Carolina Panthers balance sheet: Defense in the red after offseason moves

Carolina Panthers balance sheet: The major offseason arrivals

Although the Carolina Panthers opted to spend the bulk of their spare funds on offense, they still managed to pick up some notable free agents that will plug some holes in the short-term.

The franchise got a real coup in the form of defensive end Stephen Weatherly. A two-year, $12.5 million deal and the promise of a more prominent role were enough to convince the undrafted player to make the move from the Minnesota Vikings.

Weatherly performed well on a rotational basis under Mike Zimmer. And the pass-rusher should come on again with a more consistent chance to make plays.

The Panthers showed a lot of faith in Tahir Whitehead as he looks to fill the enormous shoes of Luke Kuechly. The former Las Vegas Raider signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal and will get the change for a longer commitment if he performs well.

The likes of Juston Burris and Chris Smith were also brought in on one-year deals. And cornerback Eli Apple is someone that has the potential to come in and start right away.

If the Panthers resisted the temptation to significantly bolster their defense during the free agency period. This is an attitude they didn’t take into the 2020 NFL Draft.

Their first two picks set the tone on the defensive front with Derrick Brown and Yetur Gross-Matos joining the fold. Both have incredible potential and could be the catalyst behind bigger things in the future.

The front office made the bold move to trade back into the second round to take the extremely athletic Jeremy Chinn out of Southern Illinois. The safety will try and improve their secondary from the word go, with Troy Pride Jr. and Kenny Robinson also set to contribute.

Defensive tackle Bravvion Roy and seventh-rounder Stantley Thomas-Oliver III may find a spot in the rotation. And this has left the Panthers with a young and hungry defense for new coordinator Phil Snow to deal with.