The Carolina Panthers were a whole new team with rookie quarterback Cam Newton at the helm in 2011. They had a 6-10 record but Newton was named offensive rookie of the year and with his arm and legs, the Panthers could be a legitimate playoffs dark horse in 2012. The team doesn't have a lot of cap space as they have only around $7 million to spend, but luckily they shouldn't have to spend a lot of money.
Panthers Free Agency 2012: Cam Newton Could Use More Targets,
The biggest player that could leave the Panthers is linebacker Dan Connor, who will likely draw plenty of interest from linebacker-needy teams, and according to reports, he is already on the Eagles' radar. Connor was third in tackles on the team in 2011 and re-signing him would keep the team's linebacking corps intact. Tight end Jeremy Shockey is also an unrestricted free agent and could head to another team in 2012.
The Panthers don't have a lot of money to spend so they'll likely make the majority of their moves in the draft. However, they could try to find a better option at the No. 2 receiver position to play opposite of Steve Smith and a guy like Robert Meachem or Laurent Robinson may not be too terribly expensive. Also, if they do lose Connor, they could look to sign a guy like David Hawthorne to fill the hole created.
For more free agency updates, go to SB Nation’s Panthers blog, Cat Scratch Reader.
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