Five NFL players still available who could help the Carolina Panthers
The first week of NFL free agency has come and gone.
For the Carolina Panthers, the week was a busy one. It included the additions of nine free agents, only one of whom signed longer than a two-year deal — guard Pat Elflein agreed to a three-year contract.
Although many of the top names and big signings have already taken place, there is still a long list of players who are still available to sign with teams. The Panthers have added depth throughout the roster, including cornerback, tight end and offensive line, but some needs remain.
After releasing cornerback Tre Boston, the team had about $33 million in salary cap space available when the league year officially began. That number has, of course, declined with the recent signings, but there is still some limited room to work with, espescially as many players start becoming willing to take lesser and shorter deals. The team is closer to the $20 million mark with the many new faces.
The NFLPA’s official Public Salary Cap Report had the Panthers at $29.8 million Monday morning, but that does not account for most of the recent deals. The bulk of the remaining work will come from the draft, but this is team with many holes still that they could try to fill with the right contracts.
Who are some available players who could be potential fits or help out the Panthers?
Quinton Dunbar, CB (Seattle Seahawks)
The Panthers signed veteran corner Rashaan Melvin to a one-year deal, but help is still needed, especially at starting corner opposite Donte Jackson. With Rasul Douglas and Corn Elder becoming free agents this year, cornerback remains one of the Panthers biggest areas to address, as it was last offseason.
Dunbar, 28, is the lesser of the two Seahawks starting corners that were on the market this offseason — Shaquill Griffin signed a lucrative deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has never played a full 16-game season because of a variety of injuries.
Despite that, Dunbar is just a year removed from a career-best season. In 2019, he had four interceptions in just 11 games played with the Washington Football Team. He has also had at least 30 tackles in each of the past four years. With many of the top defensive backs finding homes elsewhere, the veteran could be a cheaper, short-term answer and continue to add depth to the position.
General manager Scott Fitterer has already added two former Seahawks to the roster, tight end Stephen Sullivan and wide receiver David Moore, and multiple other former NFC West players, including Haason Reddick and Morgan Fox. Continuing to add familiar players wouldn’t be a surprise. He also happens to be new Panthers linebacker Denzel Perryman’s cousin.
Steven Nelson, CB (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Nelson is another corner who could help address a big need. He has reportedly been granted permission to seek a trade from the Steelers, and a trading team would take on over $8 million with one-year left on his contract, per Over the Cap. There’s also a chance he is released, if a trade does not work out.
Over the past three seasons, Nelson, 28, has started a combined 46 games, had seven interceptions and totaled 60-plus tackles twice. His 78.1 overall Pro Football Focus grade since 2019 is tied for 11th-best in the league. Toward the later half of the 2020 season, his performance was a bit inconsistent, but his best season was in 2019 and he has plenty of big-game experience.
One reason why the Panthers might not be interested in Nelson? Length. The Seahawks are known for selecting corners with long arms, over 32 inches, and Fitterer may be looking for a starter with more length than Nelson offers (30.6 inch arms and is 5-foot-11).
Former Tennessee Titans corner Adoree’ Jackson would seemingly make sense for the Panthers, as has been previously indicated, but he’s got multiple visits scheduled elsewhere at the moment.
Jurrell Casey, DT (Denver Broncos)
The Panthers have added to the defensive line already this offseason by signing Reddick and Fox, but the team could still use a 3-technique defensive tackle to replace Kawann Short.
Casey would provide a veteran presence on the defensive line and is known for being a strong run-stopper. The 31-year old is coming off a season-ending biceps tear, but prior to that, had never played less than 14 games in a season since joining the league in 2011.
Short is also coming off injury, two consecutive seasons with shoulder injury, and is only about 10 months older than Casey, so there would be some of the similar concerns for adding a veteran player with recent injury issues. But Casey is a five-time Pro Bowler and before last season had at least five sacks every year since 2013. He would be worth taking a flier on.
Other DT options: Jaleel Johnson, Jonathan Bullard, Danny Shelton.
Zach Ertz, TE (Philadelphia Eagles)
Yes, the Panthers agreed to terms tight end Dan Arnold on a two-year, $6 million Friday, but that is not the end of the team addressing the position.
Ertz is a true long-shot with many teams interested and the Eagles not currently showing much indication of trading him for what is currently being offered. This would be a luxury move, but there’s no doubt that more help is needed at the position, so Ertz is worth including. It would not be a surprise to see the Panthers add a tight end in the draft.
The 30-year-old was among the best tight ends in the league at a time, including back-to-back 900-yard seasons from 2018-19, and would instantly upgrade the position for the Panthers. The team has a connection to the Eagles through director of player personnel Pat Stewart. This would, of course, ldepend on the price and for how the long the situation drags out.
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Other TE option: Jesse James
James White, RB (New England Patriots)
This is more of a fun match. The Panthers still need a backup running back behind Christian McCaffrey, and ESPN reported that the team was involved in trying to acquire Chris Carson before the Seahawks re-signed him last week.
White is not necessarily the three-down back who the Panthers may be looking for in a backup. He was primarily used by the New England Patriots for his skills as a receiver. But with Curtis Samuel signing in Washington, he would be an interesting fit in Carolina’s offense and a complement to McCaffrey.
Other RB option: Tevin Coleman
Other offensive holes: Offensive line remains an area of need, despite two signings early last week. The Panthers could still look to add some talent to the line in free agency, but it is also expected to be addressed through the draft.
This story was originally published March 22, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
