5 franchise tag deadline moves that should interest Panthers

James Carpenter released

Another move that should have caught the attention of the Carolina Panthers is the release of James Carpenter. The experienced offensive lineman was cut by the Atlanta Falcons to save some significant financial resources and this just so happens to be a positional group that needs a makeover in the coming weeks.

John Miller and Chris Reed are out of contract and unlikely to be brought back. So even though this is a deep draft class for interior linemen, it would be worth Carolina bringing in a plug-and-play veteran that could make a real difference.

There is also a connection between Carpenter and general manager Scott Fitterer, who was director of college scouting at the Seattle Seahawks when they selected the former Alabama standout at No. 25 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Carpenter has been a solid if not spectacular professional over almost a decade in the league. He won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks before moving to the New York Jets and the Falcons, so there isn’t much the player hasn’t seen throughout his career.

Providing the deal works for both parties, it’s something that Carolina should monitor closely. Considering the payoff Carpenter just received from Atlanta, he might be willing to take a short-term deal with incentives with the number of veteran players facing the scrapheap in the current financial climate.