Carolina Panthers: 5 Free Agents Who Could Help in 2012

The Carolina Panthers, 6-10 in 2011, have rookie Pro Bowler Cam Newton at quarterback, Steve Smith at wide receiver and Ron Rivera with a year of head coaching experience under his belt.

They also have one of the best offensive coordinators, and future NFL head coaching candidate, Rob "Chud" Chudzinski, who helped transform the Panthers from the NFL's worst offense in 2010 into the league's 5th highest scoring unit at 25.4 points per game in 2011.

Though the defense struggled in 2011, the Panthers are now at the stage where they need to add key pieces to the organization and tweak a few areas on the field to take the next step towards becoming a playoff-caliber team.

However, one thing stands in the way on the free-agency front, and that is Panthers' General Manager Mary Hurney's philosophy of building the team through the draft.

While I do not expect the Panthers to trade out of their current draft positions in order acquire key players through free-egency, there is value to be found at key positions, if the Carolina front office is willing to pull the trigger.

Here are my top five free agent picks to fill the Panthers' needs in 2012.

Cortland Finnegan: Titans Cornerback

The Tennessee Titans' star cornerback, Cortland Finnegan, a Fayetteville, NC native, has long been one of the NFL's toughest and most underrated cornerbacks.

Conversely, and despite his popularity among the local media, the Panthers' No. 2 corner in 2011, Captain Munnerlyn, was the easiest target for NFL quarterbacks in 2011, giving up a 73.8 completion percentage last season.

The Panthers need to improve at the cornerback position.

At 5'10" and 188 pounds, Finnegan is one of the toughest players in the NFL and plays the cornerback position with as much physicality and skill as Hines Ward plays wide receiver.

Despite his smallish stature, Finnegan has been among the NFL's top cornerbacks for the past several seasons, and by joining forces opposite the Panthers' top cover man, Chris Gamble, he could help turn Carolina's 24th-ranked pass defense into one of the league's top performing defensive units.

Antonio Garay: Chargers Defensive Tackle

Though he looks like the NFL's version of Dennis Rodman, minus the piercings, Antonio Garay is a 6'4", 320 pound run stopper for Ron Rivera's old team, the San Diego Chargers.

The Panthers will have middle linebacker Jon Beason back and healthy in 2012, and if Thomas Davis recovers from his third ACL tear to play at his former Pro Bowl level, the Panthers could easily become a top-ten run defense in 2012.

However, in order to do so, they will have to be able to plug up the middle better than they did in 2011, and Garay could help shore up a defensive line that has a lot of young talent, but was pushed around for much of last season.

Donovan McNabb: Vikings Backup Quarterback

Donovan McNabb was one of the best NFL quarterbacks of the 2000s, and he is a perfect candidate to back up Cam Newton in Carolina.

McNabb has been relegated to the Vikings' backup quarterback position, and he is potentially third-string behind Christian Ponder and Joe Webb in Minnesota, as the team looks to rebuild and look to the future.

However, in his prime with the Philadelphia Eagles, McNabb led his team to four straight NFC Championship games and a berth in Super Bowl XXXIX, and is as close to a future NFL Hall of Fame quarterback as you can get among available backup signal callers.

McNabb lacks the mobility and athleticism he once had as one of the NFL's premier players, but his leadership and knowledge of the quarterback position could provide stability to the position, and he still has some game left.

His presence as Newton's backup would give the Panthers an extra on-field coach, and he would be a viable backup to help second-year quarterback Cam Newton further along in his development.

Brandon Lloyd: Rams Receiver

I argued for the Carolina Panthers to pick up Brandon Lloyd, the NFL's leading receiver in 2010, when the Denver Broncos put him on the auction block in 2011.

Lloyd has had an up-and-down NFL career, and he is the rare and gifted NFL receiver who began his NFL career with limited success for several seasons, was considered a bust and then reemerged with a breakout season that validated his promise.

Though Lloyd will be 31-years-old when the 2012 season kicks off, he is a tremendous deep threat with little wear on his body, and he has some of the best hands in the entire NFL.

The Panthers have solid young talent at the wide receiver position in Brandon LaFell and David Gettis, but if they want to make a deep run in the 2012 NFL playoffs, then could use a proven late bloomer like Lloyd to serve as one of the league's top No. 2 receivers opposite Steve Smith.

Lloyd is a team player who has been through the rigours of NFL disappointment and success, and if the Panthers pick him up, he will prove to be a leader for the Panthers' young and talented wideouts.

Mario Manningham: Giants Receiver

Mario Manningham is playing in Super Bowl XLVI this weekend, and I would not be surprised to see him catch a touchdown pass for the New York Giants.

Manningham is among the league's better receivers at getting open, and when healthy, he is among Eli Manning's top targets.

However, he lost his position as the Giants' No. 2 receiver behind Hakeem Nicks when he was injured during the 2011 NFL season and replaced by the speedy and saucy wideout, Victor Cruz.

Cruz has since replaced Manningham in the Giants' lineup and the Washington Redskins' Santana Moss as the poor man's Steve Smith.

If picked up by the Panthers in free agency, Manningham would likely serve as an occasionally used deep threat and No. 3 receiver.

However, his knowledge and experience as a productive veteran receiver entering his fifth year would benefit Newton, LaFell and Gettis in their quest to lead the Panthers to a top-five passing attack in 2012.