Much like the other 31 NFL fanbases, Carolina Panthers fans have been forced to say goodbye to several veteran faces this offseason. Even though it'sexciting to see names like safety Trevon Moehrigand linebacker Patrick Jones signed, Panthers fans are still disappointed to see the likes of safety Xavier Woods and cornerback Lonnie Johnson leave town.
According to Spotrac, nine Panthers veterans have left Charlotte since the start of free agency. On Tuesday, fans could officially add another familiar face to that list.
Panthers News: S/ST Sam Franklin Jr. Signs With Broncos
NFL insider Ari Meirov reported on Tuesday afternoon that the Denver Broncoshave signed safety/special teamer Sam Franklin Jr. to a one-year contract. The former Temple Owl had spent his entire five-year NFL career with the Panthers after going undrafted in the 2020 draft.
The#Broncosare signing former#Pantherssafety Sam Franklin to a 1-year deal, per source.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate)April 8, 2025
Franklin, a former undrafted free agent in 2020, spent the last five seasons in Carolina and totaled 105 tackles during his time there.pic.twitter.com/8EiWTS6bxU
Even though he wasn't the team's biggest free agent, Franklin is someone who Panthers fans wanted to see re-signed this offseason. The 29-year-old veteran missed nearly half of the 2024 campaign recovering from a broken foot, meaning he didn't have a true opportunity to capitalize on his 2023 breakout.
After a few unnoteworthy seasons to begin his NFL career, Franklin finally broke out in Year 4. The Crystal River, FL native set new career highs across the board in 2023, tallying personal bests when it came to solo tackles (20) and defended passes (3) whileconverting his first interception for a 99-yard touchdown score.
Franklin's impressive performance was soon overshadowed when he broke his foot during training camp practice last July. He almost played exclusively on special teams when he returned to action in October, recording only five solo tackles in 10 appearances.
Time will tell if Franklin will play a similar role in the Mile High City next season. The Broncos had one of the NFL's best special teams units last year,finishing with the eighth-best grade (87.5) onPro Football Focus.
Franklin has the tools to be a consistent special teams contributor anywhere he goes as long as he remains healthy. Hopefully, the ex-Panther's broken foot is firmly behind him so that he can play up to his ceiling with the Broncos.
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