5 strong replacements if the Panthers cut ties with Damien Wilson
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers could sign A.J. Johnson
Whether Damien Wilson remains on the Carolina Panthers or not is undecided. However, those in power should be forming a contingency plan in place if the information they receive results in the player’s early release.
Providing there are no complications from a serious pectoral injury that placed A.J. Johnson on season-ending injured/reserve in Week 6, then he seems to have a lot of nice traits that could assist the Panthers in the short and potentially long-term.
Johnson rose from an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos into a starting role, gaining 124 tackles in 2021 to take his tally to 249 tackles in 38 professional games. His production also resulted in an impressive 81.0 grade from Pro Football Focus last time around before his campaign was cut short.
Everything would need to check out on the health front where Johnson is concerned. But his size, length, and physicality could be of tremendous use if Wilson is let go.
This also represents a great landing spot for the Tennessee product to get his career back on track. Injuries are all part of life in the NFL, so Johnson will be eager to bounce back at the earliest opportunity and something Carolina might be able to provide.