The Carolina Panthers have already made some big changes this offseason by bringing in Matt Rhule to lead the team, and he has some big decisions to make. There are questions on if Cam Newton will be back, and the team needs to find a way to try and replace Luke Kuechly, who surprised everyone by hanging up his cleats.
According to spotrac.com, the Panthers are projected to have $32 million in cap space, which is a nice chunk of change, but depending on the quarterback situation, that money could dry up quickly.
It's going to be important the team is smart with the money, and doing that will require bringing in underrated free agents.
Let's look at three players the Panthers should target.
3. Tyler Eifert
The Panthers have moved on from Greg Olsen, which means they need a good pass-catching tight end. Tyler Eifert has often been injured, but when he is on the field, he is a special talent.
During the 2019 season, he caught 43 passes for 436 yards and three touchdowns. Bringing him on a couple of year deal and drafting a tight end in the first couple of rounds seems like the best way to go.
2. Marcus Mariota
If Cam Newton is on the way out, the Panthers are going to need to find a new quarterback, and one guy who makes a lot of sense is Marcus Mariota.
Mariota had his struggles with the Tennessee Titans but maybe a little change with scenery is all he needs to take his game to the next level. If the team can get him on a short team deal, there really is no risk, and there is a chance they could find their franchise quarterback.
1. Ameer Abdullah
Christian McCaffrey is a special talent but at some point the team needs to take some of the pressure off of his shoulders. McCaffrey is still young and at some point, his body will break down if they don't take some of the load off of his shoulders.
Ameer Abdullah didn't get a lot of run with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019, but he was still a standout when he was on the field. He is a good runner, and can also catch the ball out of the backfield.
Even if the team doesn't go after someone like Abdullah, they need to find someone who can take some of the pressure off of McCaffrey. When he went down with the 2019 injury, the Panthers didn't have any backup plan.
Follow Us
Subscribe