There isn't a snowball's chance in Hell Gettleman drops big dollar at any position this year, and honestly, that will probably never happen. Personally, I'm fine with that. The only big money that should ever be spent is to retain your core, and free agency is for rounding out your roster. With that in mind, let's look at wide receivers that make sense for the Panthers.
Here's a handy-dandy list of all available free agents. The list is comprehensive, so we've broken the significant ones down into five categories: Never Gonna Happen, The Longshots, The Good Matches, The Gettleman Specials and The Wildcards. So in the name of due diligence, let's start with the Never Gonna Happens.
NEVER GONNA HAPPENS
Randall Cobb
This name keeps being brought up and nothing has changed. No, nope, not a chance he's brought in. One, he's going to cost too much. Two, Green Bay will wind up resigning him.
Jeremy Maclin
This is a guy who I think would work magic with Cam, but I doubt he gets out of Philadelphia. Even if he does, he'll wind up costing too much.
Demaryius Thomas
Another case of being too talented to get away.
LONGSHOTS
Torrey Smith
When Torrey Smith started the year quietly, I couldn't get the thought of bringing him in out of my head. It was the perfect Gettleman scenario: a guy has a down year, gets a moderate contract for a few years from Carolina, then well outperforms it. He bounced back though, and it looks like he may be slightly out of reach for the Panthers.
Michael Crabtree
This doesn't fit Carolina's narrative that they're looking for more speed, but in a weird way, I could see them bringing him in. If market value says they can get him at a decent price, this is a serious upgrade over Cotchery. Still highly unlikely, though.
THE GOOD MATCHES
Cecil Shorts
The Panthers wanted to add speed to the roster. Shorts is a guy that can stretch the field deep and shouldn't be overly expensive. Bringing in a guy like Shorts is moving from the Dollar Store to shopping at Target.
Kenny Britt
The Panthers investigated him last year, but he signed with the Rams. He's kept his head clean and had decent production last year. A two year deal could be just what the doctor ordered.
GETTLEMAN SPECIALS
Denarius Moore
Far from consistent, he could add deep speed to the roster and he'll likely be cheap. If he could add a few splash plays here and there, he'd be worth bringing in.
Andre Holmes
This is another Raider I like for Carolina. He could likely be had on the cheap, but who knows if the Raiders will decide to resign him or not.
Other notables: Donnie Avery, Robert Meachem
WILDCARDS
Eddie Royal
Someone could wind up overpaying for him, but he's a talented receiver. However, it would take an offensive coordinator capable of manufacturing touches and that's definitely not Mike Shula.
Brandon Marshall
He's technically not a free agent, but it's possible he could hit the market. His future is very much up in the air in Chicago, and it's worth kicking the tires on him.