Panthers May Have Been Wise to Let Cade Mays Join Detroit Lions in FA

The Carolina Panthers wanted Cade Mays back, but the interest in him around the NFL, as well as his place among the premier center free agents, meant it was always going to be a hard task to pull off.

Ultimately, he signed with the Detroit Lions. He inked a three-year, $25 million deal that many thought the Panthers could've, and perhaps should've, matched to bring back their key starting offensive lineman.

We even speculated that, after signing Luke Fortner as a stopgap replacement, the Panthers might regret letting Mays go for that matchable price. But based on a new assessment from PFF, the Lions might've been foolish and the Panthers wise for how it all went down.

Cade Mays signing deemed poor move by Lions, perhaps smart for Panthers to let him walk

Carolina Panthers guard Cade Mays (64) during pregame warm ups against the New York Jets | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Panthers will probably miss Cade Mays' physicality in the run game, but at the price he signed for, it might not be a big deal, especially since Luke Fortner signed for much less. According to PFF's Zoltán Buday, the Lions' worst move was for Mays, so maybe the Panthers made the right choice.

"Detroit is paying Mays as if he is a high-end starter, as his contract carries the ninth-highest average annual value. He has yet to prove he is capable of consistently above-average performances, though," Buday opined.

The Panthers likely knew that better than anyone else. Mays was good for them when starting, but he wasn't a perennial starter, and he wasn't an elite starter, either. The Lions might learn that this year, too.

Buday continued, "Although he has shown flashes in pass protection — his 67.6 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025 ranked 12th among centers — he was a liability in the run game during his time in Carolina."

Run blocking seemed like Mays' bread and butter and why he was a fit with the Panthers, but the PFF data suggests otherwise. In fact, it suggests he was not very good in that phase of the game, and that he had potential in pass protection.

Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays (64) with offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Luke Fortner may not quite be a better option overall, but he is much cheaper. Mays was always going to sign a big deal since he plays center and there weren't many options aside from the uber-expensive Tyler Linderbaum.

The Panthers have been much smarter since Dan Morgan took over as GM, and sometimes, that can be seen in the moves a team doesn't make. They might suffer a bit for losing Mays, but at least they won't be on the hook for big money and a player that doesn't quite deserve it.