Home/NFL News and Rumors
Panthers Should Steal This Free Agent Away From the Buccaneers
By Larry Rupp
The Carolina Panthers should steal offensive lineman Alex Cappa away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The 2021 NFL season had to be a disappointment for the Carolina Panthers as they finished at the bottom of the NFC South with a 5-12 record. Head coach Matt Rhule's squad heads into the offseason looking to make improvements across the roster and bounce back in the fall.
The good news is that Carolina does have over $26.6 million in available cap space and can be active in free agency. With how much the Panthers' offensive line struggled to perform last season, the team would be smart to steal Alex Cappa away from the divisional rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Panthers Free Agency
The Panthers gave up the fifth-most sacks (52.0) and averaged only 108.4 rushing yards per game (No. 20 in NFL) in 2021. That goes to show just how ineffective the protection up front truly was. Keep in mind Carolina could lose starters Matt Paradis and John Miller to the open market as well.
Cappa has blossomed into a reliable starter for Bruce Arians over the last two seasons, starting every single game during that span. The 27-year-old has given up 5 sacks over his last 2,000-plus snaps played and drawn just three penalties. His quiet demeanor lets him fly under the radar, though.
Rumors continue to circulate about Carolina possibly drafting a quarterback in the first round come April. If that happens, upgrading the offensive line should jump to the top of the to-do list. Spotrac projects Cappa's market value to be $10.7 million, which is more than affordable for the Panthers.
For now, Carolina fans will just have to wait and see what the front office decides to do. The Panthers remain a long shot to win Super Bowl 57 with odds set at +5500, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
SIGN UP NOW. $1,000 risk-free on FanDuel Sportsbook! . dark
Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.