Free Agent Corners the Panthers Should Consider
Panthers GM Scott Fitterer tried to check off as many boxes as he could during the first big wave of free agency and the draft and for the most part, he addressed the team's biggest needs.
However, "the roster is never set" as Fitterer likes to say and from now until the start of the season he and the rest of the front office will be making tweaks to it to better improve the team's depth.
One spot that Carolina should look to add to is the cornerbacks' room. Donte Jackson and Jaycee Horn make up a strong duo but the two have failed to stay healthy. Jackson hasn't played a full season since his rookie year in 2018 and Horn has played in just 16 games over his first two years in the league.
Here are just a few names that would be worth considering.
Troy Hill, 31
Hill has eight years of experience having played in 97 career games and making 55 starts. He spent four of those seasons with Ejiro Evero in Los Angeles (2017-20) and two years with Panthers secondary coach Jonathan Cooley (2020, 2022). Hill has the most familiarity with Carolina's coaching staff of any free agent corner, so it wouldn't be all that surprising to see the Panthers bring him in for a visit.
Marcus Peters, 30
Peters is more on the unlikely side due to being a little pricier. According to Spotrac, he has a market value of $9.8M/year. I'd imagine if the Panthers are going to spend that kind of money on a free agent at this point in the offseason it's going to be on a pass rusher, not a corner. But from a production standpoint, he's the best corner available. Peters is a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro. He's broken up 96 passes and has hauled in 32 interceptions for his career. It would be an expensive move, but it would be one that would erase much of the concern that exists in the CB room.
Ronald Darby, 29
Darby is another guy that's played a long time in this league. He'll be entering his ninth year and has spent time with the Bills, Eagles, Commanders, and Broncos. Although he only played in five games last season with Denver, Dom Capers, Ejiro Evero, Peter Hansen, and Bert Watts all know what he's capable of. No, none of them served as his position coach but they were around him enough to know the value he brings to a defense. At this point in his career, he fits into the role of CB3 and would be an upgrade from C.J. Henderson.
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