Brian Answers: A light load of questions, but plenty of substance

We bring you another edition of the Answers portion of this week’s fan mailbag!

Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Answers, part two of your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! It is the slow part of our NFL Offseason, and as fans start to focus on the summer and get out on vacations, things become a bit less active. But fear not, I will be here all offseason answering YOUR questions, whether they be Panthers related, football related, or completely off topic! Down below you’ll find your answers to this week’s questions, but as a reminder, save your burning questions for part one of the mailbag, “Brian Asks”, to start every week. You comment with questions, and I’ll bring answers during the latter part of each week. Let’s dive right in!

rtb2850: 1) Which multi-year unrestricted free agent signee will be next offseason’s Dane Jackson and be a one-and-done cap casualty?

2) Relative to draft position, which draft pick will have the most disappointing rookie season?

3) Which returning Panther with promise and potential will fall short of taking the proverbial leap this season?

1. I hope this isn’t the case, but EDGE Pat Jones would fit the bill if the Panthers rookie draft picks and guys like DJ Johnson and DJ Wonnum overtake him for reps. He’s a high motor guy, and I love his attitude, but he wasn’t exactly super productive for the Vikings save for a few choice games here and there. If the Panthers do cut Jones, it means they really nailed the rest of the front seven moves around him this off-season.
2. I think RB Trevor Etienne would be my fit for this criteria. This is mostly because I expect WR Tetairoa McMillan and EDGE players Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen to get a lot of snaps regardless of the direction the team is going, while Etienne may not see a ton of offensive snaps just because he’s got Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle ahead of him. He should still get slotted in for some receiving/third down back snaps, but I would not be shocked to see the same criticisms of his usage as we’ve seen of Raheem Blackshear in past seasons; “they aren’t giving him the ball enough”.
3. This was a difficult one, but my guess would be WR Jalen Coker. He was extremely productive given expectations last season, but now he’ll have to contend with McMillan, Xavier Legette, and Adam Thielen for snaps on offense. Unless there’s an injury or he overtakes Legettte, I think his stats may regress simply as a result of decreased volume.

RebuildingSince95: How is Jonathan Brooks recovery going?

There hasn’t been any real news on this front since the Panthers decided to place him on injured/reserve, which at this point in the off-season means he’s completely done for the 2025 regular season. They do not have the ability to bring him back to the active roster at all in 2025. I’d imagine the team will be...