3 free agents the Carolina Panthers should consider signing before Week 1 at Falcons
The Carolina Panthers look short of options at specific position groups heading into Week 1.
By Dean Jones
Which free agents could the Carolina Panthers consider signing before their highly-anticipated Week 1 regular season opener at the Atlanta Falcons?
There are still plenty of moving parts within the Carolina Panthers as preparations ramp up for their Week 1 opener against the Atlanta Falcons. This is a statement game - the first of Frank Reich's head coaching tenure - so picking up a valuable win on the road versus a divisional rival would do wonders for confidence moving forward.
Looking at the current state of affairs, there are some areas of concern that need to be addressed. One major storyline is overshadowing all else right now, with Brian Burns not exactly thrilled with the lack of progress regarding a bumper new contract extension despite being present throughout camp and earlier offseason workouts.
This is a problem the Panthers don't need, but the primary decision-makers are obviously waiting to see what the San Francisco 49ers give Nick Bosa before proceeding. With Marquis Haynes Sr. now on injured/reserve, the urgency to have their best pass-rusher on the field is glaring and could lead to something becoming official in the not-too-distant future.
With that said, here are three free agents the Panthers should consider signing before Week 1 begins.
Carolina Panthers could sign Dalton Risner
The Carolina Panthers have almost no experienced offensive line depth. Those in power opted to keep faith with the likes of Ricky Lee and Nash Jensen after their outstanding summers, with Calvin Throckmorton also joining the ranks off waivers once final cuts had been made around the league.
That puts more pressure on the starting unit to produce and more importantly, remain healthy. But someone like Dalton Risner might also be of use providing a short-term deal could be reached.
Risner is a proven performer who gave up three sacks and conceded one penalty from almost 1,000 snaps with the Denver Broncos last season. Nobody would be asking the former second-round pick out of Kansas State to play starting reps, but he'd be a decent insurance policy if an unfortunate injury befalls someone at the Atlanta Falcons.