3 best value salary-cap hits on the Carolina Panthers in 2023
By Dean Jones
Vonn Bell - Carolina Panthers S
- 2023 salary-cap hit: $3.11 million
Switching to a 3-4 base defense requires the right personnel. While the Carolina Panthers have an abundance of young talent for Ejiro Evero to utilize, the defensive coordinator was missing an experienced field general on the backend to keep everybody organized.
The Panthers managed to lock one up soon after the legal tampering period began. This came after former second-round pick Vonn Bell signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal with a $5.83 million signing bonus and $13 million guaranteed.
Bell arrives from a Cincinnati Bengals franchise that underwent some positive improvements en route to two-straight AFC Championship games - one of which they won. This experience is going to be invaluable as Carolina looks for a similar upward trend of their own under Frank Reich in the coming years.
The football IQ Bell brings to the table is one of his key strengths. There is also a fiery competitive edge about the defensive back that's hard not to love and will rub off superbly on those around him.
Pairing Bell and Xavier Woods at the safety spot will also allow the Panthers to get creative with Jeremy Chinn, who'll be put in positions that put his exceptional athleticism to better use. And with a salary-cap hit of just $3.11 million in 2023, the one-time Ohio State standout has the potential to influence matters far greater than his current pay grade.
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