The Carolina Panthers are coming into the offseason with major needs on offense and with DeAngelo Williams released, they could look at Mark Ingram as a free agent target along with Randall Cobb, Bryan Bulaga and Michael Oher for Cam Newton and this comes as Greg Hardy likely will not return as he hits free agency after his legal issues.
The Panthers have a number of needs on offense, including on the offensive line and at wide receiver. The team has Kelvin Benjamin at WR, but after losing Steve Smith last year, they could use another player alongside Benjamin for Newton. According to Pro Football Talk, the team has needs on the offensive line and that is why Michael Oher could be a target. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports that Oher visited with the Panthers and could be an option for the team.
The Panthers are set at running back with Jonathan Stewart after releasing DeAngelo Williams, but they also could look at names like Mark Ingram or CJ Spiller for more depth with Mike Tolbert. The WR position is an interesting one this offseason, as names like Randall Cobb, Jeremy Maclin, Torrey Smith and Hakeem Nicks are on the market and could be targets for Newton and the Panthers. The Panthers won the NFC South with a losing record last season and now they are looking to bounce back after winning over the Cardinals in the playoffs before losing to the Seahawks.
Williams was released last week and Hardy is not expected to return next season. That means some changes for the Panthers and they could look at signing someone like Cobb, as he is coming off of a career season and is an explosive option for Newton. The team also may look at cheaper options, including players like Cecil Shorts or Torrey Smith if they hit the market. Williams has been a solid player for his career in Carolina, but last season he was injured and he played in just six games and had 219 yards rushing.
Cobb is coming off of a career season and according to ESPN reporter Rob Demovsky, there is a chance he could leave GB if he asks for too much money. ESPN reports that Cobb wants $9 million per season and that would put him in line with Jordy Nelson, who signed an extension with the Packers last season. Cobb is coming in after setting career highs across the board, while Smith could be an option fi the ravens can't clear enough space to sign him back. David Newton at ESPN.com took some free agency questions about the Panthers and he said that the team should have between $10 million and $20 million in cap space depending on who gets released over the winter.
The Panthers went just 7-8-1 last season, but that was enough to win the division and make the playoffs and next year the team is expecting to be much more consistent. The Panthers ranked 19th in the league in passing yards per game last season and Newton had just 3100 yards passing. Adding a player like Smith or Maclin could make a huge difference for Newton.
