The Panthers invested a ton of cash in their defense and completed a boatload of re-signings over the past four days. But there’s still plenty of work to be done.
With six new faces already set to join the roster, GM Dan Morgan, football operations exec Brandt Tilis and head coach Dave Canales will need to keep tinkering with their roster ahead of April’s NFL Draft.
Below are the Panthers’ remaining offseason needs:
Offensive tackle
Possible options remaining in free agency: Taylor Decker, Cam Robinson, Rasheed Walker, Jawaan Taylor, Justin Skule, Brady Christensen, Jake Curhan
To be blunt: The Panthers can’t just rock with Stone Forsythe as their presumed swing tackle. While he has plenty of experience, his production to this point has been sub-par.
The Panthers need better insurance, not only for left tackle Ickey Ekwonu (patellar tendon), but for right tackle Taylor Moton as well.
Carolina is likely reworking its offseason plan for the position after Yosh Nijman surprisingly retired on Wednesday. So, perhaps the organization deserves a bit more grace for their setup entering the fifth day of negotiations.
Decker, a 32-year-old former Pro Bowl selection, could make sense as a well-paid, one-year stopgap, especially if there are lingering questions about Ekwonu following surgery. That said, the longtime starting left tackle probably wants an opportunity to have a long runaway as a starter in 2026, and Carolina might not be willing to grant him that. Walker was expected to cash in this offseason as the top tackle available, but a recent gun charge arrest in New York might have mitigated his market.
The Panthers are likely to take a tackle early in the draft, but they could use more experienced bodies. Ekwonu, Moton and Forsythe are the only tackles on the roster. Brady Christensen and Jake Curhan make sense as re-signing candidates, but Christensen is coming off a major injury of his own.
Safety/nickel corner
Possible options remaining in free agency: Geno Stone, Nick Scott, Andre Cisco, Cam Taylor-Britt, Roger McCreary
Safety and nickel corner are upgrade needs more than depth concerns.
The Panthers feel good about Tre’von Moehrig and Lathan Ransom, but the big nickel package needs three safeties to thrive. While Scott is still available as a potential “post” safety option in coverage, the Panthers are likely to explore upgrading that spot in free agency.
There’s also the potential for nickel corner Chau Smith-Wade to move back there, as well. If the Panthers were to move Smith-Wade to safety, they’d need a replacement for him in the standard nickel package.
Of the group above, McCreary and Cisco have the most notable names. But Taylor-Britt might be the best fit.
Punter
Possible options remaining in free agency: Sam Martin, Jamie Gillan, Corey Bojorquez, Johnny Hekker
The Panthers have an opening at punter after Martin became a free agent on Wednesday.
The team probably doesn’t want to spend a draft pick on a punter, so the options are signing a veteran or waiting until after the selection process in April. Maybe they double-dip and have a competition like last year with the kicker spot.
Martin still has plenty of juice left in his right leg.
Running back
Possible options remaining in free agency: Jaleel McLaughlin, Brian Robinson, Jerome Ford, Zamir White
The Panthers lost Rico Dowdle to free agency this week. Despite his success last season, Carolina was probably never going to pay him what he felt he deserved.
So, right now, the Panthers are rolling with Chuba Hubbard, Trevor Etienne and Jonathon Brooks on the depth chart. Brooks, who is coming off back-to-back ACL tears, has appeared in just three NFL games, so there’s reason to believe the Panthers should get some insurance for the former second-round pick in the lineup.
Last year, the Panthers struck gold by giving Dowdle an incentive-laden one-year deal. They could take a similar strategy this year with someone like Ford or Robinson.
Defensive end
Possible options remaining in free agency: D.J. Reader, Andrew Billings, Jerry Tillery, Sam Roberts
The Panthers released A’Shawn Robinson to open up $10.5 million in salary cap space Tuesday. With Robinson gone, the Panthers are little light on proven depth at defensive end.
So, Morgan and company might want to offer a one-year deal to a rotational presence at the position. If they pass on that strategy, though, they’ll almost certainly target a prospect at the position in the draft.
Inside linebacker
Possible options remaining in free agency: Devin White, Kenneth Murray, Christian Rozeboom, Claudin Cherelus, Akeem Davis-Gaither
The signing of Devin Lloyd satisfied a major need for a starter at inside linebacker. But the Panthers still need to add some depth and competition to the room.
Carolina let Cherelus and Rozeboom become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday. In theory, both could return in diminished roles, or the team could look for a fresh face to compete with Trevin Wallace, who is coming off shoulder surgery.
Murray and White have plenty of experience and could make sense as potential third inside linebackers.
Tight end
Possible options remaining in free agency: David Njoku, Zach Ertz, Jonnu Smith, Tyler Conklin, Will Dissly
The tight end free-agent market is full of aging former standouts. Every option listed above will be 30 or older this coming season.
That said, the Panthers could use some additional weapons in the tight end room. While the team agreed to bring back James Mitchell on Wednesday, it wouldn’t hurt the Panthers to bring in more competition for Ja’Tavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans.
Tommy Tremble’s salary became partially guaranteed Thursday afternoon. He is likely to be a mainstay in two-tight end sets this season. So, the Panthers might decide to save some cash and turn to the draft for tight end depth (again) this offseason.