How Next Week's Free Agency Can Totally Change NFL Draft for Panthers

On March 9, the Carolina Panthers can start legally tampering with NFL free agents, which means they can essentially get them to agree to a deal before being able to officially sign. It's the technical beginning of free agency.

They currently do not have much cap space, but a few simple moves, including a couple of contract restructures, can get them up to $54 million, which is more than enough to make a few splash moves.

When the Panthers do that, or at least clear up some space, they will attack free agency. And when that happens, their current plans for the NFL draft will likely be tossed out the window. Here's why and how that might happen.

How Panthers can totally revamp draft strategy in free agency

Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan on the field before the gme — Carolina Panthers general manager Dan Morgan on the field before the game | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Panthers can clear up to $70 million in cap space with a bevy of moves. They won't make all of them, so let's just assume, for the purposes of this article, that they end up around $50 million to spend this year.

They need quite a few things, so here's how that money could be spent:

EDGE Bradley Chubb: $15 million
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: $3 million
LT Justin Skule: $3 million
ILB Demario Davis: $9 million
QB Zach Wilson: $3 million
C Cade Mays: $12 million
S Alohi Gilman: $5 million

If the Panthers make these moves, it totally changes the draft board. Suddenly, they don't necessarily need an edge rusher or an inside linebacker. They can skip wide receiver. The tackle position can be put off until later in the draft. They won't need a new center or a safety.

Where would they go in that scenario? That still leaves a need at tight end, cornerback, and interior defensive line. Suddenly, the Peter Woods mock drafts make a lot of sense. So does a Kenyon Sadiq pick in round one.

Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods (DL29) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Panthers could still draft an edge, but they wouldn't be as hard-pressed to get one early to make sure they grabbed an elite prospect. The same goes for linebacker, while other things (safety, wide receiver, center) would just totally fall off the draft board.

This would free them up to attack a couple of positions of need while mainly targeting best player available, which is a better scenario for the Panthers to be in. They need talent, and it almost doesn't matter where it comes, especially in this hypothetical.