Christian Covington, DT Houston Texans
Photo Credit: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle
The Panthers have talked a lot about wanting to play more 3-4 as a defense this season, and with Kyle Love hitting free agency as a 32-year old, they could look to add a rotation tackle who is a more natural fit for that defense. As much as people have moaned about the play of Vernon Butler, he has actually done a decent job of forcing double teams and creating space for those around him – as such, he would give them another option aside from Poe as the nose in that 3-4 – what they lack are players who can rush the passer from the 3-tech.
It’s really hard to tell what the market will be like for Covington, who has quietly been an extremely effective piece in Houston, having racked up 3.5 sacks and eight pressures in 12 games last season. There is a chance that some teams might view him as a legitimate starter; in which case he’s almost certainly out of the Panthers’ price range – but if not, signing him could allow the Panthers to transition more effectively to a three-man front.
Robert Quinn, DE Miami Dolphins
Photo Credit: Jeremy Brevard/USA TODAY Sports
As of right now, Quinn hasn’t actually been released by the Dolphins, but the current reporting is that the Dolphins are actively trying to ship him out with a view to release him if they are unable to find a trade partner. Quinn’s $12.9m price tag is too much for Carolina to consider trading for him, but if he does hit the market, he would be a great addition for the Panthers.
Quinn hasn’t been able to live up to his early career production, but he is still a solid starting defensive end that is still young enough that he could regain some of his earlier form in the right scheme and with decent coaching. He also offers some ability to ability to function as a 3-4 OLB on occasions if the Panthers look to move in that direction. As with all of the players on this list, some of this is going to come down to money, and if somebody is going to pay Quinn anything near what he is due to make in Miami, the Panthers simply don’t have the cap room to get into a bidding war – but he would likely be a good signing if the Panthers can get him for similar money to what they gave Eric Reid.
Jason Verrett, CB San Diego Chargers
Photo Credit: Kevin Scuteri/Associated Press
This is a very similar option to Eifert, as Verrett has missed much of his career to injury but was an elite man cover corner when he was healthy. This is also something of a need for the Panthers, as while they are set on the outside with Bradberry, Jackson and Cockrell, they don’t have a natural nickel corner should they look to move to a more matchup-based coverage rotation.
It is probably not unfair to expect that Verrett has lost some of his speed with all the injuries, but some of that would be alleviated by a move inside against slower slot receivers, with Donte Jackson likely taking the responsibility of covering speed receivers. There is, of course, a lot of risk associated with going after a player who has played five games in the past three seasons, and he is somebody that the Panthers can’t throw a lot of money at, but if the market for Verrett is reasonable, the Panthers can offer him a chance to get back on the field in a manageable but mutually-beneficial way.
Eric Weddle, FS Baltimore Ravens
Photo Credit: Wade Payne/Associated Press
Free safety is a real need for the Panthers – while this is something they could target early in the draft, they’d likely appreciate not having to do so if the board doesn’t fall that way. Weddle is still a good player in the NFL, but at 34 there is going to be natural concern about athletic deterioration and in a loaded free agency safety class, that could mean he is available at a price the Panthers can actually afford.
The other thing working in the Panthers’ favor is the fact that by signing Weddle, they would make it much easier to release Searcy, which would in turn free up just under $2m in cap space. The other thing to bear in mind is that given the depth of this deep safety free agent class, the Panthers can afford to wait and look for value once the market has settled down. Doing this will likely make it harder to target any one player, but the Panthers have the advantage in that Weddle played for Rivera in San Diego, and that at the age he is at now, there is a chance that he’d be willing to take a pay cut in order to pursue a title. One can hope, anyway.
EDIT: Eric Weddle announced via social media that he was signing with the Los Angeles Rams at 8p on March 8th.
The Other Option
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports
The one thing noticeably missing from this list is an offensive lineman, arguably one of, if not the biggest, Panthers needs this offseason. This isn’t because the Panthers don’t want to add offensive linemen, rather that the cost of adding offensive linemen without significant concerns in free agency is extremely high, and even some of those with significant concerns often attract eight figures per year – an example of that type of player is currently on the Panthers roster. If the Panthers were loaded with cap space, they would likely be major players for the likes of Matt Paradis, but then they’d also probably have resigned Daryl Williams.
Here’s the caveat to that – let’s say the Panthers had earmarked $9m per year for Daryl Williams and he has elected to test the market. That means they have $9m to possibly use elsewhere – perhaps to at least offer a 29-year old center whose price tag will likely extend into the double digits.
I wouldn’t rule out the Panthers signing at least one offensive lineman, in fact I would be surprised if they didn’t, but this is more likely going to be somebody like Chris Clark than Ja’wuan James.
The Panthers don’t have the cap space to solve all their problems in free agency, but what they can do is give themselves a base level option at every position outside of the offensive line, allowing them to go this way early in the draft while also giving them the flexibility to pursue the best player available with every pick after that. The worst thing the Panthers could do at this stage is force themselves into certain picks while wasting money on mediocre players who do little to improve their roster while also eating up cap space.
Let’s just hope they realize that as well.
