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Did Bruce Irvin Just Hint That He's Leaving the Panthers?

The Panthers don't want to get into a bidding war for Bruce Irvin

Schuyler Callihan

Did Bruce Irvin Just Hint That He's Leaving the Panthers?
Did Bruce Irvin Just Hint That He's Leaving the Panthers? /

Buckle up folks, this off-season is about to be a wild ride, Yes, more wild than it already has been. Several Panthers on the defensive side of the ball are looking for new contracts and one of those key players is pass rusher, Bruce Irvin.

The starting defensive end/linebacker finished the 2019 season with 8.5 sacks, which is best for second on the team only trailing Mario Addison who finished the year with 9.5 sacks. Carolina will have to make some tough decisions as both Irvin and Addison are unrestricted free agents this off-season. 

Irvin signed a one year deal worth $4 million to join the Panthers and with his success in 2019, he could ask for a little more than his previous deal. So it will be a matter of if the Panthers are comfortable dishing out a little extra cash to an aging defensive end or if they feel Brian Burns is ready to step up as a big time playmaker. 

Yesterday, Irvin tweed a couple of things that didn't seem very promising for Panther fans that would like to see him back in 2020.

Should Panthers fans read much into this? Maybe some, but I don't think there's much here honestly. Players tweet stuff like this all the time, especially when engaging with former teammates. With a new coaching staff in place and some uncertainty coming from the front office, Irvin could be looking at his options and you can't really blame the guy knowing that he's in the latter half of his career. 

According to overthecap.com, the Panthers have roughly $32 million in cap space and around $15.6 million tied up in dead cap. General manager Marty Hurney will have to be very strategic on how he goes about building his roster in 2020 as there is not much wiggle room to play with. The Panthers sit 21st in the NFL in available cap space and with a potential rebuild on the horizon, it may be wise to cut ties with veterans who may carry a heavy price tag.

What do you think? Should the Panthers try to resign Irvin or let him walk? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Schuyler Callihan
SCHUYLER CALLIHAN

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