Several Former Panthers Remain as Free Agents
Carolina is heading in a new direction under first-year head coach Matt Rhule and several former Panthers have been released since his arrival. Below, we take a look at which players are still available in free agency that were on Carolina's roster in 2019.
QB Cam Newton
With virtually no market for quarterbacks, Newton is left stranded. At this point, he may be forced to accept a backup role somewhere and fight his way into a starting position. I thought New England would have been a perfect place for Newton to land, but it seems like they are willing to ride it out with Jarrett Stidham.
S Eric Reid
Reid had a huge season in 2019 with the Panthers recording 130 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, four sacks, and six pass breakups. Despite the solid numbers across the board, Reid didn't record a single interception and only hauled in one during his two years with the franchise. He's got great athleticism, but his coverage wasn't the best. It'll be interesting to see where he lands next.
CB Ross Cockrell
Cockrell still being unsigned is a tad surprising. Carolina could bring him back to help with the younger guys’ transition to the NFL, as most of the secondary is extremely young. That could still be a possibility, but I'm not so sure that is going to happen.
WR Jarius Wright
The Panthers used Wright in a reserve role and didn't provide much spark to the offense. The team declined his option for the 2020 season and decided to bring in Robby Anderson, Seth Roberts, Keith Kirkwood, and Pharoh Cooper.
DT Kyle Love
Love spent six seasons with the Panthers and appeared in 72 games, making just 7 starts. He was an average player, but the Panthers certainly upgraded at the position with Derrek Brown and Bravvion Roy in the draft.
Others in free agency: WR Chris Hogan, FS Colin Jones, DT Stacy McGee, CB Javien Elliott, TE Dillon Gordon, OG Brandon Greene, OG Kitt O'Brien, CB Cole Luke, RB Marcus Murphy, CB Dominique Hatfield.
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