5 Panthers players who don’t deserve another season in 2022
By Dean Jones
Sam Franklin – Carolina Panthers S
There was a lot to like about Sam Franklin’s first season with the Carolina Panthers in 2020. The undrafted free agent worked hard to carve out a role for himself on the rotation and performed much better than anticipated when thrust into the lineup thanks to injuries elsewhere.
This left plenty of reasons to be encouraged regarding additional input this season. Sadly for the Temple product, things didn’t go nearly as smoothly and a drop-off in production comes with questions about his overall future with the franchise.
Frankin looked suspect in run support and almost non-existent in coverage. Not exactly what anybody anticipated and it’s going to take a monumental turnaround to force his way into the team’s plans on defense.
Again, this is a Matt Rhule guy from college. So it wouldn’t be the biggest shock in the world if he at least gets a chance to win a roster spot in training camp.
The Panthers are expected to strengthen their safety options this offseason, which would become an even greater priority if Juston Burris and Sean Chandler depart in free agency. This could mean Franklin is further down the pecking order than ever before and unless something drastic happens by the time OTAs roll around, his time in Carolina is hanging by a thread.