Cat Scratch Reader
The Panthers might not be able to fix every hole in one offseason. If they can’t, which current players could they turn to in 2025?
Believe it or not, the Carolina Panthers used to be a team with much less interesting offseasons. That’s probably not a good thing, as most prefer the actual football games to be more interesting, but it is fair to say that some of the more entertaining times as a Panthers fan happened between March and August for the past half a decade.
Fans of the Panthers may remember times when pleas to find upgrades at a position were met with the refrain “the answer is on the roster”. When you heard that phrase, you knew it was time to get familiar with the current players on the roster, because no reinforcements were coming.
While current General Manager Dan Morgan hasn’t shown any fear in spending money acquiring quality talent in free agency like those who held his role before him, there may end up being too many holes to fill and not enough resources to fill them. In which case, the Panthers may turn to an answer they are already familiar with and start crossing their fingers.
Which positions could the Panthers be forced to rely on a young developmental player, a player returning from injury, or maybe even a player making position switch? Let’s take a look.
While Dave Canales and Dan Morgan may be thinking about acquiring a big time receiver to help take the offense to the next level, it wouldn’t be cheap. Depending on the target, it could get cost prohibitive at $30 million APY contracts or a top 10 draft selection - or both - start to get involved.
Instead, the Panthers may bank on Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker to get the sophomore bump. Legette had a strong early to mid season prior to a handful of injuries and untimely drops halting that momentum. Meanwhile, Jalen Coker had a steady season culminating with a handful of clutch catches to cap off the Panthers season finale versus the Atlanta Falcons. The two rookies go into the offseason with a chip on their shoulder and plenty of time available to work on their craft without having to worry about draft prep or getting set up in a new city. Maybe they can provide enough production, along with whatever Adam Thielen might have left in the tank, to construct an acceptable receiving core?
Not to presume that the Panthers are only one piece away from a elite defense, because they aren’t - not even close. That said, the return of Derrick Brown to the Panthers starting line-up after missing practically the entire 2024 season would be a huge addition to the defense. Last we saw Brown, he was breaking NFL records and making a name for himself as one of the best lineman in the NFL who...
