NFL free agency: With Tee Higgins on franchise tag, Panthers should consider this WR
The Carolina Panthers are looking for playmakers this offseason. And following Monday’s seemingly inevitable outcome of the Cincinnati Bengals, once again, placing the franchise tag on wide receiver Tee Higgins, the opportunity to upgrade the Panthers’ depth chart at that spot in free agency feels a little less exciting.
While fans and pundits have linked Tampa Bay Buccaneers wideout Chris Godwin to the Panthers in recent weeks — largely due to the receiver’s background with head coach Dave Canales — he’s not necessarily a slam-dunk option coming off multiple leg injuries in recent years. Godwin’s latest ailment, which required ankle surgery, will likely have him back in time for training camp, but given the prolonged issues the team worked through with last year’s second-round pick, running back Jonathon Brooks, the Panthers might not be inclined to invest heavy resources in a player coming off injury. The team also saw with the defense that bringing in familiar faces doesn’t always work with a new setting.
So, if Godwin isn’t an option, or prices himself out of the Panthers’ market, who should Carolina turn to in order upgrade their wide receiver room? The most logical name is New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton.
If the Panthers are dead set on adding a veteran upgrade to the mix in free agency, Slayton might be the most cost-effective option in raising the floor of the starting group, which also features reliable slot receiver Adam Thielen and last year’s first-round pick, Xavier Legette. Slayton isn’t going to set the market at the position, and at 28, he’s likely to settle for a three- or four-year deal in free agency. He won’t turn 30 until January of 2027.
With Slayton and Thielen serving as dependable targets for QB Bryce Young, Legette and second-year wideout Jalen Coker can develop at their respective paces. The Panthers can also reinforce the position early in the draft without dedicating premium funds to Slayton.
While he’s never been a Pro Bowl receiver, Slayton has been relatively productive during his six seasons in the NFL, even as he’s played alongside a turnstile at QB in the Meadowlands.
Slayton has been a durable weapon for the Giants since arriving in 2019 as a fifth-round pick out of Auburn, playing in at least 13 games in every season of his career. He has the versatility to play outside or in the slot, a trait that Canales covets, and averaged 43 catches for 650.5 yards and 3.5 touchdowns during his career. Those totals would put him as a No. 2 receiving leader for the Panthers over the past several years.
Slayton having stability at quarterback could lead to him being more impactful elsewhere, especially with Thielen and Legette surrounding him in the passing game. Slayton has worthwhile speed — he ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2019 — and he could be the deep threat the Panthers have been seeking.
Throughout his career, Slayton has averaged 15 yards per catch.
That said, there is a reason why he will be available to begin free agency. The Giants have routinely looked to upgrade over him, and that has finally been accomplished with last year’s first-round pick, Malik Nabers, who was a Pro Bowl selection as a rookie. Slayton, while a big-play threat, has also struggled with drops (28 in six seasons, per Pro Football Reference), which could possibly be explained by the lack of continuity at the QB spot during his tenure.
Still, he’s exceeded 700 receiving yards in four of his six seasons and never averaged fewer than 13 yards per catch in a campaign. It stands within reason that a change of scenery could do Slayton wonders and help push him into the conversation of being a go-to target.
In an ideal world, Slayton could essentially be the downfield weapon that the Panthers had hoped Diontae Johnson would have been in 2024.
Slayton isn’t a game-changer. He won’t be compared to the true No. 1 wideouts in the league. But if he can provide a possession-receiver skill set, along with a yard-after-catch presence, for Young — he’s averaged 4.2 yards after catch (YAC) throughout his career — the Panthers’ offense can begin to evolve and move the ball down the field more consistently.
While names like Higgins and Godwin are tossed around regularly, perhaps a more practical option, like Slayton, would help the Panthers hedge their bets on defense in free agency. That addition could also give the team’s draft outlook some flexibility at wide receiver, offering an escape from the angst of forcing something at the position early on due to a lack of options already on the roster.
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This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 1:44 PM.
