3 free agents the Carolina Panthers were smart to avoid in 2023
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers were right to avoid Derek Carr
When Derek Carr was released - ending his long association with the Las Vegas Raiders - he immediately became arguably the most accomplished quarterback on the free-agent market. Something that teams are always willing to pay a premium for in pursuit of changing their fortunes.
It came as no surprise to see the Carolina Panthers take an interest in Carr. Any college quarterback worth taking in the top 10 was unlikely to fall into their laps at No. 9 overall, so the former Fresno State standout represented an experienced contingency plan for the new regime to explore.
Carr endured a down year in Las Vegas under Josh McDaniels and never looked like a great scheme fit despite the Raiders trading for Davante Adams. Perhaps a fresh start will galvanize the Pro Bowler, even if there are more doubts than ever about his ability to produce the goods consistently.
After meeting with Carr at the NFL Scouting Combine, another call was anticipated the following Monday. That was until the New Orleans Saints swooped in with a whopping $150 million contract with $100 million guaranteed to seal the deal.
The Panthers weren't ever going to match this, so they made the right call. Especially considering Scott Fitterer spent most of his free time at the combine working out a deal for the No. 1 overall pick.