RSS Panthers Team Notes

[Carolina Panthers]

Rising Stars: Ryan Fitzgerald

Dec 28, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers placekicker Ryan Fitzgerald (10) kicks a thirty-five yard field goal held by punter Sam Martin (6) against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

After a number of years cycling through kicker after kicker, dealing with fluke injuries and soul-crushing misses, the Carolina Panthers might have finally found the guy worth keeping around. Undrafted out of Florida State University, Ryan Fitzgerald was one of the most consistent players on the Panthers roster throughout the 2025 season and deserves a moment in the spotlight as this week’s Rising Star.

Overall, Fitzgerald’s stats – of 25-30 (83.3%) – are not going to impress anyone. It’s not great, in fact it is one of the bottom 10 percentages in the NFL this year. Continuing his career at that rate wouldn’t likely allow him to keep his job in the NFL over the long term. However, like everything else in this world, context is key, which is why I’ve gone back to look at each of Fitzgerald’s missed field goal attempts to see if there are any valid excuses.

Missed FG #1: 55 yard attempt at New England Patriots in Week 4. Fitzgerald just plain missed it short.

Missed FG #2: 32 yard attempt vs Buffalo Bills in Week 8. Mayday scenario. Andy Dalton takes an ill-advised sack with 12 seconds left in 2nd half and no timeouts. Special Teams rushed on the field and gets the attempt off as time runs out in the half.

Missed FG #3: 48 yard attempt vs New Orleans Saints. Blocked kick that eventually bounced around a before being recovered by the Panthers for a fresh set of downs.

Missed FG #4: 55 yard attempt at San Francisco 49ers in Week 12. Although not indicated in stat sheet, kick was clearly tipped by #26 on the 49ers who went unblocked from Fitzgerald’s right.

Missed FG #5: 54 yard attempt at Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17. While the rain had briefly stopped, it had been raining for most of the game to that point.

Of Fitzgerald’s 5 misses, 2 were blocked/tipped, 1 was in a mayday scenario where they had a 10 second running clock to get from the sideline to snap, and another was 54 yards in the the elements. I did not go back to re-examine the 3 extra points missed on 34 attempts, but that will certainly have to be cleaned up. It’s the NFL so excuses only mean so much, but for a 1 year sample size and only 1 kick being a clear miss… it’s hard to get too upset.

Another note in Fitzgerald’s favor was his penchant for making the kicks that mattered most, earning his coaches’ trust late in games. His 4 game winning kicks is tied for the NFL rookie record, including a 49 yarder in windy Lambeau Field to take down the current #1 seed and a 33 yarder as time expired to earn him an NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.

RYAN FITZGERALD KICKS TO WIN IT pic.twitter.com/kPIeXJGZeR

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 2, 2025

While matching the NFL rookie record for game sealing kicks is great, the most fascinating portion of Fitzgerald’s game went under the radar for long stretches of the NFL season. That is, despite being a rookie, Fitzgerald was one of the best best kickoff specialist in the league.

Fitzgerald’s kicks were returned for an average of 22.7 yards, the 5th best mark in the league. Similarly, opposing teams had an average starting field position at the 28.9 – also the 5th best mark in the NFL.

Fitzgerald was one of the few kickers in the NFL who implemented a ‘knuckleball’ technique during the league’s implementation of the dynamic kickoff rule. A midseason article by Austin Mock at The Athletic tracked kicker’s EPA during kickoffs and found that Fitzgerald’s 1.5 EPA/game was second highest in the league. A mark which was nearly double the 3rd place kicker’s 0.8 EPA/game. After 11 games, Fitzgerald had gained .5 wins above replacement on kickoffs alone, an extraordinarily rare feat.

Panthers’ Ryan Fitzgerald on his knuckleball kickoffs: “We want it to be hard to track in the air and hard to catch whenever it hits the ground.”
Done and done.https://t.co/rVcBE6BT6K pic.twitter.com/LppyViOqJe

— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 24, 2025

It was not a perfect rookie season by any means, as Fitzgerald had his ups and downs. But, those ups were very high and those downs came with some pretty interesting caveats. Safe to say, the Panthers may have just found their long-term kicker.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...stars-ryan-fitzgerald-dirty-kicks-knuckleball

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Ask Brian: We’re officially onto 2026

Jan 1, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold (14) runs with the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Hello CSR! Welcome to Ask Brian, part one of your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! Sam Darnold, and the Seahawks triumphed over the New England Patriots on Sunday to crown the next Super Bowl winner. Carolina played both those teams and unfortunately lost by pretty big margins though the games started out quite close. The Panthers now heading into the off-season with some momentum, but clearly need to answer a lot of questions before they could ever be in the conversation as a Super Bowl contender. This is a fact of life in the NFL, but looking forward the Panthers do have a solid core. They can build around, while they figure out if Bryce Young is the guy to lead them into the future. At least we’re not talking about losing football for another off-season in a row.

You all know the drill, comment down below with all of your questions, whether they be Panthers related, football related, or even completely off-topic! I’ll have your answers down below as we inch closer to NFL free agency.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/carolina-panthers-rumors/58114/ask-brian-were-officially-onto-2026

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Super Bowl LXI odds

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 10: Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers celebrates after scoring a 16 yard touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the second quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Bank of America Stadium on January 10, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The disrespect for the Carolina Panthers is beginning bright and early in the 2026 offseason. This year’s first bit of bulletin board material comes courtesy of FanDuel’s odds for the winner of Super Bowl LXI. The top of the board is a list of the usual suspects with the Seattle Seahawks (+750) as favorites to repeat with the Los Angeles Rams (+800) and Baltimore Ravens (+1200) hot on their heels.

The first surprise of the opening odds for the Super Bowl LXI winner is that the Buffalo Bills (+1200) are tied with the Ravens at the top of the AFC. The faith in Josh Allen is strong despite their surprise change in head coaches this year. Must be nice for Bills fans.

After that, the first non-playoff teams to show up in the odds are the Detroit Lions (+1600) and the Kansas City Chiefs (+1600) tied in eighth place. The rest of the non-playoff field of NFL teams begins at 17th place with the Dallas Cowboys (+3000). Tied-19th is where the NFC South comes in to play, but we’re still not to the Carolina Panthers yet. That dubious honor is reserved for the Atlanta Falcons (+5000) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+5000).

The Panthers finally (+15000) finally grace the list tied at 27th with the Tennessee Titans and just ahead of the of 29th place New Orleans Saints (+17500). It’s like nobody actually watched the NFC South this season or saw the Panthers go toe to toe with Matt Stafford and the Rams in the Wildcard round.

Checkout FanDuel, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/carolina-panthers-odds/58103/super-bowl-lxi-odds

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Carolina Panthers 2026 NFL Draft Prospect Profile: Caleb Lomu

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 30: Caleb Lomu #71 of the Utah Utes blocks during the first half against UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl Stadium on August 30, 2025 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Now that we are past the Super Bowl, we look ahead toward the 2026 NFL Draft. This weekly series will take a closer look at some of the prospects the Carolina Panthers could select in the 2026 iteration of the Draft. In this series, we’ll only be looking at prospects the Panthers could seriously consider. This week our profile will focus on Utah Utes offensive tackle Caleb Lomu.

Bio​

Lomu was part of a dominant offensive line in high school, winning back to back state championships in Arizona. Despite getting offers from powerhouse schools like Michigan, Florida, Oregon, USC, and Tennessee, he ultimately landed in Utah. After redshirting his first year on campus, Lomu took over the starting left tackle job as a redshirt freshman in 2024. He started all 12 games for the Utes at left tackle in 2024 and in 2025, vastly improving his pass protection numbers year to year. His zero sacks and eight total pressures allowed in 2025 earned him First Team All-Big 12 honors.

Strengths/Weaknesses​

Lomu has the size teams look for at tackle (6’6”, 310 lbs) and the athleticism that can really set him apart. He is incredibly quick out of his stance, has violent punches, and his strong hands allow him to lock down defenders once he gets a hold of their chest plate. Lomu’s footwork and balance are also very good, especially in pass protection, and he has the football IQ to process stunts, twists, and blitzes without issue. He also has the athleticism to pull in the run game, something many tackles lack at his size.

Lomu is a little light for most teams’ liking, though he has the frame to add some functional weight and strength. He also leaves a lot to be desired in the run game. For a player with his athletic traits, you’d like to see much more consistency in creating movement off the snap and finishing blocks. He is absolutely not a road-grader type of player, and stronger defenders have been able to get the better of Lomu against the run.

Projection​

Lomu has been in the conversation as a first round pick for a while, along with fellow Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano. While Lomu has a long way to go in the run game, he has the frame and ability to greatly improve in that area. Combine that with the athletic traits and pass blocking polish he already has, and it’s easy to see why teams would take him in the mid to late first round.

The Panthers have some decisions to make at offensive tackle, especially after the knee injury to Icky Ekwonu. Lomu is the type of player the Panthers could plug in at left tackle until Icky is fully recovered. While the run game to the left side might suffer a bit, Damien Lewis should be able to help the rookie find his footing. After Icky returns, the Panthers could move Ekwonu inside to guard if needed or use Lomu as the primary swing tackle off the bench. I would also love to see Lomu as the “third tight end” in jumbo packages. His athleticism to get to the second level could be fun to watch. After Taylor Moton retires (and/or is cut for cap space) next year, Icky could slide over to right tackle and let Lomu man the blindside full time.

What do you think, Panthers fans? If Caleb Lomu is available when the Panthers select in the 2026 NFL Draft, should they take him? Sound off in the comments!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...rs-2026-nfl-draft-prospect-profile-caleb-lomu

 

[JJ]

Alright look I gotta give credit where credit's due - that Fitzgerald kid looks like he might actually be legit. 4 game winning kicks as a rookie including that bomb at Lambeau? That takes some serious stones. And that knuckleball kickoff technique is pretty clever with the new rules.

But let's be real here for a second - you guys are sitting at +15000 for Super Bowl odds and honestly? That's probably about right. I watched that Bills game in Week 8 and yeah Fitzgerald missed that 32 yarder but Dalton taking that sack with no timeouts was absolutely brutal. Classic Panthers moment right there.

Speaking of my Bills - we're sitting at +1200 tied with the Ravens and I'm feeling REAL good about that. Josh Allen is gonna get that ring eventually, mark my words. The coaching change doesn't scare me one bit.

As for that Lomu kid from Utah - if you're picking that high you probably need to address the trenches. Icky going down with the knee is rough but having a guy who can step in at LT and potentially slide around the line gives you flexibility. The run blocking concerns are legit though. Can't have your left tackle getting pushed around in the NFC South.

Bryce Young showed some flashes in that playoff game against the Rams. Kid might actually figure it out. Still think you need to surround him with better talent though. What's the plan at receiver this offseason?

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Adding Teeth to the Bite: Panthers Roster Holes at Wide Receiver

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - JANUARY 10: Jalen Coker #18 of the Carolina Panthers runs with the ball during the third quarter of an NFL wild card playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium on January 10, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images) | Getty Images

With the Panthers offseason underway and free agency just a couple months away, let’s take a look at some of the areas on the roster that Dan Morgan and Brandt Tillis have to address this offseason. Instead of looking at the entire roster, we are going to break the list down by position group. For the projected market value, I’ll be using Spotrac’s numbers. If you don’t agree with how much a player might get in free agency, take it up with them, not me. This week’s focus will be on the wide receivers.

2025 Performance​

The Panthers definitely seem to have hit on their first round pick from last NFL Draft in Tetairoa McMillan. McMillan eclipsed a thousand receiving yards en route to the Offensive Rookie of the Year award by a landslide. PFF graded T-Mac as a top twenty receiver in the NFL with a 79.3 overall grade. Jalen Coker was also seen in a positive light by PFF, notching a 75.4 overall grade in just 11 games played. Xavier Legette struggled quite a bit, only earning a 52 PFF grade and sowing doubt among the fanbase about his future. Hunter Renfrow, Jimmy Horn Jr, Brycen Tremayne, and David Moore also participated, only combining for 41 catches between the four of them. In terms of average depth of target, McMillan (11.6) and Coker (10.0) exceeded ten yards, while Legette (9.6) was just under that threshold. Legette also struggled to get yards after the catch, averaging only 2.1 YAC per reception while McMillan and Coker averaged 3.8 and 3.1 yards, respectively.

The Panthers definitely have their number one wide receiver and a high end number two. Horn provides value as a RAC threat and gadget player, while Legette enters a pivotal year that will determine the rest of his NFL career. What the unit still lacks overall is a true deep threat. Horn is fast but not the type of down field target that gets safeties to back up. If the Panthers can land a player in that mold like Ted Ginn used to be, they’ll have an incredibly well-rounded receiving corps.

Panthers’ Free Agents (with Spotrac expected market value)​

David Moore ($2.21M)
Hunter Renfrow ($1.03M)
Jalen Coker (ERFA)
Brycen Tremayne (ERFA)

Two veterans who did not provide much value last season are the only Panthers receivers hitting the open market this offseason. Moore might be brought back just for his veteran presence and familiarity with Dave Canales. He is also a boon on special teams. The Renfrow experiment is likely over. Coker and Tremayne are exclusive rights free agents, meaning if the Panthers offer a one-year tender at the league minimum, they cannot negotiate with other teams and must sign with the Panthers or sit out. The Panthers will absolutely make those tenders, so expect both those players to be on the roster next season.

Other Teams’ Free Agents (with Spotrac expected market value)​

Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts ($20.25M)
Rashid Shaheed, Seattle Seahawks ($14.1M)
Marquise Brown, Kansas City Chiefs ($5.5M)
Tyquan Thornton, Kansas City Chiefs ($2.84M)

If the Panthers really want to swing for the fences in free agency, they could make an offer to Alec Pierce or Rashid Shaheed. Both players are known for huge chunk plays and long speed, with Shaheed being the 11th fastest ball carrier in 2025 reaching 21.72 mph top speed on an 87 yard touchdown catch in Week 5. Both those players will have a ton of interest on the open market, so the Panthers might get priced out of that dream scenario.

Marquise Brown and Tyquan Thornton are more realistic options for the Panthers. Hollywood Brown is a known commodity who specializes in deep shots down field, and he’s still only 28. Thornton is another speedster who is a bit younger (25) and adds to the kick return game as well. Thornton broke the top 20 of fastest ball carriers in 2025 with a 28 yard kick return way back in week one. The fact that he accelerated to 21.48 mph in that short a distance shows that his 4.28 forty yard dash was no fluke. Adding that type of speed, even if he doesn’t catch most of his targets, forces the defense to at least think about precenting the huge plays over the top.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...e-bite-panthers-roster-holes-at-wide-receiver

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Panthers reportedly adding Darrell Bevell to coaching staff

Nov 12, 2025; Madrid, Spain; Miami Dolphins quarterbacks coach Darrell Bevell during practice at Estadio Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Carolina Panthers are hiring Darrell Bevell as Associate Head Coach and Offensive Specialist.

The Panthers are hiring Darrell Bevell as associate head coach/offensive specialist, per sources.

A longtime respected NFL assistant, Bevell brings a wealth of experience to Dave Canales’ staff as Carolina aims to take the next step. pic.twitter.com/e6PLn3FFoj

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 11, 2026

The Panthers haven’t made any changes to the staff prior to this, so it appears Bevell is a pure addition to the group. Dave Canales will continue to call plays and Brad Idzik is still the offensive coordinator, so I guess Bevell will just kinda help out and give them ideas and stuff. It’s hard to know for sure with all these different job titles teams make up for guys. It’ll be a reunion for several of the Panthers brass. Bevell overlapped with Canales and Dan Morgan in Seattle from 2011 to 2017. And we all know in the NFL, if you have a chance to give an old pal a job, you give an old pal a job.

It’s probably not the most inspiring hire based on past results. Bevell has been an offensive coordinator for 15 seasons, and the last several of those probably damaged his reputation. If it’s any consolation, in each of the last two seasons that he started as offensive coordinator, he finished as interim head coach. I guess that says something about how he’s perceived within the buildings that he works. He spent the last four years in Miami working as their quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. His experience with Tua Tagovailoa and Russell Wilson should make him well equipped to work with Bryce Young.

From the outside, we probably won’t see a whole lot of difference with Bevell on the staff. He’s likely here to take a little bit off the plate of Canales, who’s trying to balance play calling duties with other head coaching responsibilities on game days. It’s also another voice that presumably has a similar mind set that can bring some fresh perspective to the offensive meeting rooms.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...tedly-adding-darrell-bevell-to-coaching-staff

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Brian Answers: A special guest, Darrell Bevell, draft questions, and more!

Oct 26, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers cornerback Chau Smith-Wade (26) runs on to the field before the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Hello CSR! Welcome to Brian Answers, part two of your weekly Panthers fan mailbag for everyone! We’re chugging along as we’re about 3-4 weeks away from free agency, so fans are chomping at the bit with mock drafts and projections of where rookies might fit. I brought in a member of the staff to help out with one of the questions this week, let me know if you’d like to see more of that!

Micash: Drop your favorite 7 round Panthers mock below please!

I realized upon writing that you may have been calling for mock drafts in the comments, but I tapped Daniel Belton for the first ever special guest to answer a question for this week! I don’t really do mock drafts this early in the off-season, but I know plenty of you friends exist, including the artist formerly known as DBelt. Here’s his picks and some quick reasoning behind them.

1-19: OT Caleb Lomu (Utah) – help on the line with older Taylor Moton and Ikem Eckwonu injury

2-51: LB Anthony Hill Jr. (Texas) – need better run defenders at LB to pair with Trevin Wallace

3-83: S Genesis Smith (Arizona) – center field type of safety to replace Nick Scott (sorry)

4-119: WR Bryce Lance (ND State) – Trey’s brother, tall and fast, vertical threat that the offense doesn’t have

5-157: EDGE Max Llewellyn (Iowa) – good size, what Ejiro Evero looks for in edge defenders

5-161: TE Dallen Bentley (Utah) – sleeper tight end, good blocker and reliable receiver

6-198: QB Drew Allar (Penn State) – developmental/backup QB, excellent tools, could be great with time, injured last year.

Overall, I like his Draft. Share your thoughts below!

brake23: You’re the GM and we’re at the #19 pick with the options below, which one do you pick?

Prospects of interest available:

A) WR-Makai Lemon

B) LB-Anthony Hill Jr.

C)Edge-Keldric Faulk

D) DT-Peter Woods

E)OT-Spencer Fanu

F)TE-Kenyon Sadiq

F) Trade back with Broncos for Picks 30 & 62

Obviously, as we saw up above, depending on who you ask Anthony Hill Jr is available in the 2nd round. I really don’t like trading into the late part of the first round with the needs the Panthers have. So among my choices, I’d be inclined to take OT Spencer Fano or EDGE Keldric Faulk, though you could talk me into Peter Woods being the pick. Let’s go with Faulk for this exercise, but a draft board falling like this gives the Panthers a lot of options. Faulk would be the highest impact player right away, but I think the value pick is Fano.

@WTMealey: I know we haven’t done FA or the draft yet. I’m trying to filter out homerism and have a realistic view of how much better we could be next year. We obviously exceded most outsiders expectations. Is that because they underestimated us or because we outperformed our actual ability?

My real question

__% chance we regress and have a worst season than 2025

__% chance we hold serve and have a very similar season to 2025

__% chance we continue to level up and have a better season than 2025

• I give it a 40% chance of regression. The Panthers lost a few games they should have won and won a few games they should have lost. They have a harder (on paper, as of this writing) schedule going into 2026, so there’s a decent chance it goes sideways.
• 30%. This team has a lot of needs to fill, and even if they continue on their upward trajectory, its highly possible the moves they make only keep them in the “playoff contenders” conversation due to the NFC South. I’d call 9 wins a “similar season).
• 30%. I think many fans expect them to be better, and barring significant injury problems, its likely. So I’d say they have an equal chance of being better to being simply in the same area as 2025. To me, leveling up and being better is 10+ wins.

leazer88: Why does everyone have us picking a WR or DT in the 1st round? We have a lot of $ tied up on the DL, we need edge rushing, inside linebackers, and OL depth. We don’t need to be picking Sadiq with the first pick when we could sign a TE in FA or make a trade for Cole Kmet. Edge rushing and linebackers should be the MAIN focus in free agency AND the draft. We can sign a reliable veteran as a WR3.. like JuJu. Someone that doesn’t threaten targets for Tmac or Coker and can catch and create YAC. The Panthers don’t have that kind of guy.

Dcangio09 touched on the point about a defensive tackle quite well, so linking his comment here. To add my own thoughts, personally I have the mindset that you should always bolster the barracks on both sides of the line, so if an EDGE player isn’t available at the right value, a defensive tackle will help just as much since pairing Derrick Brown with another force on the interior would have just as much of a positive effect as another EDGE, since the inside takes a lot of pressure off the outside when you have a couple of high end players there (see Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short).

As far as wide receiver goes, Tetairoa McMillan is great, I think Jalen Coker has emerged into an absolutely reliable WR2, beyond that its a lot of youth and question marks. Adding another weapon to that group wouldn’t hurt, but I’d be slightly miffed if they did. Still, as the NFL evolves, having 3 upper tier wide receivers is not necessarily a poor allocation of resources. But if they do take one, that’s probably all but the end for Xavier Legette in Carolina as any kind of long term contributor. It will highly depend on what they do regarding Coker, as they can give him an RFA tag but I would expect them to give him much more than that in a contract extension.

dayneb12: One thing I’ve noticed during Dan Morgan’s time as GM is that each year there has been a pretty big UDFA class (19 each year). This has brought in some pretty solid players in guys like Jalen Coker, Ryan Fitzgerald, and Corey Thornton. Do you expect another big UDFA class after this year’s draft and could we see another solid UDFA pickup for the Panthers?

I spent years making my own brand off of favoring veterans over everyone’s favorite undrafted free agent darling in the previous decade, but I’ve been impressed with Carolina actually finding those coveted UDFA gems the last two seasons. Jalen Coker was a home run, Corey Thornton probably would have contributed a lot more as the season went on were it not for an unfortunate injury. Carolina is in less of a talent deficient situation as they were in 2024 and 2o25, but I still expect them to bring in some guys. I don’t know if it will be 19, but they have done a good job of identifying guys with traits they covet and making them contributors with their UDFA classes. A guy you didn’t mention was Brycen Tremayne, and he could realistically make the roster again as a wide receiver. I could see it happening again, hopefully at ILB, S, or along the offensive line or a RB.

Brazilian Panther: You have Ponds from IU and Chris Johnson from SDSU available to replace CSW in the slot, who do you take and why?

I’d take D’Angelo Ponds if the specific purpose is to take over for Chau Smith-Wade in the nickel spot, but I like Chris Johnson as a guy who can take over as an outside corner. So it really depends on what the Panthers overall cornerback room looks like come April.

Panthers75: Darrell Bevell hiring move anyone’s needle?

I actually really like the hire since Dave Canales cut his teeth working under Bevell in Seattle. I don’t know if it will have any major noticeable impact, but having someone with a ton of experience in the NFL around to evolve an offensive system he’s already familiar with can’t really hurt. I would imagine he can help Canales refine some things as well. But I don’t expect it to be a ground breaker of a move.

That’s all for this week, Panthers fans! Join us next week for another edition of the mailbag!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...guest-darrell-bevell-draft-questions-and-more

 

[Carolina Panthers]

CSR Weekend Warriors: 2/13-2/15

Greetings, Panthers fans. Welcome to the weekend.

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/the-scratching-post/58154/csr-weekend-warriors-2-13-2-15

 

[Carolina Panthers]

GM Dan Morgan’s 2025 performance: Grading Rounds 1-3 of the NFL Draft

The Panthers hired Dan Morgan as president of football operations and general manager on January 22, 2024. Morgan is a Panthers “lifer” after spending his seven-year NFL career in Charlotte from 2001 through 2007 then spending years in the Panthers front office. Let’s take a look back on Morgan’s second season as GM. We’ve previously evaluated his performance with trades and with free agents.

Let’s now assess Morgan’s 2025 draft day performance. Today we will focus on draft day trades plus first three rounds, will focus on players drafted in Rounds 3-7.

Draft day performance

It’s a bit of a fool’s errand to evaluate a draft class after just one season because we still don’t know what type of player these guys will be in three or four years, but one season is all the data we have.

When grading draft picks it’s important to measure their performance relative to rookie expectations. My general criteria for rookies is this:

Round 1 – Average contributing starter

Round 2 – Spot starter and key rotational piece

Rounds 3-4 – Capable rotational depth

Rounds 5-6 – Special teams

Round 7 – Any contributions is a borderline miracle

1st Round, No. 8 – Tetairoa McMillan, wide receiver

2025 stats: 17 games (17 starts), 70 receptions, 1,014 yards, 7 TDs

The University of Arizona star was a home run pick. He was named by the Pro Football Writers of America as the rookie of the year, offensive rookie of the year, and a member of the all-rookie team. A rookie exceeding 1,000 receiving yards on a team with an inconsistent passing attack like the Panthers and no true WR2 to take the heat off him is remarkable.

At 6-foot-5 and 212 pounds he can overpower smaller defenders. With his crisp routes and athleticism he quickly separates from linebackers and safeties. He has All-Pro potential and could develop into one of the best receivers in the league for the next decade.

Grade relative to expectations: A+

2nd Round, No. 51 – Nic Scourton, outside linebacker

2025 stats: 17 games (8 starts), 47 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, 9 QB hits, 15 pressures

The Panthers defense struggled all season to get to the quarterback, and Scourton’s five sacks tied Derrick Brown for the most on the team. His 15 pressures also tied Brown for most on the team. In other words, the two most disruptive players on the Panthers defense are a previous Pro Bowler in Derrick Brown and a second round rookie in Nic Scourton.

After starting the season somewhat slowly with 11 tackles through the Panthers first seven games, over the next 10 games he racked up 46 tackles and 3.5 sacks. The progress he made as the season progressed was evident, which is exactly what teams want to see from second round picks. He had a solid rookie season and could develop into an impact player.

Grade relative to expectations: B+

Round 3, No. 77 – Princely Umanmielen, outside linebacker

2025 stats: 16 games (0 starts), 24 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 tackles for loss, 5 pressures

The former Florida and Ole Miss star generally met expectations for a third round pick. He played 222 defensive snaps over 16 games, or about 14 snaps per game, making him a consistent rotational piece. Carolina traded up eight spots in the third round to land Umanmielen so the front office was definitely targeting him given his skillset and the team’s needs.

Realistic expectations for a third round pick is to provide capable rotational depth, and Princely did just that. That said, Panthers fans were probably hoping for more impact from his rookie season given the team’s massive need for more pressure off the edge, but that will have to come in future years.

Grade relative to expectations: B-

Rounds 1-3 summary

In all, Dan Morgan and his front office talent evaluators had a strong first three rounds of the 2025 draft. Tetairoa McMillan will give the Panthers their first legit WR1 since DJ Moore left Carolina after the 2022 season. Nic Scourton flashed potential to develop into a capable full-time starter. Princely Umanmielen was fine for a third round pick and gained some valuable experience in his rookie season.

In assessing Dan Morgan’s performance in the draft, he gets extra credit for knocking it out of the part with Tet McMillan.

Well done, Mr. Morgan.

Overall grade for Rounds 1-3: A–

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...rformance-grading-rounds-1-3-of-the-nfl-draft

 

[Carolina Panthers]

GM Dan Morgan’s 2025 performance: The final grade

Over the past several weeks we’ve been assessing Dan Morgan’s performance in his second year on the job as general manager of the Carolina Panthers. We’ve reviewed his trades, scrutinized his free agent additions, and evaluated his 2025 draft performance, including Rounds 1-3 and Rounds 4-7.

It’s now time to roll everything up and give him a final grade for his rookie year. The way I grade is a “C” is “meets expectations”, so As and Bs exceeded expectations while anything below a C fell short of reasonable expectations. Here we go:

The Adam Thielen trade

The Panthers front office kept its powder dry on the trade front for the most part in 2025, executing just one player trade on the season. In August 2025 — just before the season began — Dan Morgan traded productive veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen back to his old home with the Minnesota Vikings. In return the Panthers moved up from the 7th round to the 5th round in 2026 and from the 5th round to the 4th round in 2027.

In the end, the Panthers would have been better off retaining their clearcut No. 2 receiver who had unmistakable chemistry with up-and-down quarterback Bryce Young. In two seasons in Carolina Thielen averaged just over five receptions and 60 yards per game. More importantly, he hauled in a remarkable 77.4% of his targets in 2024.

No other Panthers receiver stepped up and claimed the WR2 spot vacated by Thielen, which ultimately hindered Bryce Young’s development and weakened a Panthers team that ultimately made the playoffs.

Moving up a couple of rounds in the mid- to late-rounds of the NFL Draft wasn’t worth losing a highly productive veteran receiver from a surprise playoff team.

Trade grade: D+

The 2025 key free agents

Since the Panthers signed a host of free agents in 2025, I’m only grading Dan Morgan on the deals he made that exceed $5 million in average annual salary. These are the players the Panthers were expecting to make an impact, and Morgan put his money where his mouth was when signing these four key free agents:

Trevon Moehrig, safety – 3 years, $50 million ($17.1 million/yr), $34.5 million guaranteed. After Moehrig started 16 games and racked up 103 tackles with 14 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, he became the type of run-support safety the Panthers were hoping for in the secondary.

Tershawn Wharton, defensive tackle – 3 years, $45.1 million ($15 million/yr), $30.3 million guaranteed. Wharton’s first season in Carolina was derailed by injuries and he appeared in just nine games. In those nine games he registered a respectable 36 tackles and 2.0 sacks. While grading the play of interior defensive linemen is subjective, PFF ranked him No. 127 of 134 players at his position.

Patrick Jones, outside linebacker – 2 years, $15 million ($7.5 million/yr), $10.3 million guaranteed. Jones’s season was limited to just four games due to injury. We’ll have to wait until next year to see if this signing pays off, provided he isn’t released.

Bobby Brown, defensive tackle – 3 years, $21 million ($7.0 million/yr), $9.6 million guaranteed. Signing Brown was a solid move, especially given his age (25) and affordable $7.0 million average annual salary. In 2025 he started five of 17 games with 31 tackles, three tackles for loss, and 0.5 sacks. PFF graded him as No. 80 of 144 players at his position, which is just fine given all of the factors above.

Overall free agent grade: C+

2025 NFL Draft Rounds 1-3

All we can do is tip the cap to Dan Morgan for his performance in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft.

Tetairoa McMillan, WR – First round rookie Tetairoa McMillan exceeded 1,000 receiving yards and was named the Pro Football Writers of America’s rookie of the year, offensive rookie of the year, and a member of the all-rookie team. This pick was a home run.

Nic Scourton, OLB – In the second round Morgan moved up a few spots to land outside linebacker Nic Scourton at No. 51. The rookie had a really solid first season by starting eight of 17 games and registering 47 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, and 15 pressures. He tied Derrick Brown to lead the team in both sacks and pressures on the season. Scourton is looking like a great pick.

Princely Umanmielen, OLB – In Round 3 the Panthers drafted another outside linebacker in Princely Umanmielen at No. 77. Expectations for third round picks should be tempered, and Princely somewhat exceeded those expectations. He played 16 games as a rotational player, logging 222 snaps. His 24 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and five pressures were a decent enough season for a player drafted where he was.

Round 1-3 grade: A-

2025 NFL Draft Rounds 4-7

When evaluating mid- to late-round picks, it’s important to do so in context of what should reasonably be expected of them. Fourth rounders should be able to provide some limited rotational depth as rookies. Fifth and sixth round picks should make the roster and primarily contribute on special team. Any production for seventh-round rookies is gravy. With that in mind, Dan Morgan did quite well in the back half of the draft.

Travis Etienne, RB – Etienne was selected in the fourth round (No. 114) and while he only had 20 carries on the season, he made a positive impact on the team as the Panthers primary punt and kick returner.

Lathan Ransom, S – Ransom was another fourth rounder (No. 122) and he significantly exceeded expectations. He started six of 16 games and recorded 51 tackles. PFF graded him at No. 67 of 98 safeties, which is a great starting point for the No. 122 pick.

Cam Jackson, DT – Cam Jackson was one of Morgan’s two fifth round picks (No. 140) and he appeared in nine games, logging 85 defensive snaps and 30 on special teams. That’s a bit light for where the defensive tackle was drafted.

Mitchell Evans, TE – Mitchell Evans, on the other hand, had a great rookie season for a fifth round pick (No. 163). Evans seemingly came out of nowhere to push both Tommy Tremble and Ja’Tavion Sanders for snaps. In all, Mitchell played 393 offensive snaps — or 37% of the Panthers total – with 19 receptions for 171 yards and two touchdowns. That’s a fantastic debut season for the No. 163 pick.

Jimmy Horn, Jr. – Finally, Jimmy Horn Jr. rounded out the Panthers draft in the sixth round (No. 208). Horn also outpunched his draft status for a rookie wide receiver with 177 scrimmage yards over 13 games, including 11 receptions on 15 targets (73.3%) for 108 yards and eight carries for 69 more. He looked like he belonged in the NFL, which isn’t always the case for guys drafted after No. 200.

Rounds 4-7 grade: A-

The overall summary

While Dan Morgan might have whiffed on the Adam Thielen trade, it’s not going to set the franchise back in any real way, but neither will it move the team forward. This one trade isn’t nearly as impactful as the free agent and draft decisions he made in 2025, so we’ll mostly let this one slide.

Morgan’s biggest 2025 free agent signings mostly paid off (Moehrig, Brown) or were hard to evaluate due to injury. Tershawn Wharton will need to be both healthy and productive next year, but for now it was a slightly above average 2025 free agent class for the Panthers.

But where Dan Morgan and the Panthers front office excelled this past season was in the draft. Nearly every player either met or exceeded rookie expectations based on where they were drafted. Tet McMillan looks like a star. Nic Scourton looks like a legitimate starter. Umanmielen, Ransom, Evans, and Horn look like solid rotational pieces at worst. Etienne could be Carolina’s lead returner for years to come. What a haul!

When rolling everything together, Dan Morgan had a really solid 2025 as the Carolina Panthers general manager.

2025 final grade: B+

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...-dan-morgans-2025-performance-the-final-grade

 

[Carolina Panthers]

GM Dan Morgan’s 2025 performance: Round 4-7 of the NFL Draft

The Panthers hired Dan Morgan as president of football operations and general manager on January 22, 2024. Morgan is a Panthers “lifer” after spending his seven-year NFL career in Charlotte from 2001 through 2007 then spending years in the Panthers front office. Let’s take a look back on Morgan’s second season as GM. We’ve previously evaluated his performance with trades and with free agents.

Let’s now assess Morgan’s 2025 draft day performance. Today we will focus on Rounds 4-7 after covering Rounds 1-3 last week.

Draft day performance

It’s a bit of a fool’s errand to evaluate a draft class after just one season because we still don’t know what type of player these guys will be in three or four years, but one season is all the data we have.

When grading draft picks it’s important to measure their performance relative to rookie expectations. My general criteria for rookies is this:

Round 1 – Average contributing starter

Round 2 – Spot starter and key rotational piece

Rounds 3-4 – Capable rotational depth

Rounds 5-6 – Special teams

Round 7 – Any contributions is a borderline miracle

Here we go!

Round 4, No. 114 – Trevor Etienne, running back

2025 Stats: 17 games (0 starts), 20 carries, 90 yards (4.7 YPC); 3 receptions, 13 yards; 20 punt returns (8.2 YPR), 31 kick returns (23.6 YPR)

The former Florida and Georgia star did what few fourth-round rookies do by appearing in all 17 games and making some meaningful contributions for a playoff team. Etienne joined a crowded running back room in Carolina behind two established starters in Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle, both of whom had 1,000-plus yard seasons in 2024. Even then, in limited carries Etienne averaged a healthy 4.7 yards per carry. His main contributions came as the Panthers main punt and kick returner throughout the season, and fulfilling that role fairly well.

Draft grade: B

Round 4, No. 122 – Lathan Ransom, safety

2025 stats: 16 games (6 starts), 51 tackles, 1.0 sacks, 2 passes defended

Lathan Ransom had a quietly productive rookie season, especially for a fourth round pick. I did a double-take when I saw he had 51 tackles this year. He played 336 defensive snaps and 169 more on special teams, so he was on the field a lot. Per Football Reference, he was targeted 18 times in coverage and surrendered 10 receptions, or a 55.6% completion percentage. His tackling was sound with a 3.8% missed tackle rate. PFF graded him out as the No. 67 of 98 safeties in the league, which is more than commendable given his draft pedigree.

Draft grade: A-

Round 5, No. 140 – Cam Jackson, defensive tackle

2025 stats: 9 games (0 starts), 9 tackles

The 6-foot-6, 328-pounder hovered just below the “meets expectations” criteria for a fifth round rookie. He made the 53-man roster and appeared in nine games, playing 85 defensive snaps and 30 on special teams, which is lower than you’d like to see from the No. 140 pick. The highlight from his rookie campaign was the five tackles he racked up in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks late in the season.

Draft grade: D+

Round 5, No. 163 – Mitchell Evans, tight end

2025 stats: 17 games (10 starts), 19 receptions, 171 yards, 2 TDs

The former Notre Dame star was the biggest pleasant surprise from the Panthers crop of rookies. Despite joining a tight end room with established players like Tommy Tremble and Ja’Tavion Sanders, Evans still earned a meaningful role in his first NFL season. He played an impressive 393 offensive snaps, or 37% of the team’s total, meaning he was also blocking when not catching passes. His 19 receptions came on 25 targets, meaning he snagged 76% of his targets. He absolutely blew past what should be reasonably expected from a fifth round pick.

Draft grade: A

Round 6, No. 208 – Jimmy Horn Jr., wide receiver

2025 stats: 13 games, 11 receptions, 108 yards; 8 rushes, 69 yards

Getting 177 scrimmage yards in 13 games from a sixth round pick is sweet, sweet production. The Colorado product also snared 11 of his 15 targets, giving him a superb 73.3% catch percentage. To put Horn’s seemingly modest production in context, per Football Reference a total of 13 wide receivers were drafted between No. 133 in the fourth round and No. 252 in the seventh round. Jimmy Horn Jr.’s 177 scrimmage yards ranked third among that group. It was a promising start for the late-round pick.

Draft grade: A-

Rounds 4-7 summary

Man, relative to expectations, Dan Morgan killed the later rounds of the draft.

The contributions from Etienne, Ransom, Evans, and Horn well exceeded expectations for players selected where they were drafted. Cam Jackson was the only one to underperform, and even then made the roster and got nine games under his belt in his debut NFL season.

Outstanding work by Mr. Morgan and company!

Overall Rounds 4-7 grade: A-

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...s-2025-performance-round-4-7-of-the-nfl-draft

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Best Prospect Names in the 2026 NFL Draft

Feb 6, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; The 2026 NFL Draft logo at the Super Bowl LX Experience at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Every year, the NFL Draft is packed with amazing prospects who have incredible abilities and athletic traits most people could only dream of. Those prospects are often celebrated for their achievements leading up to the Draft, and deservedly so. This post will not celebrate those attributes. Instead, we’ll celebrate something most of these athletes have no control over: their names. Here is a list of some of the prospects with the best names, surnames, and nicknames in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Food and Drink​

Makai Lemon, WR, USC

Dominique Orange, DT, Ohio State

Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State

Jalen Farmer, OG, Kentucky

Marlin Klein, TE, Michigan

Jager Burton, C, Kentucky

Jam Miller, HB, Alabama

Caden Curry, Edge, Ohio State

Positional Puns​

Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina (a corner named Cisse like in “cease and desist”)

Romello Height, Edge, Texas Tech (“only” 6’3″)

Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama (Germie has some sick moves)

Jake Slaughter, C, Florida (killing the opposing defensive line)

Genesis Smith, S, Arizona State (I’ve been in on Genesis since the beginning)

Isaiah World, OT, Oregon (at 6’8″ and over 300 lbs, that is an appropriate last name)

Kage Casey, OT, Boise State (putting edge rushers in a Kage)

VJ Payne, S, Kansas State (bringing the Payne on defense)

Riley Mahlman, OT, Wisconsin (sounds like “maul man,” which is appropriate for a tackle)

Squirrel White, WR, Florida State (a quick, under 5’10 receiver nicknamed Squirrel)

Scooby Williams, LB, Texas A&M (Scooby will solve the mystery of the other team’s offense)

Diego Pounds, OT, Ole Miss (335 of them, actually)

Jalen Huskey, S, Maryland (if you want a real dog in your secondary)

Damonic Williams, DT, Oklahoma (imagine playing against a big dude like that named Damonic)

Brett Thorson, P, Georgia (puts some thunder into his kicks)

“No, not that one”​

Justin Jefferson, LB, Alabama

Roy Williams, Edge, Northern Illinois

Marcus Allen, CB, North Carolina (in fairness, he is the son of the *that* Marcus Allen)

Marvin Jones Jr, Edge, Oklahoma (also a former Lions wide out)

DeVonta Smith, CB, Notre Dame

Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State

Overall Great Names​

Dontay Corleone, DT, Cincinnati (The Godfather)

Gennings Dunker, OT, Iowa

Nate Boerkircher, TE, Texas A&M

Hezekiah Masses, CB, Cal

Dametrious Crownover, OT, Texas A&M

Ephesians Prysock, CB, Washington

Seydou Traore, TE, Mississippi State

Maverick McIvor, QB, Western Kentucky

Amari Niblack, TE, Texas A&M

Jacobian Guillory II, DT, LSU

Chamon Metayer, TE, Arizona State

Ka’ena Decambra, C, Arizona

Namdi Obiazor, LB, TCU

What do you think Panthers fans? Who has the best name in the 2026 Draft? Did I miss anyone? Sound off in the comments!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...163/best-prospect-names-in-the-2026-nfl-draft

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Ask Brian: Should the Panthers sign Bradley Chubb?

Dec 21, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb (2) runs on the field at the start of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Hello CSR! Welcome to Ask Brian, your weekly Panthers fan mail bag for everyone! We’re starting to get deep into the NFL off-season, and mock drafts are flying wild. We have free agency on the horizon, and right now it’s the best time for many fans as we can speculate on the future of the Panthers. One shoe dropped this week, former Denver Bronco defensive edge, Bradley Chubb was released by the Miami Dolphins. I am wondering what Panthers fans might think of bringing in a guy who played under Ejiro Evero in Denver. The Panthers definitely could use an edge rusher, and Bradley Chubb should be a highly sought after free agent at a premium position.

You all no the drill, comment down below with all your questions, whether they be Panthers related, football related, or even completely off-topic! As always, I’ll highlight my favorite answers and respond to all of your questions later on in the week.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...-brian-should-the-panthers-sign-bradley-chubb

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Rising Stars: Tetairoa McMillan

Oct 12, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) celebrates a touchdown during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

While this series is titled Rising Stars, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan has a strong argument to remove the word ‘rising’, because he already might be a star. It’s hefty praise to heap onto a rookie, but in the era of the NFL where first year players are thrown into the starting line-up in the league’s most important roles, those who immediately stand out among them are set to become the next generation of stars.

And boy, did McMillan stand out. While setting a franchise record for receiving yards for a rookie wide receiver, he also led the entire 2025 draft class of wide receivers in each of the following categories:

• Targets
• Receptions
• Yards
• Receiving Touchdowns
• First downs
• PFF Grade

Tetairoa McMillan 70 REC, 1014 YDS, 7 TDs NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year 2025-2026 Season.pic.twitter.com/SWPwrnNZHW https://t.co/6AUabjfDZl

— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) February 10, 2026

Among all NFL receivers, McMillan was ranked no lower than 25th in the above categories. Marks good enough to earn the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, an award only won by one other rookie in Panther’s history: Cam Newton.

There are some aspects to McMillan’s game that need refining, however. There’s no questioning McMillan’s production or his overall efficiency – after all, McMillan is one of only 10 receivers in the last 6 years to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in their rookie season. Unfortunately, there was an element of inconsistency that likely cost McMillan, and the Panthers as a whole, a lot of hidden yardage.

According to PFF, McMillan was charged with 7 dropped passes which is tied for 9th most in the NFL. While drops can kill momentum on a drive, the more concerning stat to watch going forward is the number of interceptions allowed when McMillan was the targeted receiver. 6 of McMillan’s targets ended up in a defender’s hands. There was never more than 1 interception per game, but that number was still the 5th most in the NFL and the Panthers lost 5 of those 6 games in which they occurred.

Regardless, McMillan’s unique combination of size, speed and fluidity have made him a threat to line-up at any receiver position on the field and produce like a number one wide receiver in an NFL offense. The sky is the limit for young McMillan, and we’ll continue to watch his career with great interest.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/carolina-panthers-analysis/58167/rising-stars-tetairoa-mcmillan

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Adding Teeth to the Bite: Panthers Roster Holes in the Offensive Backfield

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 29: Andy Dalton #14 of the Carolina Panthers and Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers interact on the sidelines during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Bank of America Stadium on September 29, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Bengals defeated the Panthers 34-24. (Kara Durrette/Getty Images) | Getty Images

With the Panthers offseason underway and free agency just a few weeks away, let’s take a look at some of the areas on the roster that Dan Morgan and Brandt Tillis have to address this offseason. Instead of looking at the entire roster, we are going to break the list down by position group. For the projected market value, I’ll be using Spotrac’s numbers. If you don’t agree with how much a player might get in free agency, take it up with them, not me. This week’s focus will be on the wide receivers.

2025 Performance​

We’re going to take a look at quarterbacks and running backs in this piece since both positions only have a few guys on the roster. Quarterbacks were a mixed bag, largely due to Bryce Young’s inconsistency. Young ended the season with a 71.0 overall PFF grade, which is solid if unspectacular and a slight dip from his 74.0 in 2024. What really surprised me was Bryce’s league-leading 99.7 PFF grade on throws of 20+ yards. This is likely due to a combination of small sample size and Bryce having Tetairoa McMillan on the outside whom he can trust. Still, Bryce set a career low with just 6.4 intended air yards per attempt (basically aDOT whether it was completed or not), so he wasn’t taking very many deep shots regardless of how well he performed on them. Young also threw for career-highs in completion percentage (63.6), yards (3,011), touchdowns (23) and passer rating (87.8). Backup Andy Dalton only saw the field in five games, including his Week 8 start against the Bills when Young was injured. Dalton struggled in that game and was underwhelming in his other situational snaps.

The running back room was a completely different story. Chuba Hubbard got off to a slow start due to nagging injuries, and Rico Dowdle stepped up big time. Dowdle eclipsed a thousand yards for the season, largely aided by back to back 180+ yard games on the ground. His effectiveness did trend downward as the season went on, probably due to a variety of factors like Chuba’s health improving and the offensive line dealing with injuries. Speaking of Chuba, most of his higher quality games were later in the season, though both backs struggled overall the last few weeks of the season. PFF was not kind to either of the Panthers main backs, grading Hubbard at 69.9 overall and Dowdle at 63.5 overall.

Panthers’ Free Agents (with Spotrac expected market value)​

Rico Dowdle, RB ($6.5M)

Rico has made it pretty clear that he is interested in joining a team that will give him the lion’s share of carries. With Chuba Hubbard being a team centerpiece on the field and in the locker room, and considering the young talented players Jonathon Brooks and Trevor Etienne both returning (hopefully fully healthy) next season, it looks unlikely that the Panthers would be able to guarantee that type of commitment. In true “prove it” deal fashion, Dowdle made himself a ton of money and will move on to another team.

Other Teams’ Free Agents (with Spotrac expected market value)​

Breece Hall, New York Jets ($10.4M)
Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks ($9.0M)
Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons ($1.85M)
Miles Sanders, Dallas Cowboys ($1.75M)

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts ($43.4M)
Zach Wilson, Miami Dolphins ($1.63M)
Trey Lance, Los Angeles Chargers ($1.43M)

The Panthers likely won’t address either position in free agency since they’re only likely to lose Dowdle. The rest of the crew is under contract for next season, so unless they feel the need to move on from Andy Dalton or one of the young running backs, we’ll likely only see a late round flyer on either position if either is addressed at all. Still, there are some intriguing options. Obviously Hall and Walker III are off the table, but a familiar foe in Allgeier or a former friend in Miles Sanders could be some nice depth and insurance for Brooks in the event he isn’t fully healthy.

From a quarterback perspective, I don’t know why anyone would pay Daniel Jones that much money. Still, a still young-ish veteran backup like Zach Wilson or Trey Lance would be cheap options to back up Bryce Young over a longer term than Dalton. A post-June 1st cut of Dalton would save about $2M in cap space, but that’s what the team would be spending on one of these free agent QBs, so the logic just isn’t there. If they want to take a flyer on a guy like Lance as the practice squad/third string QB, fine, but it would not make sense to replace Dalton this season.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...thers-roster-holes-in-the-offensive-backfield

 

[Carolina Panthers]

Potential cap casualties that could help the Panthers offense

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 08: General manager Dan Morgan of the Carolina Panthers looks on prior to the NFL Preseason 2025 game against the Cleveland Browns at Bank of America Stadium on August 08, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Carolina Panthers enter the 2026 offseason with plenty of cap space and pretty easy means to make even more. They have a quarterback on a rookie contract, which is prime time to spend a bunch of money on a supporting cast. Other teams are not so fortunate. There are going to be a lot of tough decisions being made around the league where not-bad players are going to get cut purely for the cap savings. The Panthers can pounce on some of those free agents to bolster their offensive group. Here are a few names to look out for.

Colby Parkinson, TE, Rams​

Sean McVay used his offensive genius guru mind games and did this crazy thing where he adapted his scheme to his personnel in 2025, a foreign concept to many NFL minds. After operating almost exclusively out of three wide receiver sets for many years, he pivoted to a lot of three tight end groupings to capitalize on the team’s depth at the position. But that means the Rams are at a bit of a roster crunch at the position. Tyler Higbee is a free agent, so the team may simply let him walk and keep Parkinson and Terrance Ferguson. But if they bring Higbee back on a cheaper deal and want to chase some big fish in free agency, they can $7 million by releasing Parkinson.

Parkinson would immediately be the best tight end on the Panthers roster and add another reliable intermediate target for Bryce Young. And we’ve already seen him have success in Bank of America Stadium.

Jonnu Smith, TE, Steelers​

Sticking with the tight end position, Smith seems a more likely cut than Parkinson. The Steelers took a shot trading for Smith to create a one-two punch with Pat Freiermeuth. That never really panned out, and Darnell Washington ate into a fair share of snaps as well. The Steelers are currently on the hook for $22 million in cap charges for Freirmeuth and Smith, which is too much for their production, especially when Washington is a fine TE2 and outpaced Smith in production last year.

Smith is just one year removed from a breakout season with the Dolphins where he tallied 884 yards and eight touchdowns on 88 catches. He’s just 30 years old, so it’s not like that talent completely evaporated. Like Parkinson, Jonnu would immediately step in as the Panthers best tight end and bring some real pop to that position.

Darnell Mooney, WR, Falcons​

Fun fact: if nothing changes, Mooney would go into next season carrying the largest cap hit among Falcons wide receivers. He’s due to count over $18 million against the cap, and the Falcons could save nearly $12 million by designating him a post-June 1 cut. Should he hit the market, he’d fit the bill of wide receiver that the Panthers are looking for to complete their room. He’s popped off as a deep threat at points during his career, though he’s been inconsistent. A change of scenery could do him good, and he’d add some variety to a Panthers receiver room that currently features a bunch of tall, long guys.

Tank Dell, WR, Texans​

This would feel kinda mean given that Dell has spent the past year and a half rehabbing from a catastrophic knee injury he suffered during the 2024 season, but the Texans have built up their wide receiver group in his absence. They have Nico Collins and used two draft picks on Iowa State wide receivers that were pretty good as rookies. There might just not be room for Dell, and the cap squeezed Texans can save a couple million by releasing him. If Dell can get back to health, he’d be a great fit as a young, speedy deep threat to complement the big bodies the Panthers currently have manning the position.

Elgton Jenkins, C/G, Packers​

The Panthers are pretty good along the offensive line when healthy, but if there is a question mark, it’s at the center position. Jenkins carries a massive $24 million cap hit this offseason, and the Packers, who are hurting for cap space, could reclaim the vast majority of that if they release him. His play dipped last season, but he has been a Pro Bowler twice. Should he come at a reasonable price, he could be a nice acquisition to compete at center or provide insurance for Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt.

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/ca...that-could-help-the-carolina-panthers-offense

 

[Carolina Panthers]

The Scratching Post: 2/16-2/20

Greetings, internet users. Welcome to The Scratching Post and the new year.

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread

Join the conversation!​

Sign up for a user account and get:

• Fewer ads
• Create community posts
• Comment on articles, community posts
• Rec comments, community posts
• New, improved notifications system!

Source: https://www.catscratchreader.com/the-scratching-post/58158/the-scratching-post-2-16-2-20