5 early free agents on offense for the Panthers to target in 2022
By Dean Jones
Which free agents out of contract in 2022 could the Carolina Panthers potentially target next year?
The Carolina Panthers are set to have more money available to sign free agents in 2022 in a bid to get them into Super Bowl contention. This might appear some way off just yet for a young and developing roster, but if they can continue to make strides in the second year of Matt Rhule’s stint as head coach it is going to make them an attractive proposition for veteran players looking for an exciting project as their next challenge.
Carolina has some notable players out of contract themselves on offense next year. The likes of Matt Paradis and Robby Anderson will be looking for longer commitments either with the Panthers or elsewhere, with right tackle Taylor Moton’s franchise tag also expiring if a new deal cannot be worked out by the deadline.
According to Over the Cap, the Panthers have $51.69 million available to spend before sacrifices are made to other parts of the roster. This would have been a lot more had they not been forced to restructure some contracts this offseason to comply with the reduced salary cap, which was a necessary evil in the circumstances.
Much will depend on how much the cap soars with gameday revenue returning to normal levels thanks to full capacity stadiums. But here are five 2022 free agents that the Panthers could potentially target if the opportunity arises.
Carolina Panthers potential free agency targets in 2022.
Player No. 1
David DeCastro – OG
- 2021 team – Pittsburgh Steelers
The Panthers brought in plenty of new faces across their offensive line during free agency and the 2021 NFL Draft, but whether they can come together and become a more stable unit for new quarterback Sam Darnold is up for debate. If things don’t pan out as expected, then it might be time for those in power to spend some big bucks to improve matters.
If they end up going down this route, then David DeCastro ticks all the boxes. The veteran is heading into the final season of his deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers and depending on what happens with their signal-caller Ben Roethlisberger in 2022, he might decide to take his chances elsewhere on a team that might only be missing a couple of pieces by this point.
DeCastro is one of the best guards in the business and did not give up a sack from 845 snaps in 2020. Carolina could get three more good years out of the former first-round pick, but there will be more than a few willing suitors if the player tests the market.