4 more free аgentѕ tһe Pаntһerѕ ѕһould re-ѕіgn

   

Over the last week, the Carolina Panthers brought back a pair of valued veterans before they hit the open market—re-signing quarterback Andy Dalton and longtime long snapper JJ Jansen.

So, who else could the team try to retain in the coming weeks?

Here are four soon-to-be free agents who the Panthers should re-sign:

C Austin Corbett

The three years on Corbett’s $26.2 million contract he signed in 2022 may be up, but the payments aren’t. If the veteran lineman and the Panthers cannot agree to a new pact by the start of the new league year, then the next two seasons would become void years—forcing the Panthers to eat a $7.7 million cap hit on Corbett in 2025 and then a $3.8 million hit in 2026.

Carolina has already taken a step towards potentially preventing that—as they reportedly pushed back the void deadline to March 11, giving themselves a little more time to negotiate with the 29-year-old. Given Corbett’s rock-solid showings at center in 2024 and his role as a team leader, that should be a deal worth making—even despite the three major injuries he sustained while with the Panthers.

C Cade Mays

Corbett’s third injury, a biceps tear, knocked him out for the 2024 campaign after just five games. Then, four weeks later, it’d be Mays who stepped up to hold down the center position.

The 2022 sixth-round pick returned to the team in October and went on to play the best ball of his pro career, allowing just 10 pressures (zero of them sacks) over eight starts to close out the season. Mays—who deserves a shot to compete for the starting spot in 2025—is a restricted free agent, so Carolina will have the opportunity to match any offer he might accept from another club.

OL Brady Christensen

Christensen would remain out of the starting lineup if he were to re-sign in Carolina, so he’ll probably want to test the waters for a more featured job elsewhere. But if the Panthers can retain the former third-round pick, who has recorded snaps at all five spots on the line over his four-year NFL career, then they’ll be keeping around a premium backup for their improving front.

CB Mike Jackson

Like Christensen, Jackson might be ready to see what the open market has to offer. The 28-year-old is coming off a pleasantly-surprising campaign, one in which he proved to be a decent No. 2 across from Pro Bowler Jaycee Horn.

Whether or not the front office finds an even better partner for Horn moving forward, the defense has lacked depth at the cornerback position for much too long. Jackson holds some value for the Panthers, either as a starter or as a depth piece.