5 AFC South free-agents the Panthers could target in 2021
By Dean Jones
J.J. Watt – DE
- 2020 team – Houston Texans
First of all, this is unlikely to happen considering how many contending teams are looking in J.J. Watt’s direction. But if the Carolina Panthers somehow manage to land Deshaun Watson before the stud defensive end has chosen his next destination, it might shift the landscape somewhat.
The ball is in Watt’s court, which is what he wanted after giving the Houston Texans so much throughout a storied career that will surely end up with a Pro Football Hall of Fame nod one day. He was still playing at a high level in 2020 despite the obvious limitations of others around him, so there won’t be many teams across the league who wouldn’t want him on their roster.
Carolina’s defensive front came on leaps and bounds during the campaign. But they could still use someone else opposite Brian Burns on the edge and take some pressure off Yetur Gross-Matos despite the former Penn State star showing flashes of brilliance during a frustrating rookie season overall.
Adding someone like Watt is a long shot.
However, there is just no telling what acquiring him would do not only on the field for Carolina but also within the locker room.
There is the obvious temptation of a Wisconsin homecoming with the Green Bay Packers or playing with his brothers in a potential switch to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Another possible option is the Chicago Bears, where Watt’s fiancee Kealia Ohai plays professional soccer.
The odds are stacked against the Panthers if they chose to go after Watt. But stranger things have happened in the NFL.