4 positions the Carolina Panthers should not address in free agency
By Dean Jones
Which positions should the Carolina Panthers avoid spending on during free agency?
Although the free agency period is always an exciting time of year for NFL fans, the Carolina Panthers will be approaching the next few weeks with a sense of caution regarding potential recruits. The salary-cap has now been set at $182.5 million by the league, so the organization had north of $30 million in spare financial resources until they decided to slap the franchise tag on Taylor Moton to prevent the right tackle from hitting the market.
This was an absolute necessity whichever way one looks at it. Moton is a cornerstone for future success where the Panthers are concerned and had they let one of the NFL’s best edge protectors walk it could have been a disaster.
Thankfully, this is not the case. But there are plenty of other holes that need to be filled and not a great deal of spare cash to reinforce.
Carolina Panthers are in a better position than most.
One solace the Panthers can take is that they’re in a better position than most teams. COVID-19 revenue losses have seen the cap shrink by eight percent, which has left a large majority scrambling around with cuts and restructures to comply with the new figure.
There could be some extra bargains to be had with more veterans set to be available than ever before. This could be an opportunity for Carolina providing they identify the right sort of individuals, with the NFL Draft also set to bolster the ranks before OTAs roll around.
On this topic, let’s take a look at some positions that the Panthers shouldn’t strengthen in free agency and leave until the all-important draft weekend.
Position No. 1
Safety
The Carolina Panthers released Tre Boston as part of their cost-cutting measures ahead of free agency. This was something the veteran couldn’t have any real complaints about thanks to his poor production in 2020, but what the coaching staff does to replace him remains to be seen.
They have an enticing option to move Jeremy Chinn back to his preferred position after starring at outside linebacker during his rookie campaign. This would leave a gaping hole at the second level that would be better filled with a veteran on a short-term deal rather than the NFL Draft, so it is an option well worth considering.
Couple this with some eye-catching moments from Sam Franklin and Myles Hartsfield during the season and Carolina can wait until the draft to select a promising safety who is in a similar mold to Chinn in terms of playmaking ability.