Subscribe
Follow Us
The Carolina Panthers have been linked to Houston Texans star quarterback Deshaun Watson seemingly all year long, despite his ongoing legal issues. Well, it was announced this past week that Watson wouldn't face criminal charges, which immediately intensified the trade rumors. The Panthers have been an active suitor for the Texans star, as they have submitted an offer for the Pro Bowler. On Monday, Carolina continued to angle themselves towards a Watson trade, as they cleared up a fair amount of cap space with these moves. Pro Football Focus' Ari Meirov notes the intent behind these moves.
The #Panthers have cleared over $24M in cap space via cuts and contract restructures in the past two weeks.
No hiding what they're trying to do: Deshaun Watson is their top target.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 14, 2022
The Panthers released cornerback A.J. Bouye and defensive end Morgan Fox on Monday, clearing up as much as $24 million. Carolina has now freed up $32 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. With Deshaun Watson trade rumors, swirling, it's easy to see the intent behind these moves.
Article Continues Below
Watson, 26, has a $35 million base salary on his contract in 2022. The Texans star last played in 2020, when he threw for 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns and seven interceptions while making the Pro Bowl for the third time.
Needless to say, he would represent a major upgrade at the quarterback spot for the Panthers, who shuffled between the likes of Cam Newton, Sam Darnold and PJ Walker last season.
A Watson trade to the Panthers is becoming more and more likely after these latest cap space moves.
