It’s not exactly Black Monday, but it has that feeling as the Panthers have informed veteran cornerback Captain Munnerlyn that they will be releasing him, per a league source and as reported first by Ian Rapoport – just moments after safety Mike Adams, who had started every game the past two seasons, announced via social media that the team will not be signing him to a new contract.
The Panthers, who have said since the end of their disappointing 7-9 2018 season that they intended to get younger and faster, particularly on defense, have lived up to that mantra as at least four veteran contributors over 30, including Munnerlyn, Adams, Thomas Davis and Julius Peppers, will not be returning in 2019.
Munnerlyn was set to count for $5m against the 2019 salary cap, but with his release, the team will save $2m against the 2019 cap and incur a “dead cap” hit of $3m – they will also gain relief against the 2020 cap, saving $5.5m next offseason. Munnerlyn was signed ahead of the 2017 season after spending the first five years of his career in Carolina before leaving to sign with Minnesota for three seasons in 2014; Munnerlyn said after returning that he left “millions of dollars” on the table coming back to Carolina but signed on for a second tenure because he preferred life in Charlotte.
The 5-9 nickel corner, who is one of the most outspoken players in the Panthers locker room, entered the league as the 216th pick in the 2009 NFL draft and won the punt returner and primary nickel cornerback role during training camp and the preseason; Munnerlyn would start five games and snag five interceptions in his second year, becoming the full-time starter by 2013, helping the Panthers win the NFC South that season with two interceptions returned for touchdowns.
He still holds the Panthers franchise record for most defensive touchdowns.
In some regard, Munnerlyn was a victim of the Panthers move away from a zone-heavy scheme to a more balanced one. The Panthers were forced into playing Munnerlyn in 2018 due to injuries to both Ross Cockrell and Kevon Seymour, but with Cockrell in particular back from injury in 2019 and the possibility of adding depth at limited cost through both free agency and the draft, the idea of moving on from Munnerlyn made sense for the Panthers both on the field and from a financial perspective.
