Carolina Panthers’ grade through start of free agency

After a decent start to the season, the Carolina Panthers came crashing back down to Earth in 2021. That was partly because of injuries and partly because the team made a bet that Sam Darnold could be a starting quarterback. That’s the biggest question Carolina has to answer in the offseason, what they’re going to do at quarterback. So far, it’s looking like the answer there is still to be determined. But they are making moves in free agency, so let’s take a look at what the Panthers are trying to put together.

Panthers players added

With Christian McCaffrey in breakdown mode, the Panthers made a smart, under-the-radar move to bring in D’Onta Foreman on a one-year, $2 million deal. The market for guards has been a hot one, and Carolina joined the fray with a three-year, $29 million deal for former Rams interior blocker Austin Corbett. The team also signed safety Xavier Woods to give their secondary a lift. They also re-signed kicker Zane Gonzalez and defensive lineman Marquis Haynes.

Panthers players lost

After a season with 11 sacks, Carolina let edge rusher Hasson Reddick walk, and he signed a three-year, $45 million deal with the Eagles. Nose tackle DaQuan Jones left after one season with the Panthers, signing a deal with the Buffalo Bills.

Grade so far

C: It’s hard to get a handle of what the Panthers’ goal is here, especially with such a massive question mark at quarterback. Foreman is a smart addition. He ran well last season—566 yards on 133 carries—filling in for an injured Derrick Henry. Corbett’s a solid foundational player who’ll help their run game. Woods gives them a quality free safety who rounds out a secondary they’ve invested in lately. But it’s hard to see how letting Reddick go helps in the grand scheme of things. And letting both him and Jones walk after one-year deals means they spent money on a pair of rentals and got nothing out of it.