3 best value salary-cap hits on the Carolina Panthers in 2023
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers players appear to be the best value in terms of salary-cap hit for the upcoming 2023 campaign?
After what seems like an age of financial mismanagement under previous regimes, it's been refreshing to see the Carolina Panthers manipulate the salary cap to their advantage this offseason. Having a guru such as Samir Suleiman to lean on is something the front office has maximized in no uncertain terms, resulting in tremendous signings on team-friendly deals and the odd beneficial restructure along the way.
The Panthers' roster looks much improved from that which finished the 2022 season. They also have $27.24 million in available cash to send, although draft picks such as Bryce Young and Jonathan Mingo must be signed with that.
Carolina's highest cap number currently is Brian Burns at $16.01 million after the team triggered his fifth-year option last spring. But there's a chance even this could come down if the stud pass-rusher gets a bumper long-term deal before the campaign as expected.
For now, we picked out three salary-cap hits that could end up being tremendous value for the Panthers in 2023.
Miles Sanders - Carolina Panthers RB
- 2023 salary-cap hit: $2.55 million
Paying running backs is not the done thing around the NFL these days. The Carolina Panthers found that out to their cost with Christian McCaffrey and have a dead-cap figure of $18.35 million on their books this season after trading the All-Pro to the San Francisco 49ers.
That didn't stop Carolina from signing Miles Sanders in free agency, which upgrades the position and provides quarterback Bryce Young with a stable veteran presence alongside him in the backfield. Although a $5.9 million signing bonus and $13 million guaranteed over four years isn't chump change, it's not exactly overpaying either considering the former second-round selection out of Penn State is coming off a career campaign with the Philadelphia Eagles.
And with a $2.55 million salary-cap hit in 2023 attached, this could be an absolute steal for the Panthers.