Panthers Free Agency Tracker

Free agency is in full swing and the Panthers are reshaping their roster every day. Below we will keep an updated list of the Panthers additions with a little background info on each.

Bridgewater during his brief stint as a New York Jet.

Additions

Teddy Bridgewater QB 3 yrs $63 million- Former 1st round pick led the Vikings to the playoffs in his second year before suffering a catastrophic knee injury prior to the 2016 season. Since then Bridgewater has been a league-best backup with the Saints (briefly the Jets as well). Poised, accurate and familiar with new Panthers OC Joe Brady, Bridgewater is now tasked with replacing former franchise QB Cam Newton. He’ll be aided in that by a quality supporting cast and offensive minded regime and will use 2020 as an audition to be the long term answer for the new look Panthers.

Robby Anderson WR 2 yrs $20 million- 26 year old burner who has consistent, if not eye-popping, production over his four years in an underwhelming Jets offense. He’s averaged 764 yards and 5 TDs per year and proven himself as one of the better deep threats in the league. Like Bridgewater, Anderson also has a connection with the coaching staff, having played for Matt Rhule at Temple. His arrival could signal the Panthers are open to trading contract year WR Curtis Samuel who has occupied a similar role in Carolina’s offense.

Seth Roberts WR- Roberts spent his first 4 years in Oakland, never eclipsing the 500 yard mark. In 2019 he moved to Baltimore, playing roughly half of their offensive snaps and tallying 21 catches for 271 yards. Probably best known for a 2nd quarter drop in the playoffs VS the Titans that had a chance to go the distance. A possible vet replacement for Jarius Wright, would not expect much of a role next year.

John Miller OG 1 yr $4 million- Experienced guard with 60 starts over his five year career in Buffalo and Cincinnati. Miller will likely be a stop gap starter replacing Trai Turner at RG, if Carolina addresses the offensive line early in the draft then Miller becomes good depth for a unit that never has it. We should hope that Carolina addresses the offensive line in the draft.

Keith Kirkwood WR- 2017 UDFA with ties to both Rhule (Temple) and Brady (Saints). Kirkwood is a big bodied receiver at 6’3 210 lbs and a good athlete for his size. He contributed 209 yards and 2 TDs in 8 games for the Saints in 2018 before missing most of 2019 with a hamstring injury. Kirkwood may have an uphill battle making the roster in Carolina.

Seth Devalve TE- A 6’3 245 lb WR from Princeton, Devalve switched positions to TE in the NFL. Devalve is a great overall athlete (91st percentile SPARQ-x score) but has yet to distinguish himself as a receiver or blocker. He’s penciled in as the #2 TE behind Ian Thomas and will help to ease the loss of longtime focal point Greg Olsen.

Pharoh Cooper WR- A 4th round pick of the Rams in 2016, the 5’11 208 lb Gamecock never blossomed as a wideout. He found his niche as a return specialist, a position that the Panthers have been desperately trying to fill for years. Cooper’s special teams ability should guarantee him a roster spot for the upcoming season.

Juston Burris S- Another 2016 4th round pick from Carolina, this time NC State and selected by the Jets, Burris has started 11 games in his career, 9 of them last season for the Browns. He showed promise on his way to 32 tackles 2 INTs 7 PDs and 2 TFLs. He’ll have the chance to validate the coaching staff’s faith in him as he appears set to start opposite Tre Boston after Eric Reid’s recent release.

Stephen Weatherly DE- Another good athlete who hasn’t had the chance to prove their worth in a starting role. Weatherly was drafted in the 7th round in 2016 by the Vikings and played just 90 defensive snaps his first two seasons. The last two years that number has jumped to 947 over the last two seasons where he recorded a total of 6 sacks and 11 TFLs backing up Everson Griffen and Danielle Hunter. Weatherly will have the chance to stake his claim on the edge in Carolina’s rebuilt defense.

Chris Smith DE- Another newcomer looking to establish himself along the line is Chris Smith. A 2014 5th round pick, Smith has 8.5 sacks and 11 TFLs across six seasons with the Jaguars, Bengals and Browns. A journeyman edge who will add to the Panther rotation in 2020.

Russell Okung OT- Brought in via trade when the Panthers sent Trai Turner to the Chargers, Okung is a former 1st round pick of the Seahawks back in 2010. Once a franchise tackle, Okung’s play has slipped of late. He’ll be 32 in October and is playing on an expiring contract, he looks to be another stop gap for the transitioning Panthers. That said, as long as he stays healthy, Okung will be the best blind side protector a Panthers QB has had since Jordan Gross.

PJ Walker QB- Former Temple QB under Matt Rhule and XFL superstar, Walker dazzled fans with his mobility and a few circus throws. With Kyle Allen being traded to Washington, Walker will have every opportunity to cement himself as Bridgewater’s backup.

Tahir Whitehead LB- Whitehead is an 8 year vet, six year starter with a nose for the ball in the run game. While he won’t provide much in terms of pass rush or coverage, Carolina’s extremely depleted LB corps can use all the help it can get at this point. Look for more additions to this group in the draft.

Zach Kerr DT- An UDFA out of Delaware, Kerr has spent time with the Colts, Broncos and Cardinals since 2014. He’s been a reserve at every stop, starting a total of 12 games in his career but again has a chance to carve out an important role for the Panthers who are sorely lacking at the DT spot with the departures of Poe, McCoy and Butler.

Colin Thompson TE- Formerly of the Giants, Bears, XFL and Temple, Thompson finds a new home with his old college coach.

Michal Schofield OL- A third round pick in 2014, the 29 year old spent his first two seasons in Denver before moving on to the Chargers. He started all 16 games the last two seasons and should have a shot to start again in 2020 on Carolina’s revamped line.

Re-Signings

Tre Boston S

Chris Reed OL

Joey Slye K

Cole Luke DB

Reggie Bonaffon RB

DeAndrew White WR

Losses

Cam Newton QB FA

Luke Kuechly LB Retired

Greg Olsen TE SEA

Greg Van Roten OL NYJ

Mario Addison DL BUF

Gerald McCoy DL DAL

Bruce Irvin LB SEA

James Bradberry CB NYG

Eric Reid S FA

Vernon Butler DT BUF

Trai Turner OL LAC

Jarius Wright WR FA

Dontari Poe DL DAL

Kyle Allen QB WAS

Colin Jones S FA

Wes Horton DE Retired