CHARLOTTE, N.C. — We posted the call-out for questions Friday morning as the Carolinas were preparing for Ice Storm-ageddon. But other than some kind words from Glenn L., there was scant mention of milk, bread, salt or generators.
Instead, The Athletic’s readers maintained their focus, didn’t let the elements take them off their game and kept their eyes on the prize: the Carolina Panthers’ plans over the next three months.
A lot can and will change for the Panthers and every other team during the 87-day stretch between Monday and the first night of the 2026 NFL Draft. Which is to say, what seems logical now might be rendered irrelevant by April. Also: more mailbags!
But there are important threads to follow over the course of the offseason, several of which you asked about: Ikem Ekwonu’s knee, Xavier Legette’s future and the Panthers’ ability to build on the franchise’s first playoff berth since the 2017 season.
Let’s get to them before it gets any colder in Charlotte.
A lot of focus on the short-term approach to the tackle position with Ickey’s injury, but there’s also the long-term question with Ickey and Taylor Moton both being under contract for only one more season, and long-term questions arising (Moton entering age-32 season and Ickey’s recovery from injury). Thoughts on a long-term approach? — Brian H.
Moton is actually signed through the 2027 season after his extension last summer, but the point stands: Is it time to start looking further down the road when talking about tackle? And how the Panthers answer that could tell us a lot about whether they think Ekwonu can come back from his patellar tendon surgery at or near his pre-injury level.
The Panthers have invested heavily in the offensive line under Dan Morgan and Dave Canales, signing guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis to big contracts in 2024 and extending Moton in August. But Morgan hasn’t taken an offensive lineman in two drafts as a GM, and bringing in a young tackle makes some sense.
That said, the only way I could see Morgan drafting a tackle at 19 would be if the Panthers are convinced Ekwonu won’t be the same player moving forward, and it’s way too early for them to know that. It’s tough to find franchise tackles after the first two rounds, but the Panthers could take one later to develop and serve as a stopgap until Ekwonu is ready.
Although LB and edge seem to be the most talked about possibilities for the pick at 19, do you sense they eye an interior DL that can also rush the passer? (Remember hearing that they liked Mason Graham had he fallen to No. 8.) — Fernando A.
Never say never, but those two positions that Fernando mentioned feel like much bigger priorities than defensive line. In fact, the D-line seems like a place where the Panthers can trim a little fat to create cap space, with A’Shawn Robinson a potential cut as he enters the final year of his contract with a $12.6 million cap number.
And while the Panthers did like Graham, who had just half a sack in 17 starts for the Cleveland Browns, they like their interior rotation, even with Turk Wharton struggling through an injury-plagued season. Derrick Brown, coming off a career-high five sacks, and a healthy Wharton can push the pocket and set up the edge rushers, a group that needs reinforcements.
With all the heat that Keon Coleman caught this season, he played fewer games than Xavier Legette and still put up more yardage and touchdowns. And he’s almost three years younger than Legette. Could the Panthers pull a Matt Millen and draft a third straight first-round receiver this year? — Jeremy F.
I don’t see it. This feels like the year Morgan, the former linebacker, goes defense in the first round. Of course, I had the Panthers drafting Jalon Walker last year in most of my mocks (though I didn’t ignore their interest in Tetairoa McMillan).
Even so, Morgan wants to give Bryce Young another playmaking receiver, specifically a yards-after-catch demon who “can take a 5-yard catch and take it the distance, or make a few guys miss and come up with a big play.”
Looking at the list of free-agent receivers, one name jumps off the board. Seattle Seahawks speedster Rashid Shaheed, whose touchdown on the opening kickoff set the tone for the Seahawks’ divisional-round win vs. San Francisco, would help the Panthers in a couple of areas but won’t come cheap.
Despite Xavier Legette’s drop-off in 2025, Panthers coach Dave Canales remained upbeat about the second-year receiver. (Matthew Hinton / Imagn Images0
I don’t want to say XL was a disappointment but he definitely underperformed. How likely is it that he is still on the roster next year? Could a positional change to TE be possible? — Eli C.
Readers had too much Legette interest to squeeze into one question, so we’re sizing up to XXL. To be clear: That is not to imply that Legette could bulk his way into a three-point stance, à la Kelvin Benjamin’s attempt to make the New York Giants’ roster as a tight end in 2021 after sitting out the previous two seasons.
The Panthers would move on from Legette before making him a tight end, though I’m not sure I’d characterize that scenario as likely, either. Yes, Jalen Coker is a better receiver than Legette and is now the WR2 alongside McMillan. But Coker has yet to get through a full season, and Legette’s size and speed still make him a home-run threat, no matter how unpolished the rest of his game is.
Morgan has a strong track record of getting draft picks for unproductive and/or unhappy receivers, so that possibility can’t be dismissed. But expect Legette to be in camp next summer, regardless of whether the Panthers add another receiver or two.
They could always flip him at the deadline. But at his end-of-season news conference, Canales didn’t sound ready to give up on Legette yet.
“The thing I respect about Xavier through this process is all that’s done is work. All he’s done is continue to try to find ways. How can I help?” Canales said. “He continued to block, continued to be available. He’s returning kicks and just finding ways to do that. He’s made of the right stuff. I have full faith and confidence that Xavier will bounce back and have an excellent year next year.”
How “in” on winning now should Dan Morgan be this coming season? Do they continue to take the confident but measured steps forward, or should they take more risk? — Adam S.
When the Panthers stood pat at the trade deadline, it spoke volumes about how they viewed the 2025 team: A talented squad with a chance to make the playoffs, but not one ready to contend for a Super Bowl, yet.
It was the right read. For as fun as the season was for a fan base desperate for something positive to rally around, the Panthers backed into the playoffs with an 8-9 record and on a two-game losing streak.
Canales has had two seasons to bring in the type of players he wants to build the culture, and Morgan and VP of football operations Brandt Tilis have been judicious with their free-agent dollars. When they were outbid for Milton Williams last March, they pivoted and used that money on several defensive additions.
Now Morgan has to address the pass rush. Would he do so with a big splash like Trey Hendrickson? Maybe. But the Panthers still aren’t one player away.
“We’re not going to be reckless,” Morgan said. “But at the same time, we’re going to bring talent in here. We’re going to make moves that we feel like will help us out in the future.”
On to the speed round, which really is a speed round as I’m trying to get this finished before the ice hits, the power lines fall and I can’t send this mailbag to my editor until February.
How do you see the Panthers doing next year with a first-place schedule, and how much do you think this will factor into expectations from ownership for where the bar is for success next year? — Deirdre C.
I edited Deirdre’s question for brevity’s sake (and in case I need to make another firewood run). While it’s fun to talk about schedules (the NFL has turned the May release into a one-day schedule-palooza), the reality is the first-place piece of it only involves three games. Yes, they’re against three teams that were good in 2025 (Denver, Seattle and Philadelphia). But there’s no guarantee they’ll be good again next year (I’m looking at you, Eagles). The Panthers played a third-place schedule this season, and two of those bronze medalists from ’24 made the playoffs this year — Jacksonville and Green Bay. The third was Dallas, which thinks it’s going to be good every year. I’d guess Deirdre and everyone else would say ending a seven-year playoff drought was worth sweating through three games next year that could be tough.
Do you get the feeling Canales will ever give up offensive play calling? — Jason C.
This was a question in our December mailbag as well, and my answer hasn’t changed: No, unless Dave Tepper tells him to. Play calling is Canales’ thing, and he seems to be getting a better feel for it. I’d like to see him push the ball downfield a little more.
Am I the only one concerned about Jaycee’s concussion numbers? Seems to me we should be. — Todd C.
It’s an important question and something Horn, the Panthers’ coaches and medical staff will monitor closely after he was in the protocol twice in a six-game span. It’s difficult to know how Horn or anyone will recover from head injuries. Not that we needed any reminders about the serious nature of concussions, but Josey Jewell’s situation provided one.
Soup or salad? — Will C.
Typically salad, especially after 18 weeks of press box buffets. But given the forecast, I’m going soup this week. Hope everyone gets through the storm safely and soundly.