Here at Cat Scratch Reader we’ve got counted down the ultimate 100 days main as much as the Carolina Panthers season opener by for at the very least the previous ten years. We’ve at all times completed this by highlighting the present participant on the roster whose jersey quantity matches the day on the countdown. This yr, we determined to alter that up a bit by counting down our personal checklist of the Top 100 Panthers of all time. This doesn’t correspond to jersey quantity, doesn’t should be any person who wore a jersey, and can by no means be controversial.
#75. Deon Grant
Grant was a second spherical decide for the Panthers within the 2000 NFL Draft and fractured his hip in coaching camp, forcing what was basically a medical redshirt season. Once wholesome, he instantly began at free security for the workforce. During his three yr tenure in Carolina, Grant would begin each single common season sport on the backend of the protection. That Iron-(*75*) standing continued throughout different NFL stops as nicely, showing in all 16 common season video games for all 11 seasons of his profession. While he was not a starter on the finish of his profession, that’s nonetheless a powerful feat. His time with the Panthers was arguably his handiest tenure. In simply three seasons, he gathered 216 tackles, 11 interceptions, 41 passes defensed, one compelled fumble, two fumble recoveries, and even a few sacks.
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Unfortunately for the Panthers, a mixture of a Super Bowl look and wage cap restrictions led to the workforce being harvested by the remainder of the NFL as soon as free company hit. After locking up line of defense stalwarts like Julius Peppers and Kris Jenkins, there was not sufficient cash left over for Grant, who was a restricted free agent. The Jaguars swooped in and provided a large three-year, $7.25 million contract ($2.5 million assured), which doesn’t sound like a lot by right this moment’s requirements. For the time, although, it was an enormous deal taking on three p.c of that season’s wage cap. In right this moment’s NFL cash, that will be $9 million per yr. In the top, the Panthers simply couldn’t (or wouldn’t) allocate that a lot cap house to the protection place, and Grant left Charlotte.
Though his time with the workforce was temporary, he match proper into the tradition of the 2003 Super Bowl workforce. In truth, he nonetheless holds the franchise document for many interceptions in a single sport by a single participant with three. He’s positively one of many larger “what if” gamers which have come by Charlotte during the last 30 years.