3 Carolina Panthers free agents who probably won’t return in 2019

Devin Funchess

I hate to put this player at the top of the list. He has been one of the Panthers best receivers for a number of years now. Even still, money may get in the way of this player coming back to Charlotte. Devin Funchess has carved himself quite a career. The former Michigan product has put together  solid results over the course of his brief career. For the record, he has said that he wants to come back.

He put together a solid season as a rookie in 2015, catching 31 passes for 473 yards and five touchdowns. Averaging 15.3 yards per catch, he established himself as a big-time playmaker right from the get-go. After tallying only 371 yards in 2016, his big break came in the 2017 campaign. He caught 63 passes for 840 yards and eight touchdowns. Averaging 13.3 yards per reception, his eight touchdowns ranked him eighth among all receivers in the National Football League.

This season was a little bit of a different story. Funchess took a backseat to wideouts Curtis Samuel and D.J. Moore, and he did not put up the same type of numbers he did in 2017. One particular writer thought that 2018 may be a breakout season for him. He still put together a decent season in 2018, catching  44 passes for 549 yards and four touchdowns. Amassing 12.5 yards per catch, that was his lowest number to this point in his career.

It’s been well-documented that he wants a lot of money to return to the Panthers. With the amount of young talent the Panthers have at the position, I could see them letting Funchess walk due to the price tag he is looking for. Unless he lowers that amount, he may be on a different sideline in 2019. That’s just the way business works, and it’s unfortunate because he is a talented receiver. However, I do not see his demands changing anytime soon. Due to his talent, that makes him the top player in free agency who will not return for Carolina.