4 free agents the Carolina Panthers could sign before the 2022 draft

Carolina Panthers could sign Jerry Hughes

It was always unlikely that the Carolina Panthers would re-sign Haason Reddick once the organization let the outside linebacker hit the market and generate offers from elsewhere. The former first-round pick is among the league’s top sack specialists over the last two years and it wasn’t long before he came to an agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles on a big-money deal.

This does leave a hole that the Panthers need to fill. There is hope Marquis Haynes can make additional strides with more reps and Yetur Gross-Matos enters his third season on the team with true breakout potential providing there are no further problems on the health front.

It might also be worth Carolina picking up another veteran player to give Phil Snow a capable presence in the event others on the depth chart don’t produce the goods. There remain some good options on the market in this particular area of the field and someone like Jerry Hughes represents someone with solid production over a consistent period of time.

Hughes was a first-round pick in 2010 who has gone on to achieve a successful career. He has 58 career sacks and even though his role diminished with the Buffalo Bills last season, the former TCU standout still made his presence felt on a rotational basis and remained healthy for the entire campaign.

This would be nothing more than a one-year deal. But it would give the Panthers an experienced presence and allow them to focus their attention elsewhere during the draft.