3 biggest bargains of Carolina Panthers free agency so far
By Dean Jones
Which moves made during the Carolina Panthers free agency period could be considered as the biggest bargains so far?
They might not have made a big splash as yet, but few would look at recruitment during the first fortnight of Carolina Panthers free agency so far and not think it hasn’t improved their chances moving forward. Those in power have been incredibly prudent with financial resources at their disposal after freeing up some additional wiggle room despite a shrinking cap, so even though some recruits are going to immediately assist, there is room for more in the way of signings in the not-too-distant future.
General manager Scott Fitterer has done a nice job in difficult circumstances so far.
Sure, the Panthers have made sacrifices with almost every other NFL team. But the new appointment seems to be on the same page with head coach Matt Rhule that will stand Carolina in extremely good stead both during the rest of this offseason and beyond.
Carolina Panthers free agency is just getting started.
Much more is needed if the Panthers want to go into the 2021 campaign with some loftier ambitions than in years gone by. The obvious complications at quarterback are there for all to see and areas such as offensive line and cornerback also require some substantial upgrades to keep the roster going in the right direction.
Of all the decisions made by Carolina during free agency so far, which ones could end up being the biggest bargains?
Bargain No. 1
Haason Reddick – DE/OLB
- Contract – $6 million (one year) – $1.99M cap hit.
There is every chance that Haason Reddick might be a one-year wonder after generating an impressive 12.5 sacks with the Arizona Cardinals in 2020. But if he does manage to build on this positive momentum in a new environment it is going to be the signing of the Carolina Panthers free agency period by a considerable margin.
Generating pressure was something Carolina struggled to do during the first half of the campaign and although things did improve down the stretch, it was clear that better options were needed.
That’s where Reddick comes in.
His previous relationship with head coach Matt Rhule from their time together at Temple played a big role in his arrival to the Panthers. If this reunion results in another double-digit sack campaign from the edge rusher next time around, then a bumper payday will be in the offing with the cap set to soar in 2022.