Offseason In Review: Carolina Panthers

Inside a 10-month span, the Panthers had seen their owner throw a drink at a fan — amid a string of headlines involving the Carolina boss — and the team’s handpicked quarterback benched by Week 3. This got here after the Panthers’ 2024 coaching search, due partially to David Tepper‘s past meddling, saw some big names bow out. As bleak because the franchise’s outlook appeared after Bryce Young‘s September struggles, signs of life emerged because the season wound down.

Carolina’s defense still ranked last, because the season ended with an NFL-worst minus-193 point differential, however the team saw Young make strides weeks after reentering the lineup. The Young-Dave Canales partnership began to pay some dividends, moving the team’s nearly scrapped plan back into focus. Coming out of the season, no Tepper- or Young-driven headlines have dragged down the NFC South club. The Panthers made significant updates to their defense, while Young will enter the season with one other first-round wide receiver to focus on.

Extensions and restructures:

In a remarkable turnaround, Horn managed to attain a $25MM-per-year deal that briefly topped the cornerback market. The Panthers had seen the previous No. 8 overall pick fall well behind the No. 9 pick in that draft (Patrick Surtain), with injuries continuously impeding the South Carolina alum. Horn exited 2024 having played in only 37 of a possible 68 games as a professional. Up until days before last season, the cornerback market had remained frozen for greater than two years. Jaire Alexander‘s $21MM-AAV Packers deal topped the market, but Surtain and Jalen Ramsey modified that. Horn submitting his healthiest NFL season placed him in position to receive a monster raise as well.

Pro Football Focus ranked Horn sixtieth amongst CB regulars last season, and Pro-Football-Reference charged him with six touchdowns allowed to go along with the very best passer rating (because the closest defender) yielded of his profession. At the same time as Ejiro Evero‘s defense sunk to thirty second in points and yards allowed, Horn made his first Pro Bowl. Perhaps more importantly, he missed only two games. Quite than have Horn play on a fifth-year option, the Panthers prolonged him at a top-market rate.

NFL contract value isn’t all the time a merit-based; timing matters significantly as markets are established. Horn had seen a broken foot sideline him for 14 games as a rookie after which a hamstring injury shelve him for 10 games during a 2023 by which the second-generation NFLer missed 11. Horn has delivered flashes, and the Panthers had a big-ticket salary slot open after trading Brian Burns in 2024.

Ahead of his age-26 season, Horn managed to eclipse Surtain by way of AAV ($24MM) and fully guaranteed money ($40.7MM) despite the Denver ace’s Defensive Player of the 12 months season. After the cap spiked by one other $24MM, nonetheless, Horn after which Derek Stingley Jr. pounced.

The Panthers are making an expensive bet on Horn shaking his early-career injury trouble. This represents a course change for the team, which let each Josh Norman and James Bradberry walk in free agency (under Dave Gettleman and Matt Rhule, respectively) relatively than authorize an extension. Guarantees here only undergo 2026, nonetheless, providing some protection for the team in case Horn cannot shake the injury trouble that largely defined his rookie-deal tenure. Horn receiving Pro Bowl recognition given the Panthers’ anemic 2024 pass rush also undoubtedly raised the team’s confidence within the Rhule-era draftee.

Thielen’s underdog story is poised to proceed right into a thirteenth NFL season, as the previous Vikings rookie-camp tryout body heads right into a third Panthers campaign. Despite the team making three first- or second-round receiver investments over the past three drafts, Thielen has persevered. He entered the offseason with no guarantees remaining on his contract. The Panthers gave him a slight bump, though not one that may prevent a release within the event the aging pass catcher (35 in August) showed a notable decline in camp.

Outlasting the likes of Jonathan Mingo and Diontae Johnson in Charlotte, Thielen produced after the Panthers opted against trading him on the 2024 deadline. Thielen collected a minimum of 99 receiving yards in three of the seven games after he got here back from a hamstring injury, providing a reliable option as Young made late-season strides.

The Panthers asked about D.K. Metcalf, a former Canales Seahawks pupil, but didn’t make a proposal. They then selected Tetairoa McMillan eighth overall. Thielen could find himself in trade rumors again this 12 months, which may possibly be his NFL finale, however the three-time 1,000-yard goal is also positioned to proceed serving as a Young security blanket and mentor to a solid now comprised of three first- or second-year receivers.

Free agency additions:

  • Tre’von Moehrig, S. Three years, $51MM ($34.05MM guaranteed)
  • Tershawn Wharton, DL. Three years, $45.1MM ($30.25MM guaranteed)
  • Patrick Jones, OLB. Two years, $15MM ($10.25MM guaranteed)
  • Bobby Brown, DL. Three years, $21MM ($6.8MM guaranteed)
  • Rico Dowdle, RB. One 12 months, $2.75MM ($2.75MM guaranteed)
  • Christian Rozeboom, LB. One 12 months, $2.5MM ($1.97MM guaranteed)
  • Sam Martin, P. One 12 months, $1.6MM ($1.6MM guaranteed)
  • Hunter Renfrow, WR. One 12 months, $1.34MM ($50K guaranteed)

Losing Derrick Brown in Week 1 got here after the Panthers devoted curiously modest resources to replacing Brian Burns. The result: a defense that allowed by far probably the most points in franchise history. Carolina yielded 534 points; the 30-year-old franchise’s previous-worst was 470 (in 2019). Even when the seventeenth game is factored in, Evero’s second Panthers defense allowed a team-worst 31.4 points per game. Horn managed an extension coming out of this mess, and Evero has a probability to rebound. Carolina devoted loads of resources to fixing this broken unit this offseason.

The team chased the most important fish within the D-line waters in free agency, coming near having a deal done with Milton Williams. The ascending Eagles supporting-caster, PFR’s No. 3 free agent, was deep in talks with the Panthers. ESPN’s Adam Schefter indicated the perimeters were working to finalize a deal hours into the legal tampering period. The talks took a turn when the Patriots swooped in, submitting a proposal the Panthers didn’t match. Each Recent England (Christian Barmore) and Carolina (Brown) already rostered D-tackles at $20MM-plus per 12 months, and the Panthers stood down.

The Pats have Milton on a four-year, $104MM deal that got here with $51MM fully guaranteed. Williams sits behind only Chris Jones and Christian Wilkins for DT AAV and full guarantees, and the cap-rich Pats’ actions led the Panthers elsewhere on this market. Wharton used an enormous contract 12 months alongside Jones to land a monster payday given his UDFA NFL entrance. Dan Morgan‘s right-hand man, Brandt Tilis, was on the Chiefs’ staff once they plucked Wharton out of Division II Missouri S&T in 2020.

PFR’s No. 46 free agent, Wharton saw his market form after each Williams and Osa Odighizuwa were signed early (the latter re-signed with the Cowboys before free agency). The Chiefs desired to retain him but saw that develop into unrealistic, on account of Jones’ DT-record deal, early in free agency. The Panthers added one other interior rusher, albeit one without much pre-2024 production.

Never clearing two sacks or five QB hits in a season before 2024, Wharton broke through in a contract 12 months by registering 6.5 sacks and 11 hits alongside Jones. He added two more sacks within the playoffs. In Wharton’s defense, he had never began multiple game in a season until last 12 months. The increased usage attracted FA interest. It would be interesting to see if the eye Brown will command from O-lines may help Wharton in an analogous way.

PFF didn’t rank Wharton as a powerful run defender last season, however the Panthers landed on Bobby Brown to assist in that department. Squeezing into our top 50, Brown overlapped with Evero as a rookie in 2021. The previous Rams fourth-round pick became a starter after the 2023 losses of Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson, and PFF graded him as a top-30 run stopper (amongst interior D-linemen) in each of the past two seasons.

Brown remaining productive on this area post-Aaron Donald helped his free agency cause, and only going into his age-25 season helped his cause as well. Though, the Panthers are holding onto some guaranteed money until they observe his 2025 work. Whereas Wharton received two years fully guaranteed, half of Brown’s $5.55MM base salary will lock in on Day 3 of the 2026 league 12 months.

This 12 months’s safety market saw an upswing for the position; no player did higher than Moehrig. Because the cap ballooned by one other $24MM, Moehrig fared higher than the highest free agent safeties in 2023 (Jessie Bates) and ’24 (Xavier McKinney). Moehrig is now the NFL’s sixth-highest-paid safety. Like Wharton, he used an enormous contract 12 months to secure a pleasant FA payday. Unlike Wharton, Moehrig was a four-year starter on his rookie deal. The Raiders’ struggles after their 2021 playoff berth dimmed Moehrig’s profile, but teams were waiting in free agency.

Marcus Epps taking place in Week 3 allowed for more Moehrig plays near the road of scrimmage (439 box snaps in 2024 in comparison with 326 in ’23), and he responded with a career-best 104 tackles to go along with five TFLs and a sack. Moehrig also snared two interceptions, giving him five over the past two seasons. The Panthers still hosted Julian Blackmon on a visit after this signing, and an Evero-Justin Simmons reunion — the DC already has several former Rams and a Bronco (Josey Jewell) on this defense — got here up recently despite the team selecting a security (Ohio State’s Lathan Ransom) in Round 4.

Although the draft became the gateway to the Panthers attempting to resolve their post-Burns EDGE issue, the team took a flier on Jones. Formerly a D.J. Wonnum teammate in Minnesota, Jones made an impact as a rotational rusher for a top-five defense last season. While backing up Pro Bowlers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard, Jones tallied seven sacks and 12 QB hits. The Vikings, who also drafted Dallas Turner within the 2024 first round, weren’t able to re-sign Jones. The Panthers will provide more playing time for a player with just five profession starts.

Dowdle entered free agency with an interesting resume. With the Cowboys for five years, he logged only seven carries from 2020-22. Waiting behind the Ezekiel ElliottTony Pollard pair, Dowdle served as a special-teamer. However the Cowboys used him as a Pollard backup in 2023 after which needed him to begin a 12 months later. Dallas letting Pollard walk and never drafting a running back opened a door for Dowdle, who quickly overtook a shopworn Elliott, who had returned on a low-cost deal.

Dowdle glided for 1,079 yards (4.6 per carry) last season. While the previous UDFA’s 61 rush yards over expected (per Next Gen Stats) was a mid-pack number, the South Carolina native carries low tread on his tires — at 331 profession carries — entering an age-27 season. He can be positioned as a Chuba Hubbard backup prone to see notable work with Jonathon Brooks out for the season.

Renfrow, 29, is back after spending the 2024 season out of football. A post-June 1 Raiders cut last 12 months, Renfrow quickly fell out of favor with the team during Josh McDaniels‘ HC tenure. Bizarrely going from 1,000-yard receiver to $16MM-per-year extension recipient — a deal McDaniels and GM Dave Ziegler authorized — to a cog that didn’t fit into McDaniels’ scheme, Renfrow totaled only 585 yards from 2022-23. An ulcerative colitis diagnosis helped keep Renfrow out of football last 12 months, however the Clemson alum — a player who led the 2021 Raiders playoff team in receiving — has recovered from the autoimmune disease and can attempt a comeback.

Re-signings:

  • Tommy Tremble, TE. Two years, $10.5MM ($6MM guaranteed)
  • Andy Dalton, QB. Two years, $8MM ($6MM guaranteed)
  • Michael Jackson, CB. Two years, $10.5MM ($5.7MM guaranteed)
  • Brady Christensen, G. One 12 months, $2.79MM ($2.79MM guaranteed)
  • J.J. Jansen, LS. One 12 months, $1.42MM ($1.2MM guaranteed)
  • David Moore, WR. One 12 months, $1.4MM ($600K guaranteed)
  • Cade Mays, G. One 12 months, $3.41MM (tendered as RFA)
  • Nick Scott, S. One 12 months, $1.34MM
  • Raheem Blackshear, RB. One 12 months, $1.1MM

Dalton’s Charlotte trajectory took a turn last season. Brought in to mentor a to-be-determined first-round QB in 2023, Dalton did so until Week 3 of last season. The Panthers benched Young, and trade rumors swirled after the previous No. 1 overall pick’s shocking freefall. It didn’t appear Canales and Co. had immediate plans to offer Young more time, because the undersized passer had looked terrible in Weeks 1 and a pair of. A Dalton automotive accident, nonetheless, modified the team’s QB course.

Dalton’s wreck, along with his family within the vehicle, resulted in minor injuries. But it surely was enough for Young to reenter the lineup in Week 8. Dalton didn’t regain the starting job. The ex-Bengals starter-turned-nomad had boosted the offense upon debuting last season, but Young showed improvement (including an 8-0 TD:INT ratio from Weeks 16-18) upon returning.

It’s interesting Dalton went from being benched due to an off-field injury to re-signing. He’ll give the Panthers a high-end backup, and this deal provides guarantees into 2026, which can be Dalton’s age-39 season. The 168-game starter has managed to land on his feet as a backup.

The Panthers are still trying to find a reliable pass-catching tight end post-Greg Olsen. Tremble, a 2021 third-round pick, has still checked in as a usable piece. The four-year Carolina contributor fetched an honest guarantee and can proceed to work alongside younger option Ja’Tavion Sanders. The Panthers whiffed on their Hayden Hurst commitment and have parted with Ian Thomas. Sanders led Panthers TEs in receiving last season, with 342 yards, while Tremble posted a career-high 234. The Panthers need more from this position still, and Tremble is recovering from back surgery that may result in a delayed training camp start.

Using Donte Jackson‘s contract within the regrettable Diontae Johnson trade, the Panthers acquired Michael Jackson months later. Michael, and never Dane, became Donte’s substitute in a Jackson-heavy cornerback storyline. Michael Jackson began 17 games last season, providing good value after being replaced as a Seahawks starter.

Carolina only gave up seventh-round rookie linebacker Michael Barrett, whom Seattle cut weeks later. A former starter opposite Riq Woolen in Seattle, Jackson graded as PFF’s No. 48 overall corner (out of 116 qualified options) last season. Going into his age-28 season, the ex-Cowboys fifth-rounder carries a contract that pairs well with Horn’s.

As Jansen creates more distance between himself and the sphere for profession Panthers starts, Christensen is back despite being dropped to the backup tier. Winning the Panthers’ left guard job in 2022, Christensen bumped into a Week 18 injury that set him back. The previous third-rounder then suffered a biceps tear to finish his 2023 season in Week 1, and the Panthers accomplished a guard overhaul by signing Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to eight-figure-per-year contracts. With experience at center, guard and tackle, though, Christensen profiles as an interesting swing option.

Notable losses:

  • Jadeveon Clowney, OLB (released)
  • Caleb Farley, CB
  • Sam Franklin, S
  • Feleipe Franks, TE
  • Jordan Fuller, S
  • Dane Jackson, CB (released)
  • Lonnie Johnson Jr., S
  • Eddy Pineiro, K
  • Miles Sanders, RB (released)
  • Ian Thomas, TE
  • Shaq Thompson, LB
  • Xavier Woods, S
  • Chandler Wooten, LB

Clowney had gone from 2014 to 2024 between multiyear contracts, touring the NFL between his fifth-year option season and the two-year, $20MM deal he signed to return home to the Carolinas. The Panthers, nonetheless, capped the previous No. 1 overall pick’s stay at one season. They’re Clowney’s fourth NFL one-and-done (after the Seahawks, Titans and Ravens), while the Browns represented a two-year stay.

The Panthers shopped Clowney before the draft, telegraphing their plans at outside linebacker. The team ended up drafting second- and third-round OLBs, cutting Clowney soon after. Carolina brass had viewed the 11-year veteran as a possible progress stopper for its rookies. Wonnum stays after missing much of last season on account of injury, but Clowney is back in free agency after leading the 2024 Panthers with 5.5 sacks and 11 QB hits.

While the Clowney move provided a little bit of a surprise, the Sanders cut actually didn’t. Sanders joined Johnson and Hurst as recent skill-position misses for the Panthers, who demoted the ex-Eagles Super Bowl starter for Chuba Hubbard. The latter since signed a four-year, $33.2MM extension and is Carolina’s clear-cut RB starter. Sanders benefited from 2023’s RB franchise tag spree, scoring a four-year, $25MM deal that included $13MM fully guaranteed. Sanders outdid Pollard, Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs for 2023 guarantees but did contribute much for the Panthers.

Although team and player discussed a pay cut, no agreement commenced. Sanders and Dowdle switched places, with the previous second-rounder now a Cowboy on a one-year, $1.34MM deal.

One game away from breaking Don Muhlbach‘s record for many games by a pure long snapper in NFL history (260), Jansen stands because the longest-tenured current Panther and the longest-tenured player in franchise annals. But Thompson exited the 2024 season because the longest-tenured starter. Back-to-back injury-shortened seasons cost the 10-year linebacker 28 games over the past two years, and although he expressed interest in staying after taking a 2024 pay cut, Thompson is now in Buffalo.

Because the Carolina-to-Buffalo pipeline — based on ex-Sean McDermott/Brandon Beane Panther cogs — one way or the other stays energetic, Thompson leaves as a 112-game starter. The 2015 first-round pick, who supplemented Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis as part of what’s probably one of the best position group in Panthers history, began in Super Bowl 50 and earned greater than $67MM in Carolina.

Even when Simmons doesn’t sign, the Panthers are changing up at safety. Woods began three seasons for the team, while Fuller stopped through in 2024 as a part of Evero’s Rams-to-Panthers pipeline. Woods joined the Titans, and Fuller landed at one other Rams outpost, being set to play under ex-Los Angeles DC Raheem Morris in Atlanta.

Pineiro sits behind only Justin Tucker and Harrison Butker for all-time field goal accuracy, exiting the 2024 season at 88.1%. Pineiro, 29, had angled for a brand new contract in the course of the 2024 offseason but is now a free agent ahead of this 12 months’s round of coaching camps. Despite the lofty percentage, Pineiro only has 4 full seasons as an NFL kicker under his belt. He made 22 of 26 field goals last 12 months. As of now, the Panthers have journeyman fill-in Matthew Wright and rookie UDFA Ryan Fitzgerald as kicker options.

Draft:

  • Round 1, No. 8: Tetairoa McMillan (WR, Arizona) (signed)
  • Round 2, No. 51 (from Broncos): Nic Scourton (OLB, Texas A&M)
  • Round 3, No. 77 (from Falcons through Patriots): Princely Umanmielen (OLB, Ole Miss) (signed)
  • Round 4, No. 114 (from Cowboys): Trevor Etienne (RB, Georgia) (signed)
  • Round 4, No. 122 (from Broncos): Lathan Ransom (S, Ohio State) (signed)
  • Round 5, No. 140 (from Giants): Cam Jackson (DT, Florida) (signed)
  • Round 5, No. 163 (from Ravens): Mitchell Evans (TE, Notre Dame) (signed)
  • Round 6, No. 208 (from Eagles through Broncos): Jimmy Horn (WR, Colorado) (signed)

While it searched for a bit like Jones would complement Clowney at OLB, the Panthers had larger plans to bolster a pass rush that didn’t do much disrupting last season. Carolina’s 32 sacks ranked twenty ninth last 12 months, and two rookie prospects will play alongside Derrick Brown and Tershawn Wharton. Many viewed the Panthers as neglecting their top need in Round 1, however the team projected the second day of the draft would have higher edge-rushing options in comparison with wide receiver. Thus, a second straight first-round wideout investment.

Counting D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel, the Panthers have used five first- or second-round picks on receivers since 2017. They’ve been unable to interchange Moore since his 2023 trade exit. McMillan represents the team’s top investment on the position — not only on this crusade but in franchise history. Xavier Legette arrived because the No. 32 overall pick, while the since-traded Jonathan Mingo was thirty ninth. The Panthers had never drafted a wideout in the highest 20. Loads of pressure can be on Morgan to make this work.

Teams showed interest in McMillan, who had been connected to the Cowboys in the course of the pre-draft process. The Rams made a proposal for No. 8, and Morgan believed it was to nab McMillan. This led to Morgan asking for a monster trade package, as a way to slide right down to No. 26, and no deal commenced. Carolina had been tied to Georgia prospects Jalon Walker and Mykel Williams; had McMillan been off the board at No. 8, the Panthers would have gone with Walker. But McMillan now joins Legette, Thielen and promising UDFA Jalen Coker as the highest Panthers wideouts.

Young also lobbied for McMillan in Round 1, and the Panthers now have one other big-bodied receiver. McMillan flashed for contested-catch ability, while some uncertainty stays about his ability to separate on the NFL level. But he generated considerable attention, because the 49ers and Packers showed interest as well.

The ex-volleyball player averaged a minimum of 15 yards per catch in each of his three Arizona seasons and delivered quality production over the past two years. McMillan combined for two,721 yards and 18 touchdowns from 2023-24. With Legette not impressing often as a rookie, McMillan ought to be expected to vault into Carolina’s WR1 spot this season.

The McMillan pick assuredly left Evero, who had drawn HC interest prior to now and was rumored to be eyeing a way out of Carolina (having not been a Canales hire) in 2024, a bit nervous heading into Day 2. However the Panthers themed the draft’s second night around their pass rush, trading up for each Scourton and Umanmielen. The Panthers vaulted six spots for Scourton and eight for Umanmielen. Will they make up for passing on Walker in Round 1?

Scourton didn’t impress statistically at Texas A&M, but in Purdue’s scheme before transferring, he posted a 10-sack season. In a season that also featured 15 tackles for loss, Scourton’s 10 sacks led the Big Ten. Only racking up five sacks in his 2024 Aggies season, Scourton remained a consistent backfield presence. He added 14 TFLs last season.

Neither The Athletic’s Dane Brugler nor ESPN’s Matt Miller graded Scourton as a top-10 edge player on this class, however the Panthers were prepared to dive in before their second-round draft slot arrived. Only going into an age-21 season, Scourton attracted attention as a rusher value molding.

Delivering more sacks (25.5) in college, Umanmielen can also be two years older than Scourton. The 23-year-old rusher transferred from Florida to Ole Miss in 2024 and finished his profession with a ten.5-sack season and matched Scourton with 14 QB hits. In his final Gators slate, Umanmielen registered seven sacks. Measuring 13 kilos lighter on the Mix (244) than Scourton, Umanmielen could provide a pleasant complement.

In the meanwhile, the 2 Day 2 draftees may begin as rotational players behind Jones and Wonnum. But they represent the Panthers’ long-term plan — a missing Carolina component in 2024 — on the position.

Other:

Brooks is at a crossroads after his second ACL tear in two years. Each injuries affected Brooks’ right knee. As Thomas Davis‘ profession showed, two ACL tears isn’t an NFL death sentence. But it surely is protected to say Brooks’ Panthers path is off after only three games played.

Carolina traded up for Brooks in a weak 2024 RB class, making him the one first- or second-round back chosen last 12 months. The team was cautious with the No. 47 overall pick, holding him out until Week 12 — after greater than a 12 months had passed since his tear at Texas. Brooks is signed through 2027, matching Hubbard’s term length, and is on the back burner — as Dowdle fills in — for the foreseeable future.

One season stays on Taylor Moton‘s contract, and as a choice on the precise tackle is required, Carolina used the choice to purchase one other 12 months of evaluation on Ekwonu. The previous No. 6 overall pick halted Carolina’s left tackle carousel, one which had stretched back to Jordan Gross‘ 2014 retirement, and has only missed two games as a professional. PFF viewed 2024 as Ekwonu’s best season, rating him contained in the top 40 amongst tackles and thirteenth by way of run blocking.

The Hubbard aide is thinking about a Panthers extension. One other good season will put him on the radar for large money, as above-average LTs of their prime are paid — often twice. Morgan has shown it doesn’t take All-Pro form to authorize even a record-setting deal. It might shock if Ekwonu landed on that level like Horn, but he can vault firmly into the $20MM-plus-AAV range with a solid 2025.

Top 10 cap charges for 2025:

  1. Taylor Moton, RT: $31.35MM
  2. Robert Hunt, G: $21.65MM
  3. Derrick Brown, DL: $18.74MM
  4. Damien Lewis, G: $14.57MM
  5. Bryce Young, QB: $10.35MM
  6. Adam Thielen, WR: $10.11MM
  7. A’Shawn Robinson, DL: $9.61MM
  8. Ikem Ekwonu, LT: $8.77MM
  9. D.J. Wonnum, OLB: $7.88MM
  10. Josey Jewell, ILB: $7.71MM

The Commanders showed last 12 months what a worst-to-first vault can appear like on this conference, though the Panthers making that type of a leap would still surprise based on what the team showed on the entire last season and where the Buccaneers are. Young’s form will obviously determine how viable a wild-card path is, but his leap from last in 2023 QBR to twentieth in 2024 served notice such expectations mustn’t be completely ruled out. The Panthers should must see more growth from Young, who made a turnaround from potential 2025 trade chip to a player who received a powerful QB1 endorsement from Canales entering the offseason.

Carolina’s defense will need to offer way more support for Young than it did last season, but Morgan’s mission to enhance the offensive line produced results. PFF rated the Panthers’ Hunt- and Lewis-aided front eighth last season. The defensive additions making a comparable impact would stand to make the Panthers relevant from a postseason angle. Even when a playoff berth eludes the Panthers for an eighth straight season, Canales placing Young on the precise track ahead of a 2026 fifth-year option decision would represent the type of big-picture progress that has not unfolded for this franchise for the reason that 2010s.

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