Sam Darnold, D’Onta Foreman highlight Panthers’ list of impending offensive free agents
A busy offseason awaits the Carolina Panthers.
Following their 10-7 win over the New Orleans Saints, the Panthers will transition into their business season. Along with looking for a long-term successor to former coach Matt Rhule, the Panthers will have several important decisions to make in free agency — especially on offense.
With 20 impending free agents (following the re-signings of Giovanni Ricci and Stephen Sullivan on Monday), general manager Scott Fitterer and franchise’s next head coach will need to determine which internal contributors should return to the locker room.
Here is a complete list of the Panthers’ offensive free agents:
(Note: For defensive free agents, click here)
QB Sam Darnold
2022 Stats: 82 of 140 passes completed (58.5%) for 1,143 passing yards, 7 touchdowns and 3 interceptions, 26 carries for 102 yards, 2 touchdowns and 5 fumbles (2 lost).
Due to a severe high ankle sprain, Darnold had to wait until Week 12 to get his turn as the starting quarterback under interim head coach Steve Wilks. While he left some plays on the field during his first four games, Darnold played efficient, turnover-free football, and the Panthers went 3-1.
Unfortunately for Darnold, as history has shown, when it rains, its pours when it comes turnovers. In the biggest game of the year against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with the playoffs on the line, Darnold was charged with three turnovers, though one of the giveaways was arguably an early snap due to a miscommunication. It didn’t matter that Darnold threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns, as the Buccaneers won 30-24 and scored 10 points off the turnovers.
Darnold followed up that performance with an abysmal showing against the Saints. He completed just 5-of-15 passes for 43 yards and two interceptions. His letdown outing in the passing game tanked the Panthers’ offensive momentum throughout most of the game.
His season-finale performance — along with his career to his point — might give the front office pause when mapping out his potential fit on next year’s depth chart. Obviously, the status of the coaching staff is up in the air, and Darnold is more likely to stick around as a bridge starter or competition if Wilks is retained.
C Bradley Bozeman
2022 Stats: 17 games (11 starts).
Bozeman quickly became one of the faces of the offense under Wilks when he was inserted into the lineup in Week 7. With Bozeman at center, the Panthers were able to install a ground-and-pound attack, using the lineman’s physicality to their advantage. Bozeman thrived under offensive line coach James Campen, and he has seemingly made his case for a huge contract in free agency.
Bozeman’s Carolina future is dependent on whether or not the Panthers want to meet his price. The Panthers still have Pat Elflein under contract, so they have a bit of leverage and insurance if Bozeman is tempted to bolt. Still, Bozeman and his family have truly embraced the community while they been here, so a rush to skip town seems unlikely, barring a low-ball offer from the organization.
RB D’Onta Foreman
2022 Stats: 203 carries for 913 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns and 5 receptions for 26 yards in 17 games (9 starts).
Foreman became a breakout star following the Christian McCaffrey trade in Week 7. Foreman immediately rushed for 118 yards in his first game without McCaffrey in front of him and proceeded to post five 100-yard rushing games during the final 10 matchups of the season.
While Foreman has had issues with consistency, most notably against the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, he has shown that he can be the anchor of a running back rotation. It’ll be interesting to see how the franchise views Foreman’s Week 18 ejection.
Foreman was lightly used during the first five seasons of his career, and he only really started receiving regular carries in Carolina in Week 6. So, the 26-year-old running back doesn’t have a lot of the wear and tear on his body that most running backs his age do. Running backs typically don’t get huge deals on the open market, but Foreman could wrangle a nice short-term pact with the Panthers if the new regime views him as a key piece.
OT Cam Erving
2022 Stats: 11 games (0 starts)
After struggling mightily as a starting tackle last season, Erving was moved to the bench this offseason. While most veterans would scoff at a demotion for a rookie, Erving embraced his role as the offensive line’s sixth man. Erving willing served the roles of backup, mentor, sideline spotter and motivator.
Erving had the unusual distinction of being one of the offense’s most notable leaders, despite his backup status. While he isn’t likely to be retained by the Panthers, he could find work as a swing tackle elsewhere. Prior to the trade deadline, he did receive some interest from other teams.
WR/KR Andre Roberts
2022 Stats: 4 punts returns for 18 yards, 2 kick returns for 35 yards in 3 games (0 starts).
The Panthers signed Roberts shortly after last year’s draft. While he came to town with three Pro Bowls and an All-Pro selection on his resume, Roberts’ impact in Carolina was nonexistent. He missed 14 games on injured reserve after suffering a knee injury in Week 1 and offered minimal returns in his two-game comeback to end the season.
At 34, Roberts’ career is winding down. His signing turned out to be a bust for the Panthers, but he could still receive interest from a contending team that simply needs to lock down the punt returner spot.
WR Rashard Higgins
2022 Stats: 3 games (no other statistical data).
Higgins was barely used during the final five weeks of the Rhule era, and he remained in the dog house throughout Wilks’ tenure at the top as well.
The fact that Higgins couldn’t find playing time with the lack of consistency at wide receiver was astonishing from the outside looking in. After six relatively product seasons in Cleveland, Higgins became an afterthought in Carolina.
QB PJ Walker (RFA)
2022 Stats: 731 passing yards, 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions on 59.4% completion percentage, 39 rushing yards on 6 carries in 6 games (5 starts).
Walker played admirably during a five-game stretch as the Panthers’ starting quarterback. While he didn’t put up huge numbers, the offense flowed noticeably better with him in the lineup than Baker Mayfield. However, the Panthers turned to Darnold during the home stretch of the season, and Walker was stuck as the No. 2.
During his time in the lineup, Walker proved he can play at the NFL level, which should lead to some interest in restricted free agency. Walker is a great teammate and an excellent leader, which are strong qualities for an NFL backup quarterback.
With Walker set to test the market as a restricted free agent, the Panthers could offer him a “right of first refusal” tender to get the chance to match any contract offer. That tender was worth around $2.43 million last offseason.
G Michael Jordan
2022 Stats: 17 games (0 starts), fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Jordan was the Panthers’ eighth offensive lineman throughout the season. While he was part of the “Arby’s package” as a third extra blocker, Jordan only played one offensive snap entering the finale against the Saints. He was mostly used on the field-goal protection unit on special teams throughout the season, before entering the finale in the first quarter as a left guard replacement for an injured Brady Christensen. Jordan scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery while filling in for Christensen.
Jordan will likely look for a bigger role elsewhere, as most of the team’s top linemen are under contract, outside of Bozeman.
TE Stephen Sullivan (ERFA - Re-signed)
2022 Stats: 2 catches for 46 yards in 13 games (0 starts).
UPDATE: Sullivan re-signed with the Panthers on Monday. As an exclusive rights free agent, he would have only been able to negotiate with the Panthers this offseason.
The Panthers see a lot of potential in Sullivan. The 6-foot-5, 248-pound tight end has excellent length and rare speed at his size. But so far, Sullivan has yet to take advantage of those qualities in the playmaking department. He has just two catches during his three-year NFL career and is seemingly buried on the depth chart behind the likes of Ian Thomas, Tommy Tremble and Giovanni Ricci.
FB Giovanni Ricci (ERFA - Re-signed)
2022 Stats: 8 catches for 100 yards in 14 games (3 starts).
UPDATE: Ricci re-signed with the Panthers on Monday. Like Sullivan, he was only able to negotiate with the Panthers.
Ricci had a career year of sorts, even as he bobbed and weaved in and out of the lineup this season. While he was mostly used as a fullback prior to this past season, offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo opened up Ricci’s route tree and allowed him to play more tight end. He ended up catching the ball consistently during the first half of the season and showed the ability to get separation.
A neck injury put a damper on his playing time, but Ricci made an impressive 32-yard catch in the loss to Tampa Bay in Week 17. He should return no matter who is hired as head coach.
This story was originally published January 8, 2023 at 4:14 PM.
