The Carolina Panthers announced today via their website that they will not pick up defensive tackle Vernon Butler’s fifth-year option. This means Butler, who was the Panthers 2015 first round draft pick, will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2019 season.
The team had to decide by Friday afternoon whether to extend Butler through the 2020 season.
Before Butler, the Panthers had picked up the fifth-year option for all of their first-round draft picks’ since the rookie contracts were introduced in the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement – now that streak will come to an end.
Butler will enter the final year of his rookie contract set to earn $1.59 million in base salary and Carolina could have opted to give Butler the fifth-year option, but the team would be on the hook for his 2020 salary ($7.69m) if he were to sustain a significant injury this season. The season after they finished 15-1 and lost Super Bowl 50 to the Denver Broncos, the Panthers selected Butler in the 2016 NFL Draft, but the former Louisana Tech Bulldog selected by former GM Dave Gettleman has ultimately failed to live up to expectations of the 30th pick.
In his three seasons in the league, Butler has never finished with more than 20 tackles in any season and has not started a game. He has also recorded just two career sacks for the Panthers. At almost 25 years old, Butler has played in 38 career games as he has registered a total of 45 tackles, two sacks, and two fumble recoveries.
What makes the selection of Butler worse is the Panthers could have used their No. 30 pick in 2016 on either wide receivers Sterling Shepard (No. 40) or Michael Thomas (No. 47), both of whom were taken in the second round.
Carolina has now ultimately decided to pass on Butler’s fifth-year option. Maybe with the Panthers adopting more 3-4 defensive looks, Butler could potentially turn his career around as he was successful playing in that style of defense at Louisiana Tech.
If not, the Panthers will move on for good after the 2019 season and Butler will be viewed as one of the larger first-round busts in franchise history.
