7 waiver wire targets the Carolina Panthers could claim after final cuts
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers could claim Chazz Surratt
Adding to the linebacker room is something else the Carolina Panthers might contemplate before the 2022 season. Damien Wilson and Cory Littleton provide a short-term solution to the inside position, with rookie Brandon Smith emerging as a potential option long-term after standing out considerably during the preparation period.
Depth is a little thin at the second level, so it wouldn’t be the biggest shock if the Panthers brought in another body. One interesting name on the waiver wire is Chazz Surratt, who was let go by the Minnesota Vikings after just one season with the team.
Surratt came into the league with a big reputation out of North Carolina. A standout evaluation process saw Minnesota pull the trigger at No. 78 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he failed to register a defensive snap and was active just nine times throughout the campaign.
A new regime in Minnesota led by head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah did not think much of the Vikings’ picks last year based on their ruthless cuts on Tuesday. Surratt was one of many removed from the equation, but his athleticism alone indicates he might still have a future in the league.
The only problem is that the Panthers might need someone that could help immediately. And one couldn’t say one way or the other if Surratt is capable of that.