Category: Panthers Free Agency

Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: WR Will Fuller

Will Fuller of the Texans is about to hit the market, and he should absolutely be on general manager Scott Fitterer’s radar.

The Panthers have as much talent at wide receiver as any team in the NFL. However, they might lose Curtis Samuel in free agency and Robby Anderson is only under contract for one more season, so it makes sense to consider adding even more firepower at this spot even if it seems like a luxury they can’t afford.

Will Fuller of the Texans is about to hit the market, and he should absolutely be on new general manager Scott Fitterer’s radar. Here’s how he might fit.

Pros

Not many WR2s have been more productive than Fuller (six-foot, 184 pounds) the last few years. In 11 games this season Fuller posted 53 catches, 38 first downs, 879 yards and eight touchdowns. He also posted an impressive 70.7% catch rate considering his average depth of target. The best case for signing Fuller is that it could help attract Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has a strong rapport with him. Adding those two would give Carolina one of the league’s most lethal passing attacks.

Cons

Availability is criticial in the NFL and Fuller falls short in this area. He was suspended six games for performance enhancing drugs and he’s missed 25 games total over the last four years. Another positive PED test would cost him an entire season. Fuller’s hands are also a little inconsistent – he’s dropped eight passes from 2019-2020. He wouldn’t come cheap, either. Spotrac projects his market value at a robust $16.9 million per season.

Conclusion

Fuller is just 26 years old and he’s one of the league’s most potent vertical threats. If the Panthers can acquire a quarterback who can take advantage of those attributes then he’s absolutely worth considering, even at that price.

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Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: WR Sammy Watkins

One of the best receivers we’ll see on the field next weekend is Sammy Watkins of the Chiefs, who’s about to become a free agent.

The Carolina Panthers are about as loaded at the wide receiver position as any team in the NFL right now. However, Curtis Samuel is about to become a free agent and if the two teams playing in the Super Bowl are any indication, you can never have too much firepower at this spot.

One of the best receivers we’ll see on the field next weekend is Sammy Watkins of the Chiefs, who’s about to become a free agent. If he hits the market, Carolina should consider bringing him in.

Pros

Watkins is one of the league’s most athletically gifted wide receivers. He has size (6-foot-1, 211 pounds), breakaway speed and a surprising amount of power to break tackles. Watkins does his best work with the ball in his hands, which fits well with what the Panthers want from their wideouts. He also shares an alma mater with Deshaun Watson, which could help lure the Texans quarterback in a trade. In his career, Watkins has totaled 321 catches, 4,665 yards and 33 touchdowns.

Cons

Watkins does have a bit of tread on his tires – he’s been around seven years and has played 86 games and missed 26 due to injuries. Watkins has also dropped seven passes from Patrick Mahomes over the last two seasons. The biggest concern is naturally the pricetag – Spotrac projects his market value to be $10.6 million a season. It’s hard to justify investing that much in another wide receiver given this team’s other needs.

Conclusion

If Watkins is willing to take a hometown discount he’s worth a look, but odds are he’ll prefer to stay in Kansas City where he has a far better chance of winning multiple championship rings. If the Panthers find a way to keep Curtis Samuel, then there’s no real reason to consider him. If Samuel walks though then Watkins would be a quality replacement.

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Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: TE Jonnu Smith

Today, let’s take a look at Jonnu Smith of the Titans and why he could be a good fit for carolina.

The Panthers should be in the market for an athletic, respectable receiver type of tight end this year to help upgrade their passing game. Hunter Henry of the Chargers should be their top target, but there are a few other names that are also worth considering.

Today, let’s take a look at Jonnu Smith of the Titans and why he could be a good fit for carolina.

Pros

Tennessee picked Smith in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. He was relatively quiet his first few years in the league but 2020 was a breakout season. Smith posted career highs in catches (41), receiving yards (448) first downs (25) and touchdowns (eight). Patriots coach Bill Belichick has called him the best tight end in the league after the catch. Smith would be a definitive upgrade over Ian Thomas and Chris Manhertz as a receiver and according to Spotrac his market value is a perfectly reasonable $8 million per year. Plus, he is only 25 years old and has time to grow.

Cons

That $8 million a season projection seems a bit on the low end, especially given what we saw from Smith this season. There’s a decent chance that Smith will have a lot of suitors in free agency if the Titans don’t resign him before the new league year begins. Also, other tight ends like Jared Cook might be a better scheme fit but that’s nitpicking given the upside for Smith.

Conclusion

The Panthers have a strong core of pass-catching weapons with Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson all under contract for 2021. Adding another receiver in free agency might be a luxury that they can’t afford, but if they’re going to let Curtis Samuel walk they have to seriously consider bringing in another weapon. A young, capable tight end like Smith is their best option.

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Panthers RB Mike Davis predicts a ‘crazy’ 2021 free agency period

Carolina Panthers running back Mike Davis is expecting a crazy free agency period, for one.

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The NFL’s legal tampering window ahead of the new league year begins on March 15. That could kick off what may be a truly chaotic offseason featuring an unprecedented amount of quarterback movement around the league.

Carolina Panthers running back Mike Davis is expecting a “crazy” free agency period, for one.

Davis will become a free agent himself on the 17th, which means he will probably soon no longer be in a Carolina uniform.

Thanks to a series of minor injuries for Christian McCaffrey, Davis wound up starting 12 games this season. He performed far beyond our wildest expectations, demonstrating plus elusiveness and receiving ability, as well. He finished the year with 1,015 yards and eight touchdowns from scrimmage.

Davis’ excellent production shows that it’s always nice to have extra depth at running back, but he can earn a lot more being a full-time starter for another team than sitting behind McCaffrey in 2021.

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Panthers potential 2021 free agent targets: TE Hunter Henry

Why the Carolina Panthers should consider signing Los Angeles Chargers tight end Hunter Henry in free agency.

A couple days ago, former Panthers tight end Greg Olsen announced his retirement from the NFL. Olsen was by far the best player Carolina has ever had at that position and their production at tight end hasn’t been the same since he started suffering foot injuries in 2017. Last season, Ian Thomas and Chris Manhertz only combined for one touchdown catch.

While they have other pressing roster needs, adding a capable pass-catching tight end is a good idea this offseason. With that in mind, they should take a look at signing Hunter Henry of the Chargers if he hits the market.

Pros

What made Greg Olsen great was his reliability. In his prime, no tight end was more consistent or productive. He rarely dropped passes and was as close to a sure thing in the end zone as receivers get.

Henry has some of those same qualities in addition to a nearly-identical frame (6-foot-5, 250 pounds). His career catch rate is a solid 69% and he’s caught 21 touchdown passes so far in 55 games. In 2020 he only dropped two balls (a 2.2% drop rate). If nothing else, Adding Henry would give the Panthers a soft pair of hands and a better chance at scoring in the red zone (they ranked No. 28 in RZ touchdown rate this year).

Cons

Henry missed the entire 2018 season due to a torn ACL and nine more games in the four years he has played. That could be a concern if he suffers another knee injury. The real drag on Henry is his pricetag, though. The Panthers don’t have much cap space to work with and Henry’s market value according to Spotrac is $10.9 million a year. That’s a large slice of pie to carve out at tight end when you also need help at cornerback and left tackle.

Conclusion

Carolina has to prioritize positions that impact the passing game and picking up Henry would help. That said, the need for improved coverage and pass protection are more dire than another receiving weapon. Acquiring Henry may be unlikely, but if they’re going to add anyone offense it might as well be him.

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4 pending free agents with connections to Panthers GM Scott Fitterer

Let’s take a look at four capable defensive veterans who are about to become free agents who have a connection to Fitterer from his time with the Seahawks.

The Carolina Panthers have hired Scott Fitterer to replace Marty Hurney as general manager. While there are some young standouts, Fitterer is inheriting an imbalanced roster with significant holes to fill on both sides of the ball, especially on defense, which was the youngest unit in the NFL this season.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at four capable defensive veterans who are about to become free agents that share a connection with Fitterer from his time with the Seattle Seahawks.

Report: Former Ravens WR Seth Roberts signing with Panthers

According to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, the Panthers are signing former Raiders and Ravens wide receiver Seth Roberts.

According to a report by Ian Rapoport at NFL Network, the Panthers are signing former Raiders and Ravens wide receiver Seth Roberts.

Roberts (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) played college ball at West Alabama and then went undrafted. The Raiders first signed him in May of 2014 and he stayed until 2018. In 62 games there, he posted 158 catches, 1,826 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Last year, Roberts signed with the Ravens and played all 16 games. He caught 21 of 35 targets from Lamar Jackson, totaling 271 yards and two touchdowns.

Roberts’ career catch rate is only 60.5% but his size and speed will be welcome additions to Carolina’s wide receiver corps. He projects as the third-best option on the roster behind D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel.

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NFL free agency: Gerald McCoy to Cowboys, Vernon Butler to Bills

Two more interior Carolina linemen are also on their way out.

The Panthers defensive line is going to look dramatically different this year compared to last. Already, the team has declined to pick up the option for nose tackle Dontari Poe, making him a free agent. Defensive end Mario Addison has also agreed to a deal with the Bills.

Two more interior Carolina linemen are also on their way out.

According to Todd Archer at ESPN, Gerald McCoy is signing a three-year deal with the Cowboys.

McCoy is 32 years old, but he’s coming off a strong season and should be a contributor for Dallas at least a while longer.

In related news, 2016 first-round pick Vernon Butler is signing a two-year, $16 million deal with the Bills, according to Ian Rapoport at NFL Network.

Butler never really lived up to his first-round pick status, but he did play well when injuries hit the defensive line hard this year.

Replacing all of these DL in one offseason is going to be extremely difficult. The Panthers will have to look to both free agency and the draft in order to fill their holes up front.

On the bright side, they were spending more money at DT than any other team in the league last year by a wide margin. Losing these guys will make it easier to field a more balanced roster.

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Panthers 2020 potential free agent target profile: DE Arik Armstead

Today’s potential free agent target is 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead.

Although the Panthers are reported to be interested, Mario Addison will be testing free agency later this month. While Addison is now 32 years old, he has posted at least nine sacks four years in a row, so odds are he will get a respectable offer and won’t be returning to Carolina in 2020. The Dolphins might be the best destination for Addison – they ranked last in sacks last season and have more cap space than any other team right now.

That means the Panthers have to prepare to add another EDGE defender to the rotation, especially if Bruce Irvin (who also happens to be 32) is not in their long-term plans. Today’s potential free agent target is 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead.

Career stats:

Armstead (6-foot-7, 292 pounds) played his college ball at Oregon and then got picked by San Francisco in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. He’s played 62 games, totaling 19 sacks, 47 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles and 24 tackles for a loss so far.

Pros:

Armstead is one of the best edge defenders in this draft class and Carolina probably won’t be able to afford signing a star like Jadeveon Clowney or Yannick Ngakoue. He’s only 26 years old, so he should be a strong contributor for at least another contract. Armstead is coming off a career-best year with 10 sacks in 2019 and would give Brian Burns the long-term parter in crime he needs.

Cons:

For a first-round pick, Armstead’s numbers might be a bit underwhelming. However, it’s important to remember that he only became a full-time starter two seasons ago. What’s more concerning is that he missed 18 games between 2016-2017 due to shoulder and hand injuries.

Probability: Low

This is a good year to need a veteran edge rusher, but the Panthers simply don’t have the resources to compete for a first-rounder right now. Also, the 49ers seem like they want Armstead back. Drafting a defensive end who can fit Phil Snow’s multiple system is a better bet.

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Panthers 2020 potential free agent target profile: DT Michael Pierce

Replacing Poe means the Panthers have to find a run-stopper to take over the spot in the middle of their defensive line.

The Panthers are going to see a major change at the defensive tackle position this offseason. Veterans Gerald McCoy and Kyle Love are both about to become free agents and it sounds like the team won’t be picking up Dontari Poe’s option for 2020, as expected.

That means they’ll need to bring in a couple more interior defensive linemen to help fill the void. In that spirit, our next 2020 potential free agent target profile is Michael Pierce of the Ravens.

Career stats:

Pierce went undrafted after playing his college career at Samford. Baltimore picked him up in May of 2016. Since then, he’s played in 60 games, earning 30 starts. Pierce has totaled 3.5 sacks, 13 quarterback hits, 13 tackles for a loss and four forced fumbles.

Pros:

Replacing Poe means the Panthers have to find a run-stopper to take over the spot in the middle of their defensive line. That’s exactly where Pierce thrives. He has been one of the NFL’s top run defenders the last couple of years. He’s also improved as a pass rusher since coming into the league. According to Pro Football Focus, he posted 21 pressures in 2018.

Cons:

Pierce is 27 years old and there are a number of interior linemen in this free agent class who are better than he is. His production dropped off a little bit in 2019 as well, which might be a concern. The main issue with Pierce is that he’s relatively limited as he pretty much exclusively fits as a 3-4 nose tackle and early-down run stopper.

Probability: Medium

Pierce is far from the only interesting name at DT who is about to become a free agent. Guys like Javon Hargrave, Leonard Williams, D.J. Reader, Mike Daniels and Chris Jones should all command more on the open market. Given his career numbers and age, signing Pierce wouldn’t break the bank.

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