Panthers Can Hope for Surprise Talent in Late Rounds of Draft

Not the most dazzling title by any stretch of the imagination, but during this excruciatingly slow period of the offseason, especially with a team as notoriously quiet in it’s free agency methods as the Carolina Panthers, I’ll take what I can get when it becomes available.

On Monday, the NFL awarded the Panthers three compensatory draft picks for next month’s NFL Draft.

In addition to their already allotted selections in the second-, third-, fourth-, sixth- (from Oakland), and seventh-rounds of the draft, the NFL also compensated the Panthers with additional picks with two in the sixth-round at 202 and 204 overall, and seventh-round pick at 249 overall.

None of these are picks awarded for the loss of free agents from the 2010 free agency period, rather these picks are awarded for the loss of free agents from las year’s free agency period who the Panthers did not re-sign nor seek to replace during free agency.

The free agents the Panthers lost whom the draft picks are in lieu of, were offensive lineman Geoff Hangartner, kick returner Mark Jones, and tackle Frank Omiyale.

So this does give the Panthers eight draft selections in the 2010 NFL Draft. Remember too, head coach John Fox and General Manager Marty Hurney chose to trade this year’s first-round selection to the San Francisco 49ers in order to move up and select defensive end Everette Brown and running back Mike Goodson. They also traded this year’s fifth-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for defensive tackle Tank Tyler, and a sixth-round pick to the Browns for Louis Leonard.

In 2011, the Panthers will find out what kind of compensation they will receive for “losing” free agent Julius Peppers, which at this time is predicted to be a third-round pick.

In the history of the franchise, the Panthers have received 10 compensatory draft picks. One in 1998, one in 2002, three in 2005, two in 2008, and three in 2010.

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