Analysis: Panthers are changing their strategy to building a winning team.
Scott Fitterer’s philosophy in dealing with contract extensions seems simple.
He’ll talk to an agent at “any time” — whether that’s before, during or after the regular season.
“I know some GM’s don’t like doing that,” the Panthers’ general manager said Tuesday. “They want the players to just focus on the season. But if the time is right, the player is right, we’ll do it at that time.”
On Tuesday, the time was right for Robby Anderson, who signed a two-year, $29.5 contract extension with the Panthers, which will keep him in Carolina through the 2023 season.
Anderson became the second star player to reach an agreement with the Panthers on an extension. The first was right tackle Taylor Moton, who agreed to a five-year, $85 million deal last month.
That the Panthers reached agreements with Anderson and Moton before their contracts expired showed two things: Their front office believes they are on the right path with this roster, and that they are willing to pay their top players if they produce.
Moton has been arguably the Panthers’ most consistent player since he arrived in 2017, and Anderson had a career year in 2020, leading the Panthers with 95 receptions for 1,096 yards in 2020.
“Salary cap is going to go up next year,” Panthers coach Matt Rhule said. “This was a unique year, it’s going to go up again after that. And we wanted to sign some of our own. Whether it was Taylor (Moton) or (Robby Anderson), or hopefully many more of these guys. We like our team.”
That’s good news for players like cornerback Donte Jackson, wide receiver DJ Moore and defensive end Brian Burns, all core pieces, whose contracts will expire after the 2021, 2022 and 2023 seasons, respectively.
Though Jackson’s toe injury caused him to miss much of the 2020 season, Panthers coach Matt Rhule has talked about his love for Jackson and how pleased he’s been with the fourth-year corner. He has 10 interceptions and 28 pass deflections in three seasons.
Burns was the Panthers’ best defensive player in 2020, finishing with nine sacks and three forced fumbles.
And Moore has posted two consecutive 1,100-yard receiving seasons in 2019 and 2020. The Panthers picked up his fifth-year option this offseason.
“I would love to see it,” Moore told The Observer earlier this month in an interview, when asked about the possibility of a long-term contract with the Panthers. “Even if I’m not here, I find Charlotte, the Carolinas to be a place of relief to get away. I would live here regardless.
“But to get the extension, we could celebrate, live it up. I’m just going to be the same me at the end of the day, because I want to be here.”
Too often have the Panthers allowed some of their better draft picks to leave after their contracts expired — often because of financial reasons.
James Bradberry, the Panthers’ 2016 second-round pick, left in free agency to the New York Giants during the 2020 offseason. And Curtis Samuel, the Panthers’ 2017 second-round pick, left for Washington this past offseason.
But extensions for Moton and Anderson (though Anderson was drafted by the Jets) suggest the Panthers would rather keep their own talent.
With Anderson’s new contract, the Panthers added $4 million to his salary this season, lessening the burden on 2022 and 2023 salary caps. He’ll make $13 million next season and $12 million in 2023. That staggered approach allows the Panthers more flexibility with pending free agents.
“His deal was coming up at the end of the season and we wanted to lock him down for a few more years, and keep the continuity with the receivers and our skill positions,” Fitterer said of Anderson. “And this was one way of doing it, being ahead of it right now.
“You look at other guys, they have a couple more years left on their deal — someone like DJ — but this isn’t going to affect us doing those guys in the future.”
When asked whether he expected other players to sign extensions prior to the season, Fitterer said there was nothing pressing right now.
“We’re talking, and when the time is right, we’ll do it,” he said.
