CHARLOTTE – With the salary cap as tight as in 2021, having younger and cheaper alternatives will be the preference.
So, as the Panthers found some acceptable alternatives last year, they will keep the savings.
On Friday, they released defensive edge Stephen Weatherly and punter Michael Palardy, opening the door for some second-year players to grow up in roles.
Combined with this week’s launch of veteran defensive attack Kawann Short, the Panthers managed to get about $ 16.4 million in off-limit space.
The teams were told this week that the floor for the 2021 salary cap would be $ 180 million (up from the previous projection of $ 175 million). But that is still substantially below last year’s $ 198.2 million limit, causing the league’s teams to have already made several cuts.
Weatherly was hired as a free agent last season and started the first nine games last season before a finger injury put him in reserve. The development of the defensive tip Yetur Gross-Matos made it possible to launch Weatherly, although the Panthers continue to seek depth on the line.
Palardy spent last year on the non-football-related injury list after an out-of-season knee injury prevented him from playing in 2020. This gave untrained Joseph Charlton an opportunity, who took advantage and did so at the same time. time when he was the least novice.
The South Carolina product hit 21 of its 45 punts within the 20-yard line, and placed fourth in the league last year. Its net average of 40.8 yards was the fourth of all time in the franchise’s history.
In a year with a declining limit, every dollar will count, so having young players fill roles rather than veterans benefits the bottom line.