The Carolina Panthers have had a tumultuous offseason full of movement, so it’s worth taking a look at how each position group has shaken out…
As with any offseason, the Carolina Panthers have seen both losses and gains on either side of the football. With the NFL Draft fast approaching, it’s a safe bet that general manager Marty Hurney is targeting players on both offense and defense in order to keep Carolina competitive moving forward.
During his previous tenure in the same position, Hurney’s handling of the team finances created some unfavorable outcomes. Already this year, he has taken steps to not become the victim of a similar situation, allowing starting linemen Andrew Norwell and Star Lotulelei to walk.
Following a prior review of the offense, let’s finish out a pre-NFL Draft review of the financial situation for the Panthers defense and special teams.
Defensive Tackle
Defensive tackles under contract (all cap hit information from Spotrac):
Kawann Short, cap hit of $17,000,000
Dontari Poe, cap hit of $5,333,333
Vernon Butler, cap hit of $2,289,958
Kyle Love, cap hit of $1,200,000
Kawaan Short is obviously the entrenched starter at defensive tackle on a monster deal. Former Falcon Dontari Poe was brought on after the loss of Star Lotulelei to the Bills and he should be an upgrade, even on a smaller deal than Buffalo gave Lotulelei.
Vernon Butler, the Panthers first-round pick two drafts back, looks to improve upon a couple of lackluster first seasons and be a bigger part of the rotation, while Kyle Love is a solid contributor as well.
Defensive tackle is possibly the strongest position on the Panthers roster, as far as starters and depth.
Defensive End
Defensive ends under contract:
Mario Addison, cap hit of $9,666,666
Julius Peppers, cap hit of $5,000,000
Wes Horton, cap hit of $1,200,000
Daeshon Hall, cap hit of $815,438
Zach Moore, cap hit of $705,000
Bryan Cox Jr., cap hit of $555,000
Drew Iddings, cap hit of $555,000
Efe Obada, cap hit of $480,000
For now, Mario Addison and Julius Peppers are the starters, each coming off 11 sack seasons. Daeshon Hall is hoping to start off strong after losing his rookie year to injury and Wes Horton looks to continue to be a solid contributor.
The Panthers will likely add a defensive end in the draft as well, since the position is easily an area of strength for the defense, but lacks young depth.
Linebacker
Linebackers under contract:
Luke Kuechly, cap hit of $13,100,059
Thomas Davis, cap hit of $7,703,125
Shaq Thompson, cap hit of $2,802,776
Ben Jacobs, cap hit of $890,000
David Mayo, cap hit of $746,565
Jared Norris, cap hit of $636,668
Richie Brown, cap hit of $480,000
Luke Kuechly is possibly the best linebacker in the league and Thomas Davis is great as well. Unfortunately, with Davis’s suspension to start off the year, Shaq Thompson will have to fill in although he has been gradually improving the last few years.
The Panthers have solid depth at the position as well, but may still draft a linebacker later on Friday or Saturday.
Safety
Safeties under contract:
Mike Adams, cap hit of $2,425,000
Colin Jones, cap hit of $1,175,000
Demetrious Cox, cap hit of $555,000
Damien Parms, cap hit of $480,000
Dezmen Southward, cap hit of $630,000
Da’Norris Searcy, unknown cap hit
Mike Adams is entering his second year with the team and is set to start at free safety. Da’Norris Searcy, added this year in free agency, will compete with others for the starting safety spot opposite Adams. Safety is possibly the largest position of need on the team and could be the team’s first-round pick.
Justin Reid (Stanford) and Ronnie Harrison (Alabama) are both possibilities at that juncture if Hurney elects to go in that direction.
Cornerback
Cornerbacks under contract:
Captain Munnerlyn, cap hit of $3,937,500
Ross Cockrell, cap hit of $2,600,000
James Bradberry, cap hit of $1,080,228
Lorenzo Doss, cap hit of $705,000
LaDarius Gunter, cap hit of $705,000
Kevon Seymour, cap hit of $630,000
Zack Sanchez, cap hit of $555,000
Corn Elder, cap hit of $549,474
Cole Luke, cap hit of $483,333
James Bradberry and Ross Cockrell are probably the most likely pair to be starting at cornerback come this fall. Others at the position, veteran Captain Munnerlyn and exciting sophomores Corn Elder and Cole Luke will compete to start as well. Elder and Luke both lost their rookie seasons to injury.
The cornerback position is another great area of need on the Panthers roster and will almost definitely be addressed in the draft.
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Special Teams
Kickers, punters, and long snappers under contract:
Graham Gano, cap hit of $3,437,500
J.J. Jansen, cap hit of $1,055,000
Michael Palardy, cap hit of $630,000
Kicker, punter and long snapper are all set for the season with Graham Gano and Michael Palardy signing new contracts this offseason. J.J. Jansen, the Panthers longtime long snapper, doesn’t hear his name very often and that’s probably a good thing.
Next: NFL Draft - 5 Safety Targets
The Panthers defense and special teams is in great shape as long as some key contributors rebound and Hurney brings home a solid haul from Dallas and the NFL Draft later this week.