A look at the Panthers priority Free Agents
With March 9th fast approaching, It's time to make some predictions on whom Carolina will try to keep around.
Ted Ginn, Jr., WR
Ted Ginn is what I would call a "Must-Keep" free agent. Ginn has been the most valuable Wide Receiver over the past 2 seasons for Carolina, having a total of 98 receptions, 1,491 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. Those are the 2nd best receiving numbers on the team, behind only Greg Olsen. Ginn is also the most explosive deep threat Cam Newton has, and with his rocket arm and downfield accuracy, a reliable deep threat is truly a valuable asset in this offense. Sure, he has his fair share of dropped passes, but he provides enough of a spark for this offense to overlook most of those mistakes.
Mario Addison, DE
Addison was the best pass rusher on Carolina's roster in 2016, racking up 9.5 sacks. Charles Johnson will likely be shown the door unless he takes another significant pay cut as he did prior to the 2016 season, making Addison that much more valuable. That being said, Addison deserves a nice pay day. He has paid his dues and put in a ton of work since joining the Panthers in 2012 and, despite being mostly a rotational player, he has 25.5 sacks in that time. Not bad at all.
A.J. Klein, LB
Klein is a bit iffy on this list, as he has more than enough talent to start at MLB for most teams. He's young still, at age 25, and he always fills in admirably if Luke Kuechly needs to miss a game or sit for a series. He's also very valuable on special teams. I have to assume that Klein will test the open market and more than likely will receive a more substantial offer than what Gettleman will be willing to pay. The question is, how big will the gap be and will Klein's appreciation for the team bridge said gap? Somehow I doubt it, but I would try my hardest if I were in charge.
Note: I did not include Kawann Short on this list as it is almost a foregone conclusion that he will be franchise tagged.
