The NFL business season is upon us.
With just one week remaining until the NFL Scouting Combine kicks off in Indianapolis, Panthers fans are clamoring for offseason updates on their favorite football squad. That’s why The Charlotte Observer has brought back the Panthers mailbag to answer questions and provide analysis on the Carolina franchise.
Here are some questions from various social media platforms:
SmoothMoveFerguson asks: We know (GM Dan Morgan) likes his picks. We also know our biggest needs are at premium positions where blue-chip players may not fall to 19 (in the first round of the draft). Given this, do you think we would be more likely to trade up or back this draft?
Mike Kaye: The Panthers have really worked the board over the past two years with Morgan in charge.
They traded into the first round to nab wideout Xavier Legette before making a pair of deals in the second round to get additional draft assets and running back Jonathon Brooks in 2024. They also made a pair of unique Day 2 trades to land Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen after settling in at No. 8 to pick wideout Tetairoa McMillan last year.
Morgan isn’t easy to read pre-draft. While almost everyone was convinced he’d go with a defensive player on Day 1 in 2025, he swerved public opinion and landed McMillan, who ended up being the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
All that said, it’s hard to get a feel for how aggressive the team will be with trades in the draft without seeing the free agency part of the puzzle. However, given the Panthers’ needs, they might need to jump to get a real difference-maker at outside or inside linebacker. The same could be said about safety or offensive tackle.
Morgan has typically leaned toward being aggressive when it comes to landing a prospect he covets. So, just by his nature, it’s probably more likely that he trades up from the late teens than trades back. Unless he can land an additional second- or third-round pick for a slide — which is highly unlikely without a major drop — in a deal, he probably won’t be all that enticed to moonwalk in the draft order.
Lane asks: Every year there’s one early release that surprises fans. Who could potentially be an early cut that could be surprising to the fans or player?
There’s not a lot of wiggle room here, Lane. There are a few players who would open up a big chunk of cap space with a release, but most of them would cost just as much (or more) to adequately replace.
For instance, releasing left guard Damien Lewis would open up $9.22 million in cap space, per Over The Cap. However, Lewis is arguably the line’s most consistent player, so replacing him would lead to spending more assets on the line when left tackle and center are already question marks. Making such a move would likely weaken the line while also creating another hole to fill.
Conversely, defensive end A’Shawn Robinson or tight end Tommy Tremble could have their respective replacements already on the roster. Cutting Robinson ($10.5 million) and Tremble ($6 million) would open up big chunks of cap space and create avenues for younger players like Cam Jackson and Mitchell Evans, respectively, to emerge as replacements.
Tremble, though, is a homegrown talent coming off a career year in catches and receiving yards, so it would seem kind of odd to move on from him after signing him to a relatively affordable two-year deal last offseason. The sense here is that he will return.
Robinson, who turns 31 in March, is probably more expendable. The savings from his release would essentially pay for the entire incoming draft class. While he has been productive during his two seasons in Carolina, there’s an argument to be made that the Panthers should be getting younger and cheaper on the defensive line. They enter 2026 with the second-highest defensive line payroll in the NFL, according to Over The Cap.
Robinson has some built-in replacements with Jackson, Bobby Brown and Jared Harrison-Hunte already on the roster. The Panthers are also likely to draft another interior pass rusher in April. So, Robinson’s departure, while not completely surprising, would be the one to circle as the most likely release.
Carson asks: Do you think the Panthers will try to get a one-year rental veteran tackle or a long-term replacement for LT Ickey Ekwonu in the draft?
The most likely scenario is that the Panthers will double-dip at offensive tackle this offseason. While that might mean simply re-signing Yosh Nijman and drafting a late-round tackle to develop, they’ll certainly try to reinforce the position in the coming months.
Ekwonu’s ruptured patellar tendon is a big curveball for the offseason. Not only was he having a career year in 2025, but he was also due for a contract extension. Now, he and the team face uncertainty as he makes $17.6 million on the final year of his rookie deal.
Morgan has taken an optimistic tone when discussing Ekwonu and his status for 2026. While he’s likely to miss a portion of the regular season as he recovers from major knee surgery, the Panthers won’t dismiss his long-term future. So, his status is open-ended, which gives the Panthers some flexibility with how they replace him.
Nijman is likely the top target on their free-agent board, as he is familiar with the offense, and they know what he’s capable of doing in it. From there, the free-agent list is filled with similar swing tackle types. Rasheed Walker of the Green Bay Packers is probably the only guy on the list who projects as a potential long-term solution at left tackle. It would be really hard to spend a huge chunk of cash on Walker given what’s already wrapped up in expenses for the offensive line, including Ekwonu.
The draft will have affordable talent with upside. In theory, with right tackle Taylor Moton set to become a free agent in 2028, the Panthers might be wise to spend a notable pick on a developmental tackle. If the prospect can play on both sides of the line, he could replace Ekwonu at left tackle at some point before kicking over to right tackle down the road when Moton is off the books. If Ekwonu regains form, the rookie can learn behind him and Moton for the foreseeable future while also providing depth as a swing tackle.
If the Panthers re-sign Nijman, though, they’ll have the luxury of being patient in the draft, which would probably benefit everyone involved.
Adam asks: If somehow (Ohio State linebacker) Sonny Styles fell to the Panthers in the draft, how quickly would they turn in their draft card?
To Adam’s point, Styles is listed as the No. 8 prospect on the Pro Football Focus big board. So, by that mark, Styles would be a big steal.
That said, it’s mid-February. The NFL Scouting Combine hasn’t taken place yet. Neither has free agency.
So, it’s hard to know how enamored the Panthers are with any prospect. But the team does need to greatly improve its inside linebacker play, and Styles, in theory, could represent a potentially huge upgrade. If the Panthers don’t spend heavily on a linebacker in free agency, selecting one like Styles would make sense in the first round.
The 6-foot-4, 243-pound defender was a major difference-maker for the Buckeyes, as he produced 245 total tackles, nine sacks, nine pass breakups, an interception and three forced fumbles at Ohio State. He could line up next to Trevin Wallace and form a long-term duo for the Panthers at the position.
Given his big play prowess, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Morgan pounce on a player like Styles at his former position. It’s just too early to jump to conclusions.