What the Kawann Short Release Means for the Panthers

Carolina has more cap space to work with this offseason

Two-time Pro Bowler Kawann Short was released by the Panthers yesterday. 

When he was healthy, Short wreaked havoc on the line of scrimmage for years. Unfortunately, injuries have been the biggest contributor to his lack of impact on the football field. Short only played in five games over the last couple of seasons because of his nagging shoulder injury. He was placed on injured reserve in both 2019 and 2020, which was convincing enough for the Panthers to let him go. Short is seemingly past his prime, but a resurgence is definitely possible for the 32-year-old defensive lineman.

Meanwhile, the Panthers have seemingly handed the keys on the interior defensive line to Derrick Brown, who had a very productive rookie season. 

Brown recorded 34 combined tackles (8 TFL’s), 12 quarterback hits, and two sacks. His statistics don’t tell the entire story since the massive rookie was already getting double teamed. He should greatly improve over the offseason, which is bad news for offensive lines everywhere. The sky's the limit for Brown.

One of the biggest surprises to come from the Panthers’ 2020 season has been Zach Kerr’s performance. 

Kerr was signed to a two-year, $3 million deal and has exceeded expectations. He recorded 32 combined tackles (2 TFL’s), nine quarterback hits, and two sacks. Kerr arguably had the best season of his seven-year career in 2020 and looks to be even better moving forward. The Panthers’ coaching staff seems to trust him enough to maintain his role on the team, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the front office go after another interior defensive lineman who could provide him with some competition. 

Luckily for Carolina, there are more opportunities to pursue one through free agency due to its increased cap space. 

The Panthers will save a total of $8.6 million in cap money after releasing Short, which could definitely help the front office later this offseason. This defensive line could certainly improve, despite the impressive play from both Brown and Kerr this past season. Having depth on the line of scrimmage is essential, but the Panthers may also potentially allocate that money toward another position. If this occurs, don't be surprised if the Panthers pursue an interior D-lineman through the draft. The bottom line is that there are options to work with, which seems like an ideal situation for GMScott Fitterer. 

It should also be noted Short might not be the only impact player to be released this offseason.

There are multiple free agents who will have to be addressed, and all of them will not be able to wear a black and blue jersey next season. Unfortunately, that's just the business side of the NFL. We at SI Panthers will continue to keep you updated as the offseason continues.

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