5 NFC West free agents the Carolina Panthers should target in 2021
By Dean Jones
Troy Hill – CB
- 2020 team – Los Angeles Rams
If Ahkello Witherspoon represents a potential bargain cornerback with upside, then Troy Hill would be a player who’d probably cost a little more but has years of outstanding production to bring to the table. The undrafted prospect out of Oregon has carved a fantastic career for himself against the odds and had plenty of pressure coming his way in 2020 with teams reluctant to throw in the direction of Jalen Ramsay.
Hill has all the athletic traits that the Carolina Panthers acquired plenty of during their recruitment process last time around. Considering the success they had with the majority of their signings, it would be a surprise if they didn’t continue with this method despite new general manager Scott Fitterer coming in with his own set of ideas.
The Los Angeles Rams have yet to determine whether they want Hill to stick around, even though from the outside looking in it would be a huge loss to their secondary. They are $29.61 million over the projected salary-cap currently, according to Spotrac. So even if they did make the player an offer to stay, it probably wouldn’t be what he’d get by hitting the market.
Putting Hill alongside Donte Jackson would give the Panthers a prolific tandem. It should also be more than enough for defensive coordinator Phil Snow to move away from what became a frustrating soft zone scheme in 2020 that really cost them in critical moments.