Where is the Panthers Money Being Spent?
Over the last couple of seasons, the Carolina Panthers have mishandled some situations regarding their cap space. They have accumulated over $40 million in dead cap and don't have much room to work with heading into the 2020 season, despite several holes remaining on the roster.
So, where are the Panthers spending their money? Here is a full breakdown with all totals coming from overthecap.com.
Cap space: $11.1 million
Dead money: $41.2 million (Retired, released, on new team)
OL Matt Khalil - $9.2M
OL Trai Turner - $9.5M
S Eric Reid - $5M
LB Luke Kuechly - $4.7M
TE Greg Olsen - $3.7M
DL Dontari Poe - $3.3M
QB Cam Newton - $2M
LB Mario Addison - $1.5M
WR Jarius Wright - $666k
S Rashaan Gaulden - $423k
S Colin Jones - $200k
TE Seth DeValve - $137k
Biggest Cap Hits:
DL Kawann Short - $19.6M
QB Teddy Bridgewater - $14M
OL Russell Okung - $13.1M
OL Matt Paradis - $8.8M
WR Robby Anderson - $8M
RB Christian McCaffrey - $7.7M
LB Shaq Thompson - $7.2M
DE Stephen Weatherly - $4.5M
K Graham Gano - $4.3M
DL Derrick Brown - $4.2M
Cap Hits by Position (Starters Only):
QB: $14M, RB: $7.7M, WR: 13.1M, TE: 936k OL: $28.7M, Total: $64.4M
DL: $31.3M, LB: $9.7M, CB: $4.2M S: $2.9M, Total: $48.1M
Analysis:
At first glance, it's easy to see why the Panthers are in the current position they are in. They had no choice but to start a rebuild. Carolina just simply doesn't have enough money to compete at this time for not only key free agents, but to retain some of its top players and agree to contract extensions. The offensive line is where Carolina needed the most help and you can see by looking at the $28 million that they invested into the unit for the 2020 season. Russell Okung was the most expensive, but likely the most valuable of the three newcomers as John Miller and Michael Schofield III were significantly cheaper. If center Matt Paradis struggles once again in 2020, it would make the most sense to find a way to move him off the roster and open up some cap space.
Defensively, Carolina doesn't have that much invested into its secondary and it will likely show on game day. Rookies Jeremy Chinn, Kenny Robinson, and Troy Pride Jr. were not included, but regardless, the secondary could be in bad shape for the upcoming season. The defensive line may be a tad expensive, but it is easily the best unit on either side of the ball. Kawann Short is certainly worth the money, but perhaps the Panthers paid a tad too much for him.
Cap changers:
WR Curtis Samuel - Samuel is playing on the final year of his rookie deal and if he plays well, he will likely get a contract extension from Carolina. This means the Panthers will need to make a little extra room to ensure they have enough to afford him. He shouldn't carry a hefty price tag, but won't be cheap either.
WR Robby Anderson - Matt Rhule loves Robby Anderson and Robby Anderson loves Matt Rhule. I find it highly unlikely that Anderson has his sights on leaving the team after 2021. There will likely be a contract extension at some point and talks could begin sometime next offseason if things in year one go as planned.
OL Russell Okung - Okung is also on the last year of his current contract and although I believe Okung is a one and done in Carolina, there may be interest from the front office to retain him. If they let him walk, it will open a significant amount of cap space for the team to use next offseason on a younger player.
K Graham Gano - The Panthers are in a great place when it comes to kicker. Gano and Joey Slye are two fairly reliable options and are 100% capable of being a starter in the NFL. Gano is aging and Slye is a much cheaper player. If Slye is able to oust Gano for field goal duties in 2020, Carolina could cut ties with Gano and add a little more wiggle room in cap space.
Do you think the Panthers need to improve on how they are spending/spreading out their money? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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