ClutchPoints
In 2024, the Carolina Panthers missed the playoffs for the eighth straight year but finally ended the year with something to build on. Bryce Young provided the franchise a reason to believe in him moving forward, giving Dan Morgan a direction to take the Panthers in the 2025 NFL offseason.
On paper, Carolina’s 5-12 record does not suggest a successful year. However, following their Week 11 bye week, the Panthers lost three one-score games to eventual playoff teams. Moral victories are hard to come by in the NFL, but the team’s late-season run was its best string of performances in nearly a decade.
Young was not the only prospect who showed signs of promise in 2024. Rookies Xavier Legette, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Jalen Coker all gave the team reasons to believe in the offense moving forward.
The Panthers’ defense was their main issue in 2024, particularly down the stretch of the season once Young hit his stride. The unit ended the year as a bottom-half passing defense and dead last against the run. Opposing running backs feasted on defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s front seven all season long, making that a clear focal point of the offseason.
Morgan will have some room to work with in the offseason before entering Lambeau Field in April with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, the Panthers need to be active in the trade market in 2025 as much as they were in 2024 if they wish to build on their momentum.
With a sense of direction for the first time in years, the Panthers have to capitalize on their opportunity in the 2025 NFL offseason.
Garrett Wilson has not officially requested a trade but has done everything else to indicate that he is looking for a change of scenery. A lot of his availability depends on Aaron Rodgers’ offseason decision. If Rodgers decides to return to the New York Jets in 2025, so too will Davante Adams, likely making Wilson the top wideout on the trade block.
With a 1,000-yard season in each of his first three years in the league, Wilson would not be easy to acquire. However, if Morgan is serious about giving Young another chance to prove himself, he needs a bonafide alpha receiver. Wilson certainly fits the job description.
The Panthers made it known they wanted to acquire a No. 1 receiver for Young in the 2024 offseason and subsequently traded for Diontae Johnson. That move did not work out, but it was the right idea. For as much promise as Legette and Coker displayed, Young needs a proven WR1 to sustain season-long success.
Morgan may still have nightmares about the Johnson trade from a year ago, but a lot has changed since then. Young has become an entirely different player over the past three months and needs the support around him to develop into the prospect that he was expected to be. Carolina needs to go down the same well...
