[The Athletic] Panthers’ offseason to-do list

[PNW_PantherMan]

8 minutes ago, TheSpecialJuan said:

Sometimes a team has a special season (Super Bowl 50 Panthers) where everything just comes together. Washington had an agreement with Ben Johnson at this point last offseason before he changed his mind. They had to scramble last minute and hired Quinn, Commanders got their revenge on Ben Saturday night.  

Bears also goofed by taking Caleb over Jayden.  Now Johnson is coaching him lol.

[Basbear]

35 minutes ago, TheSpecialJuan said:

Sometimes a team has a special season (Super Bowl 50 Panthers) where everything just comes together. Washington had an agreement with Ben Johnson at this point last offseason before he changed his mind. They had to scramble last minute and hired Quinn, Commanders got their revenge on Ben Saturday night.  

 

Once awhile when Juan is resting form trolling, you get a great take.

 

Plus I think RR needs more credit, he left them like one of those 7-9 Panthers teams that just needed luck and BANG.....

Even without Daniels, peters killed the draft along with filling the needs in FA.

Caught lighting this year...

[travisura]

13 hours ago, PNW_PantherMan said:

Bears also goofed by taking Caleb over Jayden.  Now Johnson is coaching him lol.

Bears fans know how we feel watching the QB you passed up ball out, only difference being Daniels had an even better season than Stroud's rookie season and Bryce was never touted as generational like Caleb was.

[*FreeFua*]

I’d rather spend on Milton Williams than DJ Jones

Milton + Jalon Walker or an edge (Pearce/Green) and all of a sudden our DL is pretty solid with DB coming back 

[MHS831]

22 hours ago, rayzor said:

Agreed to all of this, including the order.

#1 run D. I don't care how....fix it, dammit.  If you look at percentages of plays and PFF results (which have their validity issues but all performance-based assessment does)  We had a NT and a DE on the field most of the time who rated in the low 40s or 30s.  Robinson was something like 55 (PFF score).  We need Brown back, a stud NT, and Robinson needs a DE who can compete with him for plays.  I love some of the DT-type players in the draft.  I would like to see a DT/NT signed in free agency, a DT/NT drafted, and a DE drafted.   I honestly do not see how we fix it without adding 3 players and getting rid of Ray, Tuttle, and Crumbley (maybe to PS).

#2 another playmaker. Preferably a receiver that can take the top off defenses. Since we know BY9 can toss it down field, get someone who can scare secondaries.  This is a bad year to have this need.  It seems the Panthers are going to be aggressive in this area, and with Coker and XL being sophomores, I am not sure a rookie would solve this problem this year.  I have been pounding the table for both a deep-threat WR AND a stud TE.  Give BY9 those 2 things, the offense would be on its way.

#3 we've got a clean slate on safeties this year. Rebuild it right.  I think D. Richardson is a keeper.  In 400 snaps, he had a pick and a 60+ rating on PFF. However, athletically, Richardson is very limited, especially in coverage. He is possible depth, nothing more, but a 60 PFF score is rather impressive--better than the starters.  You are right--new safeties would make such a big difference.  I really don't understand what they are trying to do in the secondary.

#4 do what you can to keep horn around.  I am losing faith in the Panthers' medical/training staff--or is it the field?  But I think they will re-sign Horn.  Curiously, what will they do to keep Jackson?  It sounds like it is a given that he will leave.  However, if I am an NFL player, I stay where I am successful and where I am the starter.  Side note:  I liked the flashes I saw from PS players Bartholomew and Evans.  Smith-Wade seems like he will win the nickel position.

#5 do what you can to keep the OTs around.  Yep.  Moton should be extended and Ickey needs a long-term deal when they can get him one. Morgan is in a tough situation; he needs a great OL for BY9 to be successful but he also will need to make a ton of room for BY9's salary in the future.  In other words, the OGs making $30m per year and the OTs making $40m while the QB makes $60m seems to add up to about half the entire cap in my mathery. 

It just makes sense.

I have bestowed upon you my perspectives to your very valid points in BOLD.  Good post.

Edited 21 hours ago by MHS831

[Navy_football]

On 1/20/2025 at 2:41 PM, Icege said:

Link to article

1. Fix the run defense

• Panthers' 2025 defensive accolades: the fourth team in history and the first since 1980 to allow 3,000 rushing yards in a season; allowed the most points (534) in league history
• Morgan/Canales say scheme wasn't an issue, that it was a combo of players and coaches. LB + DB coaches were let go, front office has to go get better pieces
• Keep an eye on DJ Jones, who signed a 3yr, $30M deal with Denver in 2022. Ranks fourth in stopping the run compared to Shy Tuttle (130th).

2. Get Young another playmaker

• Per a league source, Diontae racked up fines and wasn't practicing much when the team decided to trade him to Baltimore.
• XL had the league's 22nd-worst catch percentage (58.3%) which was still higher than Diontae Johnson (49.3%) and David Moore (56.1%).
• Coker was a good find and Thielen still produces, but they need another field stretcher whether it be Chris Godwin or Tee Higgins.

3. Overhaul the safeties

• Fuller and Scott were disappointments. Woods and Franklin Jr would make plays, but both attracted the attention of officials (4 penalties each).
• Demani Richardson was solid, but look for Morgan to double down like he did with the iOL last offseason.
• Colts' Julian Blackmon, pending medicals, could be a value signing.

4. Lock up Horn

• Earned his first Pro Bowl berth.
• Upped his offseason regimen after playing just 22 of 51 games in his first three seasons.
• Reached career highs in tackles, sacks, and pass breakups.

5. Tackle the offensive tackles' contracts

• Moton was PFF's 20th-ranked pass protector and Icky improved his pass blocking this season as well.
• Likely scenario is that Moton is extended to knock down his incoming $31.3M cap hit (11.5% of the cap).
• Have to make a decision on Icky's bonus option, which could cost an estimated $18.4M against the cap.

 

This is it. The Panthers don't have the draft picks or salary cap to approach the offseason position-by-position. That's for teams much further along. They'll have to address "mission areas" rather than individuals, and they'll need to be creative rather than taking a linear approach. I'd add "improve the pass rush: as 1B with "improving the run defense" as 1A. Trying to upgrade every weak position is just not feasible. It'll take 2 or 3 great drafts. For instance, a guy like Luvu that can play the run and rush the QB would be huge in both areas. A fix? No. But a definite improvement. We're focused on a WR1, when a guy like CMC would provide a playmaking option that defenses will have to account for in the passing and running game. And I think an explosive playmaker is more important than adding another guy that can catch the ball in traffic. We have that in spades. Can't solve this riddle in one offseason without taking away from current areas of strength. It's a puzzle that won't be easy to solve. And they'll need to be future focused while being current competent. 

My opinions/approach: I'm thinking the focus should be on defensive players that are good at both the run and pass pressure rather than specialists. A stout run-stopping OLB that can also pressure the QB is the better option for the Panthers right now, rather than a sack specialist. We had a pure pass rusher with Burns. Teams just ran the ball at him and took him out of games. A DT that can consistently get in the backfield and disrupt plays rather than a run stuffing NT is probably a better option for the Panthers right now too - Mason Graham. That addresses both the pass and run. Neither of these players would have great numbers, but they'd improve the defense and force offenses to scheme rather than just impose their will. That's when we'll see what Evero is really about. A later round speed WR that forces defenses to keep a safety over the top would really open up the offense - a Ted Ginn Jr type. Maybe a true pass receiving RB that can make guys miss in the open field. These guys aren't usually conventional early round draft picks but they'll improve the team in mission areas rather than focus areas. 

[PanthersNCSU]

19 hours ago, MHS831 said:

I have bestowed upon you my perspectives to your very valid points in BOLD.  Good post.

Agreed with a lot of this. Couple thoughts, especially towards the OL/future cap things...

• First, I hope Bryce is good enough to command being paid a Top 5 QB salary. Great news for us if so. But as of now, I think he'd be in that mid-tier range, so that $60 gets cut to 30-40. Baker to Stafford range. Obviously the cap will go up and $60 might be the new mid-tier, but either way I think we're fine here. He either continues to ascend and gets paid Top 5 money because he's that good and thank God. Or, he shows he's Baker level, gets a competitive offer that's outside the Top 10, and we're "saving" money (but also paying someone who may not be the "guy" in that scenario). 
• The OL is the biggest thing going forward IMO. You're 100% right here about the need for an OL, paying them, % of the cap, etc. Which is why in the next couple of drafts, we HAVE to absolutely nail a couple OL picks. We can't realistically tie up that much money in our OL. So we better turn into the Cowboys the late 2010s and constantly have a revolving cycle of a couple highly paid pieces, with drafted guys who step up and take their place once we have to move on. One highly paid OT, one highly paid OG, and then find rookie deals or cheaper vets that fit well. 

Point being, we're teetering on the edge of a few foundational pieces being here now. IF, and history isn't on our side here, we can nail the next couple of drafts...we're in a good spot when it comes to the cap and future. If we don't find a couple of defensive cornerstones and find reliable OL depth that can take over for Hunt/Moton/Lewis as they age or contracts balloon...that's when we're right back in hell IMO. No pressure, Dan. 

[PootieNunu]

On 1/20/2025 at 7:25 PM, Basbear said:

 

Once awhile when Juan is resting form trolling, you get a great take.

 

Plus I think RR needs more credit, he left them like one of those 7-9 Panthers teams that just needed luck and BANG.....

Even without Daniels, peters killed the draft along with filling the needs in FA.

Caught lighting this year...

MoRon sucks. We should have been a perennial contender with Cam and Luke in their primes, instead we wasted those generational talents on Ron and Shula. 

[Stingray3030]

On 1/21/2025 at 8:50 AM, travisura said:

Bears fans know how we feel watching the QB you passed up ball out, only difference being Daniels had an even better season than Stroud's rookie season and Bryce was never touted as generational like Caleb was.

Not sure I would be so sure they feel worse than us - their QB was better than Bryce at in the first season, they got DJ Moore, and 2 more high caliber draft picks.  We had to give up basically our entire defense this season indirectly to make that happen and we still have no true #1 WR.  Not saying I would rather have Caleb over Bryce at this point - but I would rather have their team situation and draft picks hands down.