Navigating the Future: How the Carolina Panthers’ Salary Cap Will Shape Their 2025 Draft Strategy

If week one of the NFL season is any indication, the Carolina Panthers are already looking toward the future, particularly the 2025 NFL Draft. With a roster in flux and a salary cap that requires strategic maneuvering, the Panthers' draft strategy will be influenced by their financial situation. Depending how the Panthers allocate their estimated $25,856,365 in cap space, will provide a road map to drafting to fill holes not addressed in free agency. Understanding how their salary cap will affect their draft options provides insight into how they might approach the upcoming draft and what kind of roster moves fans can expect.

Salary Cap Overview: Current and Projected

As of early September 2024, the Panthers find themselves in precarious cap position. The team's salary cap spending for 2024 currently sits at $205,074,079, that figure includes a whopping $49,397,353 in dead money charges. That leaves only $5,389,633 per overthecap.com for roster replacements due to injury or poor performance. That is a difficult course to navigate. For the 2025 season, the Panthers can roll any unused cap space to supplement the $25 million plus in cap room. But this figure is subject to change based potential restructuring of contracts, trading expensive veterans and their salaries, and other team decisions throughout the 2024 season. This moderate amount of cap space suggests that the Panthers will need to be prudent with their financial commitments to avoid overextending themselves.

Contract Expirations and Potential Moves

Several key contracts are set to expire after the 2024 season, which will significantly impact the Panthers’ salary cap and their draft strategy. Difficult contract decisions need to be made after this season. Both starting cornerbacks will be eligible for new deals. Recently acquired Mike Jackson will be an unrestricted free agent and JC Horn will be entering the final year of his rookie contract and eligible for an extension. Offensive regulars such as Diontae Johnson and Chuba Hubbard will be free agents in 2025. Jackson ($1,055,000), Johnson ($10,000,000), and Hubbard ($3,116,000) will all be looking for raises on their salaries.

1. Re-signing Key Players: The Panthers will need to prioritize which players to re-sign. Players who are integral to the team's success will demand substantial contracts, which could reduce the amount of cap space available for new signings and draft picks. Based on their current projected cap situation it will be difficult for the team to re-sign many veterans. Letting the few productive veterans walk will be difficult for team progress in the short term but will be a necessary evil to obtain a manageable cap in the long run. 

Departing veterans will also provide future compensatory draft picks.

2. Cap Space Management: To free up additional cap space, the Panthers might consider restructuring existing contracts or releasing players whose performance does not justify their cap hit. This will be crucial in balancing their immediate needs with long-term financial health. This figures to be a prominent feature of the Panthers’ offseason roster construction.

Draft Strategy for 2025

Given the projected cap situation and the potential need to invest in new talent while managing existing contracts, the Panthers' 2025 draft strategy will be influenced by several factors:

1. Prioritizing Needs: The Panthers will need to identify areas of the roster that require improvement or depth. If key positions, such as offensive line, or secondary, need bolstering, the draft strategy will likely reflect these priorities. A successful draft could offset some of the financial constraints by adding high-impact, cost-effective rookie talent. The wildcard in these decisions will be Bryce Young. If he can show sufficient progress in 2024, it will prevent the Panthers from acknowledging they made a massive mistake in 2023 and having to use precious draft capital to correct that error.

2. Trade Opportunities: With a modest amount of cap space, the Panthers might look to trade existing players to acquire draft picks or additional cap space. This strategy could allow them to target specific positions in the draft and build a more well-rounded roster. General Manager Dan Morgan did this before the 2024 draft when he traded star DE Brian Burns and his salary to the New York Giants for two draft picks.

3. Balancing Youth and Experience: The draft will offer an opportunity to inject youth into the roster while potentially addressing gaps left by departing free agents. Balancing the acquisition of young talent with the need to retain experienced players will be key to the team's long-term success.

4. Scouting and Draft Preparation: A successful draft requires thorough scouting and a well-devised strategy. The Panthers’ front office will need to invest in scouting efforts to identify talent that fits their system and provides immediate and future value. It is important to note that scouting spending does not impact the salary cap. 

Conclusion

The Carolina Panthers’ salary cap situation for the 2025 season will undoubtedly influence their draft strategy. With a moderate amount of cap space, the team will need to make careful decisions regarding player contracts and draft picks. By prioritizing key positions, managing contracts effectively, and leveraging the draft to address roster needs, the Panthers can position themselves for future success while navigating the financial constraints of the NFL.

As the 2024 season unfolds, keep an eye on the Panthers' moves and how they shape their roster for the future. The 2025 draft will be a critical opportunity for the team to build on their progress and set the stage for sustained success in the seasons to come.