Notable Free Agents
QB- Derek Anderson, Jimmy Clausen
WR- Ted Ginn Jr., Domenik Hixon, Brandon LaFell
TE- Ben Hartsock
OL- Jordan Gross, Bruce Campbell, Geoff Hangartner, Chris Scott, Travelle Wharton, Garry Williams
DL- Greg Hardy, Colin Cole
LB- Jordan Senn, Dan Connor, Jason Williams
CB- Drayton Florence, Captain Munnerlyn
S- Quintin Mikell, Mike Mitchell
K- Graham Gano
2014 Draft Picks
Round one, pick 28
Round two, pick 28
Round three, pick 28
Round four, pick 28
Round five, pick 28
Round six, pick 28
Biggest Offseason Needs
1. Wide receiver: The biggest gap in Carolina this year was clearly wide receiver. Steve Smith is talented but is only going to get older, and he’s had a recent history of injury. And after Smith, the list of legitimate receivers on the Panthers ends there. Cam Newton can only do so much with his legs to make plays, Carolina really needs a big-play receiver if they want to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
2. Left tackle: With Gross being an unrestricted free agent, the Panthers are going to need to find someone to protect Newton’s blind side. Gross is 33 and is entering the 12th season of his NFL career, so it wouldn’t be wise to bring him back with a long-term contract. Gross hasn’t missed a game since the 2008 season, but there are more talented tackles out on the free-agent market or in the draft that are younger and provide a long-term solution for the Panthers at the most important position on the offensive line.
3. Secondary: Take a quick glance back up at the list of free agents, and notice that both of Carolina’s safeties and two of their three best corners could be gone this offseason. Now, it’s unrealistic to think that the Panthers won’t work to bring most of them back, which is why this isn’t as big of a need as left tackle, but it’s likely that at least one of these guys won’t be back in Carolina next season. Carolina relies on its defense to wins games, so it can’t afford to downgrade at safety or corner this offseason.
One Player Carolina Should Target
Even if the Panthers use one of their first two picks (or both) to draft a receiver, they still need to pursue Hakeem Nicks. Nicks is an unrestricted free agent, and right now the New York Giants seem content to let him test the waters. Nicks is a native of Charlotte, and probably won’t be demanding a ridiculous amount of money given that his last two seasons were pretty disappointing. But there’s no doubt that Nicks is a very talented receiver, scoring 27 touchdowns in his five seasons with the Giants, and it would be tough for opposing secondaries to try to counter a one-two punch of Nicks and Steve Smith.
One Player Carolina Must Retain
Hardy is by far and away the most likely candidate to receive the franchise tag from general manager Dave Gettleman, although Hardy said at the end of the season that he wants the Panthers to offer him a “crapload” of money. But it’d be tough to let Hardy walk, who led the team in sacks with 15. That was also the third highest total in all of the NFL. The Panthers and head coach Ron Rivera seem more than content to use their defense as the focal point of the team, so that’s where they need to focus their spending this offseason, and the best place to start is bringing back Hardy.
Players in Need of Extensions
Cam Newton- Newton is only under contract through next season, and it would be a huge mistake for the Panthers to not give him an extension this summer. He’s undoubtedly the franchise quarterback in Carolina, and he’s making less right now than tight end Greg Olsen. There are other players that Carolina could possibly look at for giving extensions to, but they are all dispensable. Newton is not.
Overall Offseason Outlook
This is arguably the best position Carolina has been in as a franchise since they came into the league in 1995. Their defense was the second best in the NFL, and Newton is only getting better as a quarterback. But, only one team has more free agents than the Panthers, so it’s going to be tough to keep the defense exactly the same as it was this season. But, the Panthers had $11.61 million in cap space as of Feb. 1, according to NFL Trade Rumors, so that’s not including all of the expirings. That leaves the Panthers room to make some moves in the offseason, or to retain some of their most high-profile free agents. They are only a few moves away from being a Super Bowl contender next season, and they are in perfect position to win the NFC South again next year with the Saints and Falcons all coming off of down years.