Panthers could start rebuild with these 5 under-the-radar free agents

Carolina has a new coach and general manager in place, and the rebranding begins in earnest with the start of free agency next week and the first chance to bring in the new players tasked with getting the Panthers back to winning football.

Carolina doesn’t have a massive budget for free-agent spending, though that could increase if the team trades Pro Bowl pass-rusher Brian Burns, who got the franchise tag this week. There’s the matter of re-signing linebacker Frankie Luvu, but for the most part, Carolina’s free agency will be about bringing in new faces who are familiar to the coaches and can help them change the culture.

So we offer up five under-the-radar free agents who have existing relationships with Panthers coaches and who would help them set the tone in a new locker room.

Colby Parkinson, TE, Seahawks

There could be a decent Seattle influence in these signings, as new head coach Dave Canales spent 13 years with the Seahawks before going to the Bucs last year. Same for new offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, who was with Canales in Seattle and was his right-hand man in Tampa as his receivers coach.

The Panthers got precious little out of their tight ends last season. They’ve already cut veteran Hayden Hurst despite guaranteed money left on his contract, and Tommy Tremble is a 2021 third-round pick who has yet to reach even 200 yards in any of his three seasons. It’s a position ripe for an upgrade, and a reliable tight end can be a huge boost to a young quarterback like Bryce Young.

So Parkinson makes a lot of sense as an inexpensive upgrade. He’s 25, has good size at 6-foot-7, 251 pounds and was a fourth-round pick out of Stanford in 2020. He’s had exactly 25 catches and two touchdowns in each of the past two seasons.

Idzik and Parkinson actually go all the way back to Stanford, overlapping in 2017-18 when Idzik was a young coach there. Parkinson’s best season was in 2018, when he had seven touchdowns. The bigger name in available former Seahawks tight ends is Will Dissly, who was cut by Seattle this past week, and he’s a possible match too, but not as likely as Parkinson.

John Johnson, S, Rams

The Panthers and Falcons both have coaches with strong histories with the Rams defense. The Falcons have head coach Raheem Morris, and Carolina has defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who was in Los Angeles from 2017-21, as well as secondary coach Jonathan Cooley.

There are quite a few former Rams defensive backs available in free agency, and you could see a few going to the NFC South to reunite with old coaches if they don’t stay in Los Angeles. We’ll mention Johnson, who had Evero as his safeties coach his first four years in the league. He got paid well by the Browns in 2021, but was cut two years later, returning to the Rams on a veteran minimum contract.

The Bills re-signed another former Rams defensive back, safety Taylor Rapp, taking him out of the equation, but there’s another ex-Rams option in safety Jordan Fuller, who’s younger and likely more expensive. If the Panthers want to swing for the fences at safety, the absolute pie-in-the-sky option is Justin Simmons, newly released by the Broncos. He’ll be expensive, but he led the NFL in interceptions in 2022 when Evero was Denver’s defensive coordinator.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, WR, Titans

This is another case of familiarity creating value. Canales hired Rob Moore as his receivers coach, and Moore spent the past six years as the Titans’ receivers coach. One of his success stories there was Westbrook-Ikhine, who came to Tennessee as an undrafted rookie and has been consistent in the past three years, including 28 catches for 370 yards and three touchdowns last year.

He’s not likely going to cost a ton — Spotrac has his market value at $2.5 million, which is good value for a third or fourth receiver at a position the Panthers must upgrade. Add a second-round draft pick to veteran Adam Thielen and second-year pro Jonathan Mingo, and you’re starting to make progress without spending a ton. With a new staff in Tennessee, Westbrook-Ikhine might be more comfortable going to Carolina with the only position coach he’s ever had, with a legit opportunity to take on a bigger role moving forward.

Another name to throw in here at receiver is David Moore, who had 13 touchdowns working with Canales from 2018-20 with the Seahawks, and followed him and Idzik to Tampa last season. He spent most of the year on the Bucs’ practice squad, but he had two huge catches late in the year — a 52-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of a big win at the Packers, and a 44-yard touchdown in the playoff win against the Eagles.

This wouldn’t be a flashy signing, but Westbrook-Ikhine is a player Canales and Idzik love who has played his best football with them. If you’re trying to improve a position room, he’s the kind of veteran whose positivity and work habits rub off on younger players. He’s probably a league-minimum contract, but he’s still capable of coming up with big plays in big games.

Charles Harris, DE, Lions

Defensive line coach Todd Wash came to the Panthers with Evero last year, but he spent the previous two seasons as the Lions’ defensive line coach. Harris is 29 and had his best NFL season in 2021, getting a team-best 7.5 of his 16.5 career sacks while working with Wash. Harris’ production has dropped off in the past two years with less playing time, but he’s been a team captain and would add more veteran leadership to the Panthers’ young defensive front.

[READ MORE: 2024 NFL free agent rankings: Top 50 led by Chris Jones, Kirk Cousins]

Aaron Stinnie, G, Bucs

Not only did Canales and Idzik work in Tampa last year, but they brought with them to Carolina two longtime Bucs assistants in Harold Goodwin and Joe Gilbert, who worked with the offensive line in Tampa. The interior offensive line will be a priority for Carolina in the offseason, both in the draft and in free agency, but a familiar face who understands what the coaches want can help the current players understand a new scheme.

Stinnie started three games in the playoffs of the Bucs’ 2020 Super Bowl run and stepped in as a starter at left guard for the final 11 games last season. He’s 30 and made $1.9 million with the Bucs in 2023, so a small raise and a two-year deal might be enough to bring him to Carolina. He’s valuable as a known commodity for depth, whether he’s part of the plan as a Week 1 starter or not. The Panthers started so many guards in an injury-plagued 2023 that outside options make sense.

Greg Auman is FOX Sports’ NFC South reporter, covering the Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints. He is in his 10th season covering the Bucs and the NFL full-time, having spent time at the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman.

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