Carolina Panthers: 4 players who could bounce back in 2020

Carolina Panthers Player No. 4: Kawann Short (DT)

This selection is not a case of Kawann Short bouncing back from any poor play. But the Carolina Panthers defensive tackle needs to show he still has what it takes after a serious injury concluded his 2019 season early.

The imposing figure suffered a torn rotator cuff that eventually ended in a trip to the injured reserve list. This resulted in the Panthers having a porous run defense that played a leading role in their eventual downfall.

Short’s return has the chance to give Carolina a new lease of life on their defensive front providing his injury troubles are behind him. His partnership alongside No. 7 overall pick Derrick Brown on the interior should make things extremely difficult for opposing running backs to run between the tackles. And it is also going to benefit the outside edge rushers with more space on the outside.

There might be some uncertainty at secondary with the Panthers. But their front seven should be an area of significant strength. Short must bounce back to the player of old. And although rotator cuff injuries do tend to take time to heal. Their lack of time on the field has given the lineman some additional rest which was not expected before the current climate took hold.

This might be Short’s final season in Carolina regardless of how he performs. He is comfortably the team’s highest earner going into 2020. And the final season of his deal next year comes with a salary cap hit of $20.83 million.

Releasing the player would save the Panthers around $9 million. But if Short does get back to his old self, then restructuring his contract for a longer stay might become a realistic option.