CHARLOTTE — The Panthers held onto some defensive line depth, which they certainly needed.
The team on Tuesday agreed to a new two-year deal with defensive end Marquis Haynes Sr. He would have become an unrestricted free agent Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Haynes was Carolina's fourth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and developed into an effective rotational player. He was fourth on the team with 3.0 sacks last year, and had 4.0 sacks in 2020.
Even as he flashed in the preseason, Haynes was limited in his role during the regular season, playing just 21 percent of the defensive snaps in 2021. It was hard to find more time when you had Brian Burns on one side and Haason Reddick on the other (20.0 combined sacks).
But Reddick has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Eagles, leaving the Panthers thin in pass-rushers. Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones has also reportedly agreed to a new deal with the Bills.
Haynes was drafted in 2018 and has tallied 7.0 sacks over the last two seasons, third-best on the team.
