Teams that can make smart decisions in free agency give themselves a significant advantage when it comes to building a roster capable of contending for a Super Bowl. While the Panthers have made it very clear that they plan to build through the draft and use free agency to augment that, it is still an important part of the rebuilding process. As the Panthers are still likely another year away from being able to contend, it is unlikely that they make any splashy free agent signings, something that Matt Rhule noted when speaking to the media last week.
“We don’t have a ton of money … we’re going to have to be really targeted in free agency to address areas. As I said, really if you look at our team, there are some areas we have to target,” said Rhule.
Of course, just because the Panthers aren’t going to hand out any massive contracts this offseason doesn’t mean they won’t be active in free agency and, with a depressed market due to the decrease in the cap and the increase in available players due to the number of cuts made around the league as teams look to get below the cap, the Panthers have a chance to add some talented players at excellent value.
Photo Credit: Brandon Todd/Carolina Panthers
Having franchise tagged Taylor Moton, the Panthers have a reported cap space of $30m at the time of writing, though Matt Rhule made it clear that once they account for the need to keep money left aside to sign the draft class and have some flexibility in-season the number they will actually have to spend in free agency will be closer to $15m. Unless the Panthers are going to blow all of that on one signing, it seems worth taking a look at some mid-level free agents they may target.
Here, we highlight three players who we think can contribute as potential starters yet can be signed fairly cheaply, who also fit the Panthers rebuilding timeline in terms of age, i.e. they are still relatively young, and who are good schematic and stylistic fits for what the Panthers are looking for at those positions.
Josh Reynolds, WR (Los Angeles Rams)
Photo Credit: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Drafted in the 4th round by the Rams in 2017, Reynolds has just completed his rookie deal and should be entering the peak of his career at 26 years of age with several more years of high-quality play ahead. While he is coming off a career year where he caught 52 passes for 618 yards and 2 touchdowns and has been a solid contributor over the past three seasons especially, he is unlikely to experience a huge market in what is quite a strong free agent receiver class.
In terms of physical profile, Reynolds is about 6’3, and while he’s not a stereotypical big body wide receiver, you can see flashes of him making the most of his length. On the following play, he demonstrates the ability to high-point the ball and should be able to consistently contribute in the air at the catch point, something that would certainly help a Panthers’ redzone offense that struggled in 2020 (please note Reynolds wears #11):
However, the really encouraging aspect of Reynold’s game, which is also on display here, is his route running prowess. In the above play his break is very fluid, carrying momentum through the change of direction, thereby allowing him to generate separation from the defensive back. Given Reynolds is not the most explosive or agile athlete, it is this high-quality of route running that allows him to generate consistent separation against man coverage.
In the following play Reynolds (on the left boundary) executes a proficient curl route, once again displaying both a good understanding of his leverage against the defensive back’s as well as good, soft hands:
On this next play, he demonstrates the ability to generate separation at the head of the route as well, giving a slight fake to the right, encouraging the defensive back to hesitate, thereby giving him the space to break to the outside. Having a player that can consistently create this separation against man coverage is so valuable to the passing game.
We’ve already mentioned that Reynolds has a tall frame, but he lacks bulk, and this does show up on tape at times as his lanky frame means that he can struggle with physical corners. In the following play, Reynolds is on the left boundary, and gets jammed at the line of scrimmage. He loses his balance and fails to get a clean release off.
His physical deficiencies, both in terms of strength and overall explosiveness, means that Reynolds does his best work from the slot.
Dec 23, 2018; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Josh Reynolds (83) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
In the following two plays, Reynolds demonstrates how effective he can be against zone. He shows a nice feel for manipulating leverages in coverage, such as the next two plays where he sets off as if he’s running to the corner, before finding the right time to cut to the post and find the gap in the zone.
Reynolds offers starter value as a third wide receiver and, while he does look to be most effective from the slot, he can also play on the outside well enough to allow Robby Anderson to rotate into the slot from time to time. He’ll never be the main passing target for a team, but that’s fine as that is neither what the Panthers need or what he will be paid to be.
As good as the Panthers’ starting receiver pair are, if they do lose Curtis Samuel in free agency as expected, the passing game is about forcing defenses to be able to cover effectively across the board. As a third or even fourth option on an offense then, Reynolds should be able to consistently take advantage of gaps in zone while being a far superior route runner to what most defenses are able to account for with their #4 defensive back.
Jermaine Eluemunor, OL (New England Patriots)
New England Patriots offensive guard Jermaine Eluemunor watches from the bench area in the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2019, in Foxborough, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Staying on the offensive side of the ball, it is clear that the Carolina Panthers need reinforcements on the offensive line. Importantly, the Panthers want to find players with a reasonable amount of positional flexibility as that will allow them to go into the draft and select the best players rather than having to focus on players who are specifically tackles or guards. This was something the Panthers’ GM Scott Fritterer mentioned when talking to the media last week:
“I think you always want flexibility with the offensive linesmen … you want guys that can play multiple play spots. If you can find a guy that can play tackle and guard, or guard and center … I think those guys are really, really valuable … That’s something we look at specifically with offensive linesmen” said Fitterer.
One player who fits that model perfectly is Jermaine Eluemunor.
Photo Credit: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Eluemunor, like Reynolds, is 26 so still has a few years of his prime years left to play. Drafted in the 5th round as a guard out of Texas A&M in 2017, Eluemunor had his first starting season in 2020, playing at right tackle for the Patriots. While he played to a reasonably high level, with the Patriots recently making a trade for Trent Brown it seems likely that they will allow Eluemunor to sign elsewhere, potentially creating an opportunity for the Panthers to sign him.
One area where Eluemunor impresses is his contribution to the run game. In the following two plays, he does a great job of moving his feet laterally and sealing the back end of a zone run. Note that in all of these plays he is wearing #72 and is playing at right tackle.
On this next play, he does a really good job of peeling off a double team at just the right time to block the middle linebacker, leaving a huge crease for Rex Burkhead to run through.
Despite his large frame (335lbs), he also has enough athleticism to be used as an effective puller on power run plays. This versatility with regards to run schemes is an absolute must for offensive lineman, as every NFL team will run a combination of blocking schemes.
Eluemunor’s pass blocking is less spectacular and is the main reason why he won’t attract a premium price. Despite that, his feet are surprisingly fluid for a converted guard, and he has enough bulk to withstand bull rushes:
Even if he is a tad short for an offensive tackle (6’4), he has 33 1/4 inch arms, which probably meets most team’s minimum requirements for protecting the outside. It should be noted that as a pass protector on the outside he is capable, but isn’t a standout, and will give up a few sacks in the season. In the following play, he strikes too early with his hands, and Maxx Crosby anticipates this, swiping them away to get to the quarterback.
Eluemunor probably won’t be a quality starter at tackle, but his positional flexibility makes him a potentially valuable piece. His performances last year proved that he can be serviceable as a tackle, and while less valuable as a position, many of the deficiencies he showed in pass protection would be less pronounced at guard where he would be asked to cover less ground laterally. For the Panthers, his best fit would likely be at guard, but could also offer a high-quality replacement should Taylor Moton miss time with injury.
Ahkello Witherspoon, CB (San Francisco 49ers)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – DECEMBER 29: Ahkello Witherspoon #23 of the San Francisco 49ers warms up before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on December 29, 2019 in Seattle, Washington. The San Francisco 49ers top the Seattle Seahawks 26-21. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
Ahkello Witherspoon has had a inconsistent start to his NFL career. After a solid rookie campaign, he has struggled to establish himself as a clear starter at the NFL level, even being benched in the 2019 season. Last year was somewhat of a comeback for him, as though he only started four games, he still showed enough in the snaps that he did play to suggest that he belongs in the NFL as a boundary cornerback, and at 25 years old is certainly still young enough to believe he can continue to improve.
Witherspoon played in Robert Saleh’s cover 3 heavy scheme, which suits what the Carolina Panthers want to do under defensive coordinator Phil Snow. At 6’3 and with 33 inch arms, Witherspoon certainly has the physical profile of a tall and long cover 3 cornerback, and with 4 interceptions, 24 pass deflections and a 4.45 40-yard dash he also has the ball skills and speed that the Panthers value at the position.
Nov 1, 2018; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon (23) signals against the Oakland Raiders during the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
Primarily playing zone coverage, Witherspoon shows a good understanding of his responsibilities and recognition of the quarterback’s intentions. Playing along the right boundary, here he sticks with his assignment running vertically, before reading the quarterback and breaking on the underneath route. Now while he doesn’t get there in time to make a break on the ball, he does get a good hit on the receiver, and this is nonetheless an impressive play.
On the following play Witherspoon shows his physicality and length to break up the pass.
In zone he does have a tendency to play too soft in his coverage, giving up too large a cushion to the receiver, and this is something that the coaching staff will need to work with him on wherever he ends up. This can be seen on the following two plays where he leans a bit too much and can’t recover, giving up too much space:
Even though his best use is as a primarily cover 3 corner, Witherspoon’s ability in man coverage is really impressive. On this next play, he is on the left boundary and does a great job of staying in phase with the wide receiver without resorting to holding.
That’s not to say that he doesn’t have instances of losing his technique and resorting to holding. This is an issue that plagued him earlier in his career and still shows up from time to time:
Where he can make a real impact is in press, such as here where he is able to affect the wide receiver’s release, although he does ultimately surrender the reception at the catch point. While this obviously isn’t ideal, it does not appear to be a consistent issue with his game, unlike his impact in press coverage.
As a corner in college, Witherspoon has tackling issues, but this no longer seems to be the case, and he is effective at diagnosing running plays and screens, displaying physicality in his tackles. While you shouldn’t sign a cornerback for their tackling, any cornerback that is a liability tackling will be exploited in the NFL.
Witherspoon’s biggest issue, however, is still his inconsistency. Here are two plays: In the first he fails to recognize the route and stops his feet, almost giving up a touchdown. In the second, he effectively diagnoses the drag and shows great athleticism and desire to prevent the first down.
Ultimately, it’s this inconsistency that has hampered his playing time with the 49ers, and will likely mean that he will be available for cheap in free agency.
Photo Credit: Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images
Witherspoon has the lowest floor of the three players discussed here and signing him would come with a risk that he simply doesn’t work out. However, Matt Rhule and the rest of the coaching staff clearly trust in their ability to develop players, and at his age there are enough promising signs that he is worth the risk on a short-term contract with limited guaranteed money. While the Panthers swung-and-missed with Stephen Weatherly last offseason, who they likely overpaid for, the principle of taking risks on players who have shown flashes elsewhere is good.
Given that it can be very hard to find starting caliber cornerbacks, and that no NFL team can really afford to start poor cornerbacks as opposing quarterbacks will mercilessly target such a player; as seen in the NFC Championship Game with Kevin King; Witherspoon’s upside should have the Panthers interested.
Photo Credit: Ben Margot/AP Photo
There are certainly potential bargains to be found in free agency this year, and while it will be hard for the Panthers to target any one individual due to their limited cap space, if they are able to identify those players, they think would help them and what an acceptable price might be then, with some patience, they should be able to get really good value for the cap space they have to spend.
Each of the three players profiled here should be realistic options given the Panthers’ cap situation, the talent to be legitimate starting options and are of an age where they could be pieces of what the Panthers look to be building going forwards under Matt Rhule and Scott Fitterer.
(Top photo via Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)
