5 Panthers players running out of time to earn new deals

Which Carolina Panthers are running out of time to earn new deals?

This upcoming offseason promises to be a big one for the Carolina Panthers. Head coach Matt Rhule will now know which areas of the roster need strengthening as he looks to make a bigger impression during year No. 2 of his reign. So it would be a huge shock if the organization wasn’t active both during free agency, with possible trades, and bringing in exciting college recruits via the 2021 NFL Draft.

There are also some big calls to make regarding current roster members. The Carolina Panthers will look to tie down the likes of right tackle Taylor Moton and wide receiver Curtis Samuel – providing the price is right – but other individuals face a crucial period in the coming weeks in their bid to extend their stay with the franchise.

For some, their fate is already sealed.

Players such as Tahir Whitehead and Chris Reed simply haven’t done enough to justify another contract coming their way after failing to deliver on expectations before competitive action began.

Let’s take a look a five Panthers players who are running out of time to earn new deals, which could ultimately come down to how they perform over the next three games.

Player No. 1

Joey Slye – Carolina Panthers K

Joey Slye‘s future with the Panthers is hanging by a thread. The kicker has been inconsistent after a promising start to the campaign and it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that a poor end to the 2020 season will result in Carolina parting ways with the second-year pro.

He did receive a seal of approval from head coach Matt Rhule – for what it’s worth – after the Panthers were forced to release recently signed kicker Lirim Hajrullahu after there were complications with his work visa. Slye must take advantage of this reprieve over the next three games to give himself at least a fighting chance of earning a new deal next spring.