The Carolina Panthers ranked 16th in the NFL in pass yards allowed per game, and 18th in total yards allowed per game. These are middle-of-the-pack stats, and to make it to the top, changes will need to be made. The fate of Julius Peppers and the D-Line has yet to be determined, so let's take a look at the cornerbacks.

Chris Gamble just signed a contract extension and is a lock to start next season. Ken Lucas is not as good as he used to be, and he got burned way too many times this past season, so he could be on his way out of Carolina. Richard Marshall was shaky at times during the season, but I don't see him going anywhere, at least not yet.

Here's a look at the upcoming free agent cornerbacks: Nnamdi Asomugha (Oakland), Dunta Robinson (Houston), Deltha O'Neal (New England), Phillip Buchanon (Tampa Bay), Allen Rossum (Atlanta), Ricky Manning Jr. (St. Louis) and Bryant McFadden (Pittsburgh), just to name a few.

Top NFL Draft prospects for the CB position include Malcolm Jenkins (Ohio State), Vontae Davis (Illinois), DJ Moore (Vanderbilt), Victor Harris (VT), Alphonso Smith (Wake Forest), and Asher Allen (Georgia), just to name a few.

Whatever the Panthers do this offseason with the CB position, they need to bring in an upgrade opposite Gamble. I would love to see the Panthers go after Nnamdi Asomugha or Dunta Robinson, but I'm not sure how much they would cost the team. Or they could draft a cornerback. Either way, I believe that the Panthers will cut Ken Lucas and add another corner this offseason.