The Panthers were one of the teams that were in talks with running back Chris Carson before he re-signed with the Seahawks.
According to Jeremy Fowler at ESPN, the Patriots and Jets were also involved.
Jets, Panthers and Patriots all got involved with Chris Carson before the Seahawks finalized a deal.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 20, 2021
Carolina’s reported interest in Carson is fascinating given their running back situation.
By our estimation, Carson was the top free agent at the position and the best potential replacement if the Panthers don’t re-sign Mike Davis – an upgrade in fact. In the end, Carson signed a two-year deal with Seattle worth $14.625 million, per Tom Pelissero at NFL Network.
https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1373056857120587778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1373056857120587778%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fseahawkswire.usatoday.com%2F2021%2F03%2F19%2Fseahawks-re-signing-starting-running-back-chris-carson%2F
That’s the kind of money you’d expect for a starting running back in the NFL and the Panthers had to know that Carson would command that much going into the negotiations.
So, why would they be willing to consider paying RB1 money when they already have the game’s highest paid running back on their roster?
As some fans on social media have suggested, it’s possible that the Panthers intend to use Christian McCaffrey as a receiver more this coming season, particularly in the wake of losing Curtis Samuel to Washington on a three-year deal. McCaffrey is no Curtis Samuel, but he is the most-capable pass-catching back in the sport. If that’s the case, then it’s still possible the Panthers will sign another running back in the coming days.
With Carson and Jamaal Williams off the market, Mike Davis should be considered the No. 1 free agent RB remaining.
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