After an 11-5 season and a wild card playoff berth, the Carolina Panthers still had quite a few holes to fill, but the offseason appears to be a step back instead of a step forward.
First team All-Pro guard Andrew Norwell was the Panthers biggest free agent heading into the offseason. Now full-time general manager Marty Hurney was unable to sign Norwell to an extension and did not place the franchise tag on him at an estimated cost of $14.3 million. The Panthers hesitance to sign Norwell might be due to the four-year $45 million contract guard Trai Turner signed last year.
The Panthers lost Norwell as he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars for five years at a total of $66.5 million.
Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei was also allowed to walk and he signed with the Buffalo Bills. The Panthers are in better position to handle this loss however. Vernon Butler will replace the veteran, who will be entering his third year in the league, and Dontari Poe was brought in for depth from the Atlanta Falcons. Poe had 2.5 sacks for the Falcons last season.
Safety Kurt Coleman, running back Jonathan Stewart and defensive end Charles Johnson were all released from the team. Coleman had 11 interceptions over his three years in Carolina.
Stewart became the Panthers all-time leading rusher last season. Stewart’s release will hand second-year running back Christian McCaffrey the lead back role, leaving more questions in the backfield. Johnson struggled last year as the 32-year-old defensive lineman failed to record a sack.
But for all of the veteran departures, Carolina did resign and sign some key pieces for the future.
Kicker Graham Gano, who hit all but one of his field goals in the regular season last season, was resigned for a four-year extension at $17 million. 38-year-old defensive end Julius Peppers, who led the Panthers in sacks with 11, signed for one year at a $5 million price tag.
Wide receiver Torrey Smith signed with the Panthers following a 36-reception and 430-yard season for the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Corner Daryl Worley was traded for the journeyman wideout. Smith enters the wide receiving core as a much-needed deep threat to compliment the big-bodied Devin Funchess.
Carolina agreed to a three-year $24 million deal with former Washington cornerback Bashaud Breeland; however, Breeland failed his physical due to a cut on his foot that became infected and the Panthers nulled the deal.
Safety Da’Norris Searcy and cornerback Ross Cockrell, defensive backs with 11 NFL seasons under their belts and a combined 65 starts over the past three seasons, both signed two-year contracts with the Panthers.
Both Searcy and Cockrell should get chances at starting jobs. The only other safety on the position with significant starting time is Mike Adams. The Panthers could target a safety in the draft to create more competition in the secondary. Cockrell, like Searcy, should compete for a starting job against Captain Munnerlyn, while cornerback James Bradberry’s spot is surely locked down.
The Panthers are slated to pick 24th in the first round of the NFL Draft and have four picks in the first three rounds. The Panthers have no fourth-round pick, but will be heading into the draft with eight draft picks which provides plenty of wiggle room for trades.
