Here are four questions they will need to answer before the 2020 campaign begins.
The Panthers are hard at work making new head coach Matt Rhule’s staff come in to shape. There’s no official word yet, but all signs point to Phil Snow following Rhule from Baylor and being named the team’s new defensive coordinator.
Whether it’s Snow or somebody else, the front office has some brutal decisions to make about the defense this offseason. Here are four questions they will need to answer before the 2020 campaign begins.
How old is too old for the defensive line?
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
On paper, the Panthers’ defensive line is their strongest unit. They finished second in the league in sacks this year (53) and have as many weapons up front as any NFL team. However, several key pieces are about to become free agents and most of them are past their prime. Mario Addison, Bruce Irvin and Gerald McCoy are all over 30 years old and need new contracts if Carolina is going to keep them around. Dontari Poe is also 29 and has a huge cap hit. The Panthers have to find the right balance between youth and experience while building for the future around guys like Brian Burns.
General manager Tom Telesco should look to throw his money at these soon-to-be free agents.
The Los Angeles Chargers enter this offseason with the most salary cap space that they’ve had in years.
Even though L.A. has to use a good chunk of that money to re-sign a few of their own players, along with possibly extending a notable – defensive end Joey Bosa, they should look to bring in some external free agents to ensure they’re in the most optimal position to make a run in 2020 – even if that means breaking the bank.
It wouldn’t be like general manager Tom Telesco to go on a free agency frenzy, but he said in his end-of-season press conference that this is probably the most cap space that they’ve had since he has been there, so it could be suggesting that he might be the most aggressive that he’s been since taking over in 2013.
Should Telesco and company look to bring in some big-time free agents that might require a hefty paycheck, then these are four additions that we’d advocate for.
G Brandon Scherff
Scherff, the three-time Pro Bowler, has started in every game he has played in since his rookie year in 2015, and he has played 100% of the offensive snaps in all but eight of his 65 games. A wall in pass protection and a mover in the run blocking department, Scherff allowed one sack, nine hurries, and 10 overall pressures last season. The former Iowa product has battled through some injuries throughout his career, but he has overcame them and has managed to continue to still play at a high level. Scherff would be an immediate plug-and-play guard on the left side, taking over Dan Feeney, assuming that Michael Schofield is re-signed. Spotrac has his estimated value at a four-year, $50 million deal.
OT Jack Conklin
Conklin, the 25-year old tackle, became an All-Pro as a rookie, but tore his ACL during the 2018 playoffs. He has allowed just 9.5 sacks in his four-year stint since being selected in the first-round of the 2016 NFL draft. In the 2019 regular season, he allowed two sacks, finishing with a streak of 11-straight games without one allowed. With the Chargers have a major need at the right tackle position, Conklin would be an immediate upgrade over Sam Tevi. Spotrac has his estimated value at a six-year, $89 million deal.
CB James Bradberry
The Chargers could shore up their secondary by adding a talented player opposite of CB Casey Hayward. Hayward was acquired via free agency and Telesco could make another splash by looking in the pool to find one of the league’s most underrated corners. At the age of 26, Bradberry is entering his prime. He defended nine passes along with a career-high three interceptions this past season. His best season came in 2018 when he defended 15 passes, posted two interceptions, forced a fumble and recorded a sack. Los Angeles wouldn’t necessarily have to go broke to acquire him – but based on his production in recent seasons he wouldn’t be that cheap, either.
WR Robby Anderson
The Chargers are missing one piece to the wide receiver room. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have proven themselves, but the guys behind them failed to step up as WR3. The wide receiver should and most likely will be addressed in the draft since there is plenty of talent in this year’s class – but Anderson would give Los Angeles something that they were hoping to get out of Travis Benjamin – a fast, vertical threat that could keep defenses honest. He’s never surpassed 1,000 yards receiving in a single season, but he is averaging 14.8 yards per reception. With this wide receiver group in free agency set to be rather thin, his asking price is likely to be somewhere in the ballpark of Tyrell Williams’ (four-year, $44 million)
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez has the perfect offseason gift for the Los Angeles Chargers at each position of need.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
In the spirit of the holiday season and the offseason coming up, we decided to gift the Los Angeles with the most ideal acquisition at each position of need, using the 2020 NFL draft and free agency as our outlets.
Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
Quarterback — Tua Tagavailoa
Some fans are going to view this as a gift, while others will consider it coal because of the durability concerns with Tua. With teams in front of them like the Dolphins that will be in the market for the quarterback, it’s not guaranteed that he will be there when they are picking. But if he is, it should almost be a no-brainer.
Tagavailoa is a perfect fit for the Bolts as they start a new journey in SoFi Stadium. With the desire to bring fans to the stadium, Tua would do just that since he has been one of the most polarizing players in college football. Since he probably won’t be able to play much in his rookie campaign, he would be able to sit in Year 1, whether that be behind Philip Rivers or Tyrod Taylor and then take the reins in his second season.
Offensive tackle — Jack Conklin
The Chargers will be looking to add a long-term option at the right tackle position to replace Sam Tevi. Tom Telesco has a track record of finding gems along offensive line via free agency, and this would be an absolute home run.
Conklin, who is in the prime of his career, has allowed just 9.5 sacks in his four-year stint since being selected in the first-round of the 2016 NFL draft. In 2019, he’s allowed two sacks, but is currently on a streak of 11-straight games without one allowed.
Cornerback — James Bradberry
The Chargers could shore up their secondary by adding a stud opposite of CB Casey Hayward. Hayward was acquired via free agency and Telesco could make another splash by looking in the pool to find one of the league’s most underrated corners.
At the age of 26, Bradberry is entering his prime. He has defended nine passes along with a career-high three interceptions this season. His best season came in 2018 when he defended 15 passes, posted two interceptions, forced a fumble and recorded a sack.
Let’s say the Chargers are able to cross off the offensive tackle and cornerback position with those two acquisitions, they would then be able to find a talented wideout in the draft as early as Round 2. Insert the yards after the catch king.
Aiyuk, the 6-foot and 203 pounder is a speedster who is able to create when the ball is in his hands. He possesses the breakaway skills and balance to zip right past defenders that are in pursuit, which is exactly the type of player Los Angeles would love to add to an already talented wide receiver corps.
Jayden Daniels launched it out to Brandon Aiyuk for the 81-yard TD to stun Oregon 🔥
Nose tackle Brandon Mebane is close to calling it quits, which means that they will have to find his successor. Fotu would be a solid addition in the mid-rounds to add to an interior defensive line that’s still a work in progress.
Fotu, the 6-foot-5 and 325 pound defensive tackle has the speed, power, length, body control and mismatch ability to cause fits for NFL interior offensive linemen, where he would aid in the run defense department.
Leki Fotu forces the Oline to stay on the double! You can't leave Leki until he's off the line or just tied up with 2 blockers. That's what makes him so dominant. You have to stay on the double! That leaves LBs free to play. When you leave the double, Leki makes you pay! pic.twitter.com/aUuS3Xpr73
The Chargers love to find athletic offensive linemen that have the ability to play both inside and outside. Throckmorton, the 6-foot-5 and 318 pounder, would be the perfect mid-round addition to an offensive line that will be under construction.
Throckmorton, who has played every single position except left guard for the Ducks, is a powerful player who has solid pass protection technique, an anchor and the toughness to be a consistent starter in the league by Year 2.
The Josh Norman situation could have been handled much better by former Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman.
The Josh Norman situation could have been handled much better by former Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman. That doesn’t mean giving Norman the massive contract extension he wanted would have been the right move. Norman still makes plays here and there but his performance has declined significantly over the last few seasons for Washington.
Heading into today’s game against Detroit, Norman has been put on the sidelines. He’ll be a healthy scratch, per Adam Schefter at ESPN.
Josh Norman has one year left on his contract after this season. Washington would save $12.5 million against the cap next season by cutting him.
Norman was supposed to play against his former Panthers’ team next Sunday. Now, maybe not. https://t.co/1eTo4AfVuE
Norman’s future with the Redskins is now very much in doubt.
Meanwhile, his replacement has been outstanding for the Panthers. James Bradberry took his lumps in his first couple of years, but he’s developed into one of the best cover corners in the NFL. Signing Bradberry to a multi-year extension should be priority No. 1 for Carolina’s front office in 2020.
According to Joe Person at the Athletic, the team has signed cornerback Corn Elder off the Giants’ practice squad.
[jwplayer rzKgNnfu-ThvAeFxT]
Corn Elder move will be official Tues. for Panthers, who signed him off Giants’ practice squad. Depth move and does not indicate bad injury news for one of the other CBs, per source. No word on corresponding move.
The Panthers are bringing back another familiar face. According to Joe Person at the Athletic, the team has signed cornerback Corn Elder off the Giants’ practice squad.
Elder was one of former general manager Dave Gettleman’s last draft picks in Carolina. Gettleman selected him in the fifth round of the 2017 draft. Elder did not see the field much in his first run with the Panthers, though. He appeared in 13 games last season but only played 251 total snaps, mostly on special teams. He was one of the team’s first cuts this year.
Why bring him back now?
It may have something to do with both starting outside cornerbacks James Bradberry and Donte Jackson dealing with groin injuries. Bradberry sat out Sundays’ loss to the Packers and Jackson apparently re-aggravated his, which kept him on the sidelines three weeks earlier in the season.
When Jackson went out against Green Bay, slot cornerback Javien Elliott moved outside to cover for him. Colin Jones took over for Elliott in the slot, which is obviously not an ideal situation. Elder is best suited to play that nickel position.
He may be active against Atlanta, but we probably won’t see him play unless both Bradberry and Jackson are out. That seems unlikely, as Jackson returned against the Packers later on and made some big stops down the stretch.
Update:
The move to add Elder is official. To make room, the team waived OL Bryan Witzmann.
