Breaking down A.J. Bouye’s potential fit on the Carolina Panthers
With the NFL Draft getting closer, the Carolina Panthers could still look at signing another veteran corner.
The Carolina Panthers have addressed many issues on the roster so far during free agency, but there are still players they can target. Even though Phil Snow’s secondary made some sacrifices with releases or players not being brought back, the team can still continue to upgrade it before the 2021 NFL Draft.
Earlier this month, the Panthers signed the veteran Rashaan Melvin. So far, he’s the only major addition the team has made to the cornerback room. However, Carolina could still get a quality starter if they sign A.J. Bouye.
Bouye is a seasoned veteran that has spent his past eight seasons in the AFC with the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and most recently the Denver Broncos. He’s played in 100 games while starting in 69 of them.
Besides being a veteran, he also possesses three years of playoff experience.
Only a few on the Panthers’ defense have actually been to the postseason, let alone the Conference Championship game. Bouye had two seasons with Houston, and then his most recent one with the Jaguars in 2017.
A.J. Bouye would bring a quality experience to the Carolina Panthers.
Throughout Bouye’s career, he’s managed to rack up 14 interceptions, 338 tackles, and 72 passes defended. The former Central Florida star has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, which would help Carolina significantly when trying to force a turnover.
The Panthers only had a total of seven interceptions last season. With this stat, Carolina was tied for second in the least amount of pass takeaways by a defense. This was a significant decline from 2019 when they finished with 14.
Carolina’s defense was also ranked 18th in passing yards given up with 3,825 this season. In doing this, the Panthers conceded 28 touchdowns through the air, which made them tied for No. 15 in this category,
Bouye will bring an edge and much-needed veteran approach to Carolina’s defense. He may not be a superstar like Stephon Gilmore of the New England Patriots, but he can make an impact and help bring those abovementioned turnovers.
When he was playing his best, the Jaguars’ defense was hard to pass on in 2017.
Donte Jackson is entering his fourth season, and he can’t be expected to carry the entire secondary on his back. Picking up Bouye will take a lot of pressure away from him while also giving him a good veteran to learn from.
Based on the cornerback market, the Panthers could look at getting Bouye for a solid deal. So far, Carolina has done a nice job of making the most of the money available this offseason, so he could be added to that solid list of signings.