Carolina Panthers can be productive while waiting for Deshaun Watson’s decision
Monday night, Panthers owner David Tepper and coach Matt Rhule flew to Houston to met with Deshaun Watson and his representatives. On Tuesday, Watson met with the Browns after speaking at his deposition for the civil lawsuits filed against him. It’s expected that Watson will meet with Atlanta on Wednesday, who emerged as a “sleeper destination” according to ESPN.
Carolina is in an all-in pursuit of Watson after the meeting with the Pro Bowl quarterback went well. His trade market exploded last week when a Houston grand jury decided not to indict him. Watson was facing 10 criminal complaints alleging sexual misconduct and sexual assault during massage sessions. He is still facing 22 different civil cases and could be punished by the NFL under its personal conduct policy. The league is conducting its own investigation.
The Panthers will likely have to trade multiple first-round draft picks, a few mid-round selections and a combination of Jeremy Chinn, Derrick Brown, Jaycee Horn or Brian Burns for Watson.
With Watson’s situation unresolved, Carolina remained relatively quiet on Day 2 of free agency. When the legal tampering period began Monday at noon, the Panthers waited until after their Watson meeting to reach agreements with safety Xavier Woods and guard Austin Corbett. They also retained safety Sean Chandler and linebacker Julian Stanford. On Tuesday, Carolina brought back defensive end Marquis Haynes and agreed to a deal with running back D’Onta Foreman.
Until Watson makes a decision, the Panthers will keep a relatively low free agent profile. Rather than making any big splashes, Carolina is letting several key defensive players walk. Haason Reddick cashed in with the Eagles, agreeing to a three-year, $45 million contract with $30 million guaranteed. DaQuan Jones, who signed a one-year deal with the Panthers in 2021, reportedly reached an agreement with the Buffalo Bills. The team cut A.J. Bouye and Morgan Fox, saving them $4.2 million in cap space.
Here is a look at who the Panthers have agreed to terms with and what other positions they still need to address in free agency.
Who the Panthers are signing
Free agents can sign their new contracts when the new league starts at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The Panthers hoped to target an offensive guard and a safety in free agency. That was exactly what they did.
▪ OG, Austin Corbett: Three years, $29.5 million
Corbett adds creditable protection to the right side of the Panthers’ line. He’ll play next to Taylor Moton, giving new offensive line coach James Campen a bruising one-two punch on one side. Corbett won the Super Bowl with Los Angeles, thriving in Sean McVay’s run-friendly scheme.
Carolina wants to be a more downhill, physical team. That’s Corbett’s brand of football. According to Pro Football Focus, Corbett graded above the 50th percentile among all guards in zone and gap rushing schemes last season. He has refined his pass-blocking technique and has taken great care of his body. At only 26 years old, Corbett is still be entering his prime.
He’s an excellent communicator who was highly respected inside the Rams offensive line room, according to The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. Corbett remade his career in Los Angeles after the Browns drafted him No. 33 in the 2018 NFL draft.
▪ S Xavier Woods, three years, $15.75 million
The Panthers agreeing to terms with Woods means Juston Burris likely will not be back in Carolina. Woods is an upgrade over Burris, who only played in 10 games last season while Woods did not miss a snap in 17 starts for Minnesota. With the Vikings, he had a career-high 108 tackles, 10 pass breakups and three interceptions.
Woods is expected to start opposite Jeremy Chinn. His versatility should allow the team to deploy Chinn however it likes. Chinn is best near the line of scrimmage, which would allow Woods to play a more traditional free safety role. The Panthers prefer to be multiple, using safeties all over the field. At one point last year, Chinn knew four different positions.
Woods will fit right in next to Chinn.
▪ RB D’Onta Foreman, one year, deal
Carolina will have a deep and versatile running back room this season. Christian McCaffrey is one of the best players in football. Chuba Hubbard had a fine rookie season and Foreman provides natural size neither McCaffrey or Hubbard have.
Signing Corbett and Foreman aligns with the Panthers’ plans to play more downhill. At 6-foot-1, 236 pounds, Foreman runs with power and physicality. He should take some carries away from McCaffrey’s workload, allowing the mismatch nightmare to align else in certain situations.
If McCaffrey can stay healthy, then the Panthers have their version of the Packers’ one-two punch of Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillion.
What Carolina still needs
Other than quarterback, the Panthers still have several needs they hope to address as free agency continues.
Saints tackle Terron Armstead is still available. He could be waiting to see where Watson lands. It would take brilliant cap gymnastics by the Panthers to pair Watson and Armstead. The Panthers will likely restructure Watson’s contract if he’s acquired but making room for Armstead would be difficult.
There are some other names to watch on the tackle market. Morgan Moses, Eric Fisher, Trent Brown and Riley Reiff would all improve the Panthers’ offensive line. None, however, are better options than Brady Christensen. But the Panthers believe he can play all five offensive line spots, giving them plenty of configuration options if they sign a veteran tackle.
Do not expect Carolina to sign a center. The team recently restructured Pat Elflein’s contract, a clear sign they view him as a starter. The Browns cut veteran J.C. Tretter on Tuesday. He’d be an improvement over Elfein but financially it would not make sense.
Keep an eye on linebacker. The Panthers need to pair Shaq Thompson with a versatile backer. The Jaguars cut Pro Bowler Myles Jack on Tuesday. He’d be a great fit in defensive coordinator Phil Snow’s multiple front defense. But he’ll have multiple suitors, many of which can outbid Carolina.
The Panthers still have 13 of their free agents available. Cornerbacks Stephon Gilmore and Donte Jackson are testing the market. Carolina would like to retain at least one of them but are comfortable with their defensive back situation if they don’t. If Gilmore and Jackson sign elsewhere, expect Carolina to pursue a low-cost veteran.
This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Carolina Panthers can be productive while waiting for Deshaun Watson’s decision."
