Eddy Pineiro - Carolina Panthers K
Eddy Pineiro held out the last offseason in pursuit of securing a new contract from the Carolina Panthers. That irked fans and head coach Dave Canales, who wanted everyone in the building to smooth his transition and finally get this organization trending in the right direction.
Pineiro didn't get the deal he was looking for and eventually returned once undrafted free agent kicker Harrison Mevis impressed over early workouts. The veteran won the starting job, but his production was more wayward than ever when competitive games commenced.
The former Florida standout doesn't have a big leg, making anything beyond 40 yards a difficult proposition. Pineiro is among the league's most accurate kickers statistically, but this is misleading. Frustration with efforts from a distance and failure to produce the goods in key moments saw sections of the fanbase calling for change.
Joe Person from The Athletic recently reported that the Panthers plan to let Pineiro test the free-agent market. This suggests that those in power are going in a different direction, which is the right thing to do looking at his overall body of work throughout the campaign.
Reliable kickers are hard to find, but the Panthers should avoid the temptation of going back to Pineiro if a new offer doesn't arrive at the player's door in free agency.
Miles Sanders - Carolina Panthers RB
Miles Sanders came into the Panthers as a high-profile signing in 2023 free agency. The veteran running back was hand-picked by those in power to fill the gaping void left by Christian McCaffrey following his trade to the San Francisco 49ers. It didn't take long to realize this acquisition wasn't going to go well.
Sanders suffered some injury problems during his early transition. The former second-round pick looked sluggish over the early stages of the campaign and went to injured reserve. This allowed Chuba Hubbard to take over lead duties again.
Hubbard seized the momentum. There was more purpose and explosiveness to the rushing attack when he got the lion's share of responsibilities. When Sanders returned, he assumed a secondary role.
This trend continued during the 2024 season. Sanders was utilized sparingly and suffered more issues on the injury front. Hubbard continued his ascent into a core foundational piece, earning a new four-year extension as a result of his outstanding efforts.
The Panthers need help at the running back position this offseason after Jonathon Brooks suffered another torn ACL. This is a deep draft class to solve this complication, which is far cheaper than keeping Sanders around with an $8.17 million salary-cap hit coming his way.
Releasing Sanders saves the Panthers around $5.22 million. That seems like a no-brainer all things considered.