7 waiver wire targets the Carolina Panthers could claim after final cuts
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers could claim Armon Watts
Originally projected by many to start as a 3-4 defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings, the team opted to waive Armon Watts instead. This is thanks in no small part to their trade for Ross Blacklock from the Houston Texans, which threw everything up in the air from the veteran’s perspective.
Watts performed well on a rotational basis for the Vikings last season, gaining five sacks and 46 tackles from 56 percent of the team’s defensive snaps. His release was one of the more surprising around the league and there could be a few teams that put in a claim to bring him onto their roster in the coming hours.
The Carolina Panthers have plenty of young players with potential along their defensive front. Proven production is scarce, so adding Watts into the mix would change all that in an instant.
The former sixth-round pick out of Arkansas has the versatility to play anywhere on the defensive line with minimal fuss. This sort of versatility is something Carolina values highly, so it looks like a good fit for all parties from the outside looking in.
Carolina is currently No. 6 in terms of waiver priority, which is correlated per the 2022 NFL Draft order. So there’s a chance they don’t get Watts even if interest was shown.