Open Rants by Catalyst

It's been a rough season in Carolina, but the fact remains that the core of last year's 15-1 NFC Champions remain. I think with a few key offseason moves this team can be right back into the thick of things come 2017. That being said, here is my plan for 'fixing' the Carolina Panthers:

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ROSTER MOVES:
There are a few no-brainer moves that I feel should be made prior to free agency...

Release FB Mike Tolbert: He may have made the Pro Bowl again this year, but he's nowhere near the player he once was. It's time the Panthers invest in a younger fullback via the draft.

Release DT Paul Soliai: He has brought little to nothing to the table this season, even as a backup. He's been far outplayed by Kyle Love among the backup DT's and besides, Vernon Butler could use those snaps anyway.

Franchise DT Kawann Short: This is a no-brainer. Tag him and let him play with the tag in 2017. Meanwhile, see how Vernon Butler develops and make the final call on whether to give Short the big contract he'll surely command or to let him walk and go with Butler and Star Lotulelei as the starting DT's.

Re-Sign WR Ted Ginn (2-years): Ginn admitted that he made a mistake leaving the Panthers for Arizona in 2014. There should be mutual interest in bringing him back for another 2 years at a similar salary to what he's made the past two seasons.

Re-Sign DE Mario Addison (3-years): Addison came on strong during the second half of this season and will finish as the team's sack leader. I'm still not sold on him as a long-term answer as a starter, but he has certainly earned an extension, so long as he doesn't demand a huge contract.

Re-Sign FS Colin Jones (2-years): Colin Jones has been a solid special teams player for the Panthers for a while now. No reason not to re-sign him.

Re-Sign DT Kyle Love (1-year): As I mentioned earlier, Love has been our best DT off the bench, so take the money we were going to pay Paul Soliai and give it to Love instead.

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FREE AGENCY:
Thus far G.M. Dave Gettleman has tended to stay conservative in free agency, signing mid to lower tier free agents to relatively cheap 1-2 year 'prove it' deals. Some have worked out really well (Ted Ginn, Kurt Coleman, Roman Harper) while others (Antione Cason, Thomas Decoud) have not. However, this year the team will finally have a little bit of cap space to work with and considering that we're unlikely to fill all our needs via the draft, I can definitely see the team being a little more aggressive on the open market this time around.

Sign DE Jason Pierre-Paul (5-years): Signing JPP would be the surest bet to upgrading our pass rush. Charles Johnson's contract is up as well and we could instead opt to re-sign him, but he has clearly lost a step and has had injury issues as well. Instead, bring in JPP (who Gettleman had a hand in drafting when he worked in the Giants front office) and plug him in at RDE, which will allow Kony Ealy to stay at LDE, by far his best position.

Sign SS Tony Jefferson (4-years): For all the talk about the Panthers' struggling secondary, I feel like most outsiders don't really get that our rookie corners - James Bradberry and Daryl Worley - have actually improved considerably as the year has gone on. I actually feel pretty good with those two as the starters at the two outside CB spots. Where our biggest need is in the secondary is at strong safety. Kurt Coleman is a solid free safety, but Tre Boston has been utterly lost all year on the other side. That being the case, bringing in a guy like Tony Jefferson would be a huge addition to our defense that would help to solidify our secondary immediately.

Sign CB Captain Munnerlyn (2-years): While Bradberry and Worley are solid on the outside, nickel is a huge need. That being the case, why not bring back an old favorite who excelled in that role for the Panthers in years past? Captain Munnerlyn is already very familiar with our scheme and has thrived in it before.

Sign OL Jermon Bushrod (1-year): This, like the Munnerlyn signing, would be more in line with Gettleman's usual approach of adding bargain free agents to fill needs. The Panthers badly need depth along the offensive line and a veteran like Bushrod, who can play either tackle or guard, would provide that.

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2017 NFL DRAFT:
It's expected that the Panthers will receive an additional 3rd round compensatory pick for losing Josh Norman last offseason, so I have included that here as well. Generally, the Panthers under Dave Gettleman have opted to go with the best player available (within reason) early in the draft, but they have also shown that they're not afraid to double down on players at a position of need if the value lines up, as it did in 2013 with Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short in the 1st and 2nd rounds and last year with James Bradberry and Daryl Worley in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Gettleman has also shown that he's not afraid to trade up if the right player is available and they don't feel he'll last. That said, here is my mock draft for the Panthers...

1st: Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State: This has become a popular pick for us in many mocks and that makes total sense. Jonathan Stewart turns 30 soon and his contract expires after 2017 anyway. Adding a long-term option at RB- especially one as dynamic and explosive as Dalvin Cook - is a no-brainer, especially considering there isn't likely to be a tackle or pass rusher on the board worth using this pick on.

1st (TRADE): Ryan Ramczyk, OT, Wisconsin: The Panthers trade back into the lower part of the 1st round (giving up their 2nd and 3rd round picks) to take an offensive tackle. There's no doubt tackle is a huge need. Michael Oher is returning next season, but he's average at best and Mike Remmers is a free agent and needs to be upgraded on anyway. With Ryan Ramczyk in the mix, the Panthers can either plug him in at right tackle as a rookie and groom him as their left tackle of the future, or move Oher to the right side and start Ramczyk on the left right away as a rookie. Either way, the results have to be better than what we've seen from the tackles in 2016.

3rd (COMP): Conor McDermott, OT, UCLA: Remember when I said Dave Gettleman doesn't mind doubling down on positions of need? Well, here's a perfect example. While Michael Oher is returning in 2017, his long-term viability is in question, both due to injuries and inconsistent play. Adding a young tackle to groom as the starter alongside Ryan Ramczyk would provide immediate depth in the event Oher misses significant time again and in the long run hopefully provides the team with a bookend pair of tackles for the future.

4th: Deatrich Wise, DE, Arkansas: Despite signing JPP (in this scenario) and bringing back Mario Addison, the Panthers could certainly use an infusion of youth into their pass rush. Deatrich Wise is a player who can contribute immediately as a rotational pass rusher and be groomed for more down the road.

5th: Hunter Dimick, DE, Utah: Dave Gettleman loves to say that a team can never have too many good pass rushers. Well, the Panthers don't have enough right now and even with JPP in the mix here, I expect the Panthers will look to add multiple pass rushers via the draft in hopes of building up depth at the DE position.

6th: Sam Rogers, FB, Virginia Tech: In this scenario, Mike Tolbert has been released due to declining skills. Enter Sam Rogers, who I feel is a perfect fit for what the Panthers look for in a fullback

7th: James Quick, WR, Louisville: While I don't consider wide receiver to be a major immediate need, it wouldn't hurt to add some competition to the mix with a late-round pick like James Quick.

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So, there you have it: my take on how to 'fix' the Panthers after a disappointing season coming off a Super Bowl appearance. With these moves, the team would upgrade its pass rush, solidify its offensive line, and give a boost to the secondary all while adding an explosive playmaker in Dalvin Cook at the RB position.