OTAs are officially underway in Carolina and the Panthers are still actively searching for help at cornerback. Arguably the biggest name on the open market, Stephon Gilmore, is reportedly “open” to the idea of returning home to play for the Panthers and there is mutual interest.
Matt Bowen of ESPN recently tabbed the Panthers as the “best fit” for the veteran free agent.
“Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has three corners to start in his nickel sets with Jaycee Horn and Dane Jackson on the boundary and Troy Hill in the slot. But there’s a lack of proven depth here, and the availability concerns with Horn are real. He played in six games last season and 22 over his first three pro seasons.
“With Gilmore, the Panthers would be adding an established veteran who can play outside or at the nickel spot. And even though he will turn 34 years old this season, Gilmore still has the physical coverage traits and savvy technique to find the ball. Last season in Dallas, Gilmore had two interceptions and 10 pass breakups.”
The Panthers have roughly $6.1M in cap space according to OverTheCap, and a one-year deal with Gilmore may be just a tad more than what they have available. Earlier this month, Panthers GM Dan Morgan spoke with Kyle Bailey of WFNZ about the corner position and the desire to add to the room.
“You wish you could fix everything in one offseason, but that’s not the reality. Now, we’re going to try to do so, but sometimes it doesn’t always work out exactly the way you want it to. But we’re really excited about some of the guys that we do have on the roster. Dane Jackson, we signed him in free agency. We re-signed Troy Hill. We have D’Shawn Jamison. We have (DiCaprio) Bootle. So there are some guys that we are excited about, but that’s not to say that we’re not going to be aggressive to attack the waiver wire. We’re still staying in contact with some other corners that you guys may know about, so yeah, we’re going to be aggressive. We’re going to make this roster the best it can be and be as competitive as it can be this season.”
