The Real Questions
While there is a lot that can be predicted about what the Panthers may or may not do in free agency, as with every team, there are a few players who it is very hard to predict whether they will be back – for a variety of reasons.
CJ Anderson has been underutilized thus far this season, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see his role increase as the Panthers hopefully move towards the postseason. Anderson has consistently been one of the better running backs in the NFL over the past half-decade and does fit really well as a compliment to McCaffrey; while he might not be getting the touches right now, he has the talent to be a core building block for this offense and if the Panthers want to keep him around, they are likely going to have to pay him decent money, something along the lines of what Carlos Hyde got this offseason wouldn’t be unreasonable. This is far from unaffordable for the Panthers, but shouldn’t be taken for granted either.
Wes Horton had a chance of getting Mario Addison money going into this season, and while he has still been good, his sack production hasn’t continued to grow in the way that some hoped thus far – if he does come back it likely won’t be as a default starter. A 29-year old defensive end who averages under four sacks per season is unlikely to get big-time money, but there is always a chance that somebody is willing to pay over the odds for a player, and while it would definitely nice to see Horton back, everything has a price.
Chris Clark has been a real surprise for the Panthers this season, and while a 33-year old tackle is likely to see a decline in his play at some point, with Kalil’s injury history, it would be a shock if the Panthers didn’t show some at least some interest in bringing him back as a piece of quality depth. Of course, Clark may not want to spend next season as emergency depth, and the Panthers might not have the money to afford for him to sit on the bench for much of the season, but if Clark is willing to take a lesser role to play for a contender and the Panthers have the money to pay him accordingly, it would be nice to see him back again next season.
Eric Reid, like CJ Anderson, is a far better player than the Panthers could reasonably have expected to get – especially when they did for what they did – and like Anderson, will likely be due for something of a raise next season. Reid’s value will likely still be short of his real worth due to his off-field issues, and while the Panthers didn’t sign Reid out of the goodness of their hearts, it would be nice to see Reid be keen to return to the team that was willing to give him a chance to play. The Panthers didn’t draft Gaulden to sit on the bench, and there is some chance that Adams comes back, but they would be foolish to let a player of Reid’s quality walk away without trying to bring him back.
Finally comes the $64,000 – or probably much more – question, how much is Devin Funchess actually worth, and how much is somebody likely to pay for him?
Over the past season-and-a-bit, Funchess ranks 23rd among receivers in yards, 24th in receptions and 57th in yards-per-target; good-but-not great numbers. By comparison, Paul Richardson who signed a five season, $40m contract this offseason ranks 44th, 58th and 24th in those same categories respectively – Jarvis Landry, who signed a five year $75m contract with the Browns ranks 13th, 3rd and 98th. Those numbers don’t show much about much, beyond the Browns’ questionable player evaluation methods, but it is likely that Funchess gets a contract somewhere between those two numbers. While the Panthers would be unwise to offer Funchess Landry-type money, a contract similar to what Washington gave Richardson shouldn’t be dismissed. Funchess and Cam clearly get along quite well, and Funchess has likely benefited from playing with Cam – while he will likely be able to get more money elsewhere, it is unlikely that any roster where he is the featured receiver is going to compete for a title any time soon.
Should he return to Carolina, he will likely share the X-receiver role with DJ Moore with Curtis Samuel also getting a chunk of the starting reps and Wright, Smith and Byrd also seeing snaps. He would likely struggle to reach the 1,000 yard mark but will hopefully be part of a group that is contending for titles for the near future at the very least. For the Panthers, this decision will likely come down to money, as while they will want Funchess back, they simply don’t have the cap room to offer him the money he might be able to get elsewhere – not to mention the draft capital they’ve just invested in the wide receiver position over the past two seasons.
But for Funchess, the decision is likely a little more complicated – which makes it hard to predict; this is a decision that could well be in the balance right up to the point where Funchess signs on the dotted line…….somewhere.
Up Next: What About Captain Colin and Kyle Love?
