Peppers Costing Peppers, This Time with Jones

Our reports earlier this week on the future of Carolina Panthers kickoff returner Mark Jones have officially been proven true, as Jones just signed a multiyear contract with the Tennessee Titans in an undisclosed deal. Jones was scooped up by the Titans after Tennessee lost cornerback Chris Carr to the Baltimore Ravens, and his loss to the Panthers is another blow that comes with these unrestricted free agents leaving the team.

Mark Jones is the third unrestricted free agent for the Carolina Panthers to leave the team this offseason, following in the footsteps of offensive linemen Geoff Hangartner and Frank Omiyale (Hangartner went to Buffalo, while Omiyale went to Chicago.) Why is Carolina letting so many valuable players go? It appears to be in part because of the Peppers issue, as the Panthers made a huge salary cap move when they stuck the franchise tag on the defensive for more than $16.6 million. Now the team is overwhelmed with a tight salary cap, and partly as a result the Panthers haven’t signed any of their unrestricted free agents, letting players like Jones, Hangartner and Omiyale walk. Of course, the Panthers have still kept some of their most valuable players such as Jordan Gross, so the team is nowhere near troubled when it comes to the heavy hitters (yes, even without Peppers.)

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