The Carolina Panthers are firmly focused on beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and coming within striking distance of winning the NFC South for the first time in a decade. For general manager Dan Morgan and his front office staff, attention is slowly turning to the next phase of his master plan.
On this topic, a situation involving an NFC rival is developing that Morgan would be wise to keep an eye on.
Carolina has struggled to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks this season. Only the Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, and San Francisco 49ers have recorded fewer sacks per game, a persistent frustration since Morgan traded Brian Burns to the New York Giants. Nic Scourton has flashed promise as a rookie, but the jury is still out on everyone else.
Carolina Panthers should keep tabs on Rashan Gary's situation with the Packers
It would be surprising if Morgan didn't address the defensive edge once again this offseason, especially with D.J. Wonnum out of contract. Some good options will be available in the draft, but Matt Schneidman from The Athletic thought the Green Bay Packers could end up releasing Rashan Gary as part of cost-cutting measures next spring.
"[Matt] LaFleur said earlier this season that [Rashan] Gary has never been a high snap-count guy. He’s making $24 million per year. That’s alarming. You could partially excuse stretches of futility in the past because he was the main guy teams were worried about, but there’s no excuse now, given how much teams are devoting to Parsons. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gary is even released to free up cap space (doing so before June 1 would free up about $11 million, according to Over The Cap), but that might require Lukas Van Ness to show any sign of being a worthy No. 2 pass rusher."Matt Schneidman
Gary would be a hot commodity if the Packers cut ties. The 2019 first-round pick out of Michigan has never reached double-digit sacks in a single season. Still, his ability to set the edge against the run and explosiveness in a variety of alignments make him an intriguing proposition should Green Bay let him take his chances elsewhere.
There is one complication. The Packers could decide to ride things out with the veteran now that All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons is set for a considerable spell on the sidelines with a torn ACL. Losing one influential pass-rusher is bad enough, but coping without Gary as well could be deemed a risk not worth taking.
A lot can and will change before the free-agent frenzy commences. But if Gary were to hit the market, the Panthers should be among the first to inquire.
And after a campaign with several encouraging signs, Carolina is no longer the unattractive destination it was under previous regimes.