Carolina Panthers overpaid for Robby Anderson in free agency

Reports indicate that the Carolina Panthers have agreed on a two-year deal with free agent wide receiver Robby Anderson. It looks like they overpaid when they didn’t even have to.

With a clear need at wide receiver heading into the offseason, the Carolina Panthers had some tough questions to answer. Do they take a gamble on a free agent wide receiver? Do they wait until the 2020 NFL Draft and select one there? With their current salary cap situation, all signs pointed they would likely wait until the draft to address this area of need.

ESPN reports that the Carolina Panthers decided to address this issue now in free agency by agreeing to terms with wide receiver Robby Anderson. It’s being reported that the Panthers offered a two-year, $20 million contract that will see Anderson earn $12 million this upcoming season.

That’s a lot of money to invest in one wide receiver that really hasn’t done anything extraordinary in his four years of playing so far in the NFL. Anderson has yet to have over a 1,000-yard season or even produce a year with double-digit touchdowns.

Panthers overpaid for Anderson

In the grand scheme of things, the Panthers overpaid for Anderson as his interest in free agency was lackluster. If anything, there is a particular trend going on with the Panthers as head coach Matt Rhule is looking to create Temple 2.0 on his new team by bringing in players he used to coach in college.

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While it’s good to bring in familiar names to the mix as the Panthers do their best to rebuild now for a brighter future, it didn’t make sense to shell out that much money when there are other areas to fix.

The Panthers still have needs at cornerback, defensive tackle, and even on their offensive line. Wide receiver could have waited due to what awaits in April.

Considering that this year’s draft class is stacked with talent at wide receiver, the Panthers would have been wise to use their second or third-round pick on one.

Anderson is known for his speed and ability to make big plays every now and then but he isn’t consistent. Of course, some of that can be blamed on the situation he was dealing with on the New York Jets, but it remains to be seen if Anderson can ever achieve being a No. 1 wide receiver and do it week in, week out.

For now, the Panthers rushed to make a move in free agency for a positional group they could have easily bolstered if they just waited. There are a lot of great, young, and even better wide receivers entering this year’s draft that wouldn’t have cost the Panthers as much as what they shelled out for Anderson.

Hopefully, things work out in the end and Anderson finally lives up to his potential of being an all-around solid wide receiver. If not, the Panthers will regret making such a move since, at the moment, Anderson still has a lot to prove if he can ever be the complete package.

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