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Carolina Sports News

Offseason In Review: Carolina Panthers

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A year after hiring Frank Reich, the Panthers rebooted once again. David Tepper‘s rocky ownership tenure now includes a third HC hire — after another interim staff closed out a season. Carolina missed a sixth straight playoff bracket, with a 2-15 record — when factoring in what led them there — dropping the franchise to its lowest point. As Tepper continues to receive earned criticism, Dan Morgan and Dave Canales are at work attempting to rebuild this operation.

Coaching/front office:

The Panthers are well behind on the scorecards early in the Bryce Young–C.J. Stroud matchup. After being widely reported to have driven the bus for Young over the eventual Offensive Rookie of the Year, Tepper has hired a coach who played lead roles in elevating two depressed assets. Canales comes to Charlotte after being Geno Smith‘s quarterbacks coach (2022) and Baker Mayfield‘s OC. This represents a quick rise for someone with one year of play-calling experience, but Canales has been an NFL assistant since 2010.

Tied to wanting an offensive coach once again, even after a preference for this coaching background brought an 11-game Reich stint, Tepper was closely linked to Lions OC Ben Johnson for a second offseason. Johnson dropped out of the Panthers’ HC search last year but interviewed with the team once again in January. Carolina sent a request a day after the regular season ended, and a mid-January report listed Johnson as both the Panthers and Commanders’ top choice. The Panthers may well have received word Johnson was not interested, as they hired Canales on Jan. 25. Johnson was still in the mix for the Commanders until Jan. 30.

Tepper’s run of headlines, along with the team’s poor performance and the depleted draft capital the Young trade caused, stood to make Carolina’s job less attractive. Thus, the Panthers offered Canales a six-year contract. This comes four years after Tepper signed off on (and soon regretted) Matt Rhule‘s seven-year, $62MM deal. It is unlikely Canales commanded a Rhule-level salary, but he will benefit from the Panthers’ recent instability via the six guaranteed years. The Panthers got off the Rhule contract thanks to offset language, which came up after Nebraska hired him, but they are on the hook for Reich — who is expected to retire — through 2026.

Given a $3.5MM 2022 contract, Smith went from needing to beat out Drew Lock to be the Seahawks’ Russell Wilson replacement to winning Comeback Player of the Year acclaim and leading the NFL in completion rate. That garnered Canales the Tampa Bay job, and Mayfield just went from $4MM player to a quarterback given a three-year, $100MM deal to remain a Buccaneer. In between, the previously downtrodden passer threw 28 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions, finishing third for Comeback Player of the Year (behind Joe Flacco and Damar Hamlin).

Canales, 43, is one of the fastest-rising assistants in recent memory, not being on the HC radar until 2024. Although the Panthers did not present the top job for aspiring HCs this offseason, they have an intriguing option who will be tasked with rebuilding Young’s stock.

Tepper’s presence also made Carolina’s GM vacancy unattractive by comparison. Despite firing his other two top decision-makers from the early 2020s — Rhule and Fitterer — Tepper promoted Morgan, who was along for the ride since returning to the organization in May 2021. A former Panthers first-round pick as a linebacker, Morgan started 59 games for the team before injury trouble ended the one-time Pro Bowler’s career early. Morgan and Canales worked together — one a rising exec, the other Pete Carroll‘s WRs coach — in Seattle from 2010-17 — before the former followed ex-Panthers staffer Brandon Beane to Buffalo. The Bills have now sent two high-ranking Beane staffers — Morgan and Joe Schoen — into GM chairs.

Morgan received one other GM interview since returning to Charlotte, meeting about the Steelers’ job in 2022. Tepper certainly has familiarity with Morgan, though it is interesting the seventh-year owner promoted from in-house after canning Rhule and Fitterer. The latter held decision-making power — sort of, as Tepper continues to play a major role in football ops — following Rhule’s firing and was in charge for the Christian McCaffrey trade, the Brian Burns non-trade and the Young deal that sent D.J. Moore (and the Caleb Williams draft slot) to the Bears. Morgan, 45, will set out trying to correct some of the missteps his head-honcho predecessors made.

The point man behind the innovative Patrick Mahomes contract, Tilis will work with Morgan in this turnaround effort. The Panthers had interviewed Tilis for the GM post in 2022 and ’24. As Tilis arrives, the Panthers axed Adrian Wilson after one year. The former Cardinals safety-turned-Arizona exec had signed on to be the Panthers’ VP of player personnel in 2023. An arrest on misdemeanor domestic violence charges led Wilson out.

Canales brought Idzik, the Bucs’ wide receivers coach, with him as a non-play-calling OC. The son of ex-Jets GM John Idzik, Brad also worked with Canales in Seattle — as a lower-level assistant. Idzik, at 32, is the NFL’s youngest active OC. No OC interest elsewhere developed for Idzik, but plenty of teams wanted to interview Evero for both HC and DC positions.

For a second straight offseason, Evero drew extensive interest despite being tied to a bad team. He was a popular HC interviewee after the 2022 Broncos fielded a viable defense (amid their offensive mess) and drew interest again after the 2023 Panthers’ defense ranked fourth in yardage allowed (29th in scoring, 25th DVOA).

The Panthers blocked three teams — the Jaguars, Giants and Dolphins — from interviewing Evero, who is now tied to a coach and GM that did not hire him. The Rams, who employed Evero from 2017-21, also loomed as interested. Unlike the Broncos last year, the Panthers would not let Evero out of his contract — an endgame the suddenly popular assistant may well have sought.

Trades:

The Giants talked the Panthers down from a first-round price point for Burns, who famously drew a two-first-rounder (plus a third) offer from the Rams at the 2022 trade deadline. Carolina then kept Burns out of the Young trade. Burns held the Panthers’ 2022 decision against them for the rest of their negotiations and pushed for what seemed like unreasonable terms, based on his history, by seeking a deal in the $30MM-per-year ballpark. That price point emerged before Nick Bosa became the NFL’s first $30MM-AAV edge rusher. Weeks into Morgan’s GM tenure, he cut the cord.

Morgan and Schoen worked together in Buffalo, and this relationship catalyzed this saga’s culmination. Fitterer and Rhule prioritized an extension with Burns, but the former waited until last year to enter serious negotiations. Trade offers that did not rival the Rams’ 2022 presentation emerged at the 2023 deadline, and after franchise-tagging Burns, the Panthers paused extension talks. Hard Knocks revealed this came as trade buzz percolated. This worked out quite well for for the tagged OLB, who signed a $28.2MM-per-year Giants extension that came with $87.5MM guaranteed.

The Giants can be accused of overpayment, but the Jaguars topped Burns’ deal for Josh Hines-Allen. Neither player has been confused with a top-tier edge rusher, but they are now the NFL’s second- and third-highest-paid cogs at the position. Burns, 26, ranks just 12th and 14th in sacks and QB hits since entering the league as a Ron Rivera-Marty Hurney draftee in 2019. This saga still did not make the Panthers look great, given what they passed on two Octobers ago. But Morgan took what he could get late in the game and greenlit a full-on (lower-cost) reboot on the edge.

A day later, Carolina pounced on a Pittsburgh asset that should have more upside compared to what the team gave up. Johnson has been a better player than Jackson, consistently showing high-end separation skills. Drops have plagued the shifty route runner, but he is frequently open. The former third-round pick ranked in the top four in ESPN’s Open Score metric each year from 2019-22, leading the league twice in that span. Johnson, 28, played with Mason Rudolph, a declining Ben Roethlisberger, Mitch Trubisky and potential bust Kenny Pickett. Drawing 140-plus targets each season from 2020-22, Johnson should see plenty of looks in a Panthers contract year.

Carolina acquired Johnson’s two-year, $36.71MM contract, which pairs with Young’s rookie deal and the rookie-scale pacts of Xavier Legette and Jonathan Mingo. Last year’s Panthers receiving leader, Adam Thielen, is now 34 and does not have any guarantees on his contract post-2024. Johnson is interested in a Panthers extension, and unless this fit proves poor, the team is in position to authorize one. If nothing else, the five-year Steeler should give Young an open target in a crucial season for his development.

A 2018 second-rounder, Jackson signed a three-year, $35.18MM deal during Rhule’s time in charge. Jackson, who reworked his deal with the Steelers, was a potential release candidate. Carolina landing Johnson in the deal probably qualifies as a win. The 76-game starter did bounce back from an injury-plagued 2022, but he turns 29 this fall. Johnson will cost more on a third contract, but the Toledo alum almost definitely has longer to play.

Free agency additions:

Week 18 of the 2022 season saw Panthers starters Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen go down with major injuries. Both sustained new maladies in 2023, with the latter lost for the season in Week 1. The Panthers struggled to protect Young, and just as the Saints did during Drew Brees‘ tenure, the team sought interior protection for a short quarterback. Two teams signed multiple guards in PFR’s top 50; the Panthers joined the Rams in that regard. Four of the five eight-figure-per-year free agency deals for guards came from Carolina or Los Angeles, and Hunt’s led the way by a notable margin.

Relocated from right tackle to right guard after his rookie season, Hunt started there for three years and set himself up for a windfall. He is one of just five guards to be tied to a deal worth at least $20MM per year.

Becoming free agency-eligible — during a year that brought Miami cap trouble — unleashed Hunt and Christian Wilkins on the market, and the Panthers are betting big the former second-round pick can lead a turnaround. PFF slotted Hunt as a top-12 guard in each of the past two seasons. This can be labeled an overpay due to Hunt (28 on Saturday) having no Pro Bowl of All-Pro nods on his resume, but the cap spiked by a record $30.6MM. Certain players benefited, few more so than Hunt.

A four-year starter in Seattle, Lewis flew a bit under the radar by comparison. Teams still drove his market past $13MM per year, making the former third-rounder a top-15 earner on an escalating market. More road grader than pass protector, Lewis ranked fourth in run block win rate in 2022. While the 27-year-old lineman saw his PFF placements vacillate, this deep guard class did remarkably well.

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After the Texans franchise-tagged Clowney in 2019, he spent five seasons on one-year arrangements. The Seahawks, Titans, Browns and Ravens all gave the former No. 1 overall pick one-year deals. It took until Clowney’s age-31 season for a multiyear commitment to emerge, but the versatile edge rusher will come back to the region in which he starred in college. The former South Carolina super-prospect has not justified his draft slot, with injuries and inconsistency presenting impediments. Last season brought an upswing, as Clowney joined the Ravens during training camp and ripped off 9.5 sacks, 19 QB hits and two forced fumbles.

Clowney totaled just two sacks in 12 games during a disappointing Browns encore, wearing out his welcome, but he will be asked to anchor the Panthers’ post-Burns edge crew. Carolina hosted Chase Young and auditioned Yannick Ngakoue months later. The latter remains a free agent, but the team signed Kemoko Turay from that workout. Turay is already out of the picture via injury settlement. Wonnum, who suffered a torn quad late last season, appears headed for the reserve/PUP list.

The Panthers, who did not draft an edge defender, appear a man down here. Chaisson recorded a grand total of five sacks in four Jaguars seasons, underwhelming as a first-round pick.

Evero brought in ex-Ram DBs Fuller and Scott, and Jewell followed his 2022 DC early in free agency. The Broncos had paid Alex Singleton and have a rather notable dead money number on their payroll, leaving Jewell expendable. The six-year Denver defender fared well last season, amassing 108 tackles, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and three sacks. Jewell also started 13 games under Evero in 2022.

Familiarity with Evero became a Panthers priority, with Robinson also overlapping with the Carolina DC in L.A. Robinson started alongside Aaron Donald for the Rams’ Super Bowl-winning 2021 team, before playing last season with the Giants. One of the Rams’ Day 3 finds, Fuller started for Evero when he served as the team’s safeties coach (2020) and remained a first-stringer when his current DC moved to DBs coach in ’21. PFF graded Fuller 48th among safeties last season, as he returned from a significant hamstring malady to force three fumbles and intercept three passes.

Scott did not pan out in Cincinnati, but he spent three years under Evero in L.A. Running the risk of missing out on important inside jokes, Ford (15 Packers starts from 2022-23) both signed midway through camp and has no history with Evero. Though, his past with ex-Rams assistant Joe Barry in Green Bay should provide system familiarity.

Re-signings:

Evero clearly carried a voice in personnel this offseason, as three ex-Rams DBs are in the fold. Hill arrived late last year to help in the slot. The veteran will turn 33 next week, however. Jansen is 38, but he plays a position a bit kinder to aging talent. The 16th-year long snapper is back to create distance between himself (243 career games) and the field among games played as Panthers.

Notable losses:

Reich’s staff did not change the starting O-line Rhule had brought in, re-signing Bozeman to a three-year deal worth $18MM. Bozeman had caught on via a low-cost contract in 2022, but the Fitterer-Reich regime re-upped him last year. The Panthers moved on a year later, taking on $7.28MM in dead money to do so. They are sliding fellow 2022 free agency addition Austin Corbett to center. The veteran guard played tackle at Nevada, making this an interesting transition as the Panthers found a spot for the 2022 signee after splurging on replacement guards.

Bozeman, Hurst and Chark ended up with Jim Harbaugh in Los Angeles. Hurst managed outdo Dalton Schultz and Mike Gesicki on last year’s tight end market, signing a three-year, $21.75MM deal. The Panthers guaranteed Hurst $13MM at signing, creating dead money after they moved on a year later. Hurst saw a concussion derail his age-30 season. The former MLB draftee started slowly before the head injury, and the Panthers shut him down after a post-traumatic amnesia diagnosis. Carolina’s new regime did not designate Hurst a post-June 1 cut, taking on $9.86MM this year due to his 2024 salary being guaranteed.

While Thielen paced the Panthers’ aerial attack last season, Chark made some ancillary contributions during a 525-yard season. The former Jaguars second-rounder submitted his healthiest year (15 games) since his 1,000-yard 2019 showing. Continuing to operate as a deep threat, Chark averaged 15 yards per reception. He joins a Chargers WR corps that features an uncertain hierarchy. As the Panthers transition to a Johnson-fronted receiving cadre, Chark is on a fourth team in four years.

Carolina also ditched Bell’s three-year contract a year after signing. Returning to the Bengals shortly after, Bell represents Carolina’s top dead money hit this year ($9.89MM). Evero used Bell as a full-time starter; PFF graded the ex-Saints second-rounder outside the top 60 at the position. The Panthers have kept costs low at the position this offseason.

Chinn had fallen out of favor in Evero’s scheme, tanking his free agency stock. Previously one of the players Fitterer prioritized at the 2022 trade deadline, Chinn joined the Commanders on a one-year, $4.1MM deal. That is well south of where the former second-rounder’s value was prior to 2023. The versatile defender, who had spent extensive time at linebacker as well, was the 2020 Defensive Rookie of the Year runner-up. Evero benched Chinn early in the season, and after an IR stint, the former locked-in starter played sparingly.

Luvu’s career has moved in the opposite direction, as the Panthers unlocked quality form from the former Jet. Playing out a two-year deal worth $9MM, Luvu operated as a Demario Davis-like presence in Carolina. The dynamic LB put together two seasons of at least 110 tackles and 5.5 sacks. He forced two fumbles last season and parlayed this production into a three-year, $31MM Commanders accord. The Panthers had not given up on re-signing Luvu, whom they had previously extended, but his market came in hot. As it stands, Jewell joins the last of the team’s Super Bowl 50 starters — Shaq Thompson — as second-level pillars.

Extensions and restructures:

In addition to keeping Burns out of the 2023 Bears trade, Fitterer kept Brown in the extension queue by agreeing to part with D.J. Moore. Morgan ended up the one to authorize it, and with Burns gone, Brown is the Panthers’ unquestioned front-seven pillar.

Chosen in Rhule’s first draft, Brown has not been productive as a pass rusher yet. This did not deter him on the extension front, as the Panthers gave him a top-five D-tackle deal. Brown scored a higher AAV than proven interior rushers Jeffery Simmons, Dexter Lawrence and Daron Payne. Wilkins and Chris Jones transforming the DT market in March helped Brown, now the fourth-highest-paid player at the position.

The Dolphins were hesitant to extend Wilkins at this rate last year due to concerns about his pass-rushing numbers. The Panthers have seen Brown only combine for eight career sacks, but while just about everything else imploded on Carolina’s roster last season, Brown dominated against the run. He ranked first in run stop win rate last season — after ranking third in 2022. Brown also landed in the top 20 for pass rush win rate. Brown, 26, posted 103 tackles (seven for loss) and a career-high 18 QB hits. The disruptor will be counted on more in 2024, as Carolina’s pass rush looks less imposing post-Burns and Luvu.

Draft:

Legette met with the Panthers on a few occasions and went so far as the say team brass told him they hoped he made it to Round 2. Canales attempted to push back on this, but as it turned out, the South Carolina product was indeed the team’s target. The Panthers traded up one spot (via the Bills), sacrificing fifth-round real estate, to move into Round 1 for Legette. They secured a fifth-year option on the wideout’s contract by doing so.

Carolina is betting on upside with Legette, who played five seasons with the Gamecocks and topped 200 receiving yards only once. Legette timed his best college season perfectly, breaking through for 1,255 yards and seven touchdowns as Spencer Rattler‘s top target last season. Weighing 221 pounds at the Combine, Legette further upped his draft stock by blazing to a 4.39-second 40-yard dash. Mingo, whose college trajectory was similar to Legette’s, made modest contributions as a rookie. The 2023 second-rounder has since seen the Panthers add Johnson and a first-round pick at the position. The Patriots also targeted Legette in a trade-up, but the Panthers outflanked them.

After moving their Burns-obtained pick to the Rams, the Panthers jumped up for this draft’s top running back. Viewing the Giants as a threat to select Brooks to succeed Saquon Barkley, the Panthers climbed in front of the NFC East club. The Panthers, who picked up a 2025 second-rounder from the Rams, sent the Colts two fifths to vault six spots.

In Brooks, the Panthers have what looks like their long-term RB option. Continuing to distance themselves from their 2023 free agent class, the Panthers added another piece that will threaten Miles Sanders‘ playing time. Brooks dropped to No. 46 because of a November 2023 ACL tear, and the former Bijan Robinson Longhorns backup is expected to miss time to begin the season.

The Panthers have Brooks signed through 2027. Sanders is a 2025 cut candidate — if, in fact, this Panthers regime carries his guaranteed salary into this season — and starter Chuba Hubbard is in a contract year. Brooks offers recent production (1,139 rushing yards in 11 games last season) and low mileage (238 college carries), presenting an intriguing package in the long term.

The Panthers picked up fifth from the Jets in Round 3 and, in Wallace, added a presumptive Thompson successor. The 2015 first-round pick is in a contract year and going into his age-30 season. With no ties to this regime, the former Luke Kuechly sidekick may well be heading into his final Panthers season. Submitting a Luvu-like season as a junior last year, Wallace paired 80 tackles with 5.5 sacks. He presents big-picture options for a Panthers team that will have both Thompson and Jewell in their 30s by season’s end.

Other:

Horn has not justified the Panthers making him the eighth overall pick in 2021. The Panthers chose Horn one spot in front of future All-Pro Patrick Surtain and have seen the South Carolina alum miss extensive time. A foot injury cost Horn 14 games in 2022, while a significant hamstring ailment limited him to six last season. Horn was available for 13 games in 2022, and he has generally played well when on the field. Albeit on only 275 defensive snaps, PFF assigned Horn a top-10 ranking among CBs in 2023.

Not much has gone right for the Panthers during the 2020s, but Horn turning his promise into sustained success would give the team another building block on defense. Rhule took his fair share of criticism; Horn following Brown as a difference-maker would paint the short-tenured HC’s career in a new light.

The Panthers are open to an extension with Horn, but they now have him signed through 2025. This gives Morgan and Co. more time to evaluate him, with health looming as the top concern here. The Panthers need their top CB on the field, as they are reeling at the position presently.

Dane Jackson (28 Buffalo starts) will miss the start of the season with a hamstring issue. The Panthers were linked to bringing back Clowney high school teammate Stephon Gilmore at a few offseason junctures. Nothing panned out, however, as the Vikings ended up with the 33-year-old corner. Carolina did make an offer to a player it once traded for after Horn’s initial NFL injury, but Gilmore opted to rejoin ex-Patriots assistant Brian Flores in the Twin Cities. Post-Donte Jackson, Carolina is suddenly shorthanded here.

Top 10 cap charges for 2024:

  1. Taylor Moton, RT: $29.75MM
  2. Austin Corbett, G: $10.13MM
  3. Diontae Johnson, WR: $10MM
  4. Adam Thielen, WR: $9.92MM
  5. Bryce Young, QB: $8.63MM
  6. Shy Tuttle, DT: $8.31MM
  7. Xavier Woods, S: $7.76MM
  8. Miles Sanders, RB: $7.7MM
  9. Ikem Ekwonu, LT: $7.52MM
  10. Jaycee Horn, CB: $6.72MM

Unless Tepper can prove to be a more stable owner, Panthers personnel successes may matter too much. Fined for throwing a drink on a fan, the volatile Carolina czar has become the unfortunate face of this franchise. He generated buzz about being difficult to work for before the Reich tenure even began and has been widely blamed for the Young decision. While Tepper had indicated upon pairing Morgan with Canales he would step back, a recent rumor indicates this has not yet happened. As Major League and Ted Lasso highlight, winning in spite of an owner has made for quality onscreen content. But Tepper continuing down this path would certainly mar a real-life Panthers resurgence.

Young’s QBR ranked ahead of only Zach Wilson last season, but the 2021 Heisman winner should not be deemed a bust yet. The Panthers devoted their offseason to bettering his situation, revamping their receiving corps and spending big on interior protection. Not much is expected of this year’s team, but Young growth will be paramount if the organization hopes to contend again in the near future.