Are the Panthers Free Agency Winners?

Carolina is certainly improved, but are they one of the most-improved NFL teams following the first wave of free agency?

The Carolina Panthers had absolutely no choice but to spend some serious money in an effort to improve a porous offensive line and they did exactly that, forking up $153 million combined in the multi-year contracts given to guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis.

They had other holes to fill as well, especially following the departures of Frankie Luvu and Yetur Gross-Matos and the trades involving Brian Burns and Donte Jackson. GM Dan Morgan patched up some of those holes by agreeing to deals with pass rusher D.J. Wonnum, linebacker Josey Jewell, cornerback Dane Jackson, and safety Jordan Fuller in the first wave of free agency.

Although the Panthers may have improved the o-line significantly, did they come away as winners of free agency? Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports has them listed as "In-Betweeners" along with the Eagles, Commanders, and Jaguars.

"Good on them for finally beefing up the line in front of maligned young quarterback Bryce Young, but boy did they potentially overpay for a pair of solid, if unspectacular, interior linemen in Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis. Out wide, the concern is the same: Trade acquisition Diontae Johnson clearly improves Young's receiving corps, but is he enough?"

I can't help but agree that the price tags for Hunt and Lewis ended up being way more than I thought they would be but when you're coming off a two-win season, have a new coach in place, and a quarterback entering his second year it's not the most attractive situation. You're going to have to overpay to some extent. 

And no, they may not be top-tier guards but they are much better than those that they circled through at the guard spots last year. That alone is a huge win. It will give the Panthers an opportunity to really see what Bryce Young can do and if he can eventually develop into a franchise quarterback.

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