3 free agents Carolina Panthers should sign before 2024 mandatory minicamp

Carolina Panthers should sign Connor Williams

After spending vast financial resources on signing Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, the Carolina Panthers have a starting offensive guard tandem that represents a substantial upgrade on anything they churned out in front of Bryce Young last season. However, those in power are taking a big risk by switching Austin Corbett to the center spot.

Corbett's spent the entirety of his career at the right guard position. He's been given chances to win center jobs during his previous stops but failed. The former second-round selection is also coming off two serious knee injuries in consecutive seasons, so it's not hard to see why this is a huge gamble by the Panthers.

Brady Christensen has reportedly been taking backup reps over early workouts. Undrafted free agent Andrew Raym is the only specialist center on Carolina's roster currently. Therefore, it might be wise to pick up another in pursuit of keeping complications to a minimum.

Connor Williams is still on the market. There is one big reason why. The veteran missed eight games last season due to injury, but his production remained on the impressive side when on the field.

Williams tore his ACL in December, which is a major red flag. Just how much he'll be able to feature in 2024 is anyone's guess, so much will depend on his medical assessments before the Panthers or anyone else makes their move.

If Williams was healthy, this is a no-brainer. He'd also be on a new team by now.

Perhaps the Panthers will ride things out with Corbett in the hope he can flourish with these newfound responsibilities. Williams wouldn't be a bad contingency plan by any stretch, but whether he'll make much of a difference is dependent on his recovery from a serious injury issue.

In truth, it's a gamble the Panthers don't have the luxury for right now. But if Corbett fluffs his lines and Williams is still looking for employment down the road, it's a different story.