Carolina Panthers should take flyer on cornerback Kevin Johnson

Johnson would be a nice depth piece for the Carolina Panthers.

The Carolina Panthers are getting into the thick of things on the free agent market. No, they are not going after Antonio Brown, but they are trying to acquire players and find ways to make their team better. After a 7-9 season a lot will need to be done in order for them to be successful. Friday, it was reported that former Houston Texans cornerback Kevin Johnson was interested in signing with the Carolina Panthers.

Johnson has had a bumpy road of sorts since he came into the league in 2015. He was selected by the Texans with the 16th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He was a star at Wake Forest, recording 189 tackles, seven interceptions,  and 20 pass deflections in four years for the Demon Deacons. His best season came in the 2013 campaign. As a junior,  he recorded 58 tackles, three interceptions, 12 pass deflections, and a forced fumble. He would follow that up with a tremendous senior year in 2014, recording 44 tackles and an interception to go along with six pass deflections.

More from Cat Crave

• Ranking the top-five QB prospects the Panthers could draft in 2023
• 4 remaining Carolina Panthers cap crunches after Damien Wilson release
• Could Duce Staley help Carolina Panthers land Jamaal Williams in 2023?
• How much could the Carolina Panthers afford to offer Lamar Jackson?
• 4 Panthers rumors to emerge from 2023 NFL Scouting Combine

After starting in 16 games his rookie season, Johnson would be bitten by the injury bug. A broken foot would end his season after six games in 2016. An MCL sprain would wipe out Johnson’s 2017 season, and a concussion in Week One would put him on the shelf for the entirety of 2018. It has not been an easy go of things to this point I give him credit for sticking it out and never giving up..

What could he bring to the Carolina Panthers? He could bring additional depth to the secondary. They desperately need to find additional pieces at the corner position. Especially with the departures of Captain Munnerlyn and Mike Adams that leaves the team down a man in the secondary. Certainly, they have a player like James Bradberry who can hold his own and provide contributions.

However, besides him and Donte Jackson , there are not a whole lot of corners to depend on in that secondary. Johnson certainly has a ton of promise and could help the Panthers. He just needs to be able to stay healthy. He also needs to be able to show that he can be a dependable player for the Carolina Panthers. This is a year in which it is pivotal that the Carolina Panthers succeed.

The good news is that it seems like he does not have many teams lining up to sign him. He has already made several stops on his itinerary. He is going to visit the New York Jets according to a report from Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. He has already visited the Buffalo Bills and Cleveland Browns. This could make it much easier for the Panthers to be able to sign him.

He is not going to make the front page anytime soon. However, the Panthers desperately need depth in their secondary and Johnson could be a candidate to fill the void. He needs a fresh start in his career and Carolina could be the perfect fit. They are an up-and-coming team that should be able to make noise in 2019. The Panthers could be the perfect organization for Johnson to reinvent himself. At the very least, the Carolina Panthers should think about taking a flyer on him.