Panthers Shore Up Cornerback Depth With Pair Of Free-Agent Signings

The Carolina Panthers double-dipped to retain a pair of defensive backs as part of their Day 1 free agency spending on Monday.

As reported Monday by Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network, the Panthers are re-signing cornerbacks Akayleb Evans and Robert Rochell, both to one-year deals. Both players contributed mainly on special teams in 2025 for the Panthers, especially Evans, who played 16 games and was a mainstay covering kicks and punts. Rochell played five games, including a season-high 13 special teams snaps in the wild card round.

The Panthers made an early splash in free agency with the addition of edge rusher Jaelan Phillips. They haven't been quite as aggressive as they were hyped to be, but there's still plenty out there for them to add to the defense.