in the draft. If they go the free agent path, the most interesting name to watch this year is Shelby Harris of the Broncos.

Pros

No other interior defensive lineman in this free agent class is more underrated than Harris. He’s an excellent run stopper, having missed only five tackles in three years. He’s also posted 16 pass deflections over the last two seasons, more than any other DL in the NFL during that time. Harris can also move the pocket and get pressure. He’s posted 16.5 sacks and 35 quarterback hits in his career (67 regular season games).

Cons

Harris would make a great addition to Carolina’s DL. However, he will turn 30 years old just before next season starts and many pro athletes begin to decline around that time. We may have already seen the best of what Harris can do. The real question though is how much he would cost them. Harris should finally be able to cash in this year after flying under the radar, so a bidding war is certainly a possibility.

Conclusion

With big-ticket free agent defensive linemen like Jadeveon Clowney and Shaq Barrett out of reach, the Panthers will have to settle for second-tier DL like Harris or Johnathan Hankins if they go this route. Harris is easily our favorite among those options and well worth a mid-level investment.

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Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: OT Trent Williams

As far as other free agent options go, there’s only one name really worth considering: Trent Williams of the 49ers.

The Panthers have had an issue at left tackle for almost a decade now. Trading Trai Turner for Russell Okung last year was just the latest failed attempt to fill the hole that’s been there since the retirement of Jordan Gross. Okung missed half the season due to injuries and he’s about to become a free agent in a few weeks, so it’s back to the drawing board at this spot.

As far as other free agent options go, there’s only one name really worth considering: Trent Williams of the 49ers.

Pros

On the surface, it may seem like Okung and Williams are too similar and therefore it would make more sense to just re-sign Okung. Both will be 33 years old next season and both made around $13 million in 2020. However, there’s a huge difference in their level of play. Okung is a good left tackle and has been most of his career. When healthy, Williams is an elite left tackle and just had a far better year than Okung. Pro Football Focus says his 0.4 WAR was the best for any tackle since they started grading in 2006 and they gave him a 91.9 grade for the year compared to 73.0 for Okung.

Cons

Williams’ relatively advanced age is the x-factor. While he’s a massive upgrade over Okung, he’s also not going to be the long-term starter no matter how well he might perform in 2021 and 2022. His price-tag is also likely to be a sticking point. PFF is projecting he’ll make $20 million per season on his next deal, while Spotrac says his market value is $18.2 million a year. Either way, signing Williams would be a huge investment.

Conclusion

You don’t win Super Bowls by being cheap. Left tackle is arguably the next-most important position on offense after quarterback and it’s been a problem area far too long. If Carolina could draft a guaranteed long-term starter that would be preferable, but aside from Penei Sewell nobody in this class has a ceiling anywhere near Williams’. He’s by far the best player who will be available at this position in 2021 and if the Panthers make only one big-ticket signing this year it should probably be him.

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