Who will be the next salary cap casualty for Carolina Panthers in 2025?

Veteran cornerback Dane Jackson was the first man out, but he won't be the last.

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 20: Carolina Panthers cornerback Dane Jackson (23) warms up prior to the NFL game between the Carolina Panthers and the Washington Commanders on October 20, 2024 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD. / (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Carolina Panthers are beginning to trim their roster to create cap space ahead of the start of free agency next month. Yesterday they made veteran cornerback Dane Jackson their first cap casualty of the year, cutting him to get over $3 million in cap relief. Jackson was the first on the chopping block, but he won't be the last.

Let's see if we can predict who might be the next cap casualty for the Panthers. Here's a list of players who could be getting released in the coming weeks before the new league year starts and free agency officially begins.

Cut: RB Miles Sanders

Perhaps the most-obvious candidate to get cut is veteran running back Miles Sanders. He was a Pro Bowler not too long ago for the Philadelphia Eagles, but he's fallen off hard since. Sanders managed a little over 350 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns in limited action. With Jonathon Brooks likely out the entire year Carolina needs depth at running back. However, cutting Sanders can save the Panthers $5,225,000, per Over the Cap. Nobody in their right mind (not even the Jets) is going to trade for Sanders' contract, so he's practically guaranteed to get cut.

Cut: DL Shy Tuttle, A'Shawn Robinson

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 17: Shy Tuttle #99, Nick Scott #21, and AShawn Robinson #94 of the Carolina Panthers pose for a picture before a preseason game against the New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium on August 17, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. / (Kara Durrette/Getty Images)

Derrick Brown isn't going anywhere anytime soon but the rest of Carolina's interior defensive line might get turned over completely this offseason. That's how bad they were in Brown's absence, repeatedly allowing almost every single ball carrier to get to the second level with almost no meaningful resistance the entire season. Cutting Shy Tuttle would save the team $3,275,000 and cutting A'Shawn Robinson saves $5.5 million.

Maybe: OT Yosh Nijman

There are other cap casualty candidates to be sure, but none of them will produce much savings to speak of. The next-most likely potential cap cut from Sanders, Tuttle and Robinson might be backup offensive tackle Yosh Nijman. Cutting him would save Carolina $3,655,000, but that's not much compared to having depth and experience at tackle.

Forget about it: OLB Jadeveon Clowney, WR Adam Thielen

Even before the regular season ended there was speculation that the Panthers might cut veteran edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. The money part of it makes sense, as cutting Clowney would save the Panthers $7.775 million in cap space. The football decision angle is not so clear-cut, though. Clowney struggled the first half of the season but came on strong after DJ Wonnum joined the lineup and opened more opportunities for Clowney, who had effectively working as the team's only pass rush threat. Carolina should definitely draft an edge prospect (or two), but keeping Clowney to continue the momentum the edge rush had going at year's end is the way to go.

The same rule applies to wide receiver Adam Thielen, who same have been claiming as a cut candidate. That's nonsense for two reasons. First, cutting Thielen only saves the team a hair over $3 million in cap room, and also comes with a $5 million dead money penalty. More importantly, Thielen was literally the best player on the team down the stretch of the regular season - and the wide receiver corps can't afford to lose him right now. Not only should they not cut Thielen, they might try to talk him into an extenson, which could save $3,596,000.

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