Carolina Panthers free agency 2020: Top 5 targets
By Jon Dove
2. Cory Littleton, linebacker
One of the bigger surprises this offseason was the retirement of star linebacker Luke Kuechly. At only 28 years old, Kuechly was still in the prime of his career. However, it was obvious that the physical nature of the NFL was taking a toll on his body.
Kuechly’s retirement is the latest in a string of star players ending their careers earlier than expected. It will be a tough pill for the Panthers to swallow, but there are some potential replacements on the free agency market.
Cory Littleton is one of the more underrated free agents available. He’s an extremely athletic linebacker who does a great job in coverage. This is someone who also possesses the speed to make plays from sideline to sideline.
The combination of Littleton and Shaq Thompson would help ease the loss of Kuechly. Obviously, Littleton isn’t at the same level as Kuechly, but he has a lot of the skills needed to succeed in today’s NFL.
He should have a solid free agent market so the Panthers might have to overpay a little to land his services. The fact that he’s only 26 years old makes this more of a long-term investment rather than a stopgap solution.