With the trade deadline now in the rear-view mirror, the Panthers’ roster is essentially set for the playoff run; while there is an awful lot of uncertainty about what lies in store for the Panthers for the remainder of the season, the Panthers’ 2019 roster is understandably far from a done deal. As things stand right now, the Panthers only have 36 players under contract for next season, and while they are likely to have seven draft picks to add players for next season, that still leaves them a long way short of the 53, let alone the preseason 90. What they do have, however, is a lot of players about to enter free agency, and they even have a decent chunk of cap space to try and bring back a few – so who are the Panthers likely to bring back for 2019 and who might we be seeing the last of in black and blue?

It’s never too early to look ahead.

That Sunset Is Beckoning

While Ryan Kalil is the only Panther to say that this season is definitely his last, a number of the Panthers hitting free agency may well be playing their final seasons in the NFL. 39-year old Julius Peppers and Mike Adams are the obvious candidates for this, as while both are still playing at a decently high level, both are well past their playing primes. If they are keen to keep playing, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them back with the Panthers in 2019, but if they are then it will likely be for less than the $7.1m combined that they are under contract for this season.

The other player who might be playing his last season is Thomas Davis, and while he has talked about wanting to come back to the Panthers next season, he would likely have to accept a lesser role and, more crucially, some sort of pay cut. Davis is getting paid just under $7m this season and while he could still expect to see a bit more than the vet minimum, he is no longer a $7m linebacker – as with Julius Peppers last season, the determining factor in whether he comes back to the Panthers next season will likely be whether he and the Panthers can find a number which works for both parties. These guys, barring Kalil, could all be back for the Panthers next season, but their decisions are likely to go beyond both football and paychecks.

The Easy Options

Among the Panthers’ many pending free agents are nine guys who are either exclusive-rights or restricted free agents, players who it would be extremely cheap for the Panthers to bring back – barring some other team really wanting to give up draft picks and money to get them. Some of them such as Elijah Hood, Jamaal Jones, Adam Bisnowaty and Damiam Parms are unlikely to make the final roster, but there are a few who the Panthers will likely be glad to bring back on the cheap. Chris Manhertz, Bryan Cox, Jr. and Jared Norris might not be the most exciting names on the roster but they all will likely be back to compete for their spots for another season, while Damiere Byrd and Efe Obada are legitimately valuabe players who the Panthers won’t have to splash out on in order to bring back for another season.

As Good As Gone

The Panthers don’t have that many guys who are likely to get big-time money in the way that they did with Andrew Norwell and Star Lotulelei a season ago, but there are a few guys who are probably not going to be back on the Panthers next season. Cameron Artis-Payne is a good running back and his numbers over the past four seasons are far more impressive than almost any other third running back in the NFL; unfortunately for him, he just isn’t a good fit with McCaffrey in terms of playing styles, and if he wants to get the playing time and, frankly, the money that he likely wants, he is going to have to go elsewhere to find it. That is not to say that the Panthers have an All-Pro in the wings that they have failed to notice, but rather that if he can go to a team where he can work as a true change-of-pace back for a more power-based feature back then he will likely be more valuable to them than he could ever be for the Panthers with McCaffrey as the primary ball carrier.

Similarly, Daryl Williams’ chance at being with the Panthers long-term has likely passed. Matt Kalil and Taylor Moton are both going to be on the Panthers’ roster next season and Williams is not going to win a starting job over either of those guys, let alone if the Panthers look to bring back Chris Clark. Williams had a chance to sign a new contract before the season, but with his season lost to injury and his starting job now very definitely somebody else’s, he will likely look to go elsewhere. Williams will likely get paid more than he could get in Carolina due to the All-Pro moniker from a season ago – albeit less than the max tackle money he might have been in line for had he played well this season – unless he struggles to find a home and is willing to come back to the Panthers as a depth piece, the Panthers would likely be best advised to let him walk away and hope they get a compensatory pick in return down the road.

Finally, David Mayo appears to have fallen short during his brief stint as the Panthers’ third linebacker with Davis out; he struggled in coverage, made a few too many gap mistakes and was even taken off the field for rookie Jermaine Carter, Jr. on some passing snaps. If Mayo does come back, he will likely be down the depth chart and playing close to the vet minimum in Carolina – but he has a chance of earning more money and bigger role somewhere else. It would be a surprise to see him get AJ Klein money, but if Thomas Davis comes back, it would be hard to see Mayo being content to be a #5 linebacker for the forseeable future.

 

Up Next: The Real Questions

Vincent Richardson on Twitter
Vincent Richardson
Managing Editor at Riot Report
Fan of zone coverage, knee bend and running backs running routes. Twitter: @vrichardson444