The Panthers thought they had found their answer opposite James Bradberry when they agreed to terms with free agent corner Bashaud Breeland during the ‘legal tampering’ period ahead of the NFL’s league year beginning; but when Breeland failed his physical, Panthers fans lamented what could have been as Marty Hurney and the team’s front office searched for another answer on the outside to combat the NFC South’s deadly passing game. Just as with Breeland, the Panthers may have found their answer in a local product, inking Ross Cockrell, formerly of the New York Giants, to a two-year deal worth $6.8m, according to his agents at Reign Sports Management.
Cockrell excelled in the Giants secondary in 2017 after being forced into his role as the #1 cornerback after injuries and off-the-field issues sidelined Eli Apple and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie; per Football Outsiders, Cockrell allowed the fewest yards per pass (4.7) among 89 corners who were targeted at least 40 times during a five-game stretch in which he played 100% of the snaps.
Photo Credit: Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire
The 26-year old Cockrell played high school football at Charlotte Latin before heading to Duke, being drafted in the fourth round by the Buffalo Bills; he spent the 2015 and 2016 season with the Steelers before taking on a larger role with the Giants. In nine starts last season, Cockrell pulled in three interceptions, 50 tackles and 11 passes defended; for comparison, the Panthers’ original target, Breeland, had 50 total tackles, 19 passes defended and only a single interception.
“Everything that we do will be to match up with the teams in the division,” Rivera said about their decision-making process when it came to which corners to target in free agency and the draft. “And that’s a big focus in terms of why you want big corners because each team has a big receiver. You’ve got to be able to match up there.”
Ross Cockrell should help with that.
