Why releasing Kawann Short was the right decision for the Panthers
The Carolina Panthers made a tough decision when they chose to release veteran defensive tackle Kawann Short.
This offseason will hold a lot of hard choices that the Carolina Panthers have to make. On Tuesday, fans heard about one tough decision that the team decided to pull the trigger on, which was the release of former pro-bowler Kawann Short.
Short has been with the Panthers since he was drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He was also one of the last Carolina players on the roster that played in Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
However, everything changed for Short after suffered in the past two seasons.
The Panthers have only been able to see Short in five games in the past two seasons. In that time frame, he’s only recorded ten tackles.
Short has not recorded a sack since December 2, 2018.
Carolina Panthers save some major money with Kawann Short’s release.
The decision to release Short came before the last year of his contract. His unfortunate injuries kept him out, and the Panthers were not able to get any production out of His megabucks deal while he was sidelined.
Releasing Short saves the Panthers $9.82 million in 2021 cap space, which allows the team to address other concerns. Carolina was set to operate with limited cap space, but this move gives the team a little more wiggle room in free agency.
Even while he was sidelined, the Panthers were getting production from Derrick Brown and Bravvion Roy. Both rookies combined for three sacks and ten tackles for loss. With the way they played this year, both could look at starting next to each other next season with Zach Kerr also standing out when called upon in 2020.
The Panthers lack pass rushing on their defensive line, and Short was primarily used as a run stopper in his later seasons.
His injuries did not allow him to get back into rhythm. Carolina could be looking at adding more pass-rushing to this position moving forward despite coming in strong getting after the quarterback down the stretch.
As a Panther, Short recorded 32.5 sacks, six forced fumbles, and 59 tackles for loss. The Panthers will miss his veteran leadership, but the team needs to look forward to improving with a younger, more dependable option at a fraction of the cost.
With the money they gained from releasing Short, the Panthers also have an additional roster spot that can be filled by someone else.