We may have just experienced the greatest run through free agency in Carolina Panthers history. And on Friday, the man behind the haul got his chance to speak on it all.
President of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan chatted with reporters this afternoon. He, as expected, was asked to cover a wide range of topics—including his team’s notable free-agent signings.
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So, what does Morgan think about his moves?
Here’s everything he said regarding the Panthers’ additions from the past two weeks . . .
OLB Jaelan Phillips and ILB Devin Lloyd
On Phillips’ injury history:
“Obviously, we do our research and feel really good about it. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have invested the money that we did in him. We know the type of worker he is and where he is from an injury standpoint. So, we feel really good about him moving forward and what he’s gonna bring to our team.”
On Phillips’ lack of sacks:
“Yeah, I don’t think it’s all about sacks. I think Jaelan’s a disruptive guy, and that can be just as impactful. Maybe it doesn’t look sexy on the box score at the end of the game, in terms of having sacks on there. But he’s disruptive play in and play out.
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“He’s not only a good pass rusher, but he’s also really good against the run. And he’s a guy that can make an impact just chasing the ball and running ball carriers down.
“He brings a lot more than just pass rush to the defense. He brings a high motor, his effort’s outstanding and he’s physical at the point of attack. He can do a lot of things other than rush the passer.”
On the impact Phillips and Lloyd can make:
“I think Devin and Jaelan are two guys that we obviously held in high regard during free agency. When you look at both of those guys physically, how big they are, how long they are, the effort that they play with, the way they prepare—they were definitely guys that we had our eyes on during free agency.
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“Me—being a former player and watching them on tape—they have everything that you want in terms of the motor, the effort, the instincts, the range that they play with. So they were really good adds for us and guys that we’re really excited about and they’re really gonna help our defense moving forward.
On comparisons for Phillips and Lloyd:
“I don’t really have anybody that I would compare ’em to. I just know they’re two guys that I, obviously, scouted coming out of college, that I held in high regard then. And to be able to get them in free agency, they’re just gonna add so much to our defense along with the guys that we already have.
“We’re just really excited about adding them and adding the type of players and leaders they are in the locker room. The way they prepare, they way they just approach their day-to-day—they’re everything that we wanted.”
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QB Kenny Pickett
On transitioning from Andy Dalton to Pickett at backup quarterback:
“Mobility, I think is big in this league. So I think adding a guy like Kenny Pickett that can move outside the pocket if he needs to, create with his legs if he needs to—I think those are all things that were really intriguing to us.”
On why the team wanted Pickett:
“I think Kenny was a guy that Coach [Dave Canales] really wanted to work with and was fond of in the evaluation process.
“I’ll go back to what I said before—the mobility and his ability to create with his legs, I think was a big part of that. Obviously, he can throw the ball and he has a lot of upside. And I think like every player, he knows that he can get better at certain things. But we’re excited about him.”
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OT Rasheed Walker
On Walker filling in for left tackle Ikem Ekwonu:
“We’re excited about adding him and what he’s gonna be able to bring. I think that definitely gives Ickey time to recover. And when we get him back, we’ll be excited to get him back.”
On Walker’s firearms charges from January:
“That’s a pending legal matter right now, so I really can’t comment on that. But we did our research.”
WR John Metchie
On why the team wanted Metchie:
“Yeah, another guy that we’re excited to have. Obviously, Bryce [Young] is familiar with him. They played together in college. And I know Bryce is really fond of him—not only as a player, but as a person. I just think it’s another piece that we can add to our receiver room that adds depth and competition to that room.”
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On if Young helped the team sign Metchie:
“I definitely talked to Bryce about him. Obviously, the type of person that he is and the player. So, yeah, I did my homework there talking to Bryce.
“But I think he’s still young and he’s had some production in this league. It hasn’t been as consistent as he’s wanted it to be. But I think there’s definitely a lot of upside there.”
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Everything GM Dan Morgan said about the Panthers’ free-agent additions