5 roster moves that could save the Carolina Panthers $28.5 million in 2022
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers restructure Robby Anderson
- 2022 cap saving – $5.98 million
Giving Robby Anderson a two-year extension seemed like a reasonable investment by the Carolina Panthers. The wide receiver put together the finest season of his career after arriving in free agency from the New York Jets, but the player’s production dipped significantly in 2021 and certainly not what anybody had in mind for an individual with bundles of talent.
Anderson was criticized for too many drops early in the campaign. His chemistry with Sam Darnold was simply not up to the required standard despite the pair’s previous relationship at MetLife Stadium – and even though he hit things off with Cam Newton, it didn’t bring much upturn in numbers.
Trading Anderson would be extremely difficult given his current cap number, which stands at $16.83 million. So the Panthers have no choice but to stick with the Temple product and somehow hope he can get back to the form we saw during his first-ever 1,000-yard receiving season in 2020.
Just who is going to be the quarterback remains to be seen. But it would be a huge surprise if it wasn’t Darnold considering the Panthers picked up his fifth-year option without evaluating him in person.
Restructuring Anderson is projected to save Carolina $5.98 million. A sum that could come in handy when it comes to recruitment of tying down an established veteran out of contract.