The Other Free Agents
The other names the Panthers need to make a decision on are Ross Cockrell and Javien Elliott.
Cockrell has limitations athletically, but he had quite a nice season coming off an injury – he allowed a 68.6 passer rating last season when targeted, best among the Carolina secondary. If the Panthers do move on from Bradberry, it seems highly likely that they would have interest in bring Cockrell back on a medium-term deal to allow them to bring a younger player along without having to throw them into the fire from day one. Rebuilding is about more than just getting as young as possible as quickly as possible – you also need enough surrounding talent to put young players into situations where they can succeed, rather than having to start players from day one as they did with Bradberry and Worley back in 2016.
Elliot had a more subdued 2019 and at 27, it’s unlikely that he suddenly develops into more than a role player, but with so many players hitting free agency, the Panthers will probably need to bring some people back – or find some others in free agency – if they want to avoid a third of their roster being rookie UDFAs. It’s hard to image that Elliott will demand a big cap hit, but that also means even if they do bring him back, he probably won’t be able to justify a roster spot based just on what it would cost to move on from him is he’s struggling in camp.
Cole Luke was an ERFA and brought back for next to nothing – but it’s hard to argue that he has done much to this point that the Panthers are sure to see him as somebody worth bringing back past competition in training camp. During the Rivera era, the Panthers had been willing to bring back many of the same faces for training camp each season, and so it has been fairly easy in the past to predict that all of the practice squad and many of those who are still available having failed to make the roster the previous year would be strongly considered for a spot – but with a new coach in charge and a rebuild imminent, there is a real possibility that the training camp roster in 2020 sees a higher number of new faces than Panther fans have become accustomed to.
The Bottom Of The Roster
The only other player besides Jackson who has seen any playing time and is under contract for 2020 is Corn Elder, who is unlikely to suddenly emerge as a major piece for the Panthers’ defense, but given the potential turnover at the position, the former fifth-rounder could make a return to fill out the roster. Elder has had a somewhat mixed time so far in Carolina, as while he hasn’t looked like a starter when he has played, he also hasn’t been such a disaster that he is sure to be off the roster.
Like with almost every position on the Panthers’ roster, some players who have been comparatively comfortable in their depth roles could be put under more pressure this offseason – but with so much uncertainty at the top of the Panthers’ roster, unless they are able to bring everybody back, it is hard to imagine that they actively look to move on from Elder, even if he will certainly have to win a role in training camp. Similarly, it’s hard to know whether the Panthers will go into free agency and the draft actively looking to find a starter, a player to compete for a rotation role or just some depth.
If they do lose Bradberry, they will likely have to sign somebody in free agency – even if it is just to bring back Cockrell – as with only two cornerbacks under contract right now, they would otherwise be almost forced to draft multiple cornerbacks as was the case in 2016. It would be a surprise if the Panthers’ cornerback depth chart didn’t look significantly different in 2020, but until Bradberry either resigns or signs elsewhere, it is hard to know how the rest of the position group will be filled.
Rebuilding is very much a step-by-step process, and if Bradberry does leave, it is unlikely that the first step is to find an immediate replacement unless they happen to get lucky in the draft – with no definite long-term starting options on the roster, it would seem likely that they try and find players with the potential to be contributors down the road.
