5 Panthers players that will be grossly overpaid in 2021 if not cut
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers players would be classed as overpaid in 2021 if they manage to avoid being cut beforehand?
This is a critical period in the long-term future of the Carolina Panthers. Owner David Tepper’s revolution is now complete with the appointment of Scott Fitterer as their new general manager, who will begin working with head coach Matt Rhule right away on forming a concise and structured plan to get the organization back to prominence.
This is something that Tepper will demand by the time Carolina’s headquarters moves to its exceptional facility at Rock Hill, which promises to be a game-changer. There are some fantastic young stars to build around, but the roster also consists of veteran players who aren’t really pulling their weight.
Fitterer will be thrown in at the deep end in no uncertain terms. There is scouting ahead of the 2021 NFL Draft to consider, in addition to making the necessary salary-cap moves with financial resources coming down due to COVID-19 revenue losses.
With this in mind, here are five Panthers players who would be grossly overpaid in 2021 if they avoid being cut.
Player No. 1
Kawann Short – Carolina Panthers DT
- Cap hit – $20.83 million
This one goes without saying. But there is virtually no chance that the Panthers bring back Kawann Short on his current deal.
The Pro Bowl defensive tackle has endured torrid luck with injuries over the last two years – playing just five games over this span – and considering he is due to count a whopping $20.83 million against the salary cap, the writing is on the wall in no uncertain terms.
Considering the direction Carolina is going in with their youth movement, the decision to part ways with Short is probably a wise one despite everything he’s given the organization since arriving as a second-round pick out of Purdue.
There is a chance that Short enjoys a renaissance elsewhere if he finally gets rid of the injury bug. But it’s just not financially feasible to keep the player on the final year of his deal from Carolina’s perspective.