Carolina Panthers: How defense salaries look with NFL’s escrow proposal

Carolina Panthers Player No. 10: Zach Kerr (DL) – $910,000 base – $591,500 with reduction

Zach Kerr is another beefy presence on a Carolina defensive front that could become an area of real strength next season. He has the potential to play on the interior or the edge. And his skills will be particularly useful in running situations.

The player could see a salary drop to $591,500 with this potential ruling. But whether Kerr can deliver the goods from a performance perspective is perhaps a bigger question mark.

Carolina Panthers Player No. 11: Jermaine Carter (LB) – $750,000 base – $487,500 with reduction

Next season represents a campaign of opportunity for Jermaine Carter. The linebacker could line up alongside Shaq Thompson on the edge in a starting berth. So plenty is at stake for the player both from a personal and financial perspective.

Carter is heading into the penultimate year of his deal that could eventually end up with a decreased base salary of $487,500. However, if he starts and plays well, it will be a tremendous bargaining chip for a longer deal with more guaranteed money next spring.

Carolina Panthers Player No. 12: Efe Obada (DE) – $750,000 base – $487,500 with reduction

Efe Obada hasn’t made a great deal of money from his career to date. He probably needs the money more than most on the Panthers’ defense. And this becomes more evident when one considers he might well be on the free-agent scrapheap once again in 2020.

The team does have high hopes for Obada’s potential to fill in across the defensive line next season. But any good production might end up with $487,500 due to the proposed escrow on salaries.

Carolina Panthers Player No. 13: Derrick Brown (DT) – $610,000 base – $396,500 with reduction

Defensive tackle Derrick Brown might make only $396,500 during his rookie year thanks to this proposal. But that shouldn’t bother the player too much thanks to the $3.68 million signing bonus he got when he penned his fully guaranteed four-year deal worth $23.62 million.

This could be just the start of the No. 7 overall pick’s wealth throughout his career. Brown has the potential to make the Pro Bowl in no time at all. And he might even become one of Carolina’s greatest-ever defensive players in the process.