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Grade Carolina Panthers sign C Sam Hecht
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Quick Reaction
Sentiment Analysis
B+
Positive
NegativeMixedPositive
Panthers addressed center depth with a developmental prospect in round five. Multiple headlines indicate GM confidence that Hecht fell unfairly in the draft. Selection signals belief he can compete immediately for the starting role. Fans debate whether a fifth-rounder truly merits starter expectations despite talent. Hecht will likely rotate early while developing into a reliable anchor position.
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Contract Value Index (CVI)
C+
Fair Value
OverpayFair ValueGreat Value
Sam Hecht's four-year, $4.9M signing earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), reflecting a reasonable value proposition for a depth-piece center at a franchise in transition. At roughly $1.2M AAV, this is a below-market deal for the position—realistic for a player operating in a solid-starter-to-backup range rather than franchise-caliber territory. The Panthers are locking in affordable offensive line depth during an offseason rebuild phase, which provides organizational flexibility without committing meaningful cap resources to a non-premium roster slot. The risk here is modest: a four-year commitment to a mid-tier lineman carries minimal dead-cap exposure and preserves Carolina's ability to upgrade the position if interior line depth or starter performance becomes a critical gap. This transaction mirrors the type of low-cost, low-risk veteran floor-setting moves that rebuilding rosters execute when they're not chasing immediate contention—sensible risk management, but not a move that moves the needle on playoff probability.
Contract Details
- Length
- 4 years
- Total Value
- $4.9M
- AAV
- $1.2M
- Guaranteed
- $554K
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About this NFL transaction
The Carolina Panthers signed Sam Hecht (C) on May 7, 2026. FanVerdicts covers every reported NFL move — and asks fans to weigh in on each one. Cast your Fan Verdict on this move, see where the crowd lands, and argue the call. FanVerdicts brings its own read too — sentiment and Contract Value Index — as one honest input alongside the crowd's. Where FanVerdicts has weighed in so far: Contract Value Index C+, Sentiment B+.
Contract details below show the years, total value, average annual value, and guaranteed money behind the Contract Value Index read. That read does not change once written — it reflects market expectations at the moment of signing, recomputed only if the contract is restructured.
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