Should the Panthers Franchise Tag Bradberry or Let Him Walk?

NFL Free Agency will officially start on Wednesday, March 18th at 4 P.M. EST but legal tampering begins today at noon, which means teams can talk to anyone they want. There are some big names in the free agent market, and on top of the cornerback list is Carolina Panther, James Bradberry. Bradberry has a plethora of teams interested in him and will have options when free agency begins, unless the Panthers decide to franchise tag him.

For those that don't know, when a team "franchise tags" a player it means that the team holds the player's rights for one more year when that player is about to become a free agent. Teams only get one franchise tag per year so they have to use it wisely. The goal of the franchise tag is to keep highly talented players for an additional year. This also gives both the team and the player more time to negotiate a long-term contract prior to the start of the season.

So the Panthers have a decision to make: franchise tag Bradberry or let him leave Carolina?

Bradberry was drafted in the second round of the 2016 draft and has spent all four seasons in Carolina. He has started 60 games for the Panthers during those four seasons and has been the team's number one cornerback for some time now. Since joining the NFL, he has 279 tackles, eight interceptions, and 47 pass deflections. Aside from some match-ups against Julio Jones, Bradberry has been pretty consistent in locking down opposing teams top receivers.

With that being said, the Panthers should franchise tag Bradberry if they cannot reach a deal. They shouldn't let a talent like Bradberry just walk for nothing. Also, bringing Bradberry back would be one less thing for Carolina to worry about and can spend their money elsewhere for other holes on the defense.

Bradberry is seeking $15 million more per year for his next contract and being just 26 years old, this makes him very enticing for teams around the NFL. It is unlikely Carolina will resign Bradberry due to his asking price. It seems that the most likely scenario will be that Bradberry will join his former coach, Ron Rivera, in Washington and will sign with the Redskins. However, according to New York Jets reporter Connor Hughes, the Redskins "may not be as invested" in Bradberry as many believe.

Be sure to follow Panther Maven as we will let you know his decision once it has been announced, along with all of Carolina's free agency actions.

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