The Carolina Panthers have patched a lot of holes already, but there is still more to be done.
Earlier this week, we took a bird’s eye view of the Carolina Panthers depth chart. The team had made a number of moves in the first week or so of free agency to try and plug up all the holes that made for a very leaky ship last season. It looks a lot better on paper than it did a few weeks ago, which obviously should be the case at this point. That said, there’s still some work to be done before this starts to look like a good team.
Coming into free agency, the Panthers need help all through the defense. They signed Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson to new deals to keep their respectable corner duo intact. High impact free agents along the defensive front are hard to come by, so Dan Morgan and co did their best to add as much quality as they could there. They also threw a lot of money at safety Tre’von Moehrig to help on the backend. On offense, they brought back their two centers from last season and added Rico Dowdle for some additional pop in the backfield.
So what’s left? The Panthers could stand to use more depth and overall talent in the defensive backfield. They really need more difference makers up front, but free agency can’t help there at this point. On offense, the the wide receiver group still looks underwhelming. Here are some guys that can help.
Julian Blackmon, safety
Blackmon is probably the best safety still on the market, and he visited the Panthers earlier this week but left without signing a deal. He’s played both the free safety and strong safety roles in Indianapolis and was allowed to walk more due to injury concerns than performance. He’d be a decently high upside option to pair of Moehrig. He’s also the only one of the only productive safeties under age 30 still out there.
Marcus Williams also came in for a visit. You may know him as the guy that ducked under Stefon Diggs in the Minneapolis Miracle several years ago.
Mike Hilton, cornerback
Hilton just turned 31 years old, so he doesn’t exactly fit the timeline, but teams always want to have good players if they can get them. He’s been one of the better slot corners in the NFL in recent season, particularly with his ability to make plays at and around the line of scrimmage. The Panthers currently have Chau Smith-Wade penciled to play the slot. That didn’t go well last year.
Isaiah Simmons, linebacker
Remember this guy? A bunch of us wanted the Panthers to pick him in the 2020 draft. Instead, they picked Derrick Brown (good call) while Simmons went to the Cardinals with the next pick and busted badly. He’s never actually been good, but pickings are slim, and he’s still got the pedigree and has had occasional moments. I don’t know. It could be fun.
Julian Okwara, edge
Okwara spent the first four years in Detroit before spending last season with the Cardinals. He’s had a few decent seasons as a rotational edge rusher and run defender. He’s a Charlotte kid and wouldn’t be a bad option to bring in for more depth on the front line.
Elijah Moore, wide receiver
Like Simmons, Moore would be a flier based on draft pedigree more than actual NFL production. He turns 25 today and is coming from the Jets and Browns, which are not exactly hotbeds of passing prodigiousness and player development. He could get a look in the slot and justify is high second round draft spot he earned just a few years ago.
I acknowledge that the names above aren’t exactly inspiring. That’s kinda where we are right now while we wait for the draft to make its impact.