5 remaining free agents the Carolina Panthers must snap up quickly
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers should target Sheldon Richardson
DaQuan Jones has officially left the Carolina Panthers after just one season. The imposing defensive tackle was presented with an acceptable offer from the Buffalo Bills soon after the legal tampering period began, which gives the player a potential shot at winning the Super Bowl in 2022.
Unless Bravvion Roy and Daviyon Nixon make monumental leaps forward in the coming months, the Carolina Panthers need to find an adequate replacement for Jones given how important he became to the team’s defensive front alongside Derrick Brown during the previous campaign.
Experience will be key when examining potential candidates considering the urgency to win now after so much failure. If this is a route the front office chooses to go down, then someone like Sheldon Richardson is worth a look.
The former first-round pick out of Missouri was part of the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 and can operate either as a defensive tackle or a defensive end should the opportunity arise. Richardson can assist against the run and specializes in getting after the quarterback from the interior, which is something the Panthers could certainly use moving forward.
Much will depend on the finances involved. But with Jones no longer part of the equation, Richardson represents someone that could do a similar job for Carolina in 2022.