Two free agency moves the Panthers must make to rise from the depths of despair
Outside of ensuring Brian Burns returns to the Carolina Panthers locker room, the franchise must have additional focuses come NFL free agency. Primarily, the Panthers have to find Bryce Young, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, some receivers who will make his life a little easier. The good news is the Panthers have one name […]
Outside of ensuring Brian Burns returns to the Carolina Panthers locker room, the franchise must have additional focuses come NFL free agency.
Primarily, the Panthers have to find Bryce Young, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, some receivers who will make his life a little easier.
The good news is the Panthers have one name in-house already in DJ Chark Jr., who will hit the open market after a down year. Carolina should bring him back. After that, the Panthers have to set their eyes on Tee Higgins, the pass-catcher for the Cincinnati Bengals. If all goes to plan, Young could have the adequate weapons to bounce back in his sophomore season.
The need for DJ Chark Jr
A move to bring back Chark might be a head-scratcher at first. Though he appeared in 15 games, he only managed to rack up 525 yards and five touchdowns. His catch rate was also an uninspiring 43.9 percent.
But he was a 1,000-yard receiver not too long ago. Given the right offensive system – one that channels Young's ability to think on the fly and orchestrate an offense – Chark could find that form again.
If the Panthers don't break the bank to re-sign him, he could be the speedy threat that a Dave Canales offense needs to be productive.
It is a move in line with what A to Z Sports' free agency projections show for Chark moving forward.
"Although he still possesses speed that will stabilize his price floor, his value will likely see some retraction as the hope for that 2019-2020 potential is all but faded. Rather than chase the almighty dollar like he seemed to do last season, DJ would be smart to take a small pay cut and seek out a team with a solid quarterback and positional need at receiver that can help boost his value."
A deal for the one valued wide receiver could be in the realm of one-year, $4 million.
The Panthers and Tee Higgins
The Panthers have a long-standing desire to see Higgins in Charlotte. And the situation in Cinnicinati may push him out the door.
Higgins is a top wide receiver thrust out of the role by the fact that he plays alongside a better receiver in Ja'Marr Chase.
If Higgins is looking to be the No. 1 guy, a move to the Panthers makes the most sense.
Currently, Carolina's receiving group is barren of elite talent. During the 2023 season, Adam Thielen was Young's most consistent option. If winning is the goal of 2024, that can't be the reality again.
Higgins would provide an instant upgrade for the Panthers' offense.
A to Z Sports predicts that Higgins will be in the market for a three-year, $70.5 million contract. With the Panthers owning around $39 million in cap space, that is a number that wouldn't be hard for Carolina to hit.
"Outside of Evans, Higgins will be the most sought after receiving option on the market for wide receiver-needy teams. And with the recent explosion in the valuation of the receiver market he will be able to lock in a contract well ahead of other recent “Robins” like Chris Godwin and Mike Williams."
If the Panthers want to turn the franchise around as fast as David Tepper claims he wants to do so, bringing back Chark and adding Higgins are two moves that make too much sense not to see through.
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