Which deals during a busy offseason period for the Carolina Panthers could end up being the biggest bargains of 2022?
This was always going to be a dramatic offseason for the Carolina Panthers. It began with head coach Matt Rhule getting another year to turn things around, plenty of roster turnover, and the year-long pursuit of quarterback Deshaun Watson mercifully coming to a conclusion after he was traded to the Cleveland Browns soon followed.
The Panthers have actually quietly put together a strong free agency period, which was needed with only one draft pick in the first 136 selections currently. Of course, the Sam Darnold situation and the need for a franchise left tackle cannot be ignored, which should now take priority after other holes were filled well.
Everything had to go right for the Panthers after such a disastrous end to the 2021 campaign. Whether it will be enough for genuine progress with the pressure on next time around is the million-dollar question.
Without further ado, we picked out four big bargains Carolina managed to secure from a frantic offseason period to date.
Big Bargain No. 1
Carolina Panthers re-signed Juston Burris
- One-year deal | $1.18 million salary-cap hit
This might not seem like a big deal considering the Carolina Panthers picked up Xavier Woods in free agency. But re-signing Juston Burris for a majorly cheap deal should be a significant upgrade on the safety depth chart in case injury strikes.
Burris actually performed well more often than not when on the field. Injuries did hinder his progress at critical times throughout his two years in Carolina so far, but this is a strong veteran presence that has previous experience operating within Phil Snow’s system.
The former North Carolina State star is a serviceable presence for the Panthers. One that could have a big role to play depending on what the coaching staff does with Jeremy Chinn next season.