9 worst free-agent signings under former Carolina Panthers GM Scott Fitterer
By Dean Jones
What were the worst free-agent signings made by former Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer during his three-year tenure?
Scott Fitterer came into the Carolina Panthers with an in-on-every-deal philosophy and aggressive ethos that has fans hoping better days were ahead. While Matt Rhule complicated matters, it was a constant stream of failures that turned the organization into a complete laughingstock.
Almost every trade made by Fitterer blew up in his face. After boldly claiming the Panthers were ready to drop in a quarterback and take off, his daring shift up to No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft for Bryce Young resulted in Carolina handing over this year's top pick to the Chicago Bears. This was the final nail in the former general manager's proverbial coffin.
Free agency wasn't much better. There were some rare success stories, but it was mundane more often than not. The Panthers are counting the cost of bad contracts and are taking short-term hits for long-term progress this offseason. This is the sorry state of affairs Fitterer left behind.
With this in mind, we picked out the nine worst free-agent signings made by Fitterer during his three-year reign.
D.J. Chark - Carolina Panthers WR
The Carolina Panthers pursued D.J. Chark heavily in free agency. It took time to convince the wide receiver this was a project worth being part of. As it turned out, it was an underwhelming campaign from the explosive pass-catcher.
Chark couldn't create separation effectively and the previous speed downfield seemed to desert him more often than not. The Panthers are unlikely to keep him around, but he's still counting $3.13 million in dead money thanks to a voided year on his deal.
Carolina must surround quarterback Bryce Young with more productive weapons in the passing game. They cannot afford another indifferent year from the signal-caller with so much invested in him. That's why Chark's stay with the Panthers should be short-lived.