Report: Panthers Bring Back Safety Sam Franklin Jr.

The Carolina Panthers have moved some pieces around in the back end of the secondary this offseason moving on from safety Vonn Bell and signing Jordan Fuller and Nick Scott. But a very underrated piece of that safety puzzle is back in the fold.

According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the Panthers have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with Sam Franklin Jr.

Franklin was signed by the Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2020 out of Ole Miss and has steadily become a key piece of the defense's depth in addition to his role as a top-tier player on the special teams unit.

This past season, Franklin recorded 30 tackles, three passes defended, and one interception, appearing 27% of the team's defensive snaps.

"The guy, he's incredible. He makes plays. He gets doubled. He draws penalties in the doubles and still beats them and gets up and makes plays," Hekker told All Panthers last year. "It's really stuff that you've seen when you watch Matthew Slater tape and Matthew Slater has been to Pro Bowl after Pro Bowl. Sam is kind of carrying that badge of honor for us and he's working his tail off for every bit of success he's gotten. I'm just proud of him and the mantle that he's taken on himself to be a special teams leader for us and he's producing at a really high level."