5 players the Panthers should move on from before the 2022 season

Sam Franklin – Carolina Panthers S

Given that it was once an area of need, there is a lot to like about the options now available to the Carolina Panthers at safety. Jeremy Chinn will obviously lead the charge in pursuit of earning his first starting Pro Bowl selection and the signing of Xavier Woods from the Minnesota Vikings in free agency also comes with a significant amount of intrigue.

Couple this with the expected development of Myles Hartsfield and Kenny Robinson as well as Juston Burris returning on a one-year deal, and this core five might be what the Panthers will utilize in 2022.

This would obviously leave Sam Franklin out of luck. The defensive back looked like a player of promise in 2020 after he was signed by Matt Rhule having worked with the head coach at Temple, but there were some real problems in coverage and from a consistency standpoint as a sophomore that must be rectified quickly.

Catching the eye of new defensive backs coach Steve Wilks will be of paramount importance for Franklin. The former Arizona Cardinals head coach is a respected figure that knows what a solid contributor looks like, so it’s a case of impressing all over again in Year 3 of the player’s career.

In all honesty, Franklin just isn’t up to the required standard. And considering the options now available to Carolina, they should move on from this particular project.