Panthers Projected To Sign Jadeveon Clowney Late In Free Agency

Kenneth Teape

May 4, 2023

The Carolina Panthers addressed some of their biggest needs with selections in the 2023 NFL Draft. With the No. 1 pick, they selected Bryce Young out of Alabama, who they are hoping is their franchise quarterback of the future. They got him a new weapon in Ole Miss wide receiver Jonathan Mingo in the second round.

With limited draft capital because of the trade with the Chicago Bears to move up to the No. 1 spot, Carolina made only three picks for the rest of the draft. DJ Johnson in the third round filled a need at linebacker while Chandler Zavala added depth on the interior of the offensive line in the fourth and safety depth was added with Jammie Robinson in the fifth.

The grade on this draft class will ultimately come down to Young and how he performs. If he lives up to expectations as a franchise quarterback, the Panthers are in great shape. But, there is still some work to do with the roster.

Numerous veterans were signed to upgrade the roster in free agency as the Panthers are a more talented team. Alas, one glaring hole that remains is in the trenches defensively. Carolina needs some help at defensive end.

That need could be filled by signing veteran Jadeveon Clowney in free agency. The Panthers have been predicted to sign the No. 1 overall pick from the 2014 NFL Draft by PFF.

Predicting the landing spots for the top remaining free agents pic.twitter.com/7xuyQWAEkQ
— PFF (@PFF) May 4, 2023

Clowney is the No. 1 ranked free agent remaining according to PFF and would be a great addition to the Panthers front seven. He has been inconsistent at times when it comes to getting after the quarterback and racking up sacks but still remains a more than serviceable player.

2022 was a tough season as he didn’t see eye-to-eye with Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods. His production cratered as he picked up only 2.0 sacks, four tackles for loss and four quarterback hits after racking up 9.0, 11 and 19 in 2021.

A change of scenery would do Clowney some good. Entering his age-30 season, he should have plenty more left in the tank to offer a team. His impact could be similar to what he was able to accomplish in 2021 with Brian Burns taking on the role of Myles Garrett.