4 strangest offseason decisions by the Carolina Panthers in 2022

What are some of the strangest decisions made by the Carolina Panthers throughout an eventful 2022 offseason period?

After collapsing to the brink of oblivion in 2021, the Carolina Panthers had a significant amount of questions to answer this offseason. It didn’t take long to figure out that head coach Matt Rhule was going to get another year, so improving everything around him was the primary objective throughout the spring.

Considering how tight money was and the number of areas that needed strengthening, it’s been a solid offseason for the Panthers. One that enhances their chances of being competitive despite some tough challenges on the 2022 schedule.

There could be more drama to come before training camp with speculation mounting about a potential trade for Jimmy Garoppolo or Baker Mayfield. An intriguing element to this equation cannot be overlooked.

For all the good, here are four of the strangest decisions made by the Panthers this offseason.

Strange Move No. 1

Carolina Panthers restructured Pat Elflein’s contract

The Carolina Panthers had to kick some cans down the road financially this offseason. One such decision was restructuring Pat Elflein, which saved them around $2.4 million and sent his cap hit soaring to $7.55 million in 2023.

This gave them some financial flexibility. But it was a strange decision when one considers the minimal savings involved.

Elflein will fight it out for the left guard position in training camp but might have to settle for a backup role after underperforming last season. Cutting the Ohio State product next spring represents a saving of $4.75 million with $2.8 million in dead cap, which seems like a no-brainer right now.