10 Takeaways From the Panthers’ 2015 Salary Cap Projections

The 2015 salary cap figures in this post are before restructures or pay cuts, which the Panthers certainly could try with a few guys. For now, just looking at the projected numbers, here are 10 of the biggest things that stick out:

  1. Charles Johnson is due $20 million, an enormous number for a defensive end. Few quarterbacks are worth that much.
  2. How much is that $20 million? The receivers currently under contract will make a combined $4.8 million. Of course, that also speaks to how little the Panthers invested in wideouts in 2014.
  3. Including Ryan Kalil’s $11.8 million, the starting offensive line that finished 2014 under contract comes in at $13.5 million. Now the Panthers need to add a left tackle.
  4. If they part ways with DeAngelo Williams, the Panthers won’t recoup all $6.3 million of his cap hit, but they could get a chunk back. And Fozzy Whittaker, who’s an exclusive rights free agent, won’t cost a ton to bring back.
  5. Thomas Davis remains the heart and soul of the defense, but the Panthers may look to do something about the soon-to-be 32-year-old’s $9.9 million cap hit.
  6. The cheaper rookie deals in the current CBA make sense, but they can be wild sometimes. $4 million is a nice bargain for a fourth season of Luke Kuechly.
  7. Since he finished the season as a special teams guy, Thomas DeCoud looks like a cap casualty candidate.
  8. Kyle Love is a nice alternative in case the Panthers don’t re-sign Dwan Edwards and/or Colin Cole.
  9. There’s so much focus on the first round of the draft, but the later rounds are essential for financial flexibility. Kony Ealy, Trai Turner, Tre Boston, and Bené Benwikere — who could all start in 2015 — have cap hits of less than $1 million.
  10. 23 of the 45 current contracts are set to run out after 2015. With names like Davis, Olsen, and possibly Newton, next offseason could be extremely interesting.