5 Panthers players who will get big-time money in the future
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers players could get big-time money in the future?
Things might not look all that great for the Carolina Panthers from a record perspective. But there are some exciting young pieces from which to build a possible playoff contender down the line.
There is much work to be done to achieve this. The Carolina Panthers need to strengthen significantly in problem areas and also improve depth in the event injuries inevitably strike. If they can manage to do this and keep their key men around, it should come with some real improvements in 2021 and beyond.
This is a critical moment for the Panthers.
Owner David Tepper is doing his part by realizing his ambitious plans to move things forward off the field. But he’ll want the same sort of progression from the team after investing so much of his immense wealth.
Whether Marty Hurney will be around to see this project out remains to be seen. The general manager came in for fierce criticism for his handling of established figures such as Cam Newton and Greg Olsen departing the franchise this offseason and it might be time for some fresh ideas to go along with their progressive coaching staff.
We took a look at the Panthers roster and predicted which players could get big-time money both next spring and in the years to come.
Player No. 1
Curtis Samuel – Carolina Panthers WR
Curtis Samuel is out of contract in 2021 and has made himself some serious money this season. The do-it-all wide receiver has grown in stature with every passing game and players with his sort of skill set normally command a significant amount of interest on the free-agent market.
This might make it difficult for the Panthers to hold on to the former Ohio State standout, which would be a blow to their rebuild. Samuel is projected to command an annual salary of $6.5 million per year according to Spotrac, but if he finishes the campaign on a high note then this figure could end up being a modest estimate.
Teams across the league tend to overpay for players in free agency. Someone young, athletic, and with game-changing potential such as Samuel is a definite candidate to fall into this particular category.