Carolina Panthers: Re-Signing Mario Addison Bolsters Pass Rush
Set to become a free agent, Mario Addison opted to re-sign with the Carolina Panthers, ensuring the return of their leading pass rusher from 2016.
On Sunday, the Carolina Panthers announced long time defensive end Mario Addison had agreed to a new contract. After going undrafted out of Troy and bouncing around early in his career between the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, and the Washington Redskins, Addison has found a permanent home in Carolina. Posting a minimum of six sacks in each of the last three seasons, he would go on to lead the team in 2016 with 9.5, doing so in only 14 games.
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Opting to not let him test the open market, the Panthers and Addison agreed to a three year deal coming in at $22.5 million, with $11.5 million in guaranteed money. At 29 years old, Addison has seen a consistently increasing role and uptick in snap counts, and with this new deal his role should be expected to expand even further.
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Seen largely as purely a situational pass rusher, Addison has improved drastically as a run defender, becoming a player that was difficult for the Panthers to take off the field towards the end of last season.
With a high amount of special teams snaps under his belt in 2016, it should be expected for Addison to add some mass and fill into a more traditional three-down defensive end role. This becomes even more crucial given the underwhelming development of fourth-year defensive end Kony Ealy, and with long time team captain Charles Johnson also set to hit free agency.
While the Panthers may opt to further enhance their pass rushing options through the draft, with players like Solomon Thomas and Derek Barnett being distinct possibilities, the re-signing of Addison ensures continuity and depth at a position of need. Despite his age, Addison’s arrow is still pointing squarely upwards and is just now entering his physical prime.
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This contract acts as a team friendly deal while also allowing Addison the opportunity to flourish and fulfill his potential. After leading the league in sacks as a unit in 2016, the Carolina Panthers have guaranteed the return of their most effective edge player.