The Carolina Panthers enter the offseason with a robust center market in free agency and the NFL Draft. Despite having continuity along their offensive line, they maintain one of the most expensive front fives in the league, with unknowns on the edges and in the middle.
A surprise move rattled the free agent market. Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman announced his sudden retirement from the NFL just five years into his career, one of which was spent with the Chicago Bears. This adds yet another team to the list of many who need center help this offseason, which could also include the Panthers.
Cade Mays is in the thick of it. The Panthers' starter is expected to test the open market with a return to Carolina on the table if the money works. However, Dalman's retirement changes how general manager Dan Morgan and the rest of the NFL might approach the need this offseason.
Drew Dalman's retirement could impact Carolina Panthers' ability to retain Cade Mays
Teams across the league are looking for center help. That includes the Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, Bears, Detroit Lions, and the Cleveland Browns, just to name some potential players in free agency.
Tyler Linderbaum, the unquestioned top center in free agency, will likely garner an average annual value of $20 million per year or more, according to reports. This would make him the highest-paid center in NFL history over Kansas City Chiefs starter Creed Humphrey.
How does Mays fit into all of this?
He is one of the several sufficient-to-quality starting centers in the league. Offensive line play, especially at center, is coming at a premium. Someone like the Lions would be a perfect destination for the attitude Mays brings to the offensive line and would be a solid fit with Dan Campbell's culture.
Mays has been a fan favorite in the Carolinas for a while. Even so, the Panthers have to think long-term about roster and salary-cap management.
The cost-efficient move would be to allow Mays to test free agency and earn himself a payday elsewhere. It's hard to imagine Carolina's front office paying more than $8 million per year to retain the Tennessee product. It feels like Morgan will be targeting a new center in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Auburn's Conner Lew and Kansas State's Sam Hecht could be viable options, as well as other options in the later rounds of the draft. Dalman's retirement put a true damper on the Panthers' hopes of securing Mays for another couple of years.
Now, they must wade through the tall grass in search of their potential new starter in the middle of their offensive line. It's a risk worth taking to better develop the defensive front seven and find the future at left or right tackle.