Carolina Panthers sign CB Tyrek Funderburk

Tyrek Funderburk's signing earns a C- Contract Value Index (CVI) — a below-average transaction that reflects modest depth acquisition at a bargain rate, but with limited upside and unclear role definition. At $1.005M on a one-year deal, this is pure replacement-level cornerback money, the kind of low-risk signing teams use to fill out depth charts or provide camp competition without meaningful cap strain. The value equation here hinges entirely on what Funderburk delivers in a rotational or reserve capacity; at this price point, the Panthers are paying for depth, not for a starter or even a consistent contributor. Given the Panthers' current 8-9 record and #4 seed positioning in the NFC South, this move reads as organizational recalibration rather than a win-now addition — a modest attempt to bolster secondary depth heading into the offseason without committing resources. The CVI reflects the ceiling-limited nature of the deal: if Funderburk emerges as a reliable bench option or special-teams contributor, the signing breaks even; if he becomes buried on the depth chart or fails to make an impact, the sunk cost is negligible enough that it poses no cap risk to future flexibility.