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https://x.com/mike_e_kaye/status/1899251374233112813?s=46&t=xeIgh_-Vr2aKxBkBJdfnKA

The Athletic asked three veteran personnel officials to rank the Panthers’ top 10 free agents and their responses were kind of all over the board, perhaps reflective of the group’s lack of star power. We combined their responses and took the averages to come up with these rankings, which reflect the level of interest the personnel vets anticipate the Panthers’ free agents would get on the open market. 1. (tie) S Xavier Woods Woods has been a mainstay on the back end of the Panthers’ defense since signing a three-year, $15.75 million contract in 2022. Despite starting 46 games over the past three seasons, Woods could be part of a mass exodus as Dave Canales and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero look to remake the safety room. Woods is the most accomplished of the five free-agent safeties (Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott, Sam Franklin and Lonnie Johnson are the others). The 29-year-old finished among the top four safeties in 2024 when he played every defensive snap and led Carolina in total tackles (119), solo tackles (72) and interceptions (three) 1. (tie) S Sam Franklin Franklin’s teammates voted him the special teams captain before the season when he was out with a broken foot. When Franklin returned in Week 8, he quickly resumed his place as a gunner and trusted special teams player. Franklin finished third on the team with eight special teams tackles despite missing seven games. He also was among the league leaders in a more dubious category. The emotional Franklin’s three unnecessary roughness penalties were tied for second in a group that also included Woods. One of the personnel executives called Franklin “a top-5 gunner” across the league. 3. TE Tommy Tremble Tremble, veteran Ian Thomas and special teams ace Feleipe Franks are all free agents. Thomas has seemingly had nine lives in the organization, but Tremble is four years younger than Thomas and the easy choice if the Panthers plan to retain one of the TEs. Tremble battled back issues for much of 2024 but still put up receiving numbers (23 catches on 32 targets for 234 yards and two TDs) nearly identical to those from his previous two seasons. Tremble may not be a Pro Bowler, but he can block and catch, works hard (and is Chuba Hubbard’s partner on the JUGS machine) and is worth bringing back to pair with Ja’Tavion Sanders.