Even though Ross Cockrell will miss the 2018 season, don’t expect the Carolina Panthers to call back the cornerback they offered a contract to earlier this offseason.
The Carolina Panthers saw Ross Cockrell, a free agent the team signed this offseason, suffer a broken leg during Monday’s practice. The injury is expected to cost the veteran the entire 2018 season.
The news of Cockrell’s injury, immediately brought the name Bashaud Breeland to mind as a possible replacement. The Panthers signed Breeland, the former Washington Redskin, earlier this offseason to a three-year, $24 million contract. However, the deal fell through when Breeland failed the physical due to an infection in his foot from a cut suffered on vacation.
The Panthers then decided to sign Cockrell a few weeks later to compete for the starting cornerback job opposite James Bradberry. It would appear the Panthers would have a need now and with Breeland still available, it is easy to connect the dots.
However, according to Charlotte Observer’s Jourdan Rodrigue, the ship has sailed on Breeland playing for the Carolina Panthers. As Rodrigue notes, the loss of Cockrell isn’t as big of a blow to this team as the injury suffered by right tackle Daryl Williams.
The depth at the cornerback position is much better than at offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers. The team still have a number of players who could be more than capable of starting including Kevon Seymour, Corn Elder and second round draft pick Donte Jackson, who wasn’t on the team at the time of the Breeland signing.
While it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them bring in Breeland, considering they did offer him a contract once, the Panthers seem to be set at the cornerback position. Rodrigue believes that while Seymour looks to be in line to start, Jackson could eventually take over the role this season.
This would be a huge boost for a Panthers’ defense that has struggled to find consistency at that second cornerback position in a very long time.