The Carolina Panthers have invested heavily in their trenches on both sides of the football since general manager Dan Morgan took charge. And now, some financial adjustments are needed to ensure other areas are not affected.
Morgan was right to build from the inside out. The Panthers chose the veteran route, spending big money on immediate difference-makers to help turn the tide. That paid off, but the cash committed to both the offensive and defensive lines next season is nothing short of extraordinary.
As a result, the Panthers have just $9.14 million in projected salary-cap space, according to Over the Cap. That is nowhere near enough to strengthen the roster and extend high-priority free agents. It also means sacrifices are needed along the way.
Carolina Panthers can ease their financial burden by cutting A'Shawn Robinson
Alex Ballentine from The Bleacher Report lent his voice to the growing murmurings around A'Shawn Robinson's future. Although the interior defensive lineman played well this season, his age and the savings attached with an early departure could be too tempting to ignore in Carolina's current financial state.
"A'Shawn Robinson is set up to be a textbook cap casualty. He was a solid player for the Panthers this season and played an important role in the success of their defense. Unfortunately for him, the next year on his contract might price him out of their plans. Nearly all of his $12.6 million cap hit can be shed if they cut him. He'll be 31 in March so the Panthers would have to be really confident that he'll continue producing to be willing to pay that price with their cap situation."Alex Ballentine
Nothing has been confirmed one way or another. However, the smoke is rising, and it's not hard to see why this could be a viable option for the Panthers as they search for more cap flexibility this offseason.
Robinson is a solid veteran who gave a good account of himself as Carolina's nose tackle this season. His 34 run stops ranked 10th among all interior defensive linemen. There were times when he didn't meet expectations, but his overall consistency represented a major step forward from his 2024 efforts.
Even so, Morgan is running the football operation with a business-first mindset. More than $10 million will be saved on the cap if Robinson is released, and the Panthers could just slot Bobby Brown III into the starting lineup in this scenario.
Other moves will also be needed, and not everyone will come along for the ride. This was always the danger of spending big money on the trenches with contracts somewhat backloaded, but Morgan and Brandt Tilis will have the next stage of their grand plans ready to go.
Whether that includes Robinson or not is another matter.