CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It was fitting that the day the Carolina Panthers brought back J.J. Jansen for an 18th season, Thomas Fletcher — the former Alabama long snapper whom Matt Rhule drafted in the sixth round in 2021 as Jansen’s replacement — was named the special teams coach at Youngstown State.

Much like Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow or not, Jansen re-signing with the Panthers on a one-year deal signifies spring is right around the corner in the Carolinas. Jansen was the Panthers’ first piece of offseason business last year the Friday before Presidents’ Day. The Panthers observed Jansen Day this year on Tuesday, just after the holiday weekend.

Time is a flat circle.

Having taken care of their 40-year-old long snapper, the Panthers will move on to other contractual matters and possible roster moves ahead of the March 11 start of free agency, which really begins two days earlier with the opening of the legal tampering window.

The Panthers aren’t flush with free-agency capital. They have $12.95 million in salary-cap space, according to Over the Cap’s projection based on a cap of $303.5 million. That places them 19th in the NFL, precisely where they were at this same point last year, and third in the NFC South — behind the Atlanta Falcons ($26.5 million) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($23.9 million) but ahead of the perennially strapped New Orleans Saints, who are $7.5 million over the cap.

The Athletic looks at a few moves general manager Dan Morgan and executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis can make to create cap room, as well as a couple of roster-related questions. The Panthers also could restructure some of their bigger contracts (Derrick Brown, Jaycee Horn), although Morgan has said the Panthers would prefer not to “kick the can down the road.”

(All figures via Over the Cap)

Most likely cap-related cutDT A’Shawn Robinson

Age at the start of the season: 31

Cap savings: $10.5 million

Dead money: $2.06 million

The Panthers can’t argue with Robinson’s production since signing him two years ago. After tying for the team lead with 5.5 sacks in 2024, Robinson finished among the top 10 defensive linemen in the league in run stops last season. But the Panthers already have a lot of money tied up along the defensive line after extending Brown and giving Tershawn Wharton a three-year, $45 million contract last offseason. They also added Bobby Brown last year in free agency and need to see what they have in Cam Jackson, a fifth-round pick in 2025. Given Robinson’s effectiveness in Carolina, the Panthers would be smart to try to trade him for a draft pick if they plan to cut him.

Another possible trade candidateQB Andy Dalton

Age at the start of the season: 38

Cap savings if traded: $2.2 million

Dead money: $3.7 million

The Panthers seem intent on upgrading at QB2. Asked in January if he’d be open to developing a young QB behind Bryce Young, Morgan said: “Absolutely. I think we want to add competition to every room, quarterback is no different. Yeah, that could be something we do this offseason.” The idea of bringing in Dalton as a mentor and backup to Young was sound, but appears to have run its course. In his lone start last year with Young out with a high ankle sprain, Dalton was overmatched in a 40-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills, getting sacked seven times and coughing up three turnovers. The Panthers extended Dalton last February on a two-year, $8 million deal that includes a $2 million guaranteed salary this year. So releasing him would bring negligible cap savings, unless he’s designated as a post-June 1 cut. If the Panthers don’t sign a quarterback in free agency, they could hang on to Dalton. But that doesn’t appear to be their preference.

Extension candidatesG Damien Lewis

Age at the start of the season: 29

Cap savings with extension: $9.02 million

Lewis was the less heralded and lesser paid of the two free-agent guards the Panthers splurged on two years ago. And while Rob Hunt went to the Pro Bowl in 2024, Lewis has been every bit as valuable. The former Seattle Seahawks lineman has been among the Panthers’ five highest-graded offensive players by Pro Football Focus the past two seasons, finishing behind only right tackle Taylor Moton and rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan in 2025. He’s also been dependable, missing only two starts in two years. As Lewis enters the third year of a four-year deal, the Panthers should lock him up long term.

TE Tommy Tremble

Age at the start of the season: 26

Cap savings with extension: $3.42 million

Tremble signed a two-year, $10.5 million extension last year that matched Mike Jackson’s, and their situations are similar. Tremble’s season wasn’t as splashy as Jackson’s, but the third-round pick from 2021 set career highs with 27 catches, 249 receiving yards and a 73.0 catch percentage. After missing training camp following back surgery in May, Tremble returned to play all 17 games. He remains the Panthers’ best blocking tight end and is well liked in the locker room. He could be in line for another raise.

What about …CB Mike Jackson

Age at the start of the season: 29

Cap savings with extension: $3.24 million

After re-upping on a two-year, $10.5 million deal in 2025, Jackson again teamed with Horn to form one of the league’s better corner tandems. Jackson established career highs with four interceptions and 19 passes defensed, which tied for the league lead. He had a rough game against the Dallas Cowboys’ George Pickens in October, but rebounded to finish as PFF’s third-ranked corner for the season. In the wild-card loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Jackson picked off Matthew Stafford once and allowed a 0.0 passer rating as the nearest defender, becoming just the third player to do so in a playoff game since 2016 when being targeted at least seven times. There’s an argument to be made that the Panthers should tear up Jackson’s contract and bump his pay. But he’s three years older than Tremble, is approaching his 30s at a position where the drop-off can come quickly and likely would cost more to extend than a tight end.