Analysis: Panthers make splash with pass rush as team fills needs in free agency
A year ago, the Carolina Panthers made their big splash in free agency by signing quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to a three-year, $63 million deal.
The team went on to sign a variety of offensive free agents: quarterback P.J. Walker; wide receivers Robby Anderson, Seth Roberts, Keith Kirkwood and Pharoh Cooper; offensive lineman John Miller; and tight end Seth DeValve.
The 2020 offseason also featured an exodus of veteran defensive talent, including defensive linemen Gerald McCoy and Mario Addison, and cornerback James Bradberry.
The Panthers addressed those departures by selecting an historic seven defensive players in the draft and adding a few veteran defensive free agents, only one of whom is still on the roster: safety Juston Burris.
This year will be different, with the Panthers expected to get younger on offense through the draft and the most significant signing coming on the other side of the ball. But some similarities remain, as the team addresses needs across the board with short-term deals and question marks at quarterback remain.
About a week into free agency, the Panthers’ biggest addition has been on defense with the signing of outside linebacker Haason Reddick to a one-year, $8 million deal, with $6 million fully guaranteed.
Signing a player who finished last season with 12.5 sacks to an $8 million deal is reasonable, considering what many of the top pass rushers earn in free agency. Part of that perceived discount is likely because Reddick only generated 7.5 sacks through his first three seasons before finishing tied for the fourth-most in the league in 2020.
Many teams, including the Panthers, are handing out lower, shorter-term deals due to the smaller salary cap, with players banking on themselves when the cap goes up in the coming years.
When Reddick signed Wednesday, waiting on more expensive pass rushers to sign elsewhere helped, along with his ties to head coach Matt Rhule from his time at Temple.
“I think this might be one of those years, that if you just wait and are patient, you might be able to get quite a few good players in that middle class and they get pinched by the cap this year,” general manager Scott Fitterer said last week. “Even though we’ve created a lot of cap room, this is not a year we’re gonna go wild spending money. We’re gonna be very judicious in how we go about this.”
Fitterer stuck to that by also signing Morgan Fox to address the team’s 29 total sacks last year, which tied the Panthers for ninth-fewest in the league with the Atlanta Falcons. Struggling to pressure the quarterback was a common occurrence in many of the team’s losses. Brian Burns was the only player consistently generating pressure, especially at the beginning of the year.
Adding Fox, a rotational defensive lineman who had six sacks with the Los Angeles Rams in 2020, on a two-year, $8.1 million deal with $7 million fully guaranteed also rebuilding the defensive line with solid value players. Adding linebacker Denzel Perryman on a two-year deal filled a need, with the Tahir Whitehead signing from a year ago not working out.
Long-term questions at many positions continue to go unsolved, but holes are continuing to be filled; rebuilding takes time.
The wide receiver position was addressed again this offseason by adding a familiar face. Last year it was a former Temple player with a deep connection to Rhule in Anderson. This year it’s David Moore, who has been with the Seahawks for the past four years, to replace Curtis Samuel. Tight end depth was acquired by signing Dan Arnold, formerly with the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints.
There’s more to come. Depth at corner remains a gaping hole, despite adding veteran Rashaan Melvin this week on a one-year deal. Last year the Panthers waited until just before the start of the season to add Rasul Douglas, who is now a free agent. They are unlikely to wait as long this year.
The team will continue to explore quarterback options. There has been interest in Deshaun Watson, who is now the subject of multiple allegations of sexual assault; and there was involvement in Matthew Stafford trade discussions, just in the first week of free agency in 2021.
Another note: Though two offensive linemen were signed for depth to start free agency, Fitterer made sure to mention the quality of the linemen in this year’s draft. Patience really is key here.
Fitterer and Rhule are slowly filling holes on the roster. There’s still much work to be done, but plenty of room and avenues to make it work.
