The Carolina Panthers were in pole position to sign formidable defensive tackle Milton Williams shortly after the legal tampering window opened. It didn’t take long for this dream to unravel.
Someone leaked to the media that Williams was close to finalizing a deal with the Panthers. This had the desired effect, with the New England Patriots coming in with a financial package difficult to turn down.
The Panthers had to pivot. They did so by signing Tershawn Wharton to a three-year, $51 million deal. While he’ll help, one NFL analyst believes that general manager Dan Morgan panicked after failing to get his primary target.
NFL analyst believes the Carolina Panthers panicked after Milton Williams snub
Ben Solak from ESPN didn’t think Wharton was worth the financial commitment. The analyst thought the Panthers fell into a familiar trap of overpaying for a consolation prize after missing out on their marquee prize.
“The Panthers were in on [Milton] Williams but failed to get it across the finish line. But Carolina still wanted to invest in the position, and did so with a three-year, $51 million deal for the ex-Chief Tershawn Wharton. I’m not convinced Wharton has that juice. Sure, he flashes power as a rusher, and in more of a one-gapping role he could demonstrate a level of pass-rush prowess yet untapped. But this is a common error in the free agent cycle: missing on the real prize and accordingly overpaying for the next-best option to avoid coming away with nothing. The Panthers had money already set aside for a defensive tackle, and when they missed on Williams, they spent it anyway.”Ben Solak
That might be the case, but Solak completely ignored the desperation attached to the Panthers’ defensive regeneration project.
This was the worst defense in the league and one of the worst in NFL history. Finding long-term options via the draft wasn’t enough. They needed immediate difference-makers to ensure they were ready to make improvements next season. If that meant overpaying in a small market, so be it.
Williams proved his worth as a genuine game-wrecker last season and cashed in accordingly. Whether he’ll be as impactful without Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter alongside him is anyone’s guess, but the Patriots placed a large wager on his positive recent momentum becoming something sustainable.
As for the Panthers? They’ve done a nice job of fortifying their defensive front options alongside Derrick Brown. Wharton is coming off a career year and could improve further. Bobby Brown III is the genuine nose tackle Carolina’s craved since switching to a 3-4 base scheme. This strengthens the rotation with A’Shawn Robinson sticking around and Shy Tuttle taking a pay cut heading into the final year of his deal.
As we’ve mentioned previously, nobody will be complaining about the money Wharton got on his contract if he performs well. He needs to silence some increasing doubters and repay the faith shown in him by Carolina.
That’s the bottom line.
