Since March of 2020, an asteroid has slowly but surely been plummeting towards all 32 teams in the National Football League. And sure enough, the asteroid is in its final approach and due to crash land in March of 2021.

Due to major revenue losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL’s salary cap is about to take a sharp change in direction. After years of the cap steadily increasing, to the point of reaching $198.2 million in 2020, the financial effects of empty stadiums, and all that came with them last season, promise to take a significant chunk out of the money teams have to spend in the 2021 offseason. The “floor” of the salary cap has already been set at $180 million, and the finalization of the 2021 salary cap is now imminent.

This decrease in the salary cap spells trouble for players across the league with League insiders predicting a “massacre” of cap casualties, and a multitude of big name players earning big contracts have already been released for financial reasons.

The Carolina Panthers have not been left untouched by the current state of affairs either, as they recently saved money by letting go of veterans like punter Michael Palardy and safety Tre Boston while also restructuring the contract of center Matt Paradis. However, the pain of the cap crunch will likely be limited for Carolina, at least compared to what is happening around the NFL – and overall they are in a position to gain from the movement of the free agent market.

Having a roster featuring mostly young and still developing players, the Panthers are currently projected to have approximately $37 million in salary cap space – ninth-most in the league – according to figures by Spotrac assuming a salary cap of $185 million. Though the Panthers’ focus should remain on building through the Draft, this year’s round of free agency presents a unique opportunity to augment their roster with veteran players who otherwise wouldn’t be available.

Here is a look at five players from around the National Football League – who either have already been or could be salary cap casualties – that may fit with the Panthers in free agency.

Jared Cook, TE – New Orleans Saints

Photo Credit: Brett Duke/Associated Press

In 2020, the tight end position was the red-headed stepchild of an otherwise strong set of offensive skill players in Carolina. While the Panthers’ wide receivers put up big numbers and running back Mike Davis became a fan favorite filling in for an injured Christian McCaffrey, the tight ends barely contributed to the passing game. Particularly disappointing was Ian Thomas, who caught only 20 passes for 145 yards and a single touchdown despite playing a career-high number of snaps.

Considering how important quality tight end play can be to an NFL team’s ascendance to contention, fortifying the position should be a priority for Carolina this offseason. Luckily for then, a proven veteran tight end who they should be very familiar with is now available.

The dire straits that the New Orleans Saints have found themselves in from a salary cap standpoint meant that tight end Jared Cook, a journeyman who has turned out to be a late bloomer has been released. After making the Pro Bowl for the first time with the Oakland Raiders in 2018, Cook joined the Saints as a free agent in 2019 and made the two-year, $15.5 million deal he signed well worth New Orleans’ while.

In 2019, Cook made his second Pro Bowl after posting career-highs in touchdowns (nine) and yards per catch (16.4), and he followed that up with 37 receptions for 504 yards and seven touchdowns in 2020. Cook is a little long in the tooth – he is set to turn 34 in April – but he has continued to produce at a high level and, perhaps most importantly, would give the Panthers a dependable veteran who has proven himself in an offensive scheme similar to Carolina’s. Cook would also be relatively inexpensive, and that idea that he would hurt the Saints and help the Panthers by going east of the Bayou has some merit.

Photo Credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images

Even if the Panthers don’t pursue Cook, they may still be able to acquire a player in circumstances similar to him: The Saints also cut tight end Josh Hill, who posted career highs in receptions (25) and receiving yards (226) in 2019 before he dealt with injuries and was used primarily as a blocker in 2020.

Brandon Graham, DE – Philadelphia Eagles

Nov 1, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (55) reacts after a fumble recovery against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

While the New Orleans Saints may have the worst salary cap situation of any team in the NFL, the Philadelphia Eagles have the double-whammy of being both a financial and organizational disaster. The checks the Eagles had cashed to try and keep their Super Bowl LII-winning team together as long as possible came due, as an aging roster, bad contracts, and bad free agency decisions were all major culprits in putting the Eagles in the situation they are now in.

Namely, rebuilding coming off of a 4-11-1 season that featured a power struggle that neither head coach nor quarterback won, not to mention accusations of malfeasance and undermining the integrity of the game. Much like the Panthers had to do last year, a major part of the Eagles’ offseason work will be cutting aging and expensive players – They’ve already done that by releasing DeSean Jackson and have more cuts on the way. In doing so, they could end up throwing out the baby with the bathwater, and the Panthers should be waiting nearby to take advantage.

Simply put, long-time Eagles’ defensive end and Super Bowl LII hero Brandon Graham is expensive: He is set to make $13 million in the final year of his contract, and Philadelphia can save all of this by designating Graham as a post-June 1 cut. However, even as he gets set to turn 33, Graham is still at the top of his game on the field, making 46 combined tackles with eight sacks and two forced fumbles in 2020. This would have been second only to Brian Burns’ nine sacks on the Panthers, plus Graham was also named to the Pro Bowl for the very first time.

Photo Credit: Michael Perez/AP Photo

With just 27 sacks as a team, and Brian Burns accounting for a third of those, the Panthers need more from their pass rush and a savvy veteran like Graham would be a quick way for them to both improve their production off the edge, as well as providing their young defense with the wisdom and leadership of a long-time player with Super Bowl credibility. All this, of course, is dependent on whether or not Graham actually leaves Philadelphia as Graham stated publicly that he wants to stay, and general manager and noted Cap Houdini Howie Roseman has already found a way to retain center Jason Kelce at a reduced price.

If he does become available, however, expect the Panthers to be interested. 

Andrew Norwell, G – Jacksonville Jaguars

Norwell

The salary cap crunch is bad news for the NFL’s offensive linemen, as while the top offensive linemen can attract extremely hefty contracts in free agency, they’re usually the first to go when the team has to try and save money. The Panthers were faced with this very problem back in 2018 when they were forced to decide whether to resign their Pro Bowl right guard Trai Turner, or their All-Pro left guard Andrew Norwell. 

The Panthers ended up signing Turner to a long-term contract extension, while allowing Norwell to leave in free agency. Now, in 2021, both may be cap casualties as Adam Schefter reported that the Los Angeles Chargers will either trade or release Turner, while Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported that Norwell is being shopped by the Jaguars. Given that it was the Panthers who dealt Turner away to begin with, it’s unlikely that Carolina will turn Turner’s way to reinforce a still-developing offensive line. But with Norwell, there’s a little more room to dream of a potential reunion.

Photo: Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer

While Norwell hasn’t been named as an All-Pro since the Panthers let him walk, he has hardly tailed-off and was one of the bright spots on a 2020 Jaguars team that joined the 2001 Panthers in the indignity of winning their opener only to lose out and be the worst team in football. According to Pro Football Focus, Norwell ranked eighth among all NFL O-Linemen in pass blocking, which was also the best mark of his career. Norwell was also brought to Jacksonville by Tom Coughlin – one of Panthers head coach Matt Rhule’s mentors – when he was the team’s Executive VP of Football Operations.

At the time, the five-year, $66.5 million deal Norwell signed as a free agent in 2018 was simply too rich for the Panthers, but if he ends up on the free agent market and his price comes down, Carolina would be well served to at least kick the tires on the idea of a reunion.

Malcolm Butler, CB – Tennessee Titans

Nashville TN 11/11/18 Tennessee Titans Malcolm Butler pumps up the fans after New England Patriots Tom Brady was sacked during first quarter action at Nissan Field. (photo by Matthew J. Lee/Boston Globe)

Malcolm Butler could have never stepped on an NFL field after the 2014 season and still had a worthwhile NFL career, having made the transition from Popeye’s employee to the game-winning interception in Super Bowl XLIX. However, what that moment overshadows is the fact that Butler has followed this career-defining moment up by becoming a damn good NFL cornerback.

After winning two Super Bowls with the Patriots, Butler has spent the past three seasons with the Titans and played a significant part in their rise to being one of the top teams in the AFC. Last season, Butler played his part in the Titans’ journey to an AFC South title, tying his career-best mark for interceptions (four) while also leading the Titans in pass breakups (14) and finishing second on the team in tackles (100). However the Titans’ defense as a whole was very poor, and Butler’s release was expected given his $14.2 million cap hit for 2021.

Picking Butler up off the scrap heap would be ideal for Carolina. The Panthers were left kicking themselves for letting James Bradberry walk in free agency last year, as he became one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL with the Giants while at the same time cornerback served as a major weakness of Carolina’s defense. Though Donte Jackson – when healthy – made great strides in both consistency and leadership, the rest of the cornerback corps still lacks reliability and experience. Butler, who has won wherever he’s been and has the Super Bowl rings to prove it, would give the Panthers a boost in both areas.

Jamison Crowder, WR – New York Jets

Sep 8, 2019; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Jamison Crowder (82) gains yards after catch during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Most of the angst concerning free agency for the Panthers will revolve around what happens to Curtis Samuel, as there is a distinct possibility that he leaves for another team after having a career year in 2020. That would leave a hole in the Panthers’ offense that could be filled one of several ways, including by a potential homecoming.

Monroe, North Carolina’s Jamison Crowder has become a popular slot receiver on the New York Jets, and he is arguably one of the only players they have worth keeping after a 2-14 train wreck of a 2020 season. With that said, the Jets’ new regime combined with a team-high cap hit of $11.4 million makes him vulnerable to being potentially done away with.

Should that happen, the Charlotte-area native who played his college football at Duke would be a prudent pickup for the Panthers in the event that Samuel leaves in free agency. Crowder has consistently produced around or even above the 700 yards mark, last year catching 59 passes for 699 yards and six touchdowns despite the Jets having the worst offense in the entire league. That would make Crowder a solid complement to D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson, the latter of whom Crowder would be reunited with after they both shared a position room on Gang Green.

Given that Crowder signed only a $28.5 million deal with the Jets in 2019, it’s perfectly realistic that the Panthers could get a quality inside receiver for the right price should Crowder be ensnared by the coming cap calamity.

Photo Credit: Jet X Graphic, Getty Images

Given the speculation around the Panthers and potential trades, it is still a little unclear how much they will be able to spend in free agency this year, but with the market being depressed due to the decrease in the cap and many veteran plays hitting the market unexpectedly as teams have to clear cap space, the Panthers could be well-placed to take maximum advantage, with the signing of any veterans who are released coming with the added bonus of not factoring into any compensatory pick calculations. 

Steven Taranto
Steven Taranto is a professional writer for CBS Sports who has been with The Riot Report since 2019. Prior to joining Riot Report, Taranto served as the head writer & publisher for the Carolina Panthers on 247Sports in 2018 through the 2019 offseason. A native of Eastchester, New York, Taranto graduated from Elon University in 2015 and is a noted Cheerwine enthusiast. (Twitter: @STaranto92)