Brian Answers: Who would you keep from the Panthers departing free agents in 2025?

We bring you part two of this week’s fan mailbag!

Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Answers, part two of your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! This week, many of the questions surrounded who the Panthers should try to retain in the upcoming wave of free agency in March. There’s still plenty of time to make that happen, but we’ll take an early stab at some ideas. To recap, Brian Answers is the second part two our weekly fan mailbag, where you can ask your questions, whether they are Panthers related, football related, or even completely off topic! Let’s dive in!

WanderingGnome: One player we should bring back, but won’t..

One player we won’t bring back, but should..

The phrasing is a little confusing, since in both instances, it means said player is someone we’d like re-signed, but don’t. But anyway, I’ll give it a shot.

• C/OL Brady Christensen. The Panthers absolutely should bring him back being he’s a key piece of depth, and theoretically could/should compete for the starting center position. However, for Lord knows what reason, Carolina won’t commit to him as a starter. If I’m in Christensen’s camp, I’m testing free agency for the team that will 1. sign him to play at a singular position, as the starter, and 2. will pay him starter level money for that role. Carolina SHOULD bring him back and just give him the reigns at center, but I’m not sure the coaching staff thinks he’s a center. Everywhere else, he’s a backup.
• S Sam Franklin. Carolina is currently facing every safety but 2024 UDFA Demani Richardson back for 2025 as far as players who played meaningful snaps at the position. I think Franklin walks in free agency to go test the waters elsewhere, but in theory Carolina SHOULD bring him back as a high end special teams player and a guy with starting experience, as a worst-case-scenario fallback option to start at safety if the cards don’t land the way they want in the Draft. I’m sure they’ll sign a free agent or two at safety, but Franklin’s value as a special teams player make me think he should be brought back as safety 4/5.

bringo!: If we go for alot of defense (specifically edge and DT in free agnecy) do you see us going with Tet or even Starks?

I do believe the Panthers will invest heavily in the trenches on defense this off-season, though how far that rope goes depends on how flexible with future cap Dan Morgan and Brandt Tilis are. But theoretically, you set up the Draft by addressing enough needs prior to it so you don’t have to draft based on need. So I could absolutely see and support them taking WR Tetairoa McMillan or S Malachai Starks at 8 if that’s how the board lands there. In the end, you want to walk away with an impact player that high in the first, so even if it isn’t defense, one of the...