Many people in the draft industry have a goal to work in an NFL front office, including me! Well here’s my application to manage teams all through the NFL. Starting off with the team that claims my fandom, the Carolina Panthers!
General Information —
The Panthers are entitled to 33.3 million in cap space for the 2025 offseason pre-cuts, walks, restructures, signings, and resigning players. Years of poor cap management and player decisions are finally past the Panthers and with cap guru Brandt Tillis being the cover for the organizations cap management, they only have a 1.9 million dollars in dead cap for the offseason. Lucky for the Panthers this offseason doesn’t have many notable players on the team going into FA.
Restructuring Contracts —
I’m choosing to restructure a few contracts as there is not a ton of money to be moved on the surface here. Starting with Shy Tuttle. A restructure can save 1 million dollars in cap space. This will be the only restructure as there isn’t much money to be moved and moving salaries to signing bonuses is not something I am entitled to.
Cut Contracts —
I am electing to cut RB Miles Sanders which will save and add on 3 million dollars in cap space. The next and also last contract I am cutting is Nickel CB and 2024 FA signing Dane Jackson which will save the franchise 2.5 million dollars in cap space.
Pre Signings And Resigning Cap Space Number: 39.8 Million Dollars
Resigning Players —
I’m going to elect to resign 3 players. The first is David Moore a nice rotational WR who has had a few big catches and plays most notably in the Chiefs game in November signing him to a 1 year 2 million dollar contract. My second resigning is 27 year old Corner Mike Jackson. He has been a reliable starter for the Panthers this season I am electing to sign him to a bigger contract of 2 years 8.5 million or 4.25 a year. The third resigning is swing tackle and positional chess piece on the OL Brady Christensen to a 2 year 6.6 million dollar contract or 3.3 million a year.
2025 FA Signings —
Time for the big hitters! First of the signings is Bears 27 year old EDGE rusher Darrell Taylor to a 3 year 15 million dollar contract or 5 million a year. Next I am signing Chiefs DT Tershawn Warton to bolster the interior Defensive Line. Signing him to a 2 year 7 million dollar contract or 3.5 million a year. Next of the DL and EDGE signings I am signing another Chief, Derrick Nadi to a 3 year 10 million dollar contract or about 3.3 million dollars a year. My biggest signing of the FA class will be Raiders safety Trevon Moehrig, signing him to a 3 year 24 million dollar contract or 8 million dollars a year. Onto the offense! The first an only offensive signing being made is Bills WR Mack Hollins to a 1 year 6 million dollar contract, to come in and be a sure handed big body X WR for Bryce Young to bolster the WR core.
Pre Draft Cap Space: 4.45 Million Dollars
2025 NFL Draft Selections —
Round 1 selection: Abdul Carter, the Nittany Lion has done nothing but beef up his draft stock, bringing him in to an EDGE room full of number 2 and 3 rushers allows for Carter to come in and anchor an EDGE room as a rookie.
Round 2 selection: Darien Porter, the 6’3” lengthy corner is very high on my board right now sitting as my corner 2! To be able to get him in the second due to age and being raw is a great get for Carolina. Coming into a physical DB room he will fit right in and potentially be a starter as a rookie.
Round 3 selection: Tai Felton, Felton is a huge draft crush of mine true deep threat that brings a good long speed dimension and YAC threat to the Panthers WR room that they don’t really have right now. He’s someone who can come and be a contributor down the road and a nice depth piece right away.
Round 4 selection: Eli Stowers, another draft crush of mine, Stowers brings the athletic factor to the TE position on the team to compliment the receiving TE and key contributor Jatavion Sanders.
Round 5 selections: Jacorey Brooks and Ty Hamilton, I’ll start with Brooks, he can come in and be a nice depth piece to add to a really nice WR rotation. As for Hamilton he can bring some juice as a designated pass rusher from the interior DL and be a nice pick down the road to use on pass down situations.
Round 7 selections: Jake Majors and Upton Stout, while I am higher on both these guys than the pick would suggest, Majors can come in and compete for a Center spot as a rookie with Cade Mays and Christensen who have both played well for the Panthers this season. As for Stout, he can be a nice depth Slot corner who I see having some starter potential down the line.
Projected 2025 Lineup Offense —
QB: Bryce Young, Andy Dalton
RB: Chuba Hubbard, Jonathan Brooks (?), UDFA pickup or additional signing
WR: Xavier Legette, Adam Theilen, Mack Hollins, Jalen Coker, David Moore, Tai Felton, Jacorey Brooks
TE: Jatavion Sanders, Eli Stowers
OT: Yosh Njiman, Taylor Moton, Ikem Ekwonu, Brady Christensen
OL: Cade Mays, Damien Lewis, Robert Hunt, Jake Majors
Projected 2025 Lineup Defense —
EDGE: Abdul Carter, DJ Wonnum, Darrell Taylor
DE: Ashawn Robinson, Tershawn Warton, Jadeveon Clowney
DT: Derrick Brown, Derrick Nadi, Ty Hamilton
LB: Josey Jewell, Trevin Wallace, Shaq Thompson
CB: Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson, Darien Porter, Chau Smith-Wade, Upton Stout
SAF: Trevon Moehrig, Xavier Woods, Demani Richardson, Jammie Robinson
That is the end of my first GM applications I hope to continue these and that you all enjoyed!
