The Carolina Panthers have agreed to terms on a two-year, $20 million contract with free agent pass rusher Patrick Jones II, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.
While this isn’t the big-time splash fans were probably hoping for on day one of the legal tampering period, it does improve the overall depth of Carolina’s pass rush. Jones had a breakout season this past year, setting single season highs in tackles (39), QB hits (12), tackles for loss (9), and sacks (7), while recording his first forced fumble.
During his four seasons with the Vikings, Jones logged 105 tackles, 22 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks. It’s unlikely that he’ll earn a starting spot in Ejiro Evero’s defense, but will be a rock solid third option behind Jadeveon Clowney and DJ Wonnum. He was taken in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh.
According to Pro Football Focus, Jones ranked in the top 50 (47th) of all edge defenders last season against the run with a 69.4 grade.
The Panthers can’t afford to put all of their hope into DJ Johnson finally breaking through after notching just half a sack in his first two years in the league. The same can be said for Amaré Barno, who has three total sacks in three years. Carolina had to address the depth of the position and did so successfully.
The official free agency signing period begins on March 12th at 4 p.m. EST.
