+- Panthersfanz Forums (https://panthersfanz.com/board)
+-- Forum: Carolina Panthers Fanz Forum (https://panthersfanz.com/board/forumdisplay.php?fid=1)
+--- Forum: Carolina Panthers Talk (https://panthersfanz.com/board/forumdisplay.php?fid=2)
+--- Thread: Prediction for Panthers free agents-Person (/showthread.php?tid=2312)
Prediction for Panthers free agents-Person - Ladypanther - 03-03-2026
Panthers free-agent predictions: Who will be back, who will be gone in 2026?
It may seem like the Carolina Panthers’ only unrestricted free agents are Rico Dowdle and Cade Mays, but they have others — a lot, actually.
The Panthers’ 17-player free-agent class is definitely top-heavy. When The Athletic ranked the group in February, a couple of personnel executives said the majority of Carolina free agents probably wouldn’t command more than minimum contracts.
The Panthers already took care of one of their own, bringing back 40-year-old long snapper J.J. Jansen for an 18th season. General manager Dan Morgan said the plan is to let everyone else test the market.
“They’ve earned the right to go out there and find the best deal for themselves,” Morgan said at the NFL combine. “Do we want some of them back? Yes, we do. But again, they’ve earned the right to go out there and find a bigger deal.”
Less than a week before the legal tampering window, a prediction on who will stay and who will go.
C Cade Mays
Age: 26
The Panthers want Mays back after he started a career-high 12 games in 2025. But given that Mays is the third-highest ranked center on The Athletic’s list of the top 150 free agents — behind the Baltimore Ravens’ Tyler Linderbaum (sixth) and the Buffalo Bills’ Connor McGovern (24th) — Morgan may find the bidding too high. The Panthers already are investing a lot in the interior line with Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, who’s a candidate to be extended. Will Morgan want to spend $8 million a year on a center?
Verdict: Going
RB Rico Dowdle
Age: 27
Rank: 53
Dowdle bet on himself last offseason and cashed in by rushing for 1,000 yards for the second consecutive year and hitting on nearly all of his incentives. The former Dallas Cowboys back is looking for a multiyear deal, preferably with a team where he won’t have to share the carries. The Panthers are content rolling with Chuba Hubbard as their workhorse, and want to see what they have in Trevor Etienne and Jonathon Brooks, who’s returning from his second ACL surgery.
Verdict: Going
OT Yosh Nijman
Age: 30
Rank: 108
Nijman’s importance to the Panthers increased in January when left tackle Ikem Ekwonu ruptured his patellar tendon in the first quarter of the wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams. At a minimum, the Panthers need a dependable tackle for at least part of the 2026 season while Ekwonu recovers. They could do worse than the 6-7, 314-pound Nijman, who’s a powerful run blocker but not as consistent while pass blocking. Pairing Nijman with a highly drafted tackle seems like a sensible way to address the position for the short and long terms.
Verdict: Staying
S Nick Scott
Age: 30
Rank: 133
Scott was the lone holdover in a safeties room that was remade after the 2024 season. While free-agent acquisition Tre’von Moehrig excelled in the box for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Scott started every game at free safety and finished as the Panthers’ second-leading tackler with a career-best 109 stops. As they did last offseason, the Panthers will look for a rangier safety to patrol the back end. But Scott is a trusted, fallback option who is well respected in the locker room.
Verdict: Staying
OLB D.J. Wonnum
Age: 28
After signing Wonnum to a two-year, $12.5 million contract two years ago, the Panthers didn’t know the former Minnesota Viking would miss half of the 2024 season while dealing with complications from quad surgery. Wonnum gave the pass rush a boost upon his return, but didn’t generate enough consistent pressure to be a priority for the Panthers.
Verdict: Going
LB Christian Rozeboom
Age: 29
When the Panthers brought in Rozeboom on a one-year deal last winter, the idea was that he would be a core special teams player and back up Josey Jewell. But when Jewell was released in July to focus on his health, Rozeboom immediately became a full-time starter. The former Ram responded with a team-leading 122 tackles over 15 starts, but was a liability in coverage. The sense from some in league circles is that Morgan will pay an off-ball linebacker in free agency. But that wouldn’t preclude the Panthers from bringing Rozeboom back in the role they originally envisioned for him.
Verdict: Staying
C Austin Corbett
Age: 30
Corbett arrived in Charlotte in 2022 fresh from winning a Super Bowl with the Rams. He started 17 games his first year in Carolina before missing significant time with injuries the next two seasons. Corbett, who turns 31 in September, talked a lot about how much it meant to be a part of getting the Panthers back to the playoffs. That’s an important legacy.
Verdict: Going
OL Brady Christensen
Age: 29
Christensen has survived a couple of regime changes in Carolina because of his value as a versatile lineman who can play every position up front. Whether he is back for a sixth season hinges on the Panthers’ confidence that he can return from Achilles surgery at or close to his usual form.
Verdict: Going
P Sam Martin
Age: 36
Martin was solid in his first year with the Panthers, especially in terms of pinning opponents inside the 20. The Washington Commanders re-signed 35-year-old punter Tress Way on a one-year, $3 million deal last month. Morgan and Brandt Tilis might not want to pay a punter that much. But Buffalo’s Brandon Beane could after the Bills’ punting woes last year following Martin’s departure.
Verdict: Going
WR David Moore
Age: 31
Dave Canales loves Moore’s experience in his offense, as well as what he brings to special teams and the receivers room. And with Darrell Bevell’s arrival, that’s another coach with Seattle ties to Moore, who blew out his elbow in Week 4 last year and was lost for the season.
Verdict: Staying
S Isaiah Simmons
Age: 27
Simmons, a top-10 pick in 2020, hasn’t really panned out as the playmaking, hybrid prospect some saw him as coming out of Clemson. But he played on every special teams unit after the Panthers signed him in November and offers depth at a couple of spots on defense.
Verdict: Staying
OL Jake Curhan
Age: 27
Curhan started one game last season, stepping in at right guard in the regular-season win over the Rams. He didn’t fare well in Pro Football Focus’ view.
Verdict: Going
OLB Trevis Gipson
Age: 28
Verdict: Going
CB Robert Rochell
Age: 27
One of several ex-Rams who were with Evero and defensive pass game coordinator Jonathan Cooley in L.A., Rochell played special teams for four games after being signed off the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad.
Verdict: Going
CB Akayleb Evans
Age: 26
Evans found a niche on the Panthers’ special teams after they claimed him off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings late in the 2024 season. Evans’ 10 special teams tackles last season tied for fourth on the team.
Verdict: Staying
LB Krys Barnes
Age: 27
With injuries at linebacker, Barnes started at San Francisco in a “Monday Night Football” matchup and finished with a team-high 10 tackles.
Verdict: Going
CB Damarri Mathis
Age: 26
Less than two weeks after being claimed off waivers from Denver at roster cutdowns, Mathis tore his ACL during practice and was lost for the season.
Verdict: Going
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7082018/2026/03/03/panthers-free-agent-predictions-cade-mays-rico-dowdle/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983&userId=2919085&source=dailyemail
By Joseph Person
RE: Prediction for Panthers free agents-Person - Hobbit99 - 03-03-2026
Hmmm….
Sure glad I don’t have to make those decisions.