"Will Charles Johnson be back next season with the Carolina Panthers?

Will DeAngelo Williams be carrying the load for the Panthers next season, or will he look for greener pastures (literally) in Denver or Miami? Will the Panthers re-sign core linebackers Thomas Davis and James Anderson, or do tight end Dante Rosario and cornerback Richard Marshall represent more pressing needs for a team coming off a 2-14 season?

And what will Matt Moore do now that the Panthers have drafted Cam Newton -- re-sign or look for a starting gig elsewhere?

Panthers general manager Marty Hurney has said his goal is to keep the team's core group of players intact, but how much will he be willing to spend in free agency to do it?

We breakdown all of these questions and take an educated guess as to which free agents will re-sign once the lockout officially ends and new league year begins.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS:

1. DE Charles Johnson: GM Marty Hurney said the Panthers are committed to re-signing their core players and Johnson has to be at the top of the list, especially given how difficult it is to find defensive ends like Johnson who can rush the passer and stop the run. It's time to find out if Hurney is ready to put his money where his mouth is. Johnson is a pressing need and, in my estimation, more important to re-sign than RB DeAngelo Williams. Why? Because the Panthers are deep at running back, but not so much at defensive end. Sporting News has Williams ranked as the second best unrestricted free agent coming out and Johnson as the 10th best. A lot of people will be absolutely stunned by the money Johnson commands in the free agent market. His contract could be worth more than $40 million. The Panthers won't let him get away without a fight, that's for sure. Chance of re-signing: 80 percent. "