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The Carolina Panthers are going through some major changes, and this free agency period could really shape the team’s future.
Despite a solid run, the Carolina Panthers decided that it was time to move on from Ron Rivera. The veteran head coach was let go and quickly landed a new job with the Washington Redskins. Carolina dipped into the college ranks to hire Matt Rhule.
The Panthers are taking a bit of a gamble on Rhule, but the organization felt the need to make some internal changes.
Another possible change we could see in Carolina is at the quarterback position. So far this offseason there have plenty of rumors about the departure of Cam Newton. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the team is planning to move forward with Newton as the starter at this point in time, but plenty could change in the coming weeks, and should they decide to move on, this type of decision would be franchise-altering.
It would also likely force the Panthers to dip into the free agency pool to bring in a veteran quarterback. This is why a quarterback shows up on our list of the Panthers’ top free agent targets.
5. Marcus Mariota, quarterback
The Carolina Panthers currently sit in the bottom half of the league with roughly $34 million available to spend this offseason. This likely takes them out of the running for the more attractive free agent quarterbacks.
Marcus Mariota would represent more of a stopgap solution that brings a some long-term potential to the mix. He’ll also come at a more affordable price.
Carolina currently holds the No. 7 pick in the upcoming draft and could target a quarterback. This would create a bridge quarterback situation by signing Mariota.