What can Weatherly bring to the Panthers defense in 2020?
By Dean Jones
How did the Panthers snag Weatherly?
Even though Stephen Weatherly and the Minnesota Vikings had a mutual interest in the player re-signing. The Carolina Panthers’ offer was too good to turn down and was something the cash-strapped Vikings couldn’t match.
Weatherly penned a two-year, $12.5 million contract with the Panthers. This included a $4 million signing bonus and $6.25 million in guaranteed money. This was the best possible outcome for the player, who came from obscurity to earn the opportunity to start for an NFL franchise.
There is a potential out for the Panthers after Weatherly’s first season. If the player performs below expectations, he can be released at a saving of $4.55 million on their salary cap. Given the high amount they already have in dead cap money going forward, it would be a huge shock if the defensive end did not see out his deal with the organization.
Teams do tend to overpay for players in free agency. But if Weatherly continues on an upward curve this could be something of a steal for the Panthers. Defensive coordinator Eric Washington will have the benefit of a high-motor player to put alongside Kawann Short and rotational defensive end Efe Obada.
All this bodes well for a franchise that is going to need their defensive stars to perform consistently well to stand any chance of making an impact in the NFC South. All three other sides within the division possess potent aerial attacks. It will be up to the Panthers’ pass-rushers to disrupt this as much as possible in 2020.