Cornerback A.J. Bouye has a new NFL home. The Carolina Panthers agreed to a contract with the cornerback but the financial terms weren’t announced yet.
Bouye played last season for the Denver Broncos. Denver traded a 4th-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for him. Bouye was supposed to help the Denver secondary and be matched up on the opponents’ top receiver.
Unfortunately, he was a bust in Denver. Bouye appeared in 7 games for the Broncos. In those games, he totaled 6 passes defended and 23 tackles. He missed most of the season dealing with a dislocated shoulder which occurred in week 1’s loss to the Tennessee Titans. Denver expected more from the cornerback and decided it was best to cut him to save around $11.689 million in cap space.
The Panthers knew going into the offseason that the defense needed to be improved. They ranked 18th in total yards allowed, giving up 360.1 yards per game. When it came to passing, the Panthers’ defense was also 18th, allowing 239.1 yards per game. The defense couldn’t turn the ball over. They collected only 7 interceptions which was 2nd worst in the NFL. The only team that had less was the Detroit Lions with 3. That helped them go 5-11, missing the postseason for the 3rd year in a row.
The Panthers decided Bouye is worth the risk. The hope is he can improve the secondary. Bouye will most likely be the Panthers’ #1 cornerback on the roster. He wants to show last year was a fluke. The Panthers want to see the cornerback from 2017 when Bouye collected a career high 6 interceptions with 18 passes defended. That should help the defense out if Bouye is healthy. He can be one of the top cornerbacks in the league.
The Panthers now can turn the page to the NFL Draft. They hold the #8 selection in the first round. Secondary shouldn’t be a choice since they improved it with Bouye. They may look at offense with a wide receiver, an offensive lineman, or find the quarterback of the future. They have possibilities now that they have signed Bouye.
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